The First Three Rules of Biblical Interpretation

Context...context...and context.

What is context?

Context is the literary, historical, cultural, linguistic, geographical, and theological setting in which a biblical text was written, transmitted, and understood.

Meaning is found not merely in the words themselves, but in the words as they function within their context.

Common Fallacies (from D. A. Carson's "Exegetical Fallacies")

• Word study fallacies
• Grammatical fallacies
• Logical fallacies
• Presupposition and historical fallacies

Beware of...

• Saying, "In the Hebrew..." or "In the Greek..."
• Inaccurate word studies and conclusions
• Misusing etymology
• Assuming a particular word has only one meaning or sense across its usages
• Assuming a particular word has all possible meanings or senses within a single usage
• Assuming a meaning of the word from one period of time is relevant to its meaning in another period
• Reading meaning into the text that is not there – i.e., eisegesis
• Looking for profound hidden meanings where they don't exist. The simple truths of Scripture (e.g., salvation from sin through Christ's atoning and ongoing mediatorial work) are profound enough!
• Anachronistic assumptions and injections – language, practice, etc.

Example: Applying context to the exegesis of a particular word

• What is the range of meaning this word may have as evidenced by usage across the wide corpus of contemporary usage?
• Where else is this word used in the Scriptures? How is it used there?
• Where else is this word used in this book? What does it mean there?
• Where else is this word used by this particular author? How does this author use the word?
• How is this word used within its broader cultural and historical context?
• What other words are used "around" this word in the immediate context? How do they affect this word's meaning?

Example: Inaccurately "snatching" a statement from its context

"Jesus said, 'If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.' Let's lift up the Lord!!!"

Why does it matter?

As students and teachers of God's word, we have a mandate to handle the Word of God with humility, carefulness, and faithfulness. Failure to do so will result in us misunderstanding the Lord and misrepresenting Him to others. Failure to do so will certainly result in God's displeasure.

(DN inserts an analogous anecdote that may be of some use...)

Let us not make the arrogant mistake of believing that the only ones who are guilty of or are at risk of misinterpreting and misrepresenting the Scriptures are those who are of a different Christian "persuasion" than us. Sadly, this simply is not the case.

• 2 Tim 2:15 - "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
• 2 Tim 4:2 – "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
• James 3:1 – "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation."