Principles of Hermeneutics
How to Interpret God's Word
Introduction
PRINCIPLE 1 - MEDITATE, PRAY, OBEY, AND BE OPEN
PRINCIPLE 2 - THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN FOR BELIEVERS, NOT FOR SKEPTICS
PRINCIPLE 3 - THE ORIGINAL TEXT WAS PERFECT, AND THE BIBLE WE HAVE TODAY IS COMPLETE
PRINCIPLE 4 - PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION VARY ACCORDING TO THE LITERARY FORM OF THE TEXT INVOLVED
PRINCIPLE 5 - THE ORIGINAL TEXT WAS GOD-BREATHED AND WITHOUT ERROR OR CONTRADICTION
PRINCIPLE 6 - APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS OR ERRORS ARE DUE TO TRANSMISSION ERRORS, MISTRANSLATION OR MISUNDERSTANDING
PRINCIPLE 7 - PROPERLY UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PROPER INTERPRETATION
PRINCIPLE 8 - THERE IS NO "PERFECT VERSION"
PRINCIPLE 9 - AVOID TWO EXTREMES REGARDING CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 10 - IT MUST BE RECOGNIZED THAT THE GREAT SUBJECT OF THE “OLD TESTAMENT” IS JESUS CHRIST
PRINCIPLE 11 - THE WORDS IN THE WORD MUST BE CAREFULLY STUDIED TO DETERMINE IF THEY HAVE A UNIQUE BIBLICAL MEANING
PRINCIPLE 12 - THE BIBLE SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD LITERALLY WHENEVER POSSIBLE
PRINCIPLE 13 - THE CUSTOMS AND CULTURE OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD MUST BE UNDERSTOOD
PRINCIPLE 14 - A KNOWLEDGE OF THE STRUCTURE OF A PASSAGE CAN BE VALUABLE FOR INTERPRETATION
PRINCIPLE 15 - IDENTICAL THINGS MUST BE DISTINGUISHED FROM SIMILAR THINGS
PRINCIPLE 16 - CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE TEXTS
PRINCIPLE 17 - THE WORD “ALL” CAN BE USED IN A UNIVERSAL OR LIMITED SENSE
PRINCIPLE 18 - THE BIBLE IS FULL OF SMALL WORDS WITH BIG MEANINGS
PRINCIPLE 19 - TIME, AND TIME WORDS, ARE ESSENTIAL TO PROPER INTERPRETATION
PRINCIPLE 20 - IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BIBLICAL PROPHECY
PRINCIPLE 21 - IT IS NECESSARY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A BELIEVER’S PERMANENT SPIRITUAL STANDING BEFORE GOD AND HIS “WALK.”
PRINCIPLE 22 - IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE READER DETERMINE “TO WHOM” A PARTICULAR SCRIPTURE IS ADDRESSED
PRINCIPLE 23 - DIFFICULT VERSES MUST BE INTERPRETED IN LIGHT OF CLEAR VERSES
PRINCIPLE 24 - ASSUME THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 25 - STRESS THE PRIORITY OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES
PRINCIPLE 25 - STRESS THE PRIORITY OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES
PRINCIPLE 25 - STRESS THE PRIORITY OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES
PRINCIPLE 26 - LOOK AT THE LITERARY CONTEXT
PRINCIPLE 27 - REMEMBER THE BASIC UNIT OF SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 28 - LET SCRIPTURE INTERPRET SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 29 - AVOID CONFUSION BETWEEN TRUTH AND THE INSPIRED RECORD
PRINCIPLE 30 - NEVER DETERMINE DOCTRINE FROM AN ILLUSTRATION
PRINCIPLE 31 - CHECK OUT THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND
PRINCIPLE 32 - AIM FOR ONE INTERPRETATION WITH MANY APPLICATIONS
PRINCIPLE 33 - ALWAYS PROCEED FROM “THEN” TO “NOW”
PRINCIPLE 34 - BE CAREFUL ABOUT SPIRITUALIZATION
PRINCIPLE 35 - ALLOW FOR THE FULLER MEANING OF SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 36 - DETERMINE THE TEACHING INTENTION OF THE AUTHOR
PRINCIPLE 37- DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE CULTURAL AND TRANSCULTURAL
PRINCIPLE 38 - DISCERN WHAT IS MORE CRITICAL AND WHAT IS LESS CRITICAL
PRINCIPLE 39 - RECOGNIZE THE FACT OF PROGRESSIVE REVELATION
PRINCIPLE 40 - COMPREHEND THE BIBLICAL COVENANTS
PRINCIPLE 41 - DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH
Principle 42 - DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE RETURN
Principle 43 - SUBMIT TO THE HIERARCHY OF SCRIPTURE
PRINCIPLE 44 - KNOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LITERATURE
PRINCIPLE 44 - KNOW THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LITERATURE
PRINCIPLE 45 - UNDERSTAND THE USE OF LANGUAGE
PRINCIPLE 46 - HIGHLIGHT THE THEME OF SALVATION
PRINCIPLE 47 - REALIZE THAT NOT ALL TRUTH HAS BEEN REVEALED
PRINCIPLE 48 - ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE FINITE CANNOT COMPLETELY FATHOM THE INFINITE
PRINCIPLE 49 - BEWARE OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
PRINCIPLE 50 - WATCH OUT FOR “INJECTION OF YOUR INTERESTS INTO SCRIPTURES”
PRINCIPLE 51 - RESPECT THE INSIGHT OF OTHER CHRISTIANS
QUESTIONS