{"id":20245,"date":"2016-03-30T14:55:27","date_gmt":"2016-03-30T19:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/?p=20245"},"modified":"2016-03-30T14:57:30","modified_gmt":"2016-03-30T19:57:30","slug":"let-scripture-interpret-scripture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/let-scripture-interpret-scripture\/","title":{"rendered":"Let Scripture Interpret Scripture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/howtostudythebible.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/howtostudythebible.jpg\" alt=\"howtostudythebible\" width=\"640\" height=\"144\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/howtostudythebible.jpg 640w, https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/howtostudythebible-300x68.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>This lesson is part of Mel Lawrenz&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/category\/how-to-study-the-bible\/\">&#8220;How to Study the Bible&#8221; series<\/a>. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/forms\/how-to-understand-the-bible\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>When you read a passage and wonder what \u201cresurrection\u201d really means or \u201cthe kingdom of God\u201d or \u201csexual immorality\u201d or \u201cPassover\u201d or \u201cantichrist\u201d or \u201cmarriage,\u201d there is one place to turn: the rest of the Scriptures. Yes, archaeologists may have some relevant information, and there may be parallels in modern literature, science, or history, but Scripture is its own best interpreter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/30145447\/BibleCircle-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"BibleCircle-1024x683\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/30145447\/BibleCircle-1024x683.jpg 600w, https:\/\/bg3-blog.s3.amazonaws.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/30145447\/BibleCircle-1024x683-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The New Testament passages about baptism are best explained by the other dozen or so passages about baptism and by the ritual of washing in the Old Testament, not by the use of water in the Egyptian cult of Isis. The Lord\u2019s Supper is best interpreted by all the other passages about it and by Jesus\u2019 \u201cI am the bread\u201d teaching, and by the meals like Passover in the Old Testament and the manna sent from heaven. Most of the incredible images and numbers from the book of Revelation, over which people puzzle, and which have produced wildly different interpretations going in every possible direction, have already appeared in the Bible before (e.g., the mark on the forehead, a beast rising up out of the sea, the numbers 1,000, 7, 12, etc.). There is a vivid meaning in each instance, and it is amazing how much easier it is to get at if we look up just one or two other passages that use the same language.<\/p>\n<p>This \u201canalogy of faith,\u201d is the comparison and synthesis of the various parts of the faith. Art is about repetition and variation, and so too is history and theology. God gives us a truth like \u201cI am your Savior,\u201d and then he repeats it a hundred different ways throughout Scripture. Repetition and variation. The words change slightly, metaphors are used, and through it all\u2014by the words of the prophets and the apostles\u2014God\u2019s word comes through strong and clear. We see the form of it all. Its lines become clearer and bolder. Conviction firms up in our minds and hearts.<\/p>\n<p>And this is why we must read Scripture as a rhythmic discipline of our lives. It is a big book. It is full of epic stories, of oracles, sermons, prophecies, letters, songs, and proverbs that address the whole of life. It reveals God in all his actions and attributes. The Bible is a vivid mosaic of hundreds of personal stories where people are trying to find God, or trying to make or be their own god. It explains the issues of the 21st century as precisely as it does any other century. It is the best guide for life for men and women, boys and girls. It is the only direct and pure expression of God\u2019s own mind.<\/p>\n<p>When we read it as studying a tapestry we will be building a comprehensive structure of truth for our lives. We will see the patches of truth emerge and converge into a great patchwork. We\u2019ll be able to say: \u201cOh, so that\u2019s what joy means!\u201d as we put together the pattern of what we get from Psalms and from Luke and from Philippians. We\u2019ll be able to say: \u201cI now understand temptation because this passage in James explains what I read a while ago in Romans and in Matthew.\u201d We\u2019ll know the difference between a major theme that God wants us to understand because it comes up so often (like sanctification, or forgiveness, or sin) and minor themes that should not be our focus (like \u201cwhere was Jesus between his death and resurrection?\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>The Bible is God\u2019s word about himself to us. It is the speech of a sovereign Lord and loving Father; it is the word about Jesus the Word; and it is the breath of the Spirit. This is not about literary criticism. It is an act of grace unfolding in our lives. When we read Scripture we can pray something like this:<\/p>\n<p><em>Holy Spirit, you inspired the writers of Scripture. Now please illumine my mind that I may grasp the width, length, height, and depth of your truth and life.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Mel Lawrenz trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook\u2019s minister at large. He has a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, the latest, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0692300848\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0692300848&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=wordway-20&amp;linkId=L6HWH7PPRUHX4LYL\"><em>How to Understand the Bible\u2014A Simple Guide<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/biblegateway.christianbook.com\/spiritual-influence-hidden-power-behind-leadership\/mel-lawrenz\/9780310492702\/pd\/492702\"><em>Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership<\/em><\/a> (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel&#8217;s writing at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wordway.org\/\">WordWay<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This lesson is part of Mel Lawrenz&#8217; &#8220;How to Study the Bible&#8221; series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. When you read a passage and wonder what \u201cresurrection\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[542],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Let Scripture Interpret Scripture - Bible Gateway Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/let-scripture-interpret-scripture\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Let Scripture Interpret Scripture - Bible Gateway Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This lesson is part of Mel Lawrenz&#8217; &#8220;How to Study the Bible&#8221; series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. 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