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"You're not understanding that text correctly." I've heard it; I've said it; I've been told it. Now, some will argue that the Bible is not a reliable book. Setting that idea aside (because "You're not understanding that unreliable text correctly" is a pointless concept), is it possible to get at least a portion of the Bible to be clearly understood by God's people? I think so. I don't even think it's that hard. So here are some thoughts on properly understanding the Bible.

1. The Bible is the God-breathed truth. It is written by human authors under the inspiration and oversight of God and is, because God is, true, correct, without error.

2. The Bible is God's expression to Man. That means that the aim in correct Bible interpretation is to figure out what God is trying to say, not what we want Him to say or what we think He should have said. If the Bible doesn't surprise you with some of the things you read, you probably aren't understanding it correctly. Since it is God's expression to Man, let the Bible say what He intends it to say.

3. The Bible is a set of books (66), but they are not distinct books. That is, God breathed them as an overarching revelation of what He wants His people to know.

• As such, context is absolutely important.
• Scripture interprets Scripture. As a unified presentation from God, Scripture will not contradict itself and will reinforce itself.

4. Hermeneutics is the technical term for the interpretation of the Bible. The 8 rules of hermeneutics are:

1. Definition. What does the word mean? In English (when it was translated)? In its original language?
2. Usage. How was the word (or phrase or concept) used when it was written? How would an Old Testament Jew or a New Testament Christian have understood it when it was first presented?
3. Context. What does the context give you for the meaning of the text. (Rule of thumb: Never read a single verse.)
4. Historical Background. Is there anything in the events surrounding the writing at the time that might shed light on meaning?
5. Logic. Does the interpretation make sense? Does it contradict other known texts?
6. Precedent. How is the word used elsewhere?
7. Unity. What does the unified whole teach? (Prime example: The Trinity does not appear in Scripture, but the principles, ideas, and parameters are drawn directly from Scripture.)
8. Inference. Logically it is possible to infer meaning by implication. However, the explicit always outweighs the implicit.

I hope you can see a couple of vital facts in this list. First, understanding Scripture is not "simplicity itself," not because it's so hard to understand, but because we need to be very careful with God's Word. There is no excuse for sloppy understanding if we are aiming to understand what God intended to convey. Second, if Scripture interprets Scripture, what is absolutely essential? A grasp of Scripture. That is, the more you know, the more you will know. If you are more and more deeply immersed in Scripture, you will more and more be able to understand Scripture.

Keep these in mind and I think you'll find you'll encounter less confusion in Scripture. Let the Bible say what it wants to say and I think you'll hear better what God is trying to convey. There will always be texts that are hard to understand, and it is always, always important to let the Spirit lead and teach in this process, but Scripture was intended to be God's revelation to His people. Making it infinitely variable, completely subjective, and prone to error and personal judgment would make no sense ... for God. We aren't aiming to figure out new things; we're aiming to see what God intended and that can be checked against the history of the Church. If you arrive at something new, beware. It's not likely. The Spirit was supposed to lead His people into all truth; He's not that sloppy. There is truth in the pages of the Bible and it can be reasonably understood and anyone who suggests otherwise is casting aspersions on God. Don't be that person.

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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