The Message of the Text

Having realized that I embraced doctrinal errors for over two decades, one of the first step I did was to get a good education in biblical interpretation. The first subject I took at the Asian Theological Seminary (summer class 1996) was Hermeneutics, the study or science of biblical interpretation. And one of the many lessons in Biblical interpretation that is really important to me is something which I wrote inside the first few blank pages of my Bible.

It reminds me of a very important point to remember when I read and interpret the Bible. I do not now remember if I got it from one of my seminary professors in class or if I got it from a book but here's the quote:

The message of the text is not conveyed through single words alone, but through words in relationship with each other as they occur in a specific literary context." And here's another one: "The part has no meaning apart from the whole."

This is a good reminder for me not to rely solely on the original Hebrew or Greek meaning of a word to interpret Scripture. Why not? Because a word or group of words derive its meaning depending on how it is used in a particular phrase or sentence in a particular and specific context. Not necessarily and always on root words and its original meanings. There are other considerations aside from knowing about original meanings of words in Hebrew or Greek.

Let's take for example the English word, "run." If I say, "I would like to run for city mayor", it is quite clear that in this particular context, the word "run" got its meaning from how it is used in this sentence. In this particular context, the literal meaning of the word "run" (the physical act of actually running) is not what is meant. It's talking about one's desire to become a city mayor. A lady's stockings can have a "run" too. And here the word "run" means that some part of the lady's stockings got damaged. So, it would be a mistake to interpret "run" based solely on its root word and its original meaning (in Hebrew or Greek!) without considering how the word is used in a particular context.

Learning the Lessons

So, the lesson for me is, I need to be mindful always of the context -- in fact, various contexts. Hope this bit of information in Biblical interpretation will help you in your study of the Bible. Please check my blog on the other lessons I learned on Biblical interpretation (scroll down below for related topics). Since I was in doctrinal error for over two decades, learning how to properly interpret Scripture is a subject that is close to my heart and is a first big step to truly getting a better understanding of Scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13 ).

And the most important "context" in which to understand all of Scripture is in the context of who Jesus is and who we are in him. If the truth about Jesus Christ is negated by one's interpretation, then that personal interpretation is wrong.