Lesson 6 | Interpretational Stances
Unveil Your Understanding
Why Do We Teach Paraphrasing as a Tool for Interpretation?
Because it most intuitively communicates interpretation. Paraphrasing engages the reader directly and clearly with another's interpretation of the text. In other words, it engages their intuitive sense of meaning. By this point in the course, we have already covered many of the tools needed for effective paraphrasing. But why these tools specifically? Because they best equip you to communicate interpretations in a way that is immediately understandable to yourself and others.
Because it most naturally communicates interpretation. We already use paraphrasing instinctively as a means of understanding each other! If you were a fly on the wall in a room of any seminary dormitory, you'd likely hear the same type of periphrastic debate repeated again and again. One person will say, “For reasons X, Y, and Z this verse is communicating [main point]. In other words, he is saying [insert paraphrase].” Another might respond, “Ah, I see what you are saying,”—because the paraphrase illuminated the interpretation—“but I don’t think that’s what the verse says at all! I think it’s saying [insert second paraphrase].” And back and forth the conversation continues, each person adjusting their paraphrases to align their understanding more accurately with the text, while still expressing meaning in their own words.
Because it most instructively communicates interpretation. It is one of the best teaching tools available. If you've taken a Biblearc course, you know that written feedback is part of the learning process. In discussions over a student's relationship choice, I will often try to show how a student's work doesn't align with the text. I may fill a comment box with explanations—only to end by saying something like, “paraphrased, that would be saying [insert paraphrase], and that doesn’t make sense.” Again and again, it is the paraphrase that most reveals that they've stepped outside of the text of Scripture.
Therefore...
...you must take an interpretational stance in your paraphrase! Often, students hesitate when first encouraged to write a paraphrase. They tiptoe so carefully that they end up saying nothing meaningful. Their rationales are often similar—“I don’t want to represent God’s Word the wrong way.” That’s a valid concern, but ironically, it is also why we paraphrase: to clarify, test, and refine our understanding. A student too nervous to take a stand will never know if their understanding is right or wrong. It is the student who speaks clearly, risking correction, who will walk away with a proven grasp of the text.
Paraphrasing Principle:
You write a paraphrase in a MINE column because it is exactly that—YOURS! You are not translating the text, but communicating what YOU think it means. So take a stand!
The Posture of an Interpreter
If you’re like many, you may be wondering, “If we are supposed to take bold stances, how do we still paraphrase responsibly? Isn’t there a risk of inventing our own interpretations? Yes—if we approach it with the posture of a critic rather than a disciple. In Biblearc's Interpretation Course, the principle of humility is taught as prerequisite for understanding God’s Word. We are not to judge God’s words, but receive them. A humble posture invites scrutiny (as we’ll see on the next page) and prevent us from twisting Scripture to our own ideas. The goal is not to avoid testing your understanding, but to be willing to test and be corrected.
We aim to be like Moses, who pleased the Lord when paraphrasing back to him the words God had previously spoken.