PRIVATE INTERPRETATION
Cecil Hook
The radio preacher assured us that the speakers on his program would give us only the simple Bible message without any private interpretation. He warned us about the evil of interpreting the Scriptures, but we could depend upon him to give us the truth, not interpretations. That sounds great, doesn't it?
Every English version of the Bible is an interpretation of God's message delivered originally in the ancient languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The translations are interpretations made by uninspired men.
The message of the Bible is conveyed through symbols which must be interpreted to be of value. First, letters of our alphabet are symbols which make up words which are more complex symbols. The illiterate person does not know what letter and words symbolize; hence, he cannot understand a written message. If one cannot interpret the symbols, that person cannot gain the message.
When a person reads the Scriptures aloud to others, that person is interpreting the character symbols into words which symbolize meanings, ideas, and concepts. If a person hears those words ever so clearly but does not know their meaning, he or she has not profited. There must be an interpretation in order to bring understanding. If the speaker reads the words that produce no understanding, he is wasting his time.
Many speakers have denounced persons who would attempt to interpret the Scriptures. Yet those speakers never confine their activity to the simple reading of the Bible. They always offer comments. Those comments are an effort to enable the hearer to understand. That is interpreting the Scriptures!
This aversion to interpreting the Scriptures comes
from a misinterpretation of
2 Peter 1:20f. where the apostle
declares, "First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of
scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no
prophecy ever came by the impulse of
man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke
So, we have the
prophetic word made more sure. But we still must understand
what these prophets wrote for it to benefit us. That understanding can come
only through our interpreting the words which they left us.
Even though all of us have the same prophetic
word today, all of us do not understand it alike. All of us can welcome
explanations from others even as the
Ethiopian nobleman did when Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you
are reading?" Our reply should be like his, "How can I unless some
one guides me?"
There are two
consolations. First, our salvation is not dependent upon a correct
interpretation and understanding of all
of God's word. Second, even though we may
profit from the interpretations of
persons more schooled in the Scriptures than we are, we are not
obligated to accept their interpretations. — 1350
Huisache, New Braunfels,
TX 78130