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by Roger A. Scully, Jr.
A common thought among people in our society, which no less exists among the majority of religiously minded
people, is that the Bible is subject to man’s interpretation. While on the one hand it is up to man to interpret the
Bible, the Bible has a particular meaning and message, whether or not it is interpreted properly does not change the
meaning of what it says, man must learn to properly interpret Scripture, therefore understanding what Scripture
means, as God would have it. Sadly, however, we hear many people say things like: “That is just your
interpretation;” or “You see it you way and I see it mine;” or “We will just have to agree to disagree.” All of these
statements are the result of a mindset, which insults the Great God of heaven. In reality these statements mean: We
cannot truly understand the Bible. If this were the case then All Wise-All-Powerful God has given us a book that we
cannot understand and is not so wise and powerful. That, or He is cruel, in that He could have given us a book that
we could understand but chose not to do so. Either possibility does not describe the God of the Bible. Since this
mindset is so prevalent in our society, and no less so in the churches of Christ, it has become worthy of our greatest
consideration to show that the Bible can be read, studied and understood.
First, Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Now, either Jesus was a liar,
and we cannot really know, of Jesus was telling the truth, and we can know. Since Jesus is a part of the “Godhead”
(Jn. 1:1), and since God “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), it must be concluded that Jesus cannot lie, hence told the truth
when He said, “ye shall know the truth.” Further, Paul told Timothy to “charge some that they teach no other
doctrine” (1 Tim 1:3). The only way it was possible for Timothy to carry out the command of Paul was (1) if he
himself could know what true doctrine was, and (2) how to identify something that was different.” Imagine Timothy
correcting the false teachers of Ephesus and being told, “Timothy, that is just you interpretation.” No, Timothy could
know what truth was, thus he could identify what truth was not. Paul instructed those of Thessalonica to “Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess 5:21). The word “prove” is translated from the Greek word dokimazo,
which means to test, examine and scrutinize. After they had put “all things” to the test they were to take possession
of that which passed the test as being good. Now, let us ask, how could they have been able to put anything to the
test if they did not have some standard by which to test things? How could they have known what was really good if
they did not have some proper method of interpretation? They could not have. Again, imagine it being decided that
something was not good, and others finding it to be good. Who is to determine what is really good and what is not if
it is just a matter of one person’s way of seeing it verses another’s? In that case the apostle commanded them to do
something that they could not do. Now, to fail to uphold the command is to transgress the law of God (cf. Heb 5:9; 1
Jn 3:4), thus to sin. How cruel of the apostle Paul, asking them to do something they could not do, then forcing them
to sin because of their inability to know truth. How absurd, yet this is the conclusion that has to be drawn when
someone says, “that is just your interpretation.”
To deny the ability to understand and know for certain what the Bible says is to reject the authority of God. Jesus
said, “all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18), and Paul wrote, “whatsoever you do
in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord” (Col 3:17), literally, do it by His authority. But, to not be able to know
what the Bible says for certain is to be unable to comply with God’s authority.
When Paul wrote to those of Ephesus he wrote, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery” (Eph
3:3). Revelation is God’s method of communication. 1 Corinthians 2:10 says, “God hath revealed them to us by the
Spirit… that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God’ (vs. 10-12). So, then, God revealed these
things to inspired men by the Spirit, thus making the “mystery” “known.” In Ephesians 3:3 Paul continued, “as I wrote
afore in few words.” What had Paul written? Paul had written that which was revealed form God. In verse 4 we read,
“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” Notice carefully, God revealed
His message through inspiration to certain men, who then wrote His message in words, so that when it is read it can
be “understood.” Not only can it be understood, but all who read it and study it can also understand it alike.
Everyone in the Corinthian church was to understand God’s revelation alike, “that ye all speak the same thing, and
that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment” (1:10). He also expected those of Galatia to understand the revelation the same way the Corinthians were
to understand it (16:1). In fact, he expected all to understand the revelation the same way (4:17).
Those who say we cannot understand the Bible are “wrest[ing] the scriptures to their own destruction” (2 Pet 3:16).
Though there are many things in the Bible that are hard to understand, they can be understood using the proper
methods of interpretation.
