On How To Read the Book

some hermeneutical principles

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

One of the best books I ever read was How To Read A Book. That may seem like an odd book title, especially when it is assigned in a doctoral program. But how do you read a book? Reading is more than just putting sounds and words together. Reading is a tough exercise. As we read God’s book, we know that we want to be careful. This is a sacred work and the sacred Text. 

So, here are some important concepts that help me read God’s book better. I hope they can be helpful to you as well. 

1. Remember this is God’s Book. “All Scripture is inspired” (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21). God speaks in this book. It is to be trusted, valued, and respected as the authority. 

2. Remember to pray for help. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God” (Js. 1:5). 

3. Remember where you are. Every word of every verse is somewhere. Location influences interpretation (how we understand what we read). Scriptures in Psalms aren’t always literally true in the same way that Romans is literally true. Apocalyptic sections carry a meaning hidden beneath symbols. Parables are generally true, but they aren’t always true. 

4. Remember where the Scripture is. Every passage must be read in its context. When you read a word, that word only makes sense as it is understood around other words. Meaning is determined by context. So we examine the words and sentences to understand meaning (syntax). We also look at the bigger picture to see what a verse or paragraph means within the context of the book and also within the context of the entire Bible. Many problems are avoided when we remember to read in context. 

5. Remember who both authors are. Every Scripture has two authors: one human and one divine. The human author is guided by God, but the human author often is not aware of the full meaning of his own words (1 Pet. 1:10-12). Luke 24:27 records Jesus’ claim on all the OT Scripture as being about himself.

6. Remember the union shared between Christ and his people. G. K. Beale notes the following realities that should influence our understanding of Scriptures.”1. Corporate solidarity or representation is assumed. 2.On the basis of point 1 above, Christ is viewed as representing the true Israel of the OT and the true Israel—the church—in the NT. 3. History is unified by a wise and sovereign plan so that the earlier parts are designed to correspond and point to the later parts (cf. Matt. 11:13–14).” This helps us understand why some passages are applied to Christ when, at first, we might not think they have anything to do with Christ. 

7. Remember your friends have read the text before. Christian, you are blessed with 2000 years of interpreters trying to help. They can help either by showing you something good in the text or by showing you their mistake. But they can be helpful.