II Peter 1:20-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
In a word, no. I would say it certainly needs to be understood and would also add, as intended. But, no, it does not require interpretation. It says what it says and means what it means. No, I’m not just being coy. Yet, it is “interpreted” by many. Do an internet search for “how to interpret the bible” and look how many hits you get. It goes on and on.
I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and start with the definition of “interpret.” Again, I like to refer to definitions so the meaning of the word is fresh in our mind. From the 1828 1st Edition of Noah Webster’s “American Dictionary of the English language”:
Interpret:
1. To explain the meaning of words to a person who does not understand them; to expound; to translate unintelligible words into intelligible ones; as, to interpret the Hebrew language to an Englishman.
2. To explain or unfold the meaning of predictions, visions, dreams or enigmas; to expound and lay open what is concealed from the understanding; as, Joseph interpreted the dream of pharaoh.
3. To decipher.
4. To explain something not understood; as, to interpret looks or signs.
5. To define; to explain words by other words in the same language.
The fifth definition is the sense of the word that I’m speaking to here. There are men and women all over the world who read the bible and stand before their congregations to explain the written word of God in their own words, using the same language of their country and their Bible. You say, “Well, of course they do. They are clergymen and that’s what they do. They read and study the bible to bring meaning and clarity to an otherwise difficult book to understand. It’s their job.” I say, is it? Is it their job to read the bible as translated from Hebrew and Greek into whatever language and explain it or expound on it as if God isn’t able to do a good enough job on His own?
This goes to the heart of what drives me. Thirty three thousand Christian denominations. It seems obvious why there are so many. To me, it means that from the time of the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ there are at least 33,000 men and women who have interpreted the bible in such a way that some followed them and their “interpretation”, and some did not; to a point today where the church, the body of Christ, is splintered. Not only is the body of Christ splintered, it is also surrounded by “false Christs” and “false prophets”; counterfeits teaching and preaching false doctrines of men in the name of God.
Don’t get me wrong. I agree with the authors of the Declaration of independence: “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” We are all free men. We are free to interpret the word of God all day long if we so choose and I’m in no way suggesting otherwise. I simply offer a word of caution to those who do and especially those who do and, in turn, stand before a congregation and present it as doctrine.
Remember the definition of interpret: “to explain words by other words in the same language”. The bible has already been interpreted and many view the KJV in particular as being more faithful to the original languages of the bible. That is to say, the English version is in English and can be understood by anyone who speaks English. Now, there are always exceptions, but I’m talking about your average person who was raised to speak and read English. Granted, it’s long, spans centuries of history of God’s interaction with his creation and in particular his chosen people, the nation of Israel. And I don’t really even need to say that since it covers the beginning of time all the way through to the end of time. Most people get that.
My point is, since its publication in 1611, the KJV has been available to anyone and everyone with any genuine interest in knowing personally and intimately what God would like us to know. It’s right there in front of us. Yet, through generations of “denominational” organized religion, we have been conditioned, if not outright indoctrinated into thinking that the only people who can read it, understand it, “interpret” its meaning, and more importantly its application in our lives are men of the cloth.
Now, I realize you gotta start somewhere. The bible certainly talks about preachers and teachers and their role in spreading the word of god. I’m reminded of a passage in Romans that speaks to the necessity of preachers:
Romans 10:13-15
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
This passage explains the simple logic of a preacher preaching so that people can hear the word of God, so they can understand the gospel (word of God), so they can decide to believe (or not), and decide to “call upon the name of the Lord” to be saved. This passage also helps get to my point. Have I “interpreted” this passage? Or, have I simply restated it to convey how I understand the passage and how it was intended to be understood? I would like to think that most people can read this passage and understand it without needing anyone to explain it further because it’s pretty straight forward.
From a contextual standpoint, we’re looking back in time from the year 2018. During Paul’s ministry, the bible was yet to be published. So, preachers were sent to dispense the word of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of that to say this: we are well past the days when the only way you would hear the word of God was from the mouth of a preacher. In fact, we’re so far past that point in history that the bible is and continues to be the best-selling book of all time. Some dispute that, but my real point is that anyone across the globe can go to a book store, the internet, even a hotel, and buy or accept as a free gift, the complete, written, and published word of God, and set out on a quest to understand God exactly as he intended. No interpretation needed. He says what he says and means what he means and there’s no need on anyone’s part to “read between the lines”, or somehow look for meaning beyond what is written.
Now, let me offer a couple of pointed examples. Before I do, consider the following passages that testify to the purity, preservation, and veracity of the word of God. Consider also the commandment to rightly divide the word of truth, which is to say, handle correctly and caution to not add to or take away from the words of the bible.
Psalms 12:6-7
The words of the LORD [are] pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
II Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
II Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
With these passages in mind, consider the following passage as an example of understanding the word of God as intended, which is to say “rightly dividing”:
Mathew 10:1-7
And when he had called unto [him] his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Notice in particular verse five, Jesus commanded them “Go NOT [emphasis mine] into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. If we accept this passage as spoken by Jesus to mean what it says without “interpreting” it any further, it says what it says. Jesus sent the twelve only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Time wise, this was obviously before Jesus’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God. What can be understood about Jesus’s earthly ministry based on this commandment to the twelve apostles? Not interpreted, but understood. Simply put:
John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
The big picture was he was there to fulfill prophecy and in that capacity had come “to the lost sheep of Israel”, not the gentiles. At least not at that point in time. This is the essence of what it means to cut straight or, rightly divide the word of truth. Understanding that Jesus came to Israel, vis. his blood relatives as foretold, should inform our perspective when reading the gospels. As gentiles, we should understand that the information, the teachings, the events, were in context of why he was there and for whom he was there. Another way of putting it is that Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John are for us, not to us. In other words, reading, studying, and understanding the gospels in an attempt to appropriate it somehow for our Christian walk today invariably requires “interpretation”.
If you recall my post titled “Funny How People Pick and Choose Scripture They Will and Won’t Abide By”, I made reference to what’s known as the “Lord’s Prayer” and how most Christians have very likely had the experience of reciting the Lord ’s Prayer in a worship service at some point in their life. So, in some denominational worship services, a determination was made regarding the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-15 to teach their congregants to say it as part of the worship service while seemingly ignoring Jesus’s instructions to pray in a closet, in secret, in the four passages just before. Check it out yourself.
Matthew 6:5-8
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
How is it that many denominational churches include recitation of the Lord’s Prayer in the course of their worship service (vain repetition?) while at the same time seemingly ignoring Jesus’s instructions to pray in a closet? I’ll tell you how; interpretation by omission.
There are a number of other examples that come to mind, but I think I’ll stop for now. This subject underlies much of what it takes to understand the word of God as he intends to be understood. It is my firm belief that there are many, many “Christian” organizations, unbeknownst to their congregants, interpreting or mishandling the bible and is the reason why it’s so important for people to read and study the bible for themselves. If you don’t do it for the sake of your own soul and salvation, consider the possible consequences:
Matthew 15:7-9
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Matthew 23:15
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
In both passages, Jesus confronts the religious leaders in Jerusalem (scribes and Pharisees) and both times refers to them as hypocrites, which is to say “actors on a stage”. It’s Jesus doing the talking. Are you listening?
Look for “Does the Bible Need Interpretation”, Part II in the near future.
