Rabbis: 4 Ways to Interpret Scripture

I heard this in a Steve Cioccolanti video:

1. Literal
2. Moral
3. Allegorical
4. Anagogical

From Hermeneutics principles of biblical interpretation. Expanding beyond just these 4 ways ... from Hermeneutics 101

1. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
There are some verses in the Bible that can be difficult to understand. Peter himself tells us that in 2 Peter 3:16, when he referred to Paul’s letters and said “there are some things in them that are hard to understand.” So, what should we do when we encounter a passage or verse that is confusing? Rather than interpreting the text and inventing some doctrine based on an isolated text and maybe an incorrect understanding, I urge you to examine other passages of Scripture that speak of the same topic or issue. Those texts will often shed some light on the text you’re confused about. A correct interpretation of Scripture will always be consistent with the rest of the Scriptures.

2. The meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph must be derived from the context.
The context of a passage is absolutely critical to properly interpreting the Bible.

3. Interpret the Scriptures knowing that the goal in interpretation is not to discover hidden secret truths, or to be unique in your interpretation.
God has given us His Word in order to reveal Himself.
– It is not a book of dark mysteries, and riddles, it is a book of self disclosure.
– He is not a God of confusion, but of clarity.
– He has not spoken in order to conceal, but to be understood and known.
Therefore, when we come to His Word we need to realize that it’s the plain meaning of the text that we are seeking to understand. We need not look for hidden, esoteric, cryptic truths. God has preserved His Word to speak to the multitudes of ordinary people that they might be saved. So, don’t pass up the obvious and natural meaning of a text looking for something “unique” and “deep.”

4. Interpret the Scriptures literally unless you have good reason to believe that they are figurative.

Throughout church history, there have been people who have believed Scripture has hidden, secret, mystical meanings underneath the plain and obvious meaning of the text. That is, they believe that although the Scriptures say one thing, they actually signify something else, something other than what is written.
Some of the early church fathers (men like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Augustine, and Jerome) believed that every Scripture had two, three, even four or five interpretations. Their influence led to the widespread medieval belief that every verse of Scripture had numerous meanings.

5. Do not interpret Scripture in light of personal experience but interpret experience in the light of Scripture.

6. When interpreting the Scriptures, investigate the meanings of key words in their original languages.
There are several excellent English translations of the Bible (e.g., ESV, KJV, NASB, NKJV). But if you are teaching the Bible to others and are able to do some in-depth study of the Bible, it will often prove beneficial to spend some time examining the original languages yourself, even if you don’t know Hebrew or Greek. And I’ll let you know of some great books that will help you do that in a just a moment. But why is this important?
The meanings of words are sometimes diminished slightly or even obscured when translated into another language.

7. Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that many commands, directives, and duties were made to an individual and not all people.

8. Interpret the Scriptures bearing in mind that Biblical examples are authoritative only when supported by a command.
As you read through the Bible, it becomes pretty obvious that God could not possibly want us to follow all the examples we read about. Why? Well, several of the persons written about in the Bible provide us with terrible examples. I think of Samson’s behavior with Delilah, David murdering Uriah and committing adultery with Bathsheba, Peter denying he knew the Lord, etc. God would never want us to follow those examples. But what about the better examples in the Scriptures? Are we required to follow those? Not unless there is a teaching or command telling us that we should.

9. Interpret the Scriptures keeping in mind that Christians are living under the New Covenant instituted by Jesus, not the Old Covenant that God gave to Israel.
Proponents of homosexuality have often said, “You Christians ignore Old Testament laws forbidding the eating of pork and shellfish (Leviticus 11:7-12) and wearing clothing of mixed fibers (Leviticus 19:19). It’s blatantly inconsistent for you to cling to its stance on homosexuality!”
Well, in response to this criticism, it’s not inconsistent at all. Those who raise this objection overlook the fact that certain regulations and laws in the Old Testament regarding diet, the blending of fabrics, holy days and feasts, the priesthood, the tabernacle (and later temple), were given solely “to the children of Israel” not humanity at large (Leviticus 11:1-2). There is not a single instance in the Bible of God’s displeasure or judgment coming down on a foreign nation for disobeying Old Testament dietary regulations or laws governing temple sacrifices or the priesthood. We never read of an Egyptian, an Assyrian, or a Moabite being condemned for missing Passover or for eating shellfish. And, with the coming of the Messiah, and the instituting of the New Covenant, God has repealed certain regulations and laws governing diet, Israel’s temple worship, and sacrificial system.

Thought of AJ when I came across all this.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15

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Rabbis: 4 Ways to Interpret Scripture