That's Your Opinion

There is an ongoing debate about the value of the Bible. A major sector would like to eliminate it as a viable option. "It's written by men 2000 years ago; who cares?" There are many (like the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormon Church) that argue that what we have isn't reliable; it was changed from the original. (They often go on to argue, "But what we have is not", as if that solves the problem.) There are those who argue that the Bible has some good stuff in it, but it's certainly not "God's Word". "It may contain God's Word, but it is not, actually God's Word." There are those who argue that the Bible is God's Word, but the only way to figure out what it says is pure opinion and "your opinion is as good as mine", effectively eliminating any solid ground. The Roman Catholic Church (among others) argues that the Church has the keys to understand the Bible and ... so sorry ... you don't. So your understanding will be flawed, but they can give you the Word of God from the texts without error. (This is problematic since the Roman Catholic Church hasn't agreed on the meaning of texts.) Then there are those who claim that the Bible, as God's Word, is perspicuous. Okay, so I've never actually heard anyone use that word, but the idea is that God has made His Word capable of being understood. This doesn't mean that it is easy or even always understandable, but that ordinary people who approach it in faith and humility and the Holy Spirit will be able to understand what the Bible is getting at, even if they meet with particular points of difficulty here and there. This position is predicated on the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the claim of biblical infallibility. That latter claim is that God's Word, as God-breathed, is incapable of making an error. (If the text is erroneous, concluding what is true or meaningful is purely subjective.)

The position, referred to as "the doctrine of the Perspicuity of Scripture", can be misunderstood. It is a simple misstep, for instance, to go from "understandable" to "I am the supreme authority on the meaning of Scripture." That's an abuse. Or perhaps you've heard, "I got it from the Holy Spirit that this is what that means" with the assumed "and you'd better not question the Spirit if you know what's good for you." Wrong place to go. And there is a question of this position given the differences of understanding of Scripture. (How many Protestant denominations are there?) So the doctrine might lead you to think that all understanding is valid. It's not.

What, then, is the idea? Well, given the Holy Spirit and given those who are in the faith, it seems given that believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit should be able to properly understand what God has said in His Word. This doesn't mean that human understanding is infallible. It means that God is capable of explaining it. It doesn't mean that we don't make mistakes. It means that God is capable of explaining it. This does not mean that it's a simple thing, like reading a Dr. Seuss book. It means that God is capable of explaining it to those who are willing to listen and learn. As such, understanding the Bible, despite popular opinion, is not simply a matter of opinion. It is a matter of communication with the Spirit.

So, look, I gave three "warnings" in that previous paragraph. We are not infallible. We do make mistakes. It requires diligence. Have I just managed to move us away from any real confidence that what we have is reliable communication from God? Or is it, in the final analysis, just your opinion? I don't think it needs to be. I think there are means of discovering the truth.

First, What does it say? I am stunned at the number of Christians (genuine and not) who claim "The Bible teaches _____" only to discover that it's not in there. "Cleanliness is next to godliness" is not in there. "Money is the root of all evil" is not in there. "God helps those who help themselves" is not in there. "God will not give you more than you can bear" is not in there. And yet I've heard multiple Christians espouse these as biblical. On the other hand, "The Bible has nothing to say about homosexual relationships" ignores what is in there. First rule, then: Read the Bible. Seems like it shouldn't have to be said, but I can't tell you how many people tell me what's in the Bible without themselves having actually looked.

So read what it says. Read the text. Read the context. Read it as it is written. (For instance, poetry is poetic and may not necessarily be completely literal. Consider literary types as you read.) Compare Scripture with Scripture.

Truth be told, in the vast majority of cases this is sufficient to figure out with some measure of confidence what most passages say and mean. It's not that hard.

Second, what do others say about it? Scripture says that God has given us "apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" (Eph 4:11). That is, we need those people. Christianity is, at its heart, relational--Christians to Christians. The "Lone Ranger Christian" is not in view in Scripture. So find out what others say. Compare other teachers, other commentaries, other writers. You can even ask your pastor. Or someone else who knows. Since a good portion of the difficulties with Scripture are solved by comparison with Scripture, it is helpful to have someone who has some experience with this process of comparison, so find out what they have to say. If the Bible is God's Word, Scripture cannot contradict Scripture. Don't toss the difficult parts. Figure out how to align them.

Third, how has the Church historically understood it? I know, that sounds questionable, especially to the Protestant mind. But if Jesus was accurate when He said that the Holy Spirit would lead His people into all truth, it would stand to reason that you should be able to trace a line throughout Church history that gives the constant and proper understanding of a text. This should be helpful. (Note: If you are going to go to teachers who tell you, "Well, biblical interpretation is purely a matter of opinion and your opinion is as good as any" or "First, you must understand that the Bible is not the infallible Word of God and then work from there" or even "Just listen to the Spirit within and you'll get it fine", perhaps you are going to untrustworthy teachers. Avoid the ones Scripture refers to as "false prophets" ... or "antichrists".)

These are just a few hints. There are rules of hermeneutics, the process of textual interpretation that you should likely know and follow. While I'd like to think that things like "Interpret the implicit by the explicit" would be obvious, it isn't always the case. And always allow Scripture to shape your reality rather than vice versa. I am convinced that one of our primary problems that cause erroneous interpretation is our predispositions that are not formed by God's Word, but by other sources. I would suggest, though, that using these tips will allow you to come to a much more reliable, biblical, and true understanding of what Scripture is saying. Skeptics may say it's merely a matter of opinion, but if Jesus was right about the function of the Holy Spirit, it just isn't so. It's only a matter of opinion if you're not reading, listening, paying attention, learning in faith and humility. Oh, and one little hint. If you come up with something completely new, trust me--it's wrong. That might save you a lot of mistaken effort right there.

Update:
It looks like Ligonier Ministries is reading my blog! Okay, maybe not, but they posted this today: "What Difference Does an Inerrant Bible Make?" So, okay, no, it doesn't mean anyone there is reading my blog. It does mean that the principles and concepts are relevant, important, and current.

And then, of course, there's this. This year's Shepherd's Conference from John MacArthur et al is a summit on the inerrancy of Scripture.