Herman Who?

Hermeneutics is the systematic study and methodology of interpretation. Though it began as a discipline focused on texts, it now encompasses all forms of human understanding and communication. For Christians, hermeneutics most often raises a central question: How do we properly interpret Scripture?

One of the foundational principles is simple but essential: “Let Scripture interpret Scripture.” If the Bible is “breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16), then it is God’s Word—right, accurate, and true. Therefore, when one passage appears to say “X” and another seems to say “not X,” we are not free to ignore either one. Instead, we must take all of Scripture into account and understand how the two fit together within the unified message God has given.

Yet even Bible‑believing Christians face obstacles to proper understanding. Our traditions—helpful or not—shape our expectations. Language differences create challenges. And one often‑overlooked issue is the matter of chapter and verse divisions. The Bible is inspired; the divisions are not. They exist to help us reference passages, but many of them interrupt the flow of thought and unintentionally reshape how we read.

Consider Ephesians 5:21: “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Paul then gives examples. Wives submit to their husbands. Husbands demonstrate Christlike, self‑sacrificial love—a form of submission expressed through giving up self. Then comes a chapter break, but Paul is still giving examples of submission: children submitting to parents, fathers not provoking their children, slaves submitting to masters, and masters treating their slaves well. The chapter break often resets our thinking, causing us to miss the continuity of Paul’s argument.

A similar issue appears in Romans 5. The chapter opens with a beloved verse: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). “Peace with God” is a comforting phrase, but its full weight is easy to miss if we begin reading at chapter 5 without considering the four chapters that precede it.

Paul begins Romans by declaring that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17). That revelation starts with the righteous wrath of God (Rom. 1:18–19). For nearly three chapters, Paul details humanity’s failure to honor God and the reasons for His wrath (Rom. 1:18–3:20). This is “no peace with God” on a massive scale—just condemnation, fully deserved.

Only then does Paul unfold the gospel: salvation by faith, not works. He illustrates this with Abraham as a prime example (Rom. 3:21–4:25). After all of this groundwork, we finally reach chapter 5’s “therefore.” Suddenly, “we have peace with God” becomes enormous. We did not have peace; we had wrath. Hopeless, deserved wrath. But God provided a solution—faith in the propitiation of Christ’s blood. He is both just and the justifier. Abraham shows us what this looks like—righteousness "reckoned" on the basis of faith, not earned. And now, astonishingly, “we have peace with God.” Set against “the wrath of God is revealed,” this is no gentle reassurance. It is a staggering declaration: we are at peace with God.

To understand Scripture properly, we must read it as a whole and interpret it as a unified message. No contradictions. No mistakes. When we do, grace becomes bigger, mercy becomes larger than life, and God is glorified.