Private Interpretation

An essential element of the Protestant Reformation was the principle of private interpretation of the Bible.  That is not to say that the view was never articulated before Martin Luther, but the Reformation did emphasize the position.  The concept of private interpretation is subject to much confusion.  It suggests to some a license for subjective and relativistic interpretations:  "What is God telling me in this passage?" or, "Well, there are a number of ways to read the text."  How often have we heard the phrase "that's your interpretation," with the unspoken assumption that your interpretation and my interpretation can be equally valid -- even though they contradict each other.  Here the Bible becomes a wax nose, capable of being formed and twisted to suit anyone's prejudice.

That is hardly the intention of the historic doctrine of private interpretation.  Against the relativistic view of subjective interpretation stands the classical principle of the objective truth of Scripture.  The Scriptures do not contradict themselves.  When we disagree, your view may not be correct; mine may not be -- both can be wrong, but both cannot be right at the same time in the same place.  There may be thousands of applications of a given text, but there is only one correct meaning.

The idea of private interpretation arose as a protest against limiting the translation of the Bible into the vernacular (i.e., the common language of the people).  Translating the Bible into French, German and English,   for example, was motivated largely by the desire of the Reformers to allow the laity to read the Bible for themselves.  But the right of private interpretation always carries with it the responsibility of interpreting the Bible accurately.  God grants no one the "right" to distort the meaning of Scripture.  "Private interpretation" does not mean that the individual Christian is free to find in Scripture something that is not there.  That is why we look to the interpretations of those who have gone before us.  Although tradition does not rule out interpretation it does guide it.  If, upon reading a particular passage, you have come up with an interpretation that has escaped the notice of every other Christian for two thousand years, or that has been championed by universally recognized heretics, chances are pretty good that you had better abandon your interpretation.  Private interpretation is not only a right; it is a grave responsibility.

Our distortions or misinterpretations of Scripture are not caused so much by the lack of biblical clarity as by our own weaknesses in handling the text.  Here private interpretations touches another cardinal maxim of Protestant theology:  the perspicuity of Scripture.



For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

Knowing Truth

Neglecting the serious questions for cheap thrills, one way some televangelists have settled for less is by depreciating the mind, centering almost entirely on feelings.  Sometimes the impression is given that faith and intellect are in a state of war.  "The mind," says Hagin, "is something that might trip you and cause you to fall."    Yet, in truth, though our minds are fallen, they are the door to our heart, our conscience, our feelings, and our actions.  What we believe determines how we feel and act.

The call Jesus gave to love God "with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind" is not at all foreign to Christianity.  Some of the greatest intellects of all time have found no contradiction between faith and reason. Since God is the author of both, faith and reason can (indeed should) be as compatible as a left and a right hand.

Many argue that it is more spiritual and faithful to believe without any intellectual reasons.  "Just love Jesus," they say, apart from any serious knowledge of who this Jesus is or what He accomplished.  Their argument, of course, is wrong.  Paul wrote, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."  (2 Cor. 10:5).  In other words, it is a profoundly spiritual task to critique the philosophies that hold us back from knowing God and His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is actually a sign of a lack of spiritually that makes one fail to provide a well argued alternative to secularism in our universities and in our culture.

Christians often object to studying philosophy (and even theology!) on the basis that in Colossians 2:8, Paul warns us to beware that no-one takes us captive to such deceptive principles of the world.  Although Paul did issue such a warning, the only way for one to beware of the negative influence of some philosophy is to study and understand it thoroughly.  In order to beware of philosophy we need to be aware of it.  If we understand the competing ideologies well, we will know when they are affecting us.  For instance, because the preachers under criticism in this book apparently do not know church history, they are unaware that they are repeating the errors of past ages.  Because they do not understand Greek philosophy or Oriental mysticism or 19th theosophy, they do not know how seriously they have been affected by such thinking.  To take thoughts captive we have to think.


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com.