Starke Reality: Question of the Week: How should we interpret the Bible?

	answersingenesis.org \| newsletter archives \| contact us February 26, 2011
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Q: How should we interpret the Bible?

A: God desires for His people to know and understand His Word—that's why He gave it to us and instructed fathers to teach it to their children in the home (Deuteronomy 6:4–9). However, we must keep in mind several important points.
First, Christians must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit while studying the Bible. It's not that the Bible requires any "extra-logical" or mystical insight to understand it. But we are limited in our understanding and often hindered by pride. We need the Holy Spirit to help us to think correctly, lest we distort the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16).
Second, a person can spend his or her entire life and still never come close to mining the depths of Scripture. The Bible is written in such a marvelous way that a child can understand the basic message, and yet the most educated theologians continue to learn new things from the Bible as they study it. There is always so much more to learn, so we must humbly approach the Word of God.
Third, God has given the church learned men and gifted teachers who have devoted their lives to studying God's Word. While these people are certainly not infallible, we shouldn't automatically reject the work of those who have gone before us.
Finally, since the Bible consists of written data, then in order to understand it, we must follow standard rules of grammar and interpretation. We will examine these rules or principles throughout this chapter and the next, especially as they relate to Genesis.

Continue reading to learn more about properly discerning the Word of God.

News to Note Quick Look

Evolution in-action: Another prominently reported example of "evolution" illustrates just the opposite—and supports the creationist critique of Darwinian evolution. Read more.

More evolution in action: The differences in human skin color provide another example of how natural selection is different from evolution. Read more.

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