BY ROBERT F. TURNER
We have all heard someone advocate their own pet religious doctrine, and then justify (?) it with the statement, “Now this is my interpretation of the Bible; and we all have a right to our own interpretation.” And many times they have scarcely read what the Bible says on the subject, to say nothing of having made the careful study necessary for objective interpretation.
Perhaps they have accepted the preacher’s word for it; who, in turn accepted the word of some school teacher, commentator, or church father. Perhaps they read the Bible AFTER mentally acquiescing to a doctrine advocated by their parents or friends. Frequently this “ interpretation” bit is only an effort to give respectability to a purely private opinion.
“Interpretation” — when properly used with reference to God’s Word, means, “to tell the meaning of.” The “meaning” must originate with the Bible, not in the person’s imagination. In any event, no one has the right to speak of their interpretation of the Bible until they have made a careful study of the text, in its context, coordinated all like passages, and reached a conclusion as free of bias and prejudice as is humanly possible.
Genuine Bible study is NOT a guessing game!
