Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit and wrote the inspired word of God. It wasn't a matter of their own private interpretation. When we read the Bible the Holy Spirit can illuminate Scripture in our minds and help us to understand it. The univocal meaning of the text can have many applications in our lives.
I say this because while we should read the Bible devotionally and personally, we have to understand that the Bible is to be understood as what the original author intended to portray to the original audience. The more I understand the true meaning of the Bible, the more I can see it's application in my life. The danger is always in treating the Bible as a magic spiritual manual or an ouija board that speaks to me. It does speak to us but in this process: the Holy Spirit inspired the original authors who were writing to the original audience, from the singular meaning of the text the Holy Spirit can illuminate my own understanding and help me see how I can apply it to my life and my circumstances.
I don't mean to be overly academic, I can sum it up with this: one meaning, many applications.
I say this because while we should read the Bible devotionally and personally, we have to understand that the Bible is to be understood as what the original author intended to portray to the original audience. The more I understand the true meaning of the Bible, the more I can see it's application in my life. The danger is always in treating the Bible as a magic spiritual manual or an ouija board that speaks to me. It does speak to us but in this process: the Holy Spirit inspired the original authors who were writing to the original audience, from the singular meaning of the text the Holy Spirit can illuminate my own understanding and help me see how I can apply it to my life and my circumstances.
I don't mean to be overly academic, I can sum it up with this: one meaning, many applications.