10 Crucial Steps Toward Correct Bible Interpretation

Before we look at the steps for interpreting Scripture, we need a few ground rules:

1. Only Christians can interpret God’s Word; we must be cautious about any Bible interpretation methods or conclusions that unbelievers invent. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
2. Prayer is an important first action before spending time in the Bible. Praying Psalm 119:17-18 is a good start-up for your study time. Also, avoid as many distractions as possible.
3. We must remember our goal when studying the Bible is growing in God’s grace, knowledge, and love (2 Peter 3:18) and help other believers do the same (Colossians 1:28-29; 4). 1 Timothy 1:5 reminds us to have pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith, all creating love for others; when we lose these goals, 1 Timothy 1:6-7 warns us that we can become vain teachers who don’t understand what they teach.

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Word-for-word translations, also known as formal equivalence translations, aim to translate the text as literally as possible. While dynamic (thought-for-thought) translations and paraphrases are fine for lighter reading, literal translations get to the meat of the text. As the Logos Bible Software staff says, “you can’t beat a word-for-word translation when it comes to understanding the Bible more deeply.”

Every translation has strengths and weaknesses, but the most recommended translations for Bible study are the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible.

While the King James Bible Version is word-for-word, Professor Robert L. Plummer doesn’t recommend it since newer translations use manuscripts—like the Codices Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus—that were unavailable then.

Bible students benefit from having various Bible translations because one translation’s language may clarify another’s language. While I prefer literal translations, I use the Christian Standard Bible or a New International Version (both are halfway between formal and dynamic equivalence translations) for added clarity.

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When you study a passage, pray, then read it as many times as you feel necessary to understand the text’s flow of ideas. You may want to set it down briefly (even overnight) so what you’ve read sinks in. Serious Bible study takes serious time.

Once you’ve read the Scripture several times, note what strikes you. Why did the author say certain things? Tools like the inductive method can help you ask better questions while taking notes. As you take notes, the remaining steps will help solidify your understanding of the Scripture you study.

Typing or handwriting the passage is a great tool for understanding the text better as you read it. You will notice things the writer stresses through repeated words, people, places, and phrases or how they connect these elements together.

Don’t forget the Holy Spirit’s place in the process. Remember, the ultimate author is the Lord God, who uses human authors to pen His words for us. Commentaries and other study aids help, but trust the Holy Spirit to reveal things to you in your study.

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The Bible surpasses all other human authority because it’s supernatural— God’s written Word to us. As Matt Smethurst writes, “The Bible is the supreme court. This means the correctness of every belief, value, opinion, statement, and sermon is finally settled by the question: what does the Bible say? Jesus himself appealed “to each part of Scripture, and each element of Scripture, as to an unimpeachable authority.”

The Bible tells us:

• God’s Word and commandments eclipse human traditions (Mark 7:8-9, 13).
• We must guard ourselves against worldly philosophy and empty deceit not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8). Don’t just read God’s Word; obey it (James 1:22-25).
• The Holy Spirit led the men who penned the Scriptures to write exactly what He intended (2 Peter 1:20-21).

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John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Word as used here is Jesus Christ, the Logos (as Sproul puts it, “the eternal Word in action.”)

From Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” to Revelation 22:21, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” the Bible is focused on Christ and God’s redemptive work in and through Him. It follows the whole of the Scriptures should be viewed with Christ as the beginning, middle, and culmination of all history (Colossians 1:15-20).

Jesus himself discusses this idea several times. John 5:18-40 reports that when people tried to kill Jesus for saying God was his father (which made him equal with God), he told them that their Scriptures bore witness to his words, that Moses had written about his coming. If they believed Moses, they would believe Him because Moses wrote about Jesus.

Luke’s Gospel describes Jesus returning to this idea after he rose from the dead. He met two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus but kept them from recognizing him. As they talked about what had happened in Jerusalem (Jesus dying on the cross after people expected him to redeem Israel), Jesus challenged their understanding of what the Messiah was. As they walked, he showed them what the Bible said would happen to the Messiah: “. . . beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

When you read the Bible—both the Old Testament and the New, look for all the ways it points to Christ.

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A simple yet serious rule in hermeneutics is that context rules. Ignoring the context is like placing our finger on a page and determining its meaning just by where our finger lands.

While chapter and verse numbers help us remember, the Bible was not originally written with punctuation, verses, or chapters. We may need to study large portions of Scripture to capture the flow of thought and see themes that run through the text. Reading short devotionals may be useful, but we shouldn’t apply its scripture (reading tiny bits of Scripture and assuming the tiny bits give us all we need to know) to Bible study.

As you ponder your text, ask these questions to understand the passage’s context:

1. What happened before this scene?
2. What is happening in the scene under scrutiny?
3. What is the overarching narrative of the Bible, and how does this scene fit into it?

These kinds of context will help you answer these questions:

1. Historical context – what happened in the world when the text was written?
2. Cultural context – what were the cultural norms when the text was written?
3. Grammatical context – watch for figures of speech, word choices, phrases, etc.
4. Literary context – what genre or type of story does this passage fit into? (see the next step for more details on this)
5. Geographical context – where did the narrative occur, or where did the author write the text?
6. Visual context – what visual details appear in the text (e.g., what might manna have looked like?)

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Biblical literature has many types or genres. Knowing the genre of the text we are studying helps us further identify its meaning.

 As Capitol Hill Baptist Church explains, there are seven major genres in the Bible:

1. Historical/Law narratives (like Exodus)
2. Wisdom (like Proverbs)
3. Poetry (like Psalms)
4. Prophecy (like Isaiah)
5. Apocalyptic (like Daniel)
6. Gospel (like Matthew)
7. Epistles (like Romans)

Remember that some books of the Bible contain more than one genre. Knowing each genre’s traits (which we can learn through resources like the Bible Project) helps us better interpret each book.

 Mistaking or ignoring genres can cause severe problems like:

1. Distorted interpretation (for example, reading narratives like huge collections of life lessons).
2. Rejecting the text’s ideas (for example, treating historical narratives as allegories, so the events didn’t happen).
3. Misusing a genre to justify poor choices (misreading a text as having a lesson we want it to say)

When we understand what kind of genre a book of the Bible fits into, along with the other context clues discussed earlier, we avoid common misunderstandings, and get as close as we can to the original meaning.

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Once we determine the passage’s context, we should check what else the Bible says about a certain topic, person, command, etc. Some Bibles have cross-reference columns to show connected Bible verses. If not, an online concordance will help you locate where topics, words, phrases, and concepts appear elsewhere in Scripture.

The inner dialogue within Scripture is fascinating and informative, inspiring and bringing glory to God. As we look at how different passages discuss the same ideas differently, we gain a greater respect for the Lord and how He ordered the Scriptures.

Consider what the New Testament says about the Old Testament and what the Old says about the New. Augustine of Hippo coined a wise saying, “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.” For example, Isaiah 7:14 talks about how “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” What does the word virgin mean in this verse? Young woman or woman who has never had relations? Matthew quotes this verse in his Gospel account (Matthew 1:23), using a Greek word that always means relations. So, Matthew interprets Isaiah 7:14 for us.

Letting Scripture interpret itself is important; as Hebrews 4:12 says, Scripture is living and active.

If a reader interprets one part of Scripture in a way that contradicts another part, something is missing; God’s Word is pure and true, and He will never contradict Himself.

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Scripture gives us the best explanation of Scripture and often returns to ideas. Look for phrases or concepts that appear multiple times.

For example, one all-encompassing concept throughout Scripture is that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—one eternal being yet three distinct, co-equal persons. Although the Bible doesn’t use the word “trinity,” the idea (one in nature yet three) appears throughout the Bible.

The Bible first infers the Trinity in Genesis 1:26 when God says, “Let us make man in Our image” (emphasis added). Deuteronomy 6:4-5 tells us God is One, which gives us the other key point: God is one yet several persons.

The New Testament makes explicit what the Old Testament implies about the Trinity. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson notes that Jesus’ teachings in John 13-17 provide “a magnificent tapestry of gospel grace, woven from three threads: the work of the Father, the work of the Son, and the work of the Holy Spirit.” We learn even more about the Trinity in later New Testament passages like Hebrews 1:8 and Acts 5:3-4.

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God created us for relationships, both with Him and with others. While we should maintain relationships with unbelievers so they can witness Christ in us, our priority is the church, the family we will spend eternity with (Matthew 16:18).

Hebrews 24-25a reminds us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. . . ” We come together as members of the church to worship the Lord with hymns, receive solid Bible teaching, and have fellowship with one another.

As we sit under church leaders’ teachings, we learn to be the people God created us to be (Ephesians 4:11-13). As the Holy Spirit leads our Bible instructors, they grow through their study of Scripture and then help solidify the Word within us.

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Once you’ve studied the text as best you can, consult trusted commentaries to verify your findings. Ask if your conclusion is something no other scholar has discerned. Check yourself regularly; no one will completely know all Scripture on this side of heaven.

Speak to your pastor and faithful mentors as well. They can bless you with their guidance. Our findings and questions may help them see where their congregation needs further instruction.

Many Bible commentaries and online resources are available; ask your teachers which they recommend.

Interpreting the Bible is hard yet fruitful work. No matter your age, you can redeem the time by studying God’s Word diligently, knowing He will bless your endeavor. A greater knowledge of the Lord grows our love and reverence for Him. As 2 Peter 3:14-18 encourages, let us avoid false teachers and pursue growing in grace and knowledge about our Savior, bringing Him glory.

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