Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
Who has the right to interpret the Bible for us?
This question has been answered
in different ways in the history of Christianity. The most common answer
argues that the interpretation of the Bible is determined by the religious
leaders of the church, under the influence of their religious traditions.
Against this position the Reformers correctly identified the Holy Spirit
as the only reliable interpreter of the Scriptures. The Spirit's particular
role is defined by His direct connection with Christ.
1. Jesus and the
Spirit as the interpreters of the Bible: Jesus was the true interpreter
of the Scriptures. He not only provided a reliable interpretation, He also
rejected human interpretations based on Jewish traditions. He accused
Jewish leaders of knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of
God (Matt. 22:29). He made it clear that only through Him could they truly
understand the Scriptures (John 5:39). The two disciples going to Emmaus
found in Christ the true interpretation of the Scriptures after He opened
to them the Scripture, and "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,
he explained [interpreted] to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself" (Luke 24:27, NIV).
Shortly
before He went to the cross, Jesus promised to send the Spirit to His disciples
(John 14:26; 16:13). The Holy Spirit's teaching ministry is a continuation
of Jesus' teaching ministry. Through Him we hear again the voice of our Lord
Jesus explaining the Bible to us.
2. Two
ways of reading the Scriptures: One way is oriented to the spirit of the
world and the other is oriented to the Spirit of God. The spirit of the world
interprets the biblical message through
"human wisdom" (1 Cor. 2:12, 13). It applies
the criteria of human wisdom to the divine message and defines it as
"foolishness," leading humans to conclude that the Bible is
like any other book. Only through the Spirit of God can the mind be illuminated,
enlightened, and prepared to find in the Scriptures the revelation of God's
will (cf. John 1:9).
3. Proper
rules of interpretation: How does the Spirit interpret the Scriptures for
us? First, the interpretation of the Scriptures is a religious experience,
not simply an intellectual one. When confronted with the Scriptures we
must be willing to surrender our preconceived ideas and submit to its message.
Second, interpreting
the Scriptures is also an intellectually enriching experience. The Spirit
does not bypass our rationality. The Lord expects us to use our sanctified
reason to study the Bible. Wisdom from God is grounded on the fear of the
Lord, on a complete commitment to Him as Savior and Lord. This wisdom listens
to the Scriptures and is willing to follow them wherever they
take us in our search for truth.
Third,
in that search we should use a proper method of interpretation. It is at
this point that we can be tempted to use human wisdom, separated from the
Spirit, and arrive at interpretations that are incompatible with the nature
and purpose of the Scriptures. We must allow the Spirit, through the meditation
of the Scriptures, to identify for us the principles of interpretation
that are to be used in the Bible. The Spirit, through the Scriptures, should
judge any methodology that attempts to uncover the meaning of the text.
Our only security in the interpretation of Scripture is found in the principle
of sola scriptura (the
Bible only), unmixed with scientific theories or philosophical systems. Adventists must develop a Bible-based
way of interpreting the Bible.
4. The
Spirit and the church: Interpretation of the Scriptures is also a collective
experience. The Spirit does not bypass the community of believers who are
faithful servants of the Scriptures. An individual who considers them self
the voice of God in the formulation of biblical doctrine or teachings,
trying to press on the church their own views, presents a major risk to
the community of believers. Usually the results of that pressure are divisiveness
and disruption in the church. The Spirit leads the collective body of Christ
to a better and correct understanding of the Scriptures (John 14:26; cf.
Acts 15:28; Eph. 3:17-19). This requires a willingness on
our parts to seek advice and set aside our personal opinions under the
proper counsel of the community of believers.
10/06
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