Why Do We Fail to Understand the Holy Bible Correctly?
*Just for your ** *thoughts**
*Why Do We Fail to Understand the Holy Bible Correctly?*
*What is the reason for this? What knowledge is essential for understanding the Bible correctly?*
«“Even though the Bible was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. When we take our Western, modern culture and impose it on the text, we’re putting in meaning that wasn’t there, and we’re missing the meaning that the text has.”
— Dr. John H. Walton»
«**“Sometimes people become frustrated with the Bible because the difficult figurative expressions, images, and customs of ancient times that they encounter in it seem foreign to them. But when we explain these things, we open up the text in a way that helps people understand, with a fresh perspective, what the biblical text is actually talking about.
In the end, everything in the Bible was written in specific times and cultural contexts. Therefore, although everything in the Bible is relevant to all times, not everything in it can be applied directly to every situation. The better we understand the situation to which a biblical passage was originally addressed, the more confidently we can apply its message to appropriate situations today.”**»
— Dr. Craig S. Keener
What Kind of Knowledge Do We Need to Understand the Bible Correctly?
1. A Basic Understanding of the Original Languages
We need a basic understanding of the original languages in which the Bible was written: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
2. Historical, Cultural, and Social Background
We need a basic knowledge of the historical, cultural, and social background of the time in which each book and every verse was written.
3. A Basic Understanding of the Entire Bible
Biblical Theology — understanding the entire Bible as a unified and continuous revelation.
4. The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
We need to understand the birth, death, resurrection, and the fundamental purposes of Jesus Christ’s redemptive work.
5. Hermeneutics
We need to know how to interpret a verse according to its context.
6. Knowledge of Literary Genres
Not every part of the Bible can be read or interpreted in the same way.
7. Knowledge of Biblical Covenants
The covenants associated with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the New Covenant help us understand the continuity of the biblical story.
8. The Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments
It is essential to understand the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
9. Understanding the Meaning of Words According to Their Context
The same Hebrew or Greek word does not necessarily have the same meaning in every occurrence. Therefore, instead of imposing a dictionary definition directly onto a verse, we must allow the context of that verse to determine its meaning.
10. Understanding the Nature of Bible Translations
Not all Bible translations are produced in the same way:
- Word-for-word translations
- Thought-for-thought translations
- Simple or explanatory translations
It is helpful to understand these differences and compare several translations when studying an important verse.
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A Spiritual Attitude
Knowledge alone is not enough. To understand the Bible correctly, we also need:
- Prayer
- Humility
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Two things are especially important:
1. Interpreting the Bible according to its context.
2. Understanding a verse in the light of the whole Bible.
Without these two principles, even a person who knows the original languages may interpret a verse incorrectly.
Anyone who teaches the Bible needs to have at least a basic understanding of these matters. I am not saying that a person must study all these subjects in depth before he or she can meditate on or teach the Bible. However, I do want to emphasize that at least an elementary understanding of these matters is essential.
Today, every church seems to lift up and celebrate a particular doctrine. Each one claims that what it teaches alone is the true teaching of the Bible. Those who teach differently are branded as heretics. Beyond that, they are even labeled as people who are not Christians at all.
Just as it is important to pray for the evangelistic ministry of the Church, it is equally important to build up those who come into the Church through evangelistic ministry with sound and correct teaching.
Believers, pray that good teachers with this kind of understanding and attitude will arise in Tamil Nadu. Such teachers will help protect the Church.