Lesson 10: Interpretive Tools
Biblical Foundations
It is not going out on a limb to say that we are all very busy. For all the time-saving gadgets we possess, we seem less and less able to slow down and apply ourselves to anything, especially God’s word. But we must do so! Because the Bible demands that we labor diligently to interpret it.
I anticipate that some will object to the content of this lesson. Even those who do not object verbally may very well feel the following objections in their hearts:
- I don’t have time to do all this detailed study.
- Is laboring to study the Bible truly necessary? The disciples were not scholars after all. Must I be a theologian and scholar in order to interpret the Bible faithfully?
Let me begin this lesson by encouraging you. The call to labor at Bible study can easily overwhelm. But remember three encouragements as we begin:
- This lesson teaches several different tools for interpreting the Bible. You do not need to use all these Bible study methods every time you pick up the Bible. Each tool has a specific role.
- You are already familiar with many of these Bible study tools. You might not know the names or how to use them. However, we all use these strategies intuitively whenever we read, whether a news article, blog post, text thread, novel, or Scripture. When we read, we are always interpreting. So, in one sense, we are not teaching anything new. We simply want to ensure that you understand these interpretive methods clearly so that you can use them effectively.
- You do not need to be an academic to study the Bible faithfully. The disciples themselves, as well as the people whom they shepherded, were from every walk of life. They were fishermen, tradesmen, scholars, laborers, bankers, government officials, home-makers, physicians, lawyers, craftsmen, servants, and even children. Whichever category describes you, you will find like company among the early church. They were busy people with bustling communities around them. Responsibilities pulled them in many directions. Yet, they labored to understand the Scriptures rightly. By God’s Spirit, we can too.
Understanding comes through hard work
Now I want to challenge you. No, the disciples were not all scholars. But they studied diligently and applied themselves to understanding the Scriptures.
Consider Peter. Peter knew the value of a hard day’s work—or, as it often is with fishermen, a hard night’s work. He became disciplined through the daily grind of getting up early to prepare for the day, putting the boat out to sea, laboring against the wind and the currents, and straining to pull up the nets. Then, just when his body felt the brunt of the day’s labor, he would press on. He needed to clean and sort the fish. He had to repair the boat and mend the nets. When Jesus called, Peter left the nets behind, but the discipline of hard work would forever shape his life and ministry.
Peter’s Call
In the previous step, we considered the example of the OT prophets, whom Peter mentions in 1 Peter 1:10–12. Their diligent work was for our benefit. In verse 13, Peter draws a direct inference from this reality.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. —1 Peter 1:13
Because the prophets labored diligently to understand the messianic truths being revealed to them and because they understood that revelation was for the benefit of those who would hear the gospel proclaimed directly—because of these reasons Peter calls the church to set our hope fully on the glorious, earth-shaking, life-transforming grace that is ours in Christ Jesus.
But Peter does not leave us unsure about how to obey this command. Look at verse 13. Peter tells us: We obey this command by “preparing [our] minds for action, and being sober-minded.” That is, we follow the example of the prophets. Study diligently. Search the Scriptures. Labor to understand. This is how we “set [our] hope fully on the grace that will be brought to [us] at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” As Tom Schreiner writes, “Hope will not become a reality without disciplined thinking. Thinking in a new way does not happen automatically; it requires effort, concentration, and intentionality.”¹
How could you apply 1 Peter 1:13 in your own life?
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Hope will not become a reality without disciplined thinking. Thinking in a new way does not happen automatically; it requires effort, concentration, and intentionality.
Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner
Paul’s Call
Paul also called for diligent study. What he commanded Timothy applies to everyone who seeks to understand and teach God’s word. Are you a pastor, elder, small group leader, Sunday school teacher, or parent? Are you a disciple of Jesus, seeking to make disciples? If so, then hear what our Lord commands through Paul,
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15
Here we want to focus on “rightly handling the word of truth.” What does this phrase mean? Consider the immediate context in which Paul makes this appeal:
Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” —2 Timothy 2:14–19
Paul is clear. Avoiding both frivolous quarrels and serious error requires hard work. The call to rightly handle the Scriptures involves cutting a straight path² between the dangerous errors of false teaching and misinterpretation. And herein we find the primary principle taught by this lesson: The Bible demands that we labor to interpret Scripture faithfully.
This lesson will equip you for diligent study by pointing you to several interpretive tools. These tools will serve you as you labor to interpret Scripture faithfully and accurately.