Bible Interpretation 2-28-10

A Few Case Studies:
Practical Bible Interpretation
Allen Hanson
February 28, 2010

This lesson teaches basics of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics) by giving scenarios, working through them, and then discussing the interpretation principle.

The Thorn in Paul’s Flesh

A baby Christian in our church has asked you a question. “In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul claimed that a ‘thorn in the flesh’ was given to him. What does that mean? And why was it given to him? And who gave it to him?”

Interpretation Lesson 1: Use the Bible to interpret the Bible (especially use the Old Testament to interpret the New Testament).

Interpretation Lesson 2: Satan afflicts us to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). God uses what Satan dishes out to our advantage (The Book of Job, Genesis 45:4-8).


Replenishing the Earth

A person new to our church comes up to you to ask your opinion on a Bible subject that troubles him. He asks “When God told the man and woman to “replenish the Earth”, did that mean there were people here before Adam and Eve?”

Interpretation Lesson 3: Don’t trust doctrine to one version of the Bible, even if it is the King James Version. Use your tools (Strong’s, Vine’s) to see what words mean in their original languages.

The Sun Goes Around the Earth?

A college student comes to you and says, “My college professor told us that the Bible teaches falsehood, because it says that the sun rises and sets. He equates this to saying that the sun orbits the earth, which we know isn’t true. Is this what the Bible teaches?”

Interpretation Lesson 4: The Bible was designed to teach eternal truths from an Earthly perspective in a way that is understandable to people who lived at least 2000 years ago. It is intellectually dishonest and unfair to try to turn it into 21st century textbook on celestial mechanics.

Interpretation Lesson 5: People who disagree with the Bible and what it teaches are not above perverting the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). When people quote the Scriptures, check the context on them, using several different Bible translations, and see if what they are saying is true. Don’t be persuaded by an empty suit, glib speech, or educational attainment. Note: the Bible never says that the sun orbits the earth, in any version of which I am aware.

The Unforgiveable Sin

A young Christian comes up to you and asks you for a moment of your time. She says, “I think I may have committed the unforgiveable sin.” She tells you what she did, and states “I read in the Bible that Jesus said there is a sin that won’t be forgiven. What is it, and did I do it?

Interpretation Lesson 6: You can do a word search on the term “forgiven” or “blasphemy” and find the scripture verse where Jesus mentions a sin that won’t be forgiven. Jesus calls this sin “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”. How do we determine what this means?

Fallen From Grace

A man in the church that you have known for a while wants to talk to you alone. He tells you, “I have sinned and fallen from grace. What must I do to get God to like me again?”

Interpretation Lesson 7: Look up the term “fallen from grace”. Use the context of the passage to determine just what that term actually means (Hint: It’s in Galatians).