This fourth rule of context, like the third, calls for a wide view of Scripture. There are some basic, foundational truths in Scripture that when understood can help to provide orientation, background, and backdrop for the interpretation of many individual passages. These truths can be discovered by self-study. But the sooner they are understood, the sooner a child of God can begin to see where individual ideas fit in the whole picture of what God has revealed.
Law And Grace. In one sense "the law of God" refers to the commandments of Moses. In a broader sense, however, law is any statement that describes the high standards of God. Some of these laws are social. Some are moral. Some are spiritual regulations for worship.
If anyone could keep all of God's laws, that person could be assured of heaven and of continuous Christlike spirituality. But in reality, no one has ever qualified for eternal life by keeping the law. Neither has anyone ever grown to spiritual maturity by trying to keep the commandments of God (Gal. 3:1-5). Both salvation and spirituality occur not by trying to keep the perfect principles of God but by believing what God has said.
The grace of God, which is offered to those who believe, is a system of mercy and undeserved help. Without grace, no one has ever been saved. Without grace, no one has ever taken the smallest step toward God. Without grace, no child of God has ever grown in Christlikeness. Grace is God's offer of relationship and help. It is His way of living His life through all who will humble themselves enough to call out and surrender to Him.
Justification And Sanctification. Justification is the legal act by which God declares righteous all who trust His Son for salvation. The only thing we can do to qualify for this status is to believe in Christ. To be justified is a free act of God's grace. We cannot earn it (Rom. 3:24).
Because of His life, death, and resurrection on our behalf, Christ our Savior can justify every wicked and ungodly person who comes to Him for grace (Rom. 4:5).
Sanctification is the process by which God continues to set apart and distinguish those who have believed in His Son. A first act of saving sanctification "sets apart" a believer for God forever. That act is followed by a planned, progressive process of being set apart from sin to God.
If the ideas of justification and sanctification are confused, we might make the mistake of thinking that our salvation has never been secured. Some who lean toward a law rather than a grace view of God will never have the assurance of sins forgiven and of full acceptance and adoption into the family of heaven. A right view of the distinction between justification and sanctification allows us to see that a believer in Christ is born into the family of God, fully justified, and ready for the lifelong process of practical sanctification.
Israel And The Church. Much confusion can be avoided by seeing the clear distinction between Israel and the church. While both worship the same God, there is a fundamental distinction.
Israel is a nation of individuals who can trace their ethnic, blood relationship back to Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. Israel gave us the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Messiah of the world. Israel is a nation with whom God made specific covenants for time and eternity. It is the nation that was set aside shortly after Jesus' appearance and rejection as Messiah. It is the nation, of all the nations on earth, that has been chosen by God to show Himself to the whole world. Israel is the nation, according to the Scriptures, that will be in the center of world events in the last days.
The church has no single ethnic identification. It is made up of men and women of every nation who confess Christ as Savior and Lord. Beginning at Pentecost, the church will remain on earth until supernaturally removed in an event often called "the rapture" (1 Th. 4:14-17; Jn. 14:1-3).
Two Phases Of Christ's Return. Among the Lord's people, there is disagreement about when Jesus will return. On one hand, the Bible tells us to be ready because "the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Mt. 24:44). But the Scriptures also say that Christ will return to the earth at the end of a terrible time of cosmic and world tribulation (Zech. 14:4-5; Mt. 24:29-31).
These differences can be explained by a two-phase return. Just as two comings are commingled by Old Testament prophets, so two phases of His return are intermingled in the New Testament.
In the first phase, which could occur at any moment, Christ comes in the clouds for His church (1 Th. 4:16-17). The second phase will occur at the end of the tribulation when Christ returns to the earth to save Israel from worldwide persecution, and to establish on earth His long-awaited political kingdom (Isa. 2:1-4; Acts 1:6).
While these two phases of Christ's return are not spelled out by the New Testament any more than the Old Testament spelled out two main comings of Christ, it is a way to make sense of (1) the distinct missions of Israel and the church, (2) two different descriptions of Christ's return, (3) the absence of the church in Revelation 4-18, (4) the warning that Christ is coming at a time we do not expect, and (5) the need for people in nonglorified bodies to enter the millenial kingdom.
FOUR ESSENTIALS FOR FINDING TRUTH IN CONTEXT
While interpreting the Bible according to the rule of context, there are some timeless considerations that need to kept in mind.
Dependence On God. The author of Psalm 119 reminded us of the role God can have in our Bible study. He prayed, "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law" (v.18). His confidence in God's ability to help is similar to what the apostle Paul expressed when he wrote, "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this" (2 Tim. 2:7 NIV).
A Good Conscience. A bad conscience creates a conflict of interest for the Bible student. Those with unconfessed sin, and therefore something to hide, are predisposed to avoid the truth. They are out of step with God, who has promised understanding to those who, by obedience, keep a good conscience (Mt. 5:8; Jn. 14:21).
Self-study. Christians of the New Testament community of Berea are an example for all of us. They searched the Scriptures to make sure that what the apostle Paul was telling them was true (Acts 17:11). Without personal involvement, the Scriptures remain second-hand, pre-digested, and subject to the accuracy of the teacher.
Use of Gifted Teachers. Teachers are a gift from God (Eph. 4:11). Along with self-study, they can provide a depth and breadth of contextual knowledge. For the new believer, they provide orientation; for the mature believer, reminders (2 Pet. 1:12-13).
THE INDUCTIVE STUDY METHOD YOU CAN DO
While God's plan has been to give His people pastors and teachers, there is no substitute for personal and direct involvement with the Scriptures. Many have found that they don't get much from their teachers until they have become personally involved in regular and systematic Bible study.
One method of personal Bible study is called the inductive method. This method challenges the student to form conclusions only after observing and analyzing the elements of immediate context and normal word meanings. After asking the Author of Scripture for insight, the inductive student explores the inspired page with pencil in hand and the curiosity of a prospector looking for something more precious than gold (Prov. 3:13-18).
The overall strategy of the inductive student is: (1) observation, (2) interpretation, and (3) application - in that order.
Step #1: Observation: What does the context say? The primary purpose of this stage is to collect as many facts as possible about the context. Inductive students are curious. They don't take anything for granted. They ask and list as many questions as possible: Who? What? Why? Where? When? How? Wherefore? What words need to be looked up to determine a range of possible meanings? What logic indicators can be found and marked in words such as therefore, then, and, also, but, however, or nevertheless. What is the main point of the section? What recurring words indicate a main idea? What elements, arguments, or illustrations does the author use to support that main point?
It is at this stage that a chapter might be outlined or a sentence diagrammed to see how the ideas of the author relate to one another. The purpose of this stage is focus. Discover the context. Explore it.
Step #2: Interpretation: What does the text mean? Only after doing the spade work of careful observation is the inductive student in a position to ask, "What, then, does the author mean by these words as they relate to the words that precede and follow?" Not "What do these words mean to me?" But "What did they mean when they flowed from the pen of the original author? What was his intent?" While we can assume that he said what he meant and meant what he said, the only way to discover what he really meant is by observing the context.
While word forms, definitions, and a range of possible meanings may have been noted in the step of observation, it is at the point of interpreting in context that the way the author was using a word is best understood. It is at this point that the Scriptures come alive with the pulse and throb of the author's own heart and intent.
Step #3: Application: What does this text mean to my life? Only after discovering the meaning of a text in its own biblical time and place is the student encouraged to ask, "What does this mean to me?" Care is given to distinguish between cultural facts and timeless principles. Focus is put on the main idea. What are the primary issues of the heart? What does this say about my relationship to God? The Bible can now explode in significance.
GUIDELINES FOR INTERPRETING PROPHECY
To understand prophetic portions of Scripture, a Christian must be aware of one basic principle and follow six rules of interpretation.
THE PRINCIPLE OF PROPHETIC PERSPECTIVE
The prophets often described future events in one picture without indicating that they would be separated by periods of time. This has been compared to seeing mountain peaks in one view without seeing the valleys between them.
Jesus used the principle of prophetic perspective when He read the Scriptures in a Nazareth synagogue. He opened the scroll to Isaiah and read:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk. 4:18-19).
Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. People familiar with Isaiah 61:1-2 must have wondered why Jesus stopped in the middle of the second verse. He did not read on because the last part of verse 2, "And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn," speaks of the great tribulation. Jesus said He fulfilled the first part of Isaiah's prophecy (Lk. 4:21). The last part is about His second coming. The prophet, seeing it all in one look, did not know that at least 2,000 years would separate those two phases of his prophecy.
The prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 also has a double fulfillment. The first part came to pass at Pentecost, as indicated by Peter in his sermon (Acts 2:17-21). But the second part, referring to the moon turning to blood and other supernatural signs, will be fulfilled in the tribulation.
SIX RULES FOR INTERPRETING PROPHECY
1. Interpret in context. As with all Bible passages, consider the speaker, the situation, the people addressed, and the subject of the prophecy.
2. Interpret literally. Give words their normal meaning, recognizing figures of speech. When prophets specify numbers of days or years, take them literally.
3. Be careful with symbols. Don't give a prophetic passage a symbolic or spiritual meaning when literal interpretation makes sense. For example, the earthquake of Revelation 6:12-17 is exactly that; it does not represent the breakup of society.
4. Look for immediate fulfillment. Look first for the elements of a prophecy that were fulfilled within a few years, then consider fulfillments during Christ's first and second comings.
5. Be consistent. Don't treat Christ's predictions in a different way from Old Testament prophecies.
6. Don't go too far. Some questions about endtime events must remain unanswered.
SELECTING A STUDY BIBLE
A study Bible can be helpful in providing textual information and comment. It shouldn't replace your own study but should assist you.
The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. Its main feature is an elaborate system of indexed topical summaries of 4,200 subjects in the Bible. These topics are arranged in a way that makes a wealth of information readily available to the Bible student. Other useful features are an analysis of each Bible book, outlined biographies of Bible characters, a harmony of the Gospels, and an indexed Rand-McNally Atlas.
The Ryrie Study Bible. The footnotes of this Moody Press publication by Charles Ryrie form an abbreviated commentary on the entire Bible. A marginal cross-reference system and valuable index are provided, along with Hammond maps and timeline charts. Each Bible book is outlined in detail.
The New Scofield Reference Bible. This classic work of C. I. Scofield was updated in 1966. It provides cross-references, summaries of doctrines, maps, and footnotes with a premillennial, pretribulational, and dispensational approach to Bible study. Introductions are given to each Bible book. Chapter and section headings are also provided.
The NIV Study Bible. For those looking for a modern translation with good study helps, cross-references, introductions, outlines, charts, maps, concordance, and subject index, this would be a good choice.
THE BIBLE STUDENT'S ONE-SHELF LIBRARY
A Study Bible will provide introductions and outlines for each book of the Bible, footnotes, maps, cross-references, doctrinal summaries, historical and cultural background, time charts, and a basic commentary on the text.
An Exhaustive Concordance such as Strong's offers an alphabetical listing of every word in the Bible and every place where that word is found. Strong's Concordance also has a helpful numbering system that provides a number and root word meaning for all of the original language words of the Bible.
A Bible Dictionary provides definitions and general background information for the people, places, and ideas of the Bible.
A One-Volume Commentary offers helpful explanations that can show the student how others have interpreted a passage of Scripture.
Computer Bible-Study Software. This is by far the most revolutionary breakthrough in Bible study. The whole Bible can be searched in a few seconds for words or combinations of words. Word studies, cross-references, topical studies, original language work are all built into easy-to-use study software for Macintosh or PC formats.
One program called the Online Bible is an exceptionally good program and has been distributed as freeware by developers intent on serving the body of Christ.
HOW TO USE A COMMENTARY
Commentaries are books that analyze and explain the text of the Bible. The better ones deal with every verse - giving the meaning of the words, explaining the setting, and offering light from other places in the Bible. Many of them are the product of careful, prayerful, and diligent scholarship. Some are published in one or two volumes, others in entire sets. Commentaries are indispensable to effective Bible study, but they must be used properly. We recommend that you consult them only after you have carefully worked through the passage yourself.
After you have done your best to understand a passage, then consult three or four good commentaries. If you use them before you have done your own work, you will short-circuit your thinking. If you evaluate only what others have written, you are robbing yourself of the thrill of discovery and the joy of creative, Spirit-led Bible study.
What will the effective use of good commentaries do for you as you study the Bible? Here are some results you might expect.
1. Sometimes they will confirm your understanding of the passage. When you find that all of the commentaries you consult interpret the passage essentially the way you did, you can be confident that you are on target in your conclusions.
2. Sometimes they will refine your understanding of the passage. The commentators may present insights that didn't come to your mind, thus deepening and enriching your understanding of the passage.
3. Sometimes they will lead you to reevaluate your interpretations. Occasionally you will find that the commentaries present conclusions somewhat different from your interpretation. You may also discover that the commentators differ from one another. When this happens, you'll be glad you did your own spade work. It will help you evaluate the views expressed. After careful thought, you may select an interpretation quite different from the one you had when you started.
4. Sometimes they will show you that your understanding of the passage was almost entirely wrong. Reading the commentaries may give you information that will make you realize you have overlooked or misunderstood an important element in the passage or verse you have been studying. When this happens, go back to the text and think it through again.
"THE BIBLE IS OURS"
Many people feel they won't be able to understand the Bible, no matter how hard they try. Bill and Gwen Petroski felt that way - till something happened that opened God's way for them. Here's their story.
"One of the greatest blessings in our lives has been the discovery that we can read and understand the Bible for ourselves. You see, both of us were raised in a religion that did not emphasize the Bible.
"After we were married, we began a spiritual quest. We felt vaguely dissatisfied. We wanted our children to know God and to have Christian values. So we began to search.
"Then the day came when both of us received Jesus Christ as personal Savior. We began attending a Bible-preaching church and hearing the Word of God proclaimed. Gradually we realized that the Bible is ours and that we can read and study it for ourselves."
Gwen: "I still remember vividly the first time I read the book of Hebrews. One Sunday morning I read it through in one sitting. Tears flowed then, and still do now as I realize that all barriers between God and me are broken down, and that I have access to God."
Bill: "When I first read Ephesians 2:8-9 and understood salvation by grace through faith alone, I was filled with gratitude to God. This passage will always be one of my favorites.
"We now know that the Bible is ours. As we continue to read and study it, it means more to us than ever before. We are trying to put its teachings into practice so that our four girls will see that it can be real to them."
These testimonies of Bill and Gwen highlight the thrill of discovering rich spiritual truth through personal Bible study. The Holy Spirit ministers to believers in a special way through the Word, but He also brings understanding to non-Christians who read it with a sincere desire to know God.
Carl Armerding told about an Australian sheepherder and his wife who came to know Christ this way. They began reading the book of Romans out of the old family Bible just to while away the evening hours. After some time, the man said, "Wife, if this book is right, we are guilty sinners before God. We are condemned." At the conclusion of their reading a few days later, he exclaimed, "Wife, if this book is right, we need not remain condemned. A man called Jesus Christ took our punishment by dying for us. He's alive again, and He wants us to believe on Him."
Although these people had very little education, they were able to gather from the Scriptures the basic truths necessary for salvation. When they began reading the Bible, they found that it was for them.
The Bible is for you - it's for everyone.
BIBLE STUDY CHECKLIST
Questions to ask yourself when studying:
* Have I asked God for insight into His Word?
* Am I studying for relationship with Him?
* Have I read the verses immediately preceding and following the passage?
* Have I scanned the surrounding chapters?
* Have I looked up words I don't understand to discover the range of possible meaning?
* Have I asked the questions who, what, where, when, why, how, wherefore?
* Have I looked for logic indicators such as then, therefore, but, also?
* Have I identified any Old Testament quotes and checked their context?
* Have I used a Bible dictionary to identify the people and places named?
* Have I used a study Bible to identify and read parallel passages?
* Have I checked cross-references in a study Bible to see what else the Bible says about this subject?
* Have I kept from focusing on details to the exclusion of main ideas?
* Have I double-checked my interpretation with reliable commentaries?
* Have I asked what this passage tells me about God, myself, and others?
* Are there any sins to be avoided?
* Are there commands to be obeyed?
* Have I thanked God for the privilege of studying His Word?
