three classical methods of Bible interpretation

In last Sunday’s sermon I spoke about the three classical methods of Bible interpretation. These three methods have been used for centuries, and are easily applied by any reader of Scripture.

The first method is using Scripture to interpret Scripture. This means that, when you are reading the Bible and come upon a passage that is confusing, seemingly contradictory of another passage, inspiring, or even offensive, you can look elsewhere in Scripture for greater understanding. A recent example comes from Luke 10:25-37, in which Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan. In this passage, one can see how Jesus expands on the meaning of the word “neighbor”, as found in Leviticus 19:18, by telling the story of the Good Samaritan.

The second method is to ensure that your interpretation aligns with the Law of Love — “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” Any interpretation that runs counter to the Law of Love is not valid. For example, in recent times some Christians have tried to interpret the word “neighbor” as being limited to citizens of your own country (in this case, the United States), and not to refugees, immigrants, or foreigners. That is not a valid interpretation both because it violates the Law of Love and because other Scriptures (e.g. Leviticus 19:34) clarify the meaning of “neighbor” more expansively.

In the Presbyterian Church, there is a third method of interpretation that relies on what are called “confessions”. These are theological statements made by councils of the Church, and based on Scripture that guide the church. Part of our PCUSA constitution is called The Book of Confessions. It comprises confessional statements that date back to the 4th Century CE (The Apostles’ Creed and The Nicene Creed) and span both the Reformation era and the modern era (the newest confession included, The Confession of Belhar, was added in 2016).

I hope these classical methods of interpretation will help you in your own reading of the Bible!

In Christ,

Lee