Articles
“"That's Just Your Interpretation"”
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
Ephesians 3:4-5
Sometimes when discussing a disagreement with someone about what a certain passage of Scripture teaches, we may hear the response, “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” This may be said in an attempt to backpedal a previous statement, devalue another’s point or even end the discussion. Though this is a difficult barrier to overcome in a Bible study, disciples must try to build a bridge of understanding as we work toward unity (Jn. 17; 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:1-6). Here are a few principles to keep in mind if you are ever met with the common response, “That’s just your interpretation.”
First, try asking, “What’s your interpretation of the passage?” This is what the Lord himself did (Lk. 10:26). To interpret something is to explain its meaning. It’s only fair to honestly hear out another’s point of view. It could be that their interpretation was correct all along! Listening to someone else’s understanding of a passage demonstrates the virtues of integrity, fairness, humility and open-mindedness, all vital qualities of the honest truth-seeker (Prov. 18:12-13). A great example of this wisdom playing out in a positive way is found in Acts 18:24-28 when Priscilla and Aquilla, who had a fuller understanding of God’s will, gently and privately taught an honest preacher “the way of God more accurately.”
Then you might ask, “How did you come to that conclusion?” For an interpretation to be valid or at least believable, one must provide some evidence for its validity. In math class, the teacher called this ‘showing your work’. This is an important tool for Biblical exegesis and Christian apologetics (Acts 17:11; 1 Pet. 3:15). By substantiating your beliefs with evidence you are being reasonable and persuasive (Acts 18:4). For faith to take shape through studying God’s word one must be convicted of its truth (Heb. 11:1). Jesus called on people to believe because of the evidence not in spite of it (Mt. 11:4-5; Jn. 5:36-40; 10:25, 37-38; 20:27, etc.).
Finally, it is critical to note that “There is a correct interpretation,” otherwise every interpretation would be equally valid. Granted, a passage can have multiple layers of meaning and complimentary interpretations, but a text cannot mean one thing and its opposite simultaneously, for this would violate the laws of logic. A pluralistic approach to Scripture, where every interpretation is as good as the next, undermines the very definition of truth. Instead of truth being that which corresponds to reality, truth becomes subjective and devolves into what is most meaningful or helpful to us. If Jesus said that all people will be held accountable to the words that he spoke (Jn. 12:48) how can we be held accountable to a standard that is unfixed and dependent on our individual interpretations? Others claim that truth cannot ever be attained. Because of our weakness and fallibility, the truth will always remain out of reach. There are philosophical problems with this claim (such claims are themselves truth-claims and, thus, self-defeating), but if the words of Jesus which we are accountable for (Jn. 12:48) cannot even be understood, then either we are all without hope or all communication is meaningless.
God’s word is the “revelation” of his otherwise hidden mind (1 Cor. 2:10-13). He revealed his mind through his Spirit in Scripture to be understood by us. Why else would one speak if not to be understood? It was written so that we can “understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). Correctly interpreting Scripture is hard work and an important part of developing our faith (2 Tim. 2:15). It is also an indispensable tool for explaining the gospel to unbelievers and working toward unity among disagreeing brethren.
