Applied hermeneutics is a
long-winded way of saying, “Applied rules of interpretation.” Just as there are logical rules for studying
physics (Applied Physics), there are common sense rules for interpreting the
scripture. Some of the rules included,
but not limited to applied hermeneutics are:
Never interpret an
isolated verse or portion of scripture without taking into consideration the
entire context in which it occurs. Ask
yourself, “Who wrote the passage, why was it written (for what purpose), to whom
was it written, what is the historical setting in which it occurs and what
influence does this have in the modern-day interpretation?” Also, when ascertaining the context of a
particular portion of scripture, it is important to read many verses preceding
and many verses following the passage in question. Sometimes it even becomes necessary to read THE ENTIRE BOOK in
which a particular verse is set to gain insight and understand the meaning of a
narrative. Often it is even helpful to
consult with Bible dictionaries or encyclopedias to acquire sufficient
background knowledge of a book of the Bible, especially if you are a beginner.
Be humble; be flexible,
and unbiased in your approach. Don’t
let preconceived ideas; doctrines, etc influence your interpretation. Also, don’t throw away your overall
knowledge of the scriptures, but use scripture passages to interpret other
scripture passages. When reading or
studying scripture, approach each endeavor as though the Bible was a brand new
book to you, even though you may be very familiar with it. This attitude enables the spirit of God to
feed your mind and heart with fresh revelation from His word, and allows Him to
cut through doctrinal and theological bias that is not in line with His
truth. In other words, don’t assume you
know what a verse means simply because you’ve read or heard it before.
Don’t let your pastor,
minister, favorite theologians, radio host or televangelist interpret scripture
for you. Acknowledge there are men and
women whom God has anointed and gifted as teachers and counselors. Not everyone is called as a teacher of the
scriptures. Nonetheless, be wary and on
guard for false teachers and prophets.
Even if you feel inspired and enthusiastic about someone’s teaching, it
is imperative to study the scriptures yourself. You must test each and every word, using the Bible as the plum
line for truth. The Bible with 66
inspired books is the canon (collection of books) of scripture, and it must
always be the final authority for truth and doctrine (teaching). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,
but that does not mean everyone’s opinion is correct and in line with the word
of God. If you let your pastor or
minister do all of your interpreting, you will not grow in the knowledge of God
through His word, and can become vulnerable to deception.
Consulting with the
original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) is necessary to truly
compare scripture with scripture for the purpose of interpretation. Not every believer feels compelled to study
the original languages in which the Bible was written. However, for those whose hunger for the
truth takes them deeper into study of the scripture, a familiarity and basic
understanding of Hebrew and Greek is needed.
Some people are intimidated by the Greek and Hebrew languages, and don’t
know where to begin. There are many
basic software programs and study books available through Christian bookstores
and distributors. A good start is to
buy a Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments.
Other study tools
available include Bible dictionaries (e.g. – Unger’s Bible Dictionary), Bible
encyclopedias (I highly recommend the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
aka ISBE), Expository Dictionaries (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the Old
& New Testament is excellent), Interlinear Bibles (I recommend Nestlé’s
Greek text for the New Testament), Bible software (my two favorites are
Biblesoft & the AMG WordStudy Bible & Reference CD), Englishman’s
Hebrew Concordance & Englishman’s Greek Concordance.
Stay away from excessive reading in Bible commentaries, Inductive Study Bibles, or Topical Bibles if you are serious about the truth. While Bible commentaries offer good historical information, they are laden with the theology of their authors. The same can be said for topical Bibles, or inductive study Bibles, both of which introduce a series of scripture verses on prearranged topics for you to research. Because these tools ‘induce’ the thought of their authors by arranging a sequence of Bible passages that concur, inevitably you will arrive at the same doctrinal conclusion they have induced through this method of research.
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