Bible Study with the Cincottis – Interpreting Scripture – 03/08/2026
Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti.
Listen to our Bible Study Discussion at: Interpreting Scripture Audio Podcast
Or watch the Video Zoom Session of our Study on YouTube:
Interpreting Scripture
“knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,” II Pet. 1:20
Globally, we say that Scripture is not subject to interpretation. You may have read that in the doctrinal statement of your church or denomination. It is the inerrant word of God, which is objective and not subjective. It is a transcendent truth that comes from a source outside our corrupt imaginations. Yet, we interpret it all the time. Every time a preacher or teacher steps into a pulpit and begins to explain a passage of Scripture or a Biblical concept there is interpretation involved. Every time we cross a passage of Scripture in our reading and wonder what that means, there is going to be interpretation involved. With this in mind, it should be obvious that avoidance is not the appropriate course of action, but accuracy is. When seeking the truth of the Truth we want to get it right. Paul tells Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Tim. 2:15.
The best starting point is knowing the character of God. He is not confused about anything. God does not offer up contradictory statements to serve His own purpose the way we do. God does not change His mind whimsically. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Heb. 13:8. Furthermore, God does not lie, as Islam purports. “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Num. 23:19. For this reason, we can trust God with our lives and with the redemption of the universe that He created for His glory.
Secondly, it is prudent to know and consider our own character. We have a propensity from birth to seek our own way. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it.” Jer. 17:9. I know that this is a harsh word for those of us who think of ourselves as so noble and good, but if such is the case, then why is the interpretation of the Scripture so divided? Left to our own devises we will always lean toward an interpretation that is congenial and suits our comforts.
With that said, one may deduce that the Scriptures are not able to be interpreted at all, as the agnostic claims. The agnostic believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence, let alone the character and will, of God. This usually drives people to an ideology that allows them to do whatever they want, within their own moral framework, figuring that if there is a God, He’ll sort it all out in the end, and reward their commitment to their own cause. The basis of the Christian faith is that we can know God, not just abstractly, but intimately, also making us accountable, and by knowing, attain eternal life with Him in His heavenly kingdom. “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Heb. 11:6
I believe that most of our listenership is past all that. The more pressing and current question for the believer is how do I rightly understand God’s word, particularly as it applies to my life and circumstances? That’s a big question that we all want to get right. The stakes are genuinely high. After examining our character and comparing it to God’s we will quickly discover that we desperately need help. Since God is Spirit, and “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Co. 2:14. We will need the help of the Holy Spirit, which is why He is called, “the Helper” by Jesus. “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” Jn.16:13
It’s not fair to condemn the contemporary church as divisive, because heresies were present even in the early church. We must remember that we have an enemy who is determined to divide and conquer from within if possible. This is where he does his most effective work. I say this because most believers are going to defect to their doctrinal pedigree when faced with hard questions. That’s not always the best approach. When churches are divided on an issue, only one thing is certain: the Holy Spirit is not divided. Someone isn’t hearing clearly or accurately.
Many church doctrinal statements have become convoluted and Pharisaical. The Jewish rabbis of Jesus’ time were guilty of adding layer upon layer of interpretation to the Scriptures, to the point that they formed many divisive camps of interpretation, similar to the church today. On one occasion, Jesus chided the Sadducees on a point of doctrine, saying, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” Mk. 12:24. In how many churches today would He have to make that same accusation?
How is it, then, that so many believers who seem to diligently seek God, end up in conflict with other believers who are likewise diligently seeking God? It’s not my place to criticize other variations, except where the error is obvious. The apostle Paul was a stickler for sound doctrine, and we should be as well. We must find sound doctrine personally, in our prayer closet, alone with God, and it must line up with Scripture and someone else’s understanding of it. It’s not likely that any one of us is a rogue Christian who God has sovereignly and exclusively selected to know the truth. That would be a cult. Remember that the character of God is unity, not further division.
Another litmus test would be the certainty that our discovery doesn’t satisfy some personal aggrandizement, supporting an agenda that we hold dear. That would be idolatry. To ensure this, we must approach Scripture humbly and circumspectly. As ambassadors of Christ, let’s aim to represent Him well, remembering that His character was meek and that He humbled Himself even to the point of death on the cross. (Phi. 2:8) We are never called to bludgeon anyone toward our way of thinking, whether unbeliever or misguided believer. And we should always be, “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Js. 1:19,20
We should also be careful not to make peripheral matters cardinal truths. For instance, if your Christian coworker doesn’t speak in tongues, it’s not damnation for them. They may even have far greater giftings that you are unaware of, like giving, or intercessory prayer (though they may not call it that). Perhaps your Christian next-door neighbor has not been water baptized. It’s not our place to condemn them or to invite them over for a swim. Paul said to the church at Corinth, which was rich in spiritual gifts and divisive at the same time, “I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” II Co. 11:3. Let’s keep the main principles in the front of the equation: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” because, “Against such there is no law.” Gal. 5:22,23
In our opening Scripture, Peter is speaking of the prophetic word that declared who Christ is. He goes on to say, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” II Pe. 1:21. The Holy Spirit’s roll in interpreting Scripture rightly for us is essential. We must cultivate a receptivity to His voice, keeping in mind the principles that we have already discussed. Paul goes on, in I Cor. 1:2, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” The character of God and the will of God come to us by revelation. He wants us to know Him, so that He would be our God and we would be His people.
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