Biblical Interpretation is Not a Personal Choice
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Biblical Interpretation is Not a Personal Choice
Making choices is something that comes very naturally to all of us. We make hundreds of choices every single day. What to wear, what to eat, when to leave, what to buy, what to watch, who to text… etc.
Is there room for personal choices when it comes to biblical interpretation? Can we pick and choose our own interpretations based on our own ideas and preferences? The answer seems obvious. Since the Bible is the written word of God to mankind, the message of the Bible must never be manipulated by personal preferences. We can’t just pick and choose what parts we want to agree with, and twist the other parts to fit our own agenda. Proper biblical interpretation follows well-established rules and principles.
While most Christians would agree with that answer, they may not realize how their own personal choices and priorities affect their interpretations and applications of the Bible. Let's look at a few areas where Christians are vulnerable to making personal choices in interpretation.
“Pleasant” Interpretations
Our view of Scripture can be affected when we naturally lean towards the happier or “nicer” interpretations. For example, the universal salvation of all mankind and no eternal punishment for unbelievers is a simple example of a “pleasant” - but false - interpretation.
Other concepts in Scripture are not so clear-cut. Case in point: many Christians are confident that all believers will be raptured to Heaven before a time of Tribulation on the earth. If we accept this viewpoint, we should be sure it’s because we’ve interpreted Scripture carefully -- and not just because it’s more "pleasant" to think of believers escaping the Tribulation.
Another example is the destiny of children who die in infancy. It’s certainly more pleasant to believe that these children will be forever in Heaven, but have we accepted this interpretation simply because this doctrine sounds more comforting? Very few Scriptures, if any, touch directly on this difficult subject (see 2 Samuel 12:23, Matthew 18:10, and Mark 10:14, for example). Scripture is clear that babies are not “innocent" when born (see Psalm 51:5 and Romans 5:12). But Scripture is also clear that God is a loving and gracious God (2 Peter 3:9). And we know Jesus demonstrated a particular love for children (see Matthew 18:2-6 and Mark 10:14-16).
“Traditional” Interpretations
Interpretations can also be affected when we choose to believe ideas based solely on “tradition.” A great example of this is in the area of baptism. What manner and mode of baptism is “correct”? Most of us simply go along with the tradition of the church in which we were raised. Most of us haven’t arrived at a personal conviction of baptism through an honest and careful study of Scripture. Our decisions about infant versus adult baptism or immersion versus sprinkling as the mode of baptism should be based on Scripture alone, not on tradition. Remember, Jesus denounced the Pharisees for their pride and their audacity in making their traditions more important than the Word of God (Mark 7:13).
“Favorite” Interpretations
We all have our “favorite" ways of thinking about biblical truths. Sometimes something just sounds right to us, or maybe it fits in with a personal disposition, agenda, or pet peeve. But our own proclivities should not guide our interpretations.
There’s also a tendency for us to follow what the most popular writers or preachers of the day have to say on the subject. This certainly extends and applies to the internet where it’s easy for someone to build a following based on popular, but incorrect, interpretations of Scripture. We want to be open, but cautious about buying into certain viewpoints because of “likes” or popular opinions in comment sections. Instead, we should only determine what we believe by careful and honest personal study of God's Word, and teaching from trusted sources.
Even the apostle Paul told the Galatians that they should not believe him - or even an angel from heaven! - if either one of them should give a "different interpretation" of the gospel of Christ! That’s pretty strong language, but it shows the importance of this principle.
Preconceived Notions
In the book of Acts, Paul’s missionary strategy for evangelism often began in the Jewish synagogues (see Acts 17:1-3, for example). The Jews in the synagogues were familiar with the Scriptures, so this was a logical starting point to preach the gospel of Christ. Most Jews, however, didn’t respond positively to Paul's interpretation of the Old Testament Scriptures (Acts 17:5-8). Why? Because they already had their own notions about the Messiah and His coming. They weren’t open to evaluating the true interpretation.
The Jews of Thessalonica, for example, were filled with pride because of their Jewish background and heritage. This blinded them to any interpretation other than their own (Mark 7:13). This not only hindered the proper interpretation of Scripture, but actually drove them to undermine Paul’s ministry (See Acts 17:13).
Let’s make sure that this same attitude of pride does not characterize us. Are we 100% fault-free in all of our interpretations? Remember the people of Berea, who "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul taught was true" (Acts 17:11). This Berean mindset is what we should aim for. Let's determine what we believe by careful, honest, and open-minded personal examination and study of God's Word.
- Dave Reid
(Updated 2022, Ron Reid)