“The Bible is uniquely inspired and infallible, and this puts it in a class by itself. But, for matters of interpretation, the Bible does not take on some special magic that changes basic literary patterns of interpretation.” (63)

“But if the Bible is to be interpreted like any other book, what about prayer? Shouldn’t we seek assistance of God the Holy Spirit in interpreting the Book? Isn’t divine illumination promised to this book in a way that differs from other books?” (Dr. Sproul goes on to answer those questions.) (64)

“I do not mean that we should use the modern ‘existential’ method of interpreting Scripture whereby the word of Scripture are taken out of their historical context for subjective meaning (for example, as Rudolf Bultmann does).” (65)

“What I mean is that as we read the Bible, we ought to get passionately and personally involved in what we read. I advocate this not only for the purpose of personal application of the text but for understanding as well.” (66)

“Didactic literature is literature that means to teach or to instruct. Much of Paul’s writing is didactic in character… (for example) the Gospels record what Jesus did and the Epistles interpret the significance of what He did. Such a description is an oversimplification in that the Gospels often teach and interpret as they are giving narration. But, it is true that the emphasis in the gospels is found in the record of events, while the Epistles are more concerned with interpreting the significance of those events in terms of doctrine, exhortation, and application.” (68)

“In the business of language, we make distinctions between that which is implicit and that which is explicit. Often, the difference is a matter of degree and the distinction can be muddled. But, usually we can determine the difference between what is actually said and what is left unsaid, though implied. I am convinced that if this one rule were consistently followed by Christian communities, the vast majority of doctrinal differences that divide us would be resolved.” (page, 75, Ed’s emphasis)

“Whatever else the bible is, it is a book which communicates information verbally. That means that it is filled with words. Thoughts are expressed through the relationship of those words. Each individual word contributes something to the whole of the content expressed. The better we understand the individual words used in biblical statement, the better we will be able to understand the total message of Scripture.” (page 79)

“Words with multiple meanings. There are scores of words in the bible that have multiple meanings. Only the context can determine the particular meaning of a word. For example, the Bible speaks frequently of the will of God There are at least six different ways that this word is used” (examples follow). (page 82)

For more discussion on this important issue, see Knowing Scripture at the end of this article.

“One of the fascinating characteristics of Hebrew literature is its use of parallelism. Parallelism in ancient Near Eastern languages is common and relatively easy to recognize. The ability to recognize it when it occurs will greatly aid the reader in understanding the text.” (85)

“There are three basic types of parallelism: synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic.” (85)

“A common mistake in Biblical interpretation and application is to give a proverbial saying the weight or force of a moral absolute. Proverbs are catchy little couplets designed to express practical truisms. They reflect principles of wisdom for godly living. They do not reflect moral laws that are to be applied absolutely to every conceivable life situation.” (89)

“We all know the reputation of the Pharisees in the New testament who were quite scrupulous about keeping the letter of the law while violating the spirit constantly.” (90)

“There were a variety of types of legalist in the New Testament. The first and most famous was the type that legislated rules and regulations beyond what God had commanded. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for making the tradition of the rabbis as authoritative as the Law of Moses…. Another way the law is distorted is by trying to obey the spirit of the law but ignoring the letter. Letter and spirit are inseparably related. The legalists destroy the spirit and the antinomian destroys the letter.” (91)

“People usually enjoy sermons that are based on parables… Yet from the viewpoint of the New testament scholar, the parables present unique difficulties in interpretation.” (94)

“(One problem) is the original intent of the parable… whether (Jesus) used parables to elucidate His teaching or to obscure it.” (91)

“Handling predictive prophecy from the New Testament and the Old is one of the most abused forms of biblical interpretation. Interpretations range from the skeptical, naturalistic method which virtually eliminates predictive prophecy to the wild, bizarre method that sees in every contemporary event a ‘clear ’ fulfillment of a biblical prophecy.” (97)

“If we examine how the New Testament treats Old Testament prophecy (an example of Scripture interpreting Scripture), we discover that in some cases an appeal is made to fulfillment of the letter (such as the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem) and fulfillment in a broader scope (such as the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the return of Elijah.” (97)

11. Orthodox beliefs and systematic theologies are a one good test of one’s interpretation.

“There is nothing new under the sun,” wrote the Preacher of Ecclesiastes. “Ortho” means “straight, right, true.” “Doxa” is simply doctrine or teaching.

So, orthodox means “true teaching.” In this case, it is true teaching that has occurred throughout church history. Whenever you hear some teaching that “does not quite sound right,” that is, consistent with what one has heard in the church, red flags should go up in your mind. You should ask yourself or the person giving such teaching, “What has the church taught consistently and specifically throughout history” on this subject?

Of course, this method is fraught with inconsistencies. There is the Roman Catholic tradition of papal infallibility vs. the Reformers sola scriptura. There is the predestination of the Reformed tradition and the free will of the Arminians. There are the three forms of millennialism.

However, the comparison of present teaching with that of the past is useful. 1) All Christians of all ages form the mind of Christ (Link on website). 2) The study of the history of the Church, particularly her doctrines, is a good exercise for us independent-minded moderns. 3) There is a consistency in historical orthodoxy that might be surprising to some Christians, when they study the central teachings of the Church by her best theologians who are consistent over the centuries.

For example, there are The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. And, while the Westminster Confession with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms are not adopted by the majority of churches today, it grew out one of the most scholarly and transforming periods of the Church’s history.

A common verse quoted among Christians is, “God is love” (I John 4:8, 16). While God is certainly the highest and best meaning of love, His attributes and His Person are far greater than one word. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, just, merciful, jealous, unchanging, truth, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, etc. (just to name a few characteristics and names of God found in the Bible).

Of course, this is a specific application of Dr. Sproul’s first principle (above). “Is” and “are” may be followed by a noun or an adjective. Rarely, is what follows these verbs equivalent to the subject of the sentence.

A) To understand what a verse means, it must be read and examined in the context of the passage in which it appears. For example, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The context is clearly about a person’s being regenerated (“born again” or “born-from-above) and being translated into the Kingdom of God. It is also clear that “The wind blows wherever it pleases,” meaning that the Spirit of God chooses those that become regenerated.

Another example is that of “where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). That passage is in the context of church discipline, not the special presence of God among more than one believer gathered for prayer. Indeed, if this passage were about community prayer, what would one do with “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

B) Ultimately, the context of any verse is the entire Bible.  The context of book, chapter, and verse is not always sufficient to determine the meaning of a verse.  This application requires a considerable knowledge of the Bible or a comprehensive cross-reference text.  But, then, if every Christian read through the Bible periodically, would not an association of verses be more likely to be recognized?  This application also requires a systematic theology, so that all statements can be fitted into the whole.  This hermeneutic would also be one meaning of "Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture."

Essentially, this is re-statement of several verses in the Bible, such as II Timothy 3:16-17 and II Peter 1:3-4.

When faced with problems, the tendency is to look everywhere or talk to anyone except God’s instruction manual for human beings created by Him. Answers are often sought in psychology, Far Eastern religions, the occult, etc., etc. Only the Bible is truth, as it is written by God Himself.

It is also comprehensive. Consider whom you should marry. While it may not tell you the name of the person, it will tell you what kind of person that you should marry. You are free to choose a mate within those parameters. Or, what career should you choose? The Bible may not tell you the particular profession, but it will tell you those that are righteous and those that are not.

A good illustration of this hermeneutic is “love.” Biblical love includes such statements, as “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15), “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10), and “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:14). A definition of love must include those instructions.

A short definition that might be helpful is, “Love is an action that is aimed at the highest Biblical good of the one loved.” (Link for discussion of love)

This principle is a corollary of #13. Not only should the context be examined, the whole context of the passage must be examined. This context may be a paragraph, a chapter, or even a whole book.

An example is the Book of John, Chapter 3. There is a lot about Nicodemus in the first few verses: he is a Pharisee (probably a high ranking one), he “came by night,” and he called Jesus a “Rabbi” and “a teacher come from God.” All that information applies to the subjects that Jesus discusses, such as being “born again,” “the kingdom of God,” and Jesus being God’s “begotten” son. Who and what Nicodemus is influences Jesus’ answer and must be understood in that religious context.

Perhaps, it is even more important to read all the context in Old Testament passages because it involves so much narrative and a culture that is very unfamiliar to us.

The greater their knowledge of books, chapters, major themes, and individual verses, the greater will be Christians’ understanding. Those who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith, for example, knew the well-know verses and the obscure verses that helped them shape the statements for the Confession.

In light of this principle and the importance of the Bible, all Christians should have a plan to read through the entire Bible periodically, every 1-3 years.

“Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” This is the first sentence of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Too many Christians do not really know God.

In #12 above, we briefly examined, “God is love” (I John 4:8). One cannot understand the love of God without understanding the God of the Law (commandments, precepts, statutes, etc. of Psalm 119), for Christ’s sacrificial death was efficacious because He had fulfilled the law, in every detail. Further, an understanding of the depth and breadth of His sacrifice is greatly lessened without an understanding of God’s requirement that His law be fulfilled.

God is knowledge, wisdom, power, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent (neither can exist without the other), Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, creator of a universe governed by laws, sustainer, Word, law-giver, etc., etc.