Understanding scripture is usually not an easy task, particularly if you do not know how to go about it. Lack of proper interpretation skills may lead to a misinterpretation of the Bible and wrongful application of the word of God. However, this does not have to be the case. You can take time to study the basic principles of biblical interpretation. You do not have to be a theological student to know how to go about rightly dividing the word of God.
You should consider what the author's original intended meaning was. In order to do this effectively, you can use some study tools to help you understand the author's original context, in terms of culture and history. This includes using a bible commentary and a study bible when studying scripture. There are several versions of commentaries and study guides, so try and find a good one by checking out reviews about it before making a purchase.
Do not take a passage out of its original context and try to interpret it in isolation. This will probably lead to a misinterpretation of the text. Instead, what you should do is to study the text before the passage and the text after the passage, to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is going on in the passage you are studying. You should also keep in mind what the context of the book you are reading is and what the main message of the whole book is.
Use other parts of scripture to help you understand what a particular text means. Ask yourself what other verses in the Bible say about the particular issue addressed in the text. Find out if there are other places in the Bible where the same passage is referred to. Study the other passages and see what they have to say.
Consider the genre of the scripture you are reading. Different genres are interpreted differently, as they have different features and are written using different styles. For instance, how you interpret poetry books is different from how you will interpret narratives or parables. This may require a more trained mind to do this, as some differences may be quite subtle for an ordinary reader to notice.
Some passages are quite direct and straightforward. They have no hidden meaning. Don't try and find a hidden meaning when none exists. Just accept the scripture at face value. There are some cases where metaphors are used, so you have to know how to distinguish metaphors from direct language.
Having an understanding of Hebrew and Greek will come in quite handy. If you do not understand the languages, then use Bible study guides to uncover the original meaning of various words used in the passages. This is because some words tend to lose their original meaning when they are translated from the original language they were written in.
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you discover God's truth. This means approaching scripture interpretation prayerfully and with an open mind that is ready to understand. It would be hard for you to interpret the scripture without the Spirit's help. However, this does not mean being lazy and not studying. You must study to understand the bible.
You should consider what the author's original intended meaning was. In order to do this effectively, you can use some study tools to help you understand the author's original context, in terms of culture and history. This includes using a bible commentary and a study bible when studying scripture. There are several versions of commentaries and study guides, so try and find a good one by checking out reviews about it before making a purchase.
Do not take a passage out of its original context and try to interpret it in isolation. This will probably lead to a misinterpretation of the text. Instead, what you should do is to study the text before the passage and the text after the passage, to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is going on in the passage you are studying. You should also keep in mind what the context of the book you are reading is and what the main message of the whole book is.
Use other parts of scripture to help you understand what a particular text means. Ask yourself what other verses in the Bible say about the particular issue addressed in the text. Find out if there are other places in the Bible where the same passage is referred to. Study the other passages and see what they have to say.
Consider the genre of the scripture you are reading. Different genres are interpreted differently, as they have different features and are written using different styles. For instance, how you interpret poetry books is different from how you will interpret narratives or parables. This may require a more trained mind to do this, as some differences may be quite subtle for an ordinary reader to notice.
Some passages are quite direct and straightforward. They have no hidden meaning. Don't try and find a hidden meaning when none exists. Just accept the scripture at face value. There are some cases where metaphors are used, so you have to know how to distinguish metaphors from direct language.
Having an understanding of Hebrew and Greek will come in quite handy. If you do not understand the languages, then use Bible study guides to uncover the original meaning of various words used in the passages. This is because some words tend to lose their original meaning when they are translated from the original language they were written in.
Depend upon the Holy Spirit to help you discover God's truth. This means approaching scripture interpretation prayerfully and with an open mind that is ready to understand. It would be hard for you to interpret the scripture without the Spirit's help. However, this does not mean being lazy and not studying. You must study to understand the bible.
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