Back to BasicsParaugs

ARE YOU QUALIFIED?

Many people may think you need a PhD in Theology and be fluent in Greek or Hebrew in order to properly understand the Bible. Thankfully, the Word of God is much more accessible than that. Still, we do need to be careful how we study and teach the Bible. Here are some criteria that qualify you to be an effective interpreter.

Secure Faith in God

One may come to some understanding of the Scriptures without faith in God, but the ultimate revelation and understanding will only come to life once the interpreter has submitted to God as the author of the texts. Study AND prayer are essential components to the hermeneutical process.

Sound Study Methods

J.P. Moreland wrote, “The Spirit helps us apply the significance of the text, but He does not 'teach' us the cognitive meaning of the text. He leaves that up to us...I fear that our inaccurate emphasis on the Holy Spirit's role in understanding Scripture has become an easy shortcut to the hard work of building a personal library of study tools and using them." If we don’t do the hard work of applying accurate hermeneutical standards to the study of the Scriptures, the chances of misrepresenting the texts are greatly increased. Additionally, employing appropriate methods for interpretation will make more apparent the impact of the Spirit on an individual’s interpretation.

Obedience to God’s Word

When you study the case for the origins of the Biblical documents, their authorship, and the number of manuscripts that exist, the evidence for the validity of the documents themselves seems certain. This means the issue is not ‘can I trust the documents’ but ‘am I willing to submit to what’s in them?’ For many, their unwillingness to obey the message contained in Scripture causes them to approach the texts with a flawed hermeneutic.

Biblical Community

Some may say that this qualification is not the most necessary, but I would argue that it is the most overlooked. As a Pastor of a house church, I see every week how the community of believers coming together to gain a better understanding of the Scriptures benefits everyone. No one person has a monopoly on revelation. We are called to be in community with other believers not merely for fellowship but also so that we can gain a better understanding of what God is saying and has already said through the Scriptures.