DISCIPLESHIP MINISTRIES

OF

GLOBAL CREATION MINISTRIES
REACHING AROUND THE WORLD
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TRUTHS TO GROW BY

RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD

It is certainly wonderful to see Christians studying their Bible, as only a small percentage actually do so. Many, who study the Word of God, don’t interpret it very well. The reason is a lack of knowledge of proper interpretation methods. This lesson is designed to give you a basic knowledge of how to interpret the Word of God correctly.

Correct Approach.

First make sure that a proper approach to the Word is being used. There are five steps to a proper approach to the Scriptures. First we need to pray for discernment. It is God who wrote the Word through many different human authors and it is God who knows what it’s supposed to mean. So before every time of study in the Word, take a moment to ask God to clarify the meaning so that you can understand the thoughts He intended you to receive.
Then as we proceed with our study we must depend on the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Scriptures and bring Its truth into our hearts. Jesus said that it was the Holy Spirit’s responsibility to teach us.
We also need to be intellectually honest. We must free up our mind from any biases as well as any dogma that we have been previously taught. Simply put, we must maintain an open mind keeping the Word of God as the supreme authority in all matters of doctrine and faith. Preconceived ideas can cause us to flavor what we read so that we miss the true intent of a passage.
Plus we must be pre-disposed to obey what the Holy Spirit teaches us through the Word of God. If we harbor unwillingness within us, it will quench the Holy Spirit and prevent us from learning what He has for us. We must, upon learning a new truth, put that truth into action in our lives. Remember that it is better to obey than to offer up sacrifices or prayers for forgiveness.
Finally we must be persistent in our study of the Word. If we study it for a week or two then stop we will lose all that we have gained. The only way to continually grow is to continually pursue in study the Holy Scriptures to gain what the Holy Spirit will teach us so that we can become like Jesus.

Rules of Interpretation.

The primary and central rule of interpretation of the Word of God is to interpret it plainly or literally. In other words, it means what it says. God is not in the business of hiding truth from His children. God is also not the author of confusion. God’s Word is written so as to be understood by all Christians. The unsaved may understand the words but they will fail to understand with the heart. The heart is where true understanding is achieved. Although the mind is considered a vital learning tool in secular topics, like math, history, and science, the Word of God requires a regenerated heart to understand it. This means that all believers can learn what they need to know to live a successful Christian life, regardless of their intellectual status. There are several other rules to remember, but bear in mind that these rules are merely amplifications of an aspect of this central rule; it means what it says.
The Word of God is just that, the Word of a holy, righteous, perfect, all powerful, and all knowing God. By that very statement, we define the next rule of interpretation. The Bible never contradicts itself. If a passage seems to contradict what the Word says in other places, then we need to re-evaluate what the passage is saying in light of its context and in light of what