The method of Jesus Christ for interpreting scripture

There are so many different books on biblical hermeneutics available, and so many ways in which various scholars have suggested for interpreting the Scriptures, that some ordinary believers may become confused and disillusioned by the apparent enormity of the task of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). So, where then shall we find the best, mostly reliable method for interpreting this divinely-inspired document? The best method of interpretation is to examine the way in which Jesus Christ interpreted the Scriptures when He was on this earth. Perhaps the clearest, most concise illustration of the hermeneutical methodology of Jesus, can be elucidated from a meticulous analysis of one text in the New Testament, the one located in Luke 24:27: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

Short three-word phrases from Luke 24:27 have been selected from various Bible versions, so as to clearly illustrate the seven-part method used by the Savior in His interpretation of Scripture. A brief overview of the basic seven-part approach, including the Action Steps to be taken, is outlined below.

Phase 1: “Jesus quoted passages;” i.e., it is Christ-Dependent Interpretation Phase One recognizes that, on our own, we cannot understand the Bible. The words of Jesus to His disciples are as true today as when He originally spoke them: “With God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26). Later on, in His ministry, He repeated that universal truth, in another six-word sentence: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But really, this short clause is really the end of a passage of Scripture saturated with divine promise: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (John 15:5). It was only after that incredible assurance, that Jesus then added the vital postscript: “for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Referring to the Scriptures, Peter noted that it “never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:21). When we acknowledge that it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scriptures, then we will similarly recognize that we need to be open to that same Spirit in order to appropriately understand the inspired Word. Hence, the first Action Step clearly states:

Ask Jesus, the Supreme interpreter of the sacred Scriptures, to guide in your study of His Word; then, willingly follow.

Phase 2: “Starting with Moses;” i.e., it is Chronological Interpretation The importance of this intentional chronological approach can perhaps be best explained by means of an illustration. Over the years various individuals have pointed to the experience of David, and have concluded that God must have condoned polygamy to some degree since it was practiced by one who was called “a man after His own heart” (1 Sam 13:14).

According to 1 Samuel 13, it was immediately after King Saul had presumptuously officiated as priest in offering up a burnt sacrifice at Gilgal that Samuel informed him that he would lose his kingdom. In this context Samuel stated: “The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart” (1 Sam 13:14).

This young shepherd David, selected by God to replace Saul, was handsome, healthy, and harmoniously living within the will of God (1 Sam 16:7, 12). Evidently, at this time David was a single man. The narrative indicates that it was while David was still an unmarried man, and before he becomes embroiled in polygamy, that God called him “a man after His own heart.”

Several years earlier God had personally selected Saul to lead His people (1 Sam 10:24). However, even though Saul had for a while been a devout follower, he eventually rejected God. Similarly David was chosen by God as the next king when he was living within God’s will. Chronologically, it was at this point in time that God classified David as a “man after His own heart.”

Phase Two, a Chronological Interpretation of the Bible, seeks to set out a scriptural manner of coherently addressing such issues. Its basic Action Step is as follows:

Start at the beginning, then examine the topic through time, observing any changes over time; finally, draw conclusions.

Phase 3: “Interpreted for them;” i.e., it is Careful Interpretation More than two decades ago an Adventist magazine published a pro-abortion article, in which Exodus 21:22-25 was mentioned as justification for the position taken. Even a cursory glance at Bible versions brought to light an interesting phenomenon: Many translations, such as the Revised Standard Version, interpreted this passage as a “miscarriage” in which a fine was to be paid for the dead fetus, while the death of the mother called for capital punishment. On the other hand, some versions translated this same passage as a “premature birth” in which the death penalty applied equally for either mother or fetus.

Since this is the only passage in Scripture that deals with the legal responsibility in relation to the early termination of a pregnancy, its interpretation is obviously of vital import. Literally hundreds of hours of careful research was needed in order to discover which versions were the most reliable on this controversial matter. The conclusions of the careful investigation of this passage have been validated, by the virtually unanimous manner in which modern versions have rendered this passage, as dealing with a premature birth, and not a miscarriage.

Phase three aims at a detailed investigation of words and phrases in context. Its essential Action Step is as follows:

Examine the biblical passage meticulously, considering the words in the full context, to determine the proper meaning.

Phase 4: “In every part;” i.e., it is Comprehensive Interpretation The kind of careful interpretation of the specific passages of Scripture as identified and illustrated in Phase Three, however, must not be done in isolation from the rest of the Bible. In fact, the importance of seeing passages within their larger spiritual contexts is emphasized by Jesus on His walk to Emmaus. here Jesus “explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Or, as other versions express this vital phrase: “In every part of the Scriptures” (NEB); i.e., “in the whole of Scripture” (REB).

Phase Four, a Comprehensive Interpretation, examines texts within their broader contexts so as to find coherence in Holy writ. The main Action Step is the following:

Consider the evidence from the broader context of the Bible, compare scripture with scripture; then see coherent themes.

Phase 5: “Of the scriptures;” i.e., it is Canonical Interpretation As is well-documented, Jesus referred to the Scriptures repeatedly in His life. Jesus believed in the authority of the Scriptures (e.g., Matt 4:4). He not only taught from them (e.g., Matt 12:7-8), but He also lived by them (e.g., Matt 4:8-10). In His communication He frequently quoted from or alluded to them (e.g., Matt 11:10, 21-24; 13:14-16; etc.). He responded to temptation by quoting from the Scriptures (see Matt 4). When He was talking to the Pharisees, He answered their concerns by quoting from the Scriptures (e.g., Matt 12:3-8). He went virtually nowhere without talking about the Word of God. He constantly pointed people to the true meaning of the Scriptures (e.g., Matt 23:23).

When Jesus met those two disciples on the way to Emmaus, what could he have done right away, if He had wanted to convince them of who He was? Could He not have held of his hands and said, “Gentlemen, it is I”? But what did He do?

According to the account in Luke 24, we see very clearly that Jesus did not provide any such physical evidence to begin with. He was more concerned about going to the Word of God. As Luke 24:27 puts it: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Or as another translation has phrased it: “He explained to them the passages throughout the Scriptures that were about himself” (NJB).

Thus, only after they were convinced from the clear canonical interpretation done of the written Word of God -- that the Messiah was indeed this Jesus who had died -- did the risen Christ then reveal His identity through the breaking of the bread.

Phase Five, a Canonical Interpretation, seeks to demonstrate the indispensability of the Word of God in the life of the believer. The Action Step, therefore declares:

Acknowledge and use the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as the fundamental basis for belief and practice in life.

Phase 6: “The passages which;” i.e., it is Contextual Interpretation When the risen Christ spoke with the two men on their way to Emmaus, “He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27), or as another version has it, “the passages which referred to himself in every part of the Scriptures” (NEB). Simply put, Jesus took the context into account.

For a practical example on the importance of context, consider the oft-quoted passage from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matt 5:17, 18).

This passage is often used as strong evidence that Jesus Himself did not set aside or annul the law, that is, the Ten Commandments. This idea appears even clearer in some modern versions, such as the Revised Standard Version’s rendering: “‘Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

In brief, a contextual study of the terms “law” and “prophets” in Matthew 5:17 indicates that these terms refer to the Scriptures as a whole during the time of Jesus. Since the word “law” in this couplet clearly means the five books of Moses, it naturally includes the Ten Commandments, located in Exodus 20 as well as in Deuteronomy 5. However, to refer to the word “law” in Matthew 5:17, as though it were simply a synonym for the moral law (i.e., the Decalogue), is a misuse of the Bible.

Phase six, a Contextual Interpretation of the sacred Scriptures, will explore the dynamics of such a hermeneutical methodology. Thus, the Action Step to take, is as follows:

Analyze every issue by taking into account both the broader and immediate contexts, to reach the best interpretation.

Phase 7: Referred to himself;” i.e., it is Christ-Centered Interpretation In 1981 an article appeared in Insight Magazine, titled “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie.” While the author mentioned that “God is a God of truth,” and that Satan is called the “father of lies,” he basically presented his points from a consequentialist perspective, using humanistic logic. Amazingly, even though this essay was published in a Christian magazine for young people, less than four percent of the article dealt with biblical information. Essentially ignoring the relationship of truth-telling to Jesus Christ, it was not surprising therefore that the writer concluded that sometimes “a lie is fully justified.”

Sadly, this type of Christless, and atheistic rationalization, has been infiltrating the ranks of Bible-believers over the decades, especially since the rise of so-called “situation ethics.” While there have been several challenges to these types of relativistic and humanistic ideas that have been creeping into the church as a whole, some well-respected, powerful communicators continue to indirectly undermine the moral law of God, as found in the Ten Commandments.

Jesus is our example: “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’” (1 Pet 2:21, 22). Thus, the Action Step simply declares:

Witness the way in which every biblical teaching relates to, and focuses on Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord of all humanity.

Like two attractive bookends, this seven-part system of biblical interpretation, begins and ends with a deliberate, intentional focus on Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

By way of reminder, Phase One emphasized the vital necessity of a Christ-Dependent Interpretation, in which the Bible student is to, “Ask Jesus, the Supreme interpreter of the sacred Scriptures, to guide in your study of His Word; then, willingly follow.” In a similar manner, Phase Seven, a Christ-Centered Interpretation, underlines a crucial and utterly indispensable aspect of proper biblical hermeneutics -- that of searching the Scriptures with the realization that every biblical teaching relates to and centers upon Jesus Christ.

What are the soul-satisfying results of such study of Scripture? “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32). Hearts will indeed feel “strangely warm” when we emulate the methods of the Messiah. We too will become excited when we see the true meaning of the Scriptures. _______________ Adapted from the book Warriors of the Word: Methods of the Messiah for Searching Scripture by Ron du Preez.

Collective neglect, individual indifference

That particular Sabbath was a gorgeous day with golden sunlight falling through the large window above the baptistery. The congregation was electrified with shared joy as the mother and her three teenaged children proclaimed their commitment for Christ through the waters of baptism. After the service, a long line formed to shake the hands of the new members. When I reached the mother, I gave her a big hug, a warm smile, and said: “Welcome to the family!” What a joyful Sabbath indeed! A few weeks later when up front with the praise team, I noticed that the new family was missing from the congregation. Perhaps someone was sick or maybe they were away visiting relatives. Whatever the reason for their absence, no doubt the pastor or the elder assigned to them would contact the family and make sure everything was all right.

But they did not return the next Sabbath or the next. A couple of months passed, and it dawned on me that I could no longer recall their names. A year went by, and the family whose baptism had been an occasion of great joy had been completely forgotten. I felt a little concerned—or was it a pang of guilt? —But it was the pastor and elders’ job to check on church members. My own life was challenging enough without having to worry about a family to whom I never spoke more than a single sentence. Who am I? My brothers and sisters’ keeper? That is not my job…

Or is it?

Friends, perhaps you can relate to this true story. Maybe you have witnessed new members—whether new converts or new transfers—in your own local church be neglected, marginalized, and forgotten. Then they slip away almost completely unnoticed. Maybe the one who was left, for whatever reason, was you and no one from your local church even reached out.

In the ten years since my own baptism, I have attended a handful of churches across the continental United States, and I feel the need to raise a warning regarding a dangerous mindset that is aiding in our complacent attitudes and neglect of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I am guilty of this abysmal indifference, and this message is a personal reprimand to myself. Are you also guilty?

This perilous mindset, this spiritual trap, is the mistaken belief that nurturing the believers at the local church level is solely the responsibility of the pastor and/or elders. When the Holy Spirit pricks our hearts with the question: “Beloved, where is your brother? Where is your sister? Where is the one that I entrusted to you and this local body of my children?” then we, like Cain, feel the guilt of our actions (or in many cases, our inaction) and defensively respond with: “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)

According to the Scriptures, we are our brother’s keeper. The teachings of Christ on how we are to relate to and treat one another are very clear: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The disciple John explains the importance of loving and caring for our brothers and sisters in 1 John 4:7-8. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

So how do we demonstrate this love? The apostle Paul gives practical advice in Romans 15:2, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” The word translated here as edification comes from the Greek word oikodome, which in this context means: “the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness.”

Beloved, it is not only the pastor and elders of a church who are responsible for encouraging the spiritual growth of the members, but each of us is likewise responsible. The Lord has placed us in a specific congregation at this exact time for a reason: not only to receive edification from others but to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us in the edification of those around us.

Growing in Christ is a life-long process; it does not end at baptism. The Lord has called you and me to promote the growth of our brothers and sisters in the church. That man or woman who was recently baptized in your church needs to be shown friendship and gentle guidance as they face an entirely new set of challenges now that they have pledged their allegiance to the Lord. The new family that recently moved to the area and is transferring their membership needs to be welcomed and included in church life—not a year or two down the road after suspicious church members feel that they have proven themselves--but today. The widow or widower needs companionship. The young mother-to-be needs encouragement as her military husband is stationed overseas and she, herself, is far away from loved ones.

It does not matter if you are not a pastor, elder, deacon, deaconess, or Sabbath schoolteacher. There are many ways that you can encourage the spiritual growth of others such as, inviting visitors and new members over to your home for a fellowship meal, sending a card or call a church member when you did not see them on Sabbath, sharing devotionals or inspiring Scripture verses through email or Facebook, and starting a small group Bible study. What are some of the ways that the Holy Spirit works through you to edify your fellow church members?

As Adventists, we place great emphasis on the preaching of the Gospel and the three angels’ messages, and rightly so. We often succeed in drawing the seeking children of God into the church by providing answers to their questions with sound Biblical doctrine; my family and I are living testimonies. However, once the people have committed or recommitted their lives to Christ and become one of us, our collective neglect and individual indifference results in too many not receiving the spiritual attention they need, and so they slip away, often unnoticed.

I challenge myself and everyone who reads this article to do more to encourage the growth of our brothers and sisters in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, and holiness. If we did so now instead of falling into Satan’s trap of “it is not my job” and waiting for someone else to do what the Lord has called each of us to do, what a wonderful, happy, and healing place our local churches would be.

All Scripture is from the New King James Version.

When we pray, coincidences happen

One of my would-be atheist acquaintances blurted out a cynical thought, which I’m pretty sure he did just to be antagonistic.

“Prayer is a waste of time,” he scoffed. “It’s like throwing pennies in a wishing well or wishing on a star. I don’t mind folks wasting their time on frivolous fantasy, as long as they do something useful to make up for it.”

The next day, as my husband and I were driving home, I was silently asking God to send me a topic for this column. Minutes later, we took our home exit and I saw someone holding up a sign. It read, “Free prayer.” I could hardly believe it.

Seriously God?

“Stop, stop, stop, stop!” I said. My husband was wondering what was wrong, so I had to explain my instantaneous answer to prayer with, “That’s my column.”

A couple people crowded around our window, and told us they just get together and pray for whoever stops and needs it. The lovely folks prayed for us, too.

This small band is from a relatively new church in our town with a congregation of about 25 members. Their motto isn’t only to get together and talk about God, but to be his hands and feet, serving anyone they can.

On Wednesdays, they feed the poor in San Bernardino, Calif. Thursdays they have chairs set up on the side of the road with a sign explaining what they’re up to – “free prayer.” Once a month they hold church services at local parks. Occasionally, they’ll go to Skid Row in Los Angeles, where they’ll hand out tarps and moving blankets to homeless folk.

“We have Bible studies and regular church services,” said the pastor, “but we want to be active in the name of Jesus. We want to put actions behind our words.”

The foundation of their lives and work is a personal relationship with Christ, and keeping the dialogue between heaven and their hearts open through prayer.

“We believe God listens when we pray,” he said. “We’ve seen God answer prayer.”

The members of this church know that no one is exempt from suffering, and something unique they wanted to offer our town was prayer.

“We weren’t going to get weird, but people in our community, they’re hurting too,” the pastor said. “So we were wanting to find their needs and pray for them.”

There’s nothing quite like asking, so that’s what they decided to do.

And people stop. They want prayer for their marriages, financial situations, disobedient children, illnesses, and the list continues.

“You drive by and think those people don’t have problems, because they live in nice houses around a golf course,” he said. “But there’s a lot of hurting people in that community, some losing their homes….”

The faith of this small group hasn’t been exercised in vain.

Once, a man they prayed for, whose marriage was on the rocks, stopped by to exclaim, “My wife and I are talking again! Thank you for praying for us.”

Others have stopped by with similar stories.

“We know it makes a difference,” the pastor said. “God says it does, we believe, and we see the changes in people we’re praying for. We see God answer.”

I was impressed with these prayer warriors. They test God. They try Him. When they pray, God blesses their faith, and things happen.

Sir William Temple said, “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.” Prayer brings us up to God. It’s a comfort and joy, necessity and privilege. God waits to help and to pour on us the full blessings of heaven. What an example my fellow townsmen were to us. After that experience, I wanted to do a little study about prayer.

I found that a great prayer life is more than just asking and receiving. In fact, God hearing our prayers is conditional on a few things.

First, we must realize our need of God and really hunger for righteousness, as well as not cling to known sins. Isaiah 44:3 says, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground." This doesn’t mean if we pray for a Bentley, it will show up on our doorstep within the hour. We are often short-sighted, and God gives us things that will be for our eternal good. God doesn’t make mistakes, so if we didn’t get the Bentley, it is for our good it was withheld.

Faith is another huge element of prayer. Will we take God at His word? Hebrews 11:6 says, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

If we try to comprehend everything that is not 100 percent clear, our doubts will only increase. However, if we realize our helplessness and come to God with a humble, trusting faith, God will hear us and act in our behalf. Even though we might not see grand evidences of God's care and love, we must trust that He does indeed have infinite compassion and love for us, and our feelings will follow the thoughts we sow.

Prayer is also about praising and thanking God for all the evidences we have of His goodness.

In the end, I must joyfully disagree with my unnamed mocking friend. Prayer isn’t a waste of time. It isn’t like wishing on a star. It’s more like sharing our hearts with a best friend, a friend who sustains the universe with his power, and who loved us so much He died in our place.

Unauthorized wording change allowed female conference presidents

A one-word revision in 2009 of Working Policy E-60 allowed for female ministers who are commissioned to serve as conference presidents within the North American Division. The revision, which added the word "commissioned," was voted in 2009 by the North American Division Executive Committee (NADCOM). However, after a review of the General Conference Constitution, working policy, and church manuel, NAD's legal counsel found that NADCOM did "not have the right to establish policies which are out of harmony with the General Conference Model Constitution or General Conference Working Policy." This means the North American Division Committee did not have authority to vote the inclusion of the word "commissioned" into the E-60 Policy, because it was out of harmony with the General Conference Working Policy.

In his letter to the full NAD committee, NAD President Dan Jackson said, "The editors will be directed to omit the word 'commissioned' from the E-60 Policy contained in the 2011-2012 edition of the NAD Working Policy."

He added, "In bringing this matter to the floor in 2010 and 2011 we were doing so under the assumption that the North American Division had a constituency separate and distinct from the General Conference. Unfortunately, we were wrong and we sincerely apologize."

Read the North American Division press release.