“And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:19-20 NAS).
We can’t have a “sure word” about the meaning of Scripture (or anything else) unless we have a sure method to interpret the words.
These eight rules are the center of all grammatical interpretation. They were developed by specialists in the “science of meaning” over the past 2500 years, from Socrates to the present day. They apply equally to legislative or theological language. Critical analysis is impossible without them. Interpretive scholarship accepts them.
Jesus and the apostles used these rules, and also many prominent fathers of the early church, and also the master theologians of the Middle Ages, to Luther, Wesley and Calvin, although some were not consistent in their use of them.
The Bible is a legal document, and throughout the Bible there is frequent use of legal terms and illustrations, and much importance is attached to these legal ideas. The word Testament is a legal term, and hundreds of times God spoke of His commandments as “laws.”
THE 8 RULES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION
- The rule of DEFINITION: What does the word mean? Any study of Scripture must begin with a study of words. Define your terms and then keep to the terms defined. The interpreter should conscientiously abide by the plain meaning of the words. This quite often may require using a Hebrew/English or Greek/English lexicon in order to make sure that the sense of the English translation is understood. A couple of good examples of this are the Greek words “allos” and “heteros”. Both are usually translated as “another” in English – yet “allos” literally means “another of the same type” and “heteros” means “another of a different type.”
- The rule of USAGE: It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and for Jews. The words and idioms must have been intelligible to them – just as the words of Christ when talking to them must have been. The majority of the New Testament likewise was written in a milieu of Greco-Roman (and to a lesser extent Jewish) culture and it is important to not impose our modern usage into our interpretation. It is not worth much to interpret a great many phrases and histories if one’s interpretations are shaded by pre-conceived notions and cultural biases, thereby rendering an inaccurate and ineffectual lesson.
- The rule of CONTEXT: The meaning must be gathered from the context. Every word you read must be understood in the light of the words that come before and after it. Many passages will not be understood at all, or understood incorrectly, without the help afforded by the context. A good example of this is the Mormon practice of using 1 Cor. 8:5b: “…for there be gods many and lords many…” as a “proof text” of their doctrine of polytheism. However, a simple reading of the whole verse in the context of the whole chapter (e.g. where Paul calls these gods “so-called”), plainly demonstrates that Paul is not teaching polytheism.
- The rule of HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: The interpreter must have some awareness of the life and society of the times in which the Scripture was written. The spiritual principle will be timeless but often can’t be properly appreciated without some knowledge of the background. If the interpreter can have in his mind what the writer had in his mind when he wrote – without adding any excess baggage from the interpreter’s own culture or society – then the true thought of the Scripture can be captured resulting in an accurate interpretation. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Our only interest in the past is for the light it throws upon the present.”
- The rule of LOGIC: Interpretation is merely logical reasoning. When interpreting Scripture, the use of reason is everywhere to be assumed. Does the interpretation make sense? The Bible was given to us in the form of human language and therefore appeals to human reason—it invites investigation. It is to be interpreted as we would any other volume: applying the laws of language and grammatical analysis.
As Bernard Ramm said: “What is the control we use to weed out false theological speculation? Certainly the control is logic and evidence…interpreters who have not had the sharpening experience of logic…may have improper notions of implication and evidence. Too frequently such a person uses a basis of appeal that is a notorious violation of the laws of logic and evidence.” (Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Boston: W. A. Wilde, 1956)
- The rule of PRECEDENT: We must not violate the known usage of a word and invent another for which there is no precedent. Just as a judge’s chief occupation is the study of previous cases, so must the interpreter use precedents in order to determine whether they really support an alleged doctrine. Consider the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 who were called “noble” because they searched the Scriptures to determine if what Paul taught them was true.
- The rule of UNITY: The parts of Scripture being interpreted must be construed with reference to the significance of the whole. An interpretation must be consistent with the rest of Scripture. An excellent example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity. No single passage teaches it, but it is consistent with the teaching of the whole of Scripture (e.g. the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are referred to individually as God; yet the Scriptures elsewhere teach there is only one God).
- The rule of INFERENCE: An inference is a fact reasonably implied from another fact. It is a logical consequence. It derives at a conclusion from a given fact or premise. It is the deduction of one proposition from another proposition. Such inferential facts or propositions are sufficiently binding when their truth is established by competent and satisfactory evidence. Competent evidence means such evidence as the nature of the thing to be proved admits. Satisfactory evidence means that amount of proof which would ordinarily satisfy an unprejudiced mind beyond a reasonable doubt. Jesus used this rule when he proved the resurrection of the dead to the unbelieving Sadducees in Matt. 22:23-33.
RULES ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Learning these eight rules and properly applying them will help keep any interpreter from making errors and will hopefully alleviate many of the disagreements unfortunately present in Christianity today.
However, these eight principles are no substitute for the Holy Spirit which will, if you let Him, guide you in the truth [John 14:26]. If you receive Christ into your heart, God will give you the Holy Spirit freely as a gift [Acts 2:38]. If you have not already done so, you would do well to examine the claims and the work of Jesus Christ and to receive Him as your Savior.
Some words from King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, excepting our Lord Jesus Christ: “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: to understand a proverb, and the interpretation.” [Proverbs 1:5,6]
Source: Divorce & Remarriage by Guy Duty, Bethany House, 1967
https://www.apologeticsindex.org/5846-biblical-interpretation-rules#h-the-8-rules-of-bible-interpretation
HERMENEUTICS: RULES and GUIDELINES
1. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
2. The meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph must be derived from the context.
3. Interpret the Scriptures knowing that the goal in interpretation is not to discover hidden, secret truths or to be unique in your interpretation.
4. Interpret the Scriptures literally unless you have good reason to believe that they are figurative.
5. Do not interpret Scripture in light of personal experience but interpret experience in the light of Scripture.
6. When interpreting the Scriptures, investigate the meanings of keywords in their original languages.
7. Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that many commands, directives, and duties were made to an individual and not all people.
8. Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that Biblical examples are authoritative only when supported by a command.
9. Interpret the Scriptures keeping in mind that Christians are living under the New Covenant instituted by Jesus, not the Old Covenant that God gave to Israel.
https://alwaysbeready.com/hermeneutics-rules-and-guidelines/