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Interpreting Scripture with Respect for Original Context and Intent

Scripture's authority rests on its divine origin: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" [6]. This foundational claim shapes how Christians approach biblical interpretation. The text is not merely human testimony but "God-breathed," affirming that "God is fully responsible" for its content even while human authors actively participated in its composition [9]. Because Scripture originates with God, interpreting it requires attention to what God intended to communicate through the human writers in their specific historical settings.

The Historical Particularity of Scripture

The biblical writings emerged in concrete historical circumstances. The Old Testament was "ordinarily written on skins, rolled up into volumes, like the modern synagogue rolls" [1], a physical detail reminding us these texts belonged to real communities in specific times. When Jesus "taught out of" Scripture and "sanctioned" it "by appealing to" it [2], he engaged texts that had already accumulated centuries of transmission and interpretation. The practice of public Scripture reading, "transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church," meant early believers heard these texts as authoritative addresses requiring understanding [8]. Paul's instruction that Timothy give attention to "reading—especially in the public congregation" [8] assumes the text's meaning could be grasped and communicated, not that it was self-interpreting without effort.

The New Testament writers themselves modeled contextual interpretation. Paul "expound[ed] the Spirit-inspired Old Testament Scripture, by comparison with the Gospel" [11], demonstrating that understanding earlier revelation required relating it to God's fuller disclosure in Christ. Luke records that Jesus "taught out of" the Scriptures, presumably explaining how they pointed to him [2]. This pattern suggests interpretation involves tracing connections within the canon while respecting what each text meant in its original setting.

The Interpreter's Responsibility

Peter warns "that no prophecy of the Scripture...is of any private interpretation" [10], a statement sometimes misunderstood as prohibiting individual reading. John Gill clarifies this is not "levelled against the right of private judgment of Scripture" or denying "a private believer...a right of reading, searching, examining, and judging, and interpreting the Scriptures himself" [10]. Rather, Peter's concern is that Scripture's meaning does not originate from the interpreter's private imagination but from the Spirit who inspired it. The interpreter's task is to discern what the Spirit communicated through the human author, not to impose alien meanings.

This requires humility and diligence. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes "sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth" [3], modeling careful attention to language and intent. The psalmist prays, "Give me understanding, and I will keep your law" [5], acknowledging that comprehension requires divine aid. Adam Clarke notes that one who reads prophetic texts in their original tongue should "pray to God that he may so understand them himself...that he may be able to explain them in all their depth and latitude to others" [7]. Understanding demands both intellectual effort and spiritual dependence.

Scripture's Enduring Relevance

While Scripture addresses original audiences, its application extends beyond them. Paul's argument about Abraham's justification "was not written for his sake alone...not intended only for an historical commendation of Abraham" but as "the pattern or sampler of ours" [12]. Matthew Henry observes that Scripture did not intend "to describe something peculiar to him" but to establish principles applicable across time [12]. The New Testament epistles, "recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first...read along with the Old Testament in the Church" [8], indicating early Christians understood these letters as bearing authority beyond their immediate recipients.

Respecting original context does not trap Scripture in the past. Rather, understanding what God said to the first hearers enables us to hear what he says to us. The text's historical rootedness guarantees its meaning is stable and discoverable, not endlessly malleable. Ancient versions and translations served as "important helps to the right interpretation of the Word" [4] precisely because they attempted to convey original meaning across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Faithful interpretation honors both the particularity of Scripture's origins and its continuing address to God's people.

Sources

  1. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Old Testament — I. TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.-- + History of the text. -A history of the text of the Old Testament should properly commence from the date of the completion of the canon. As regards the form in which the sacred writings were little doubt that the text was ordinarily were preserved, there can be written on skins, rolled up into volumes, like the modern synagogue rolls. (Psalms 40:7; Jeremiah 36:14; Ezekiel 2:9; Zechariah 5:1) The original character in which the text was expressed is that still preserved to us, with the exception of four letters, on the M”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scriptures, The — Given by inspiration of God -- 2Ti 3:16. Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Ac 1:16; Heb 3:7; 2Pe 1:21. Christ sanctioned, by appealing to them -- Mt 4:4; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:42. Christ taught out of -- Lu 24:27. Are called the Word. -- Jas 1:21-23; 1Pe 2:2. Word of God. -- Lu 11:28; Heb 4:12. Word of Christ. -- Col 3:16. Word of truth. -- Jas 1:18. Holy Scriptures. -- Ro 1:2; 2Ti 3:15. Scripture of truth. -- Da 10:21. Book. -- Ps 40:7; Re 22:19. Book of the Lord. -- Isa 34:16. Book of the law. -- Ne 8:3; Ga 3:10. Law of the Lord. -- Ps 1:2; Isa”
  3. Ecclesiastes “The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth. -- Ecclesiastes 12:10”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Version — A translation of the holy Scriptures. This word is not found in the Bible, nevertheless, as frequent references are made in this work to various ancient as well as modern versions, it is fitting that some brief account should be given of the most important of these. These versions are important helps to the right interpretation of the Word. (See SAMARITAN [653]PENTATEUCH.) 1. The Targums. After the return from the Captivity, the Jews, no longer familiar with the old Hebrew, required that their Scriptures should be translated for them into the Chaldaic or Ar”
  5. Psalms “Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart. -- Psalms 119:34”
  6. 2 Timothy “2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB) — All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”
  7. 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:13: Pray that he may interpret - Let him who speaks or reads the prophetic declarations in the Old Testament, in that tongue in which they were originally spoken and written, pray to God that he may so understand them himself, and receive the gift of interpretation, that he may be able to explain them in all their depth and latitude to others.”
  8. 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:13: Till I come--when Timothy's commission would be superseded for the time by the presence of the apostle himself (Ti1 1:3; Ti1 3:14). reading--especially in the public congregation. The practice of reading Scripture was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church (Luk 4:16-20; Act 13:15; Act 15:21; Co2 3:14). The New Testament Gospel and Epistles being recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first, according as they were written, read along with the Old Testament in the Church (Th1 5:21”
  9. 2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:16: 3:16-17 These verses elaborate on 3:15 by explaining Scripture’s effectiveness, its source, and the ways that it gives wisdom to live out our salvation. Paul was speaking of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), but his statement can now apply to all Scripture, including the New Testament (see, e.g., 2 Pet 3:15-16). 3:16 The fact that Scripture is inspired by God (literally God-breathed, breathed out by God’s own speech; see also Heb 4:12-13; 2 Pet 1:20-21) does not negate the active involvement of the human authors. But it does affirm that God is fully re”
  10. 2 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Peter 1:20: Knowing this first,.... Especially, and in the first place, this is to be known, observed, and considered; that no prophecy of the Scripture, that is contained in Scripture, be it what it will, is of any private interpretation: not that this is levelled against the right of private judgment of Scripture; or to be understood as if a private believer had not a right of reading, searching, examining, and judging, and interpreting the Scriptures himself, by virtue of the unction which teacheth all things; and who, as a spiritual man, judgeth all things; otherwise, wh”
  11. 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:13: also--We not only know by the Holy Ghost, but we also speak the "things freely given to us of God" (Co1 2:12). which the Holy Ghost teacheth--The old manuscripts read "the Spirit" simply, without "Holy." comparing spiritual things with spiritual--expounding the Spirit-inspired Old Testament Scripture, by comparison with the Gospel which Jesus by the same Spirit revealed [GROTIUS]; and conversely illustrating the Gospel mysteries by comparing them with the Old Testament types [CHRYSOSTOM]. So the Greek word is translated, "comparing" (Co2 10:”
  12. Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 4:23: In the close of the chapter, he applies all to us; and, having abundantly proved that Abraham was justified by faith, he here concludes that his justification was to be the pattern or sampler of ours: It was not written for his sake alone. It was not intended only for an historical commendation of Abraham, or a relation of something peculiar to him (as some antipaedobaptists will needs understand that circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of the faith, Rom 4:11, only to Abraham himself, and no other); no, the scripture did not intend hereby to describe some”
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