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How to Interpret: Answer Questions

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This week I’ll unpack the second of 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step two was Answer the Questions from the Text:

Once you’ve asked your questions, answer them.  There’s one critical rule, though: answer questions only if they are answered (or clearly implied) in the text (Prov 30:5-6).

Don’t go on rabbit trails.  Don’t use minor details to make the text say what you want it to say.  Don’t build a whole theology from one verse.  Instead, answer only those questions that are either assumed or addressed in the text.  Let the rest go.

Two kinds of answers are “in the text”:

  1. Some answers are assumed in the text.  The original audience would have known these answers, but they’re lost on us because of the thousands of years that separate our lifetime from theirs.  We need websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand what scholars have learned about ancient cultures. We can also reference related Scripture passages to illuminate the one at hand.
  2. Some answers are addressed in the text.  The author made these explicit for his audience.

From Luke 2:1-21, here are some examples of answers assumed in the text:

  • What was it like to experience upheaval for a census?
    • Some in Luke’s original audience may have remembered this very census that occurred during Quirinius’s governorship.  We should look it up. (On the link, scroll down to point (2) “Census of Quirinius.”)
  • What does it mean that Jesus is called “Christ”?
    • We need help from passages like Psalm 2:2 to provide the necessary background.
  • How long was Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem?  How did people view shepherds at this time?
    • Most of the original audience would understand what it was like to travel from Galilee to Judea, or to interact with shepherds.  We need tools like websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand such things.

Here’s an example of answers addressed in the text:

  • Why does Luke contrast Jesus’ glory with that of the Roman rulers?
    • Because God deserves the highest glory (Luke 2:14).  He is saving the world through Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
  • So what does Luke want us to do about Jesus?
    • In contrast to the Might of Rome (Luke 2:1-2), Mary treasured up these things (Luke 2:19), and the shepherds gave God highest praise & glory (Luke 2:20).  Luke implies that we should have similar responses to Jesus.

Finally, here are some possible questions not assumed or addressed in the text.  We ought to let them go (at least for now):

  • Did Mary walk or ride on a donkey?
  • Was Jesus born in a stable or a cave?
  • Do angels have wings?
  • Who are those “with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14), and what does this tell us about predestination?

What other answers to your questions can you find in the passage?

How to Interpret: Ask Questions

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Last week I introduced 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step one was Ask Questions of Your Observations:

Take your observations and ask questions of them.  Lots of questions.  Tackle those observations from every direction.

Be as inquisitive as possible.  Get better at asking questions, and you’ll get better at interpreting the Bible.

Note that your questions should be about your observations of the text.  Don’t ask just any old questions.  Don’t feel the need to be particularly clever.  Your job is not to innovate, but to uncover.  (Note how the disciples didn’t observe well, and so asked the wrong questions in John 21:22-23.)

The main questions to ask are What? Why? and So What?

  • What? questions define the terms.  (“What did he mean?”)
  • Why? questions uncover the author’s purpose.  (“Why did he say that?”)
  • So What? questions draw out the implications.  (“So what does he want me to do about it?”)

For example, let’s say you’re studying Luke 2:1-21.  You just observed that there’s a repeated idea of power and authority.  You saw lots of words like, “Lord,” “governor,” “decree,” “Caesar,” and “glory.”  Now it’s time to ask questions:

  • What kind of authority is Luke concerned with?  What was a “governor” in Ancient Rome?  What was the extent of Caesar’s power?  What will Jesus do that’s different?  What are angels?
    • How questions often fit into this category as well: How long was the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem?  How did people view shepherds at this time?
  • Why is Luke so concerned with power?  Why did Caesar make this decree?  Why does the author contrast baby Jesus’ glory with the Roman leaders’ authority?  Why were the shepherds filled with fear at the sight of an angel?
  • So what does this mean about where true authority lies?  So what should we believe about Jesus?  So what should we expect when Jesus comes into conflict with the world?

What other questions can you think of from your observation of Luke 2:1-21?  See if you can identify whether your question is a What? Why? or So What? question.

Eugene Peterson & Desiring God

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Here’s a short video with Eugene Peterson, where he discusses the difference between “studying” the Bible to master it and “reading” it so it can master you.

Although we wouldn’t use the same terminology (as though “studying” the Bible is unhelpful), we agree with the sentiment.  Check it out!

Also, Desiring God has a good post about how good Bible study is about meaning (interpretation) and application.

Check it out!

Fearless: DiscipleMakers Conference Talks

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Video of the main sessions from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference is now available!  The topic was Fearless: Living Confidently in the Gospel.

Dave Kieffer spoke on “Fearless: Jesus is Risen” from Luke 24:36-53

Mark Fodale spoke on “Fearless: God is with You” from Philippians 2:5-13

Dave Royes spoke on “Fearless: Heaven is Real” from 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10

May the Lord refresh you from his Knowable Word.  Check it out!

3 Steps for Interpreting the Bible

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Misunderstandings stink. I once got cussed out on the phone because of one.

The guy who did the cussing thought I’d scheduled an event on a certain date in order to purposely exclude him from attending.  Well, he had misunderstood, and I wish he’d asked more questions before jumping to conclusions.

If he’d asked, I could have given more information (for example, I had no idea this fellow was unavailable on the proposed date, and I primarily chose the date to avoid conflicts with other events).

It is possible to misunderstand the Bible, but with careful interpretation it’s also possible to rightly understand it.  God’s Word is a Knowable Word.

Interpretation is the second of three steps in the Bible study process.  We’ve seen why we should interpret the Bible.  We’ve seen two things that will hinder interpretation.  But how do we interpret?

These three steps will help you to interpret any passage of the Bible.

1.  Ask Questions of Your Observations

If you’ve observed well, you’re ready to interpret.

Take your observations and ask questions of them.  Lots of questions.  Tackle those observations from every direction.

Be as inquisitive as possible.  Get better at asking questions, and you’ll get better at interpreting the Bible.

Note that your questions should be about your observations of the text.  Don’t ask just any old questions.  Don’t feel the need to be particularly clever.  Your job is not to innovate, but to uncover.  (Note how the disciples didn’t observe well, and so asked the wrong questions in John 21:22-23.)

2.  Answer the Questions from the Text

Once you’ve asked your questions, answer them.  There’s one critical rule, though: answer questions only if they are answered (explicitly or implicitly) in the text (Prov 30:5-6).

Don’t go on rabbit trails.  Don’t use minor details to make the text say what you want it to say.  Don’t build a whole theology from one verse.  Instead, answer only those questions that are either assumed or addressed in the text.  Let the rest go.

3.  Determine the Author’s Main Point

As you answer all your questions, pull them together into a big picture.  Your job is to understand the main thing the author is communicating through the passage (2 Pet 3:15-18).

Most theological disagreements among Christians take place when people focus on things other than the main points of passages.  I’m not saying that theology is bad (in fact, it’s very important).  I’m simply saying that it’s important to focus on the main points of the Bible and not on secondary, questionable, or implied points (Matt 23:23-24).

Missing the main point means misunderstanding the text.  And misunderstandings stink.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll unpack each of these steps in greater detail.

Which of these steps seems most obvious to you?  Which one is most difficult?

Bible Study Help

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Sharon Hoover is writing a series of blog posts on how to study the Bible, giving very specific steps to help people practice by studying the Gospel of Mark.  Here’s a post on Inductive Bible Study, which is very similar to what we’re doing here at Knowable Word.

Logos Bible software can help you count repeated words, which can help you find themes in a chapter or book of the Bible.

Getting the most out of your Bible reading: tips from the American Bible Society.

Check it out!

Another Enemy of Interpretation is Relativism

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Yesterday I wrote, “Careless observation leads directly to incorrect interpretation.”  Some might wonder if there is such a thing as “incorrect interpretation.”

YES, there is.

In Luke 7:18-19, John the Baptist wanted to make sure he had the right interpretation.

In Mark 12:24-27, Jesus accused the Sadducees of having the wrong interpretation.

The Apostle Peter tells us that ignorance or instability can lead someone to distort (misinterpret) the Bible.  This practice has dire consequences (2 Pet 3:15-16).

I’ve heard people speak of the Bible: “it means whatever you want it to mean.”

Although I appreciate the desire for relevance, may I propose that extreme relativism is, in fact, self-defeating?  If a communication could mean anything the receiver wanted it to mean, then there could be no such thing as meaningful communication.  The speaker or writer intends a certain meaning.  We can agree or disagree with it, but we can’t overlook the fact that it’s there.

In other words, when someone says that it means whatever you want it to mean, a helpful and respectful response might be, “do you really mean that?”

By all means, let us work hard to figure out what it means.

The Greatest Enemy of Interpretation is Observation

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Interpretation happens when we figure out why a passage says what it says. We fail to interpret well when we fail to figure out why the passage says what it says.

The chief obstacle to excellent interpretation is observation.

Of course I don’t think observation is a bad thing. I’ve already written about how we should value careful observation. (See here for a few common examples of less-than-careful observation.) Careless observation leads directly to incorrect interpretation.

However, when you study the Bible, you can’t stay in observation. It’s easy to feel like you’ve really studied the Bible, when it’s possible that all you’ve done is observe.

For example, people often go to Romans 1:18-32 to show that humanity is sinful. Excellent observation! But why does Paul go to such great lengths to show how sinful humanity is? Perhaps it’s because he wants to tighten the noose slowly and imperceptibly around the reader. “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges” (Rom 2:1, ESV).

We find another example in Philippians 4:4-9. This passage is full of beautiful sayings commonly quoted by Christians. We love to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). We find great comfort in letting our requests be made known to God, with supplication and thanksgiving (Phil 4:6).

These are good observations. But why are these verses here? The Philippian church was experiencing a serious rift between two prominent women (Phil 4:2-3). So Paul sent instructions for resolving the conflict to one of his companions in the church. Read Phil 4:4-9 in that light, and the passage comes alive.

Old Testament narratives make up one last set of examples. As we observe these stories, we might notice all kinds of characters to either imitate or avoid, but we might fail to move into interpretation. Now viewing these characters as examples is not wrong (see 1 Cor 10:11), but it’s all too easy to stop with such observation. Why are the stories there? To show us Jesus, of course (John 1:45, Luke 24:44-47). The trick each time is to figure out how.

Remember not to let familiarity get in the way of your observation. And don’t let observation get in the way of your interpretation.

What the Presidential Debate Taught Me About Bible Study

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It must be terribly inconvenient to run for President of the United States.

The debate last night must have required tremendous preparation.  Not only do President Obama and Governor Romney have to prepare to present their own positions, each must prepare to make his opponent’s position seem foolish.  Each must also prepare to respond to whatever accusations the other might bring to the floor.

And then there are all the social dynamics: moderator, attendees, cameras.  Personal lives get exposed; mistakes in judgment get exploited; everything is scrutinized.

And all for one purpose: to get my vote.

But what difference will it make if one candidate wins my vote?  How can I make a difference?

Here’s the beauty of how it works.  By winning one person at a time, vote after vote after vote, an aspiring leader does something magical.  Many individuals make up this thing we call “the people.”  And when the people elect a leader, stuff changes.  Policies take effect.  Administrations administrate.  The glorious future begins to spill into the dreary present.

What did last night’s debate teach me about Bible study?  That it’s all worth it. 

It’s terribly inconvenient to study the Bible.  It’s not easy.  It requires discipline and practice.  I might not get it at first.

But, as I do it, I get better at handling the Word (2 Tim 2:15).  The better I handle the Word, the better equipped I am at passing it on (2 Tim 3:16-17).  The better I am at passing it on, the more likely I am to make a significant difference for God’s Kingdom.

So keep going to church, week after week.  Keep reading your Bible.  Keep learning how to communicate it effectively.

It will feel mundane.  It will feel like hard work.  But it’s how God changes the world.

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:1-2).

Do you think it’s worth it to study the Bible?  What encourages you to keep doing it when it’s inconvenient or difficult?