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Quotes - Biblical Interpretation
- 01/16/04
- 7
Yesterday I posted a Review of Biblical Hermeneutics. In reading and researching the topic of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation) I ran across a few interesting quotes.
I hold that the words of Scripture were intended to have one definite sense, and adhere rigidly to it…To say the words do mean a thing merely because they can be tortured into meaning it is a most dishonorable and dangerous way of handling Scripture.
J.C. Ryle
God sometimes blesses a poor exegesis of a bad translation of a doubtful reading of an obscure verse of a minor prophet.
Alan Cole
Inasmuch as all Scripture is the product of a single divine mind, interpretation must stay within the bounds of the analogy of Scripture and eschew hypotheses that would correct one Biblical passage by another, whether in the name of progressive revelation or of the imperfect enlightenment of the inspired writer’s mind.
The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
I especially enjoyed Cole’s quote as I think all of us can think of times we have unintentionally misinterpreted something in the Bible, yet God has been good to us to bless us despite ourselves. J.C. Ryle’s quote stands as a warning that to use the Bible flippantly and outside of proper methods is both dishonoring and dangerous. The Chicago Statement reminds me that Scripture must (and will) interpret Scripture, not correct it.
The Bible is an awesome revelation and it behooves us to treat it with the utmost care and respect.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (7)
Hey Tim, your posts continue to be edifying and educational. While this doesn’t replace the church I believe it is a ministry. I profit regularly from your site.In my Hermeneutics class (1000 years ago in college) we were told that there can be many “applications” of a passage but only one “interpretation”. I believe that is a true statement. I also believe that many a church has strayed from the truth through sermons that began with “application” and never got around to the “interpretation”. God Speed….
Thank you for the kind words.
I certainly agree that meaning is one, application is many. The problems all start when meaning is many and application is even more.
I wonder…what are the rules regarding application? Are there rules regarding it? How closely does application need to tie in to meaning?
Good question. I’ll look for an answer. I’m not even sure I understand what is meant by “application”. “Thou shalt not steal” needs no application in my mind. “Husbands love your wives” needs no application. I’ll post my thoughts on my website about Peter walking on the water. I think this is a good example of where application and interpretation get confused.
An example of a passage requiring interpretation and application would be where Paul speaks about head coverings. You have to read it without beginning with your preunderstanding of the passage, interpret it, draw meaning from it and then draw application from there.
biblical quotations can mean whatever you want them to. the bible is basically a collection of old myths and ledgends reinterpreted to submit the cultures overrun by judeo/christian/islamic beliefs.
Can you give me a source for the Alan Cole quote on “God sometimes blesses a poor exegesis … “? I’m copyediting a book that quotes it but says the author is unknown. Credit where credit is due! Thanks much
I find this kind of humerous in a way. We are supposed to interpret scripture as stating what it says, and nothing else. Yet, we, in interpreting various meanings rarely consider the implications of what is said in terms of the whole meanings of words, terms, or intentions. Thus we confine ourselves, or rather we use our “defined” ideology to support something that is not said, nor intended by scripture or the writer.
We look at things like fellowship, communion, distribution, and contribution….and we see four different things…when they all share the same root word…”kononia” which is a combination of two different words meaning: ‘to share that which we have in common’. We make fellowship into a gathering of fun and eating, while communion is a somber taking of the Lord’s supper. While in the eyes of God, and the writer, they are all the same thing.
It is our perception, and the failure to comprehend the over all meaning that lends itself to a wrong idea of the meanings of various scriptures and interpretations. It is a fact that, at times, scripture means all and every meaning that is possible within the statements made. To limit it, is to define God and mold Him into our image, and dispute His message/s.