Biblical Interpretation: A Crash Course

Interpretive Myths

Myth #1
Scripture Interprets Scripture False. People interpret Scripture. The interpretive process
begins long before we (i.e., the modern reader) even get to the Bible.

Transmission: We do not possess the original manuscripts of any Biblical book. We have
copies, but whats more, we have copies or copies of copies of copies, etc During the
transmission of these texts certain changes crept in whether they be additions, omissions,
duplications, or whatever. In most cases this isnt a big deal but there are times when it can
affect our interpretation of the Bible. For example, Matt. 17:21 was added by a scribe
seeking to harmonize Matthew with Mark 9:29. This leads us to believe that Matthew
meant to communicate something about prayer and fasting in relation to exorcism that he
didnt. Mark on the other hand did intend to communicate this. Another example is the
ending of Marks gospel (16:9-20). This is a late addition that is not original to the text and
instead of us being left with scared disciples were left with empowered disciples whose
ministries are confirmed by miraculous acts of healing and exorcism.

Capitalization: The original Hebrew and Greek texts didnt employ capitalization. This is
significant when it comes to texts that say god or holy spirit since to capitalize these terms
connotes something entirely different than to not capitalize them (= the Holy Spirit vs. a
holy spirit; the [one true] God vs. a god). In most instances the context tells us when such
capitalization is appropriate, but there are times when its not so clear, for example, Gen.
1:2; 2Cor. 6:6.

Punctuation: The original manuscripts didnt contain punctuation either. Punctuation can
change the interpretation of a passage. For example, the TNIV translates Luke 23:43 saying:
Jesus answered him, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. By placing the
comma after you and before today it says that the thief will be in paradise with Jesus on
that day. If the comma was placed after today then the meaning shifts considerably:
Jesus answered him, Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise. Here Jesus
tells the thief on that day that he will be in paradise with him but the time is not disclosed. It
can be at anytime in the future. Another example is Deut. 14:22 where the moving of a
simple dot ( vs. )over the sin/shin can change from you shall surely tithe to you shall
become rich

Versification: The original manuscripts didnt contain chapter and verse divisions. The
words werent even separated by spaces! This can cause us to think the flow of thought
stops before it really does. For example, Genesis 1 should really end at 2:3.
 Translation: Translation is nothing short of interpretation. Translators have to study the
source text and then render it into the target language deciding which words or phrases
best represent the original. There are different translation philosophies so depending on
which one is being employed will depend on what the translation yields. For example, a
formal equivalency translation philosophy seeks to preserve the form of the source
language as much as possible when rendering it into the target language. This makes for a
more literal translation but at the cost of readable [in our case] English. A functional (or
dynamic) equivalency philosophy seeks to communicate the meaning of the original
passage and thus sacrifices the form when it is necessary to make the meaning clear.

Myth #2
Scripture Alone is Sufficient to Interpret Scripture False. The Bible is a collection of books.
Each book was written to an intended audience. Those audiences shared certain assumptions with
the authors therefore certain information is taken for granted. We are not that audience therefore
we have to dig into the background information that the original audience would have already been
aware of. This requires turning to books written by professionals. Bible dictionaries,
encyclopedias, and background commentaries are very useful here.

Myth #3
Theres Multiple Meanings in Every Text False. There might be multiple applications of any
given text but there is only one meaning. A general rule of thumb is that a text cannot mean what it
never meant. For example, while the Nation of Islam likes to interpret texts about the Comforter
that Jesus said was coming to refer to Elijah Muhammad, those texts cannot support that
interpretation now because they never meant that then. The original meaning will guide how we
apply the text to our situation. So an example would be 1Cor. 12-14 where Paul writes to correct
the confusion in the worship services at Corinth. He was addressing a specific audience and
speaking to a specific abuse (we dont see him say this to the Philippians, right?) yet we can apply
the same corrections if we see similar abuses in our churches today.

Myth #4
The Bible is a Book to be Decoded False. The Bible is not some code book that needs to be
decoded. Looking for hidden meanings behind every passage of Scripture ignores the reason that
people wrote in the first place. They wrote to be heard; to be understood; to communicate! It is
true that certain texts employ symbolism, but theyre symbols that their intended audiences would
have recognized and understood. For example, when John wrote Revelation he did so while in exile
on the island of Patmos. He couldnt very well speak out in plain speech against the authorities who
had exiled him, but he could use symbols to speak about them that anyone he was writing to would
have understood immediately.