Lesson 10: Interpretive Tools
Do Word Studies
I love my wife. I love my dog. I love pizza.
I used the same word three times, but I most certainly intend to communicate three different meanings. Words frequently have a range of meanings. The present world record holder for English words (according to Guinness World Records) is “set” with 430(!) distinct meanings listed in the Oxford English Dictionary.
To accurately understand a text, we must ask “What does the author intend to communicate with that word?” We should focus on words the author repeats in this passage and key terms in the whole Bible (like “salvation” or “humility”).
Consider the word “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11:
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. —1 Corinthians 6:11
Even as he admonishes this church for tolerating and participating in sin, Paul says, “but... you were sanctified...” What did Paul mean by that word?
Word Studies
Word studies help us determine what a biblical author intended to communicate when he used a particular word. They consider how the whole Bible, various genres, and particular authors communicate through key words. So to answer our question above about “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11, let’s do a word study.
Search the word
Biblearc’s search equips you for word studies. In the module below, enter sanctif* in the search bar and set the scope to the New Testament by adding a space and then in:nt. This will bring up any occurrences of “sanctified” but also related words, such as “sanctify,” “sanctifies,” “sanctified,” and “sanctification.”
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Once we collect the data, we can now take the next step by asking questions about how biblical authors use these words and what they communicate through them. Answer the following questions for our word study on “sanctify.”
Who or what can be sanctified? (list all the possibilities you discover)
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Who or what sanctifies others? (list all the possibilities you discover)
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How does sanctifying occur? (list all the possibilities you discover)
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Search related words
I am asking you to think with me.
I am requesting that you think with me.
I am calling you to think with me.
I am beseeching you to think with me.
I want to know if you will think with me.
I urge you to think with me.
Some words can communicate the same idea. Their meanings overlap. At the same time, these words sometimes communicate distinct nuances and emphases (like “throw” and “toss”). In the examples above, “ask” and “request” overlap significantly. It would be hard to distinguish any difference in meaning between these two words. On the other hand, “request” and “urge” communicate similar but more clearly distinct actions. When we study a word in the Bible, we must remember that an author can talk about the same concept by using synonyms. These synonyms may communicate the same meaning (like “ask” and “request”). Others might communicate similar but distinct meanings (like “request” and “urge”). So, a good word study will also consider what the biblical authors communicate through similar words and ask: Why did the author choose this specific word?
As we study the word “sanctified,” we must ask, “Are there other ways NT authors speak of being sanctified?” Two possibilities come to mind: “made holy” and “consecrated.”
How did the search for “made holy” and “consecrate” clarify the meaning of “sanctified”?
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Search the original word
While chasing down the author’s intended use of a word or phrase, we must consider the words they actually used. Serious study presses through the translated words into the original languages. While there is no substitute for actually learning and reading Greek and Hebrew, it is possible to do basic word searches even if you do not know the original languages.
Still, a word of caution is necessary. Consider how carefully you must define words even in your native language. The dangers multiply when you work with another language. For example, we know full well that butterflies are neither flies, nor are they made of butter (I’ve always thought “flutterby” would be a much better name). Yet it is quite common to make that exact error with Greek and Hebrew words. For instance, the Greek word ἀπόστολος (apostolos - “apostle”) is related to the verb ἀποστέλλω (apostello - ”I send“). But in NT usage, an apostle is not merely “one who is sent” but is a “special, authorized representative or messenger.”¹ Another common error occurs by forcing several possible meanings of a word into a specific context. For example, the Greek word ἐκκλησία (ekklesia - “church”) can be used to refer to a local community of believers or to the whole universal church. Yet neither of these meanings will fit in the context of Acts 7:38.² So be humble and remember the goal: we aim to discover what the biblical author intended to communicate through a specific word in its particular context.
Let’s refine our understanding of “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11 by searching for the original word. You would do so on Biblearc by clicking “sanctified,” then clicking the search icon, and choosing the top option.
The above search produces all of the hits we found in the previous English searches—and a few more, such as:
Matt 6:9, “hallowed be your name.”
Matt 23:17, “...the temple that has made the gold sacred?”
List any additional texts provided by this search. How did this search clarify the meaning of “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11?
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Consider the context
As we come to the end of our study, we can observe that “sanctify” sometimes describes an ongoing process, sometimes describes a present state, and sometimes describes a past action. It certainly can’t mean all of these here in 1 Corinthians 6:11! So let’s take one more step: considering the surrounding context of 1 Corinthians 6:1–11. Note that “saints” in verse 2 connects closely to “sanctified” in verse 11.
1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. —1 Corinthians 6:1–11
How does the context clarify what Paul meant to communicate with the word “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11?
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Summing it up
At the end of any word study, we must labor to summarize our conclusions. Our summary should clearly define and succinctly explain what the biblical author intended to communicate.
What did Paul intend to communicate when he used the word “sanctified” in 1 Corinthians 6:11?
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Using a dictionary
A dictionary has its place as a quick reference guide (or as a nice, heavy book for pressing flowers). But even with a dictionary, you must determine which specific meaning an author intended to communicate. One important take-away I hope you have gained in this study is the value of laboring to complete your own thorough word study. A dictionary, then, becomes a useful tool to confirm your findings or to push you back to the text by revealing mistakes you made along the way.