Rules of Biblical Interpretation

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#21
For those who have no formal theological training (and those of us who need some refreshers!), the list below will help us make sure that our understanding of scripture is sound and accurate. That doesn't mean that we will always come to the same conclusions, but it should aid in defining what we believe.


Where did Jesus get his "
formal theological training"?
 
A

AmmiAmmiel

Guest
#23
In the Church Today it's "whatever you want it to mean",..

understanding the Truth of the Bible is a gift not everyone has,..
 
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#24
understanding the Truth of the Bible is a gift not everyone has,..
True.

John 6:45 "It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me."
 
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#25
I'm not knocking your rules, but the problem is where there are too many rules, the rules are self-defeating, because it then becomes an argument about which rules should apply, which is where you have to bring in Jesus.
 

Agricola

Senior Member
Dec 10, 2012
2,638
88
48
#27
1. Decide what you want to believe is right.
2. Cherry pick a few random verses and twist it to your agenda.
3. When challenged claim that Holy Spirit and Jesus has show and told you its right.
4. If people still do not accept what you say, claim they are not genuine beleivers otherwise the Holy Spirit would convict them of this new revelation.
5. Do not waiver and make up any old rubbish, preferbly using other random verses in order to deflect attacks, use liberal amounts of "HOly Spirit showed me" in order to back yourself up.
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#28
1. Decide what you want to believe is right.
2. Cherry pick a few random verses and twist it to your agenda.
3. When challenged claim that Holy Spirit and Jesus has show and told you its right.
4. If people still do not accept what you say, claim they are not genuine beleivers otherwise the Holy Spirit would convict them of this new revelation.
5. Do not waiver and make up any old rubbish, preferbly using other random verses in order to deflect attacks, use liberal amounts of "HOly Spirit showed me" in order to back yourself up.
Thank you. That was very edifying.
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#30
In the Church Today it's "whatever you want it to mean",..

understanding the Truth of the Bible is a gift not everyone has,..
And here is a scripture virtually no one believes...

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
Mat 13:11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Mat 13:12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Mat 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'HEARING YOU WILL HEAR AND SHALL NOT UNDERSTAND, AND SEEING YOU WILL SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE;
Mat 13:15 FOR THE HEARTS OF THIS PEOPLE HAVE GROWN DULL. THEIR EARS ARE HARD OF HEARING, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED, LEST THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, LEST THEY SHOULD UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEARTS AND TURN, SO THAT I SHOULD HEAL THEM.'
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#31
Unfortunately the bible does contradict itself, so you have to unlearn that rule.
No, it does not. Our understanding may be in contradiction, but the Word of God does not...

Joh 10:35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

If this one statement is not true, what others are not true? If one statement is faulty, then none can be trusted and this whole discussion is in vain. There is not absolute truth and we are all wasting valuable time for as Paul said...

1Co 15:30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1Co 15:32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE!"
 
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#32
No, it does not. Our understanding may be in contradiction, but the Word of God does not...

Joh 10:35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

If this one statement is not true, what others are not true? If one statement is faulty, then none can be trusted and this whole discussion is in vain. There is not absolute truth and we are all wasting valuable time for as Paul said...

1Co 15:30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?
1Co 15:31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1Co 15:32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "LET US EAT AND DRINK, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE!"
Rule 13: Not all the books of the bible carry the same weight. The gospels are not "scripture" under the apostolic interpretation, and in them are found many contradictions, especially numerical problems between Matthew and the other gospels, eg number of demon possessed men whose demons were cast into a herd of swine.

So we have to be aware that there is a strong likelihood that some of the gospel material has been interpolated.

Then there is Mark Ch 16 which many say is not original.

etc etc.

The Jewish bible was divided into three categories, prophets, Torah and writings. It's not actually clear whether all of the "writings" were regarded as scripture in the orthodox sense.

You'll find a list of biblical contradictions as long as your arm if you search hard. Most are however quite minor, and can be put down to copying errors etc. To pretend that they don't exist is dishonest, and perhaps Rule 0 is that Christians are not bible idolators.
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#33
Rule 13: Not all the books of the bible carry the same weight. The gospels are not "scripture" under the apostolic interpretation, and in them are found many contradictions, especially numerical problems between Matthew and the other gospels, eg number of demon possessed men whose demons were cast into a herd of swine.

So we have to be aware that there is a strong likelihood that some of the gospel material has been interpolated.

Then there is Mark Ch 16 which many say is not original.

etc etc.

The Jewish bible was divided into three categories, prophets, Torah and writings. It's not actually clear whether all of the "writings" were regarded as scripture in the orthodox sense.

You'll find a list of biblical contradictions as long as your arm if you search hard. Most are however quite minor, and can be put down to copying errors etc. To pretend that they don't exist is dishonest, and perhaps Rule 0 is that Christians are not bible idolators.
Sorry Gjoll but this is just plain MBFM.
 

Misty77

Senior Member
Aug 30, 2013
1,746
45
0
#34
Rule 13: Not all the books of the bible carry the same weight. The gospels are not "scripture" under the apostolic interpretation, and in them are found many contradictions, especially numerical problems between Matthew and the other gospels, eg number of demon possessed men whose demons were cast into a herd of swine.

So we have to be aware that there is a strong likelihood that some of the gospel material has been interpolated.

Then there is Mark Ch 16 which many say is not original.

etc etc.

The Jewish bible was divided into three categories, prophets, Torah and writings. It's not actually clear whether all of the "writings" were regarded as scripture in the orthodox sense.

You'll find a list of biblical contradictions as long as your arm if you search hard. Most are however quite minor, and can be put down to copying errors etc. To pretend that they don't exist is dishonest, and perhaps Rule 0 is that Christians are not bible idolators.
Actually, over 97% of scripture is completely uncontested by scholars. That's a great percentage, especially considering it was written over thousands of years and completed almost two thousand years ago.
 
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#35
Sorry Gjoll but this is just plain MBFM.
If you can't admit problems where problems clearly arise, then it just shows you're a fanatic, and fanatics exist in every religion, whether true or false. Fanaticism convinces no-one of anything, except mental delusion.
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#36
Actually, over 97% of scripture is completely uncontested by scholars. That's a great percentage, especially considering it was written over thousands of years and completed almost two thousand years ago.
Well, but considering that all the scripture was written by the same Being, one would expect it to coincide.
 
Nov 18, 2013
511
7
0
#37
Actually, over 97% of scripture is completely uncontested by scholars. That's a great percentage, especially considering it was written over thousands of years and completed almost two thousand years ago.
And whilst we're at it, we'd better admit that many of the wisdom books reputedly written by Solomon were not necessarily written by him at all; and that there is no record of anyone called Daniel ever existing in Babylon, and some of the Babylonian history of Daniel is pretty anomalous; whilst Esther does not even warrant being in the biblical canon at all, according to some notable scholars.
 

john832

Senior Member
May 31, 2013
11,365
186
63
#38
If you can't admit problems where problems clearly arise, then it just shows you're a fanatic, and fanatics exist in every religion, whether true or false. Fanaticism convinces no-one of anything, except mental delusion.
I think the problems are with people, not with the Wrod of God.
 

homwardbound

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2012
15,345
185
63
#39
also i would just give a caution on the 'rule of definition' from the original post...words in scripture can often have multiple definitions depending on the context...especially in english translations where the same english word might be used to translate several different words from the original languages...
So maybe go by this practice to read at least 25 verses before that verse and 25 after. I find this a good rule of thumb to keep it in context
 
I

idahocntryboy

Guest
#40
Sounds good except for you LOGIC: mans wisdom is God's foolishness!

Is it logical to jump in the rushing river to save a person knowing reasoning understanding LOGICALLY of a course that you stand no chance of living. No...on the contrary, it's one hundred percent of feeling and emotion something which deals with LOVE, not your logic. God is two hundred percent love and His logic can know man understand.
I agree! The danger of the use of "Logic" is or has to be defined as whose logic do we use as a foundation. Opinions are like belly-buttons, we all have one. My logic might not be the same as your logic.