The Living and Active Word: Guarding Against Subjective Interpretation

The Bible declares in Hebrews 4:12 (NASB 1995), “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This profound truth emphasizes the dynamic power of Scripture, but it does not imply that we are free to interpret God’s Word according to our personal feelings or preferences.

I know it’s a common practice, even I used to do this, typically people approach Scripture primarily through the lens of personal application. It’s very common to immediately ask, “What does this mean to me?” I think it’s because people have a good desire to apply God’s word. However, while seeking application is an essential part of engaging with God’s Word, it is dangerous when application precedes proper interpretation. Without sound exegesis—carefully drawing out the original meaning intended by the author—we risk distorting Scripture to fit our subjective experiences.

The Importance of Exegesis

Let me unpack this a bit further…before discovering how a text applies to our lives, we must first investigate why it was written. Understanding the historical, cultural, and literary context is vital. We must ask: What was the author’s intended message? How did the original audience understand it? Ignoring these questions can lead to interpretations that stray from the passage’s true meaning even if they resonate with us.

Sinclair Ferguson, in From the Mouth of God, asserts, “The Bible is not a collection of isolated sayings to be interpreted as we please. It is God’s coherent revelation, and its meaning is rooted in the intention of the divine Author.” Rather than crafting our own message, Sinclair is highlighting the need of approaching Scripture with reverence as we aim to uncover God’s message.

Similarly, John Frame reminds us, “The meaning of Scripture is not found in the reader’s response but in the text itself, as it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.” Wayne Grudem echoes this in his Systematic Theology, emphasizing that, “The task of interpreting Scripture is to discover what God intended to communicate through the human authors, not to project our ideas onto the text.”

A Commonly Misinterpreted Passage

One frequently misinterpreted passage is Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB 1995): “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” I wrote a separate blog on this passage and how people often misinterpret it. This verse is often quoted to suggest that God promises prosperity to every believer. However, when we consider the context, Jeremiah is addressing the exiled Israelites in Babylon. Jeremiah is assuring them of God’s future restoration after 70 years of captivity! (Jeremiah 29:10) While we can draw broader principles about God’s character from this passage, it’s obvious, now, that applying it directly to guarantee individual prosperity misrepresents its original intent.

Reading Ourselves Into the Story: The Case of David and Goliath

Another common pitfall in interpreting Scripture is the tendency to read ourselves into the story. Take, for example, the well-known account of David and Goliath. It’s not uncommon to hear this story preached as a motivational tale about how we can overcome the “giants” in our lives, encouraging us to be like David—bold, fearless, and victorious. While there are lessons to learn from David’s faith, this interpretation misses the theological significance of the narrative.

The truth is, we are not David. If anything, we are more accurately represented by the Israelites in the story—fearful, helpless, and in need of a savior. The true hero of the story is God. Have you considered that there is a typological connection here? David foreshadows Jesus. Just as David defeated Goliath, Israel’s seemingly invincible enemy, Jesus is the better David who defeats our greatest enemies—sin and death—in the most unlikely way: through His death on the cross.

Seeing the story through this lens shifts the focus from self-empowerment to Christ-exaltation. The victory belongs to Jesus, and we, like the Israelites, benefit from His triumph, not because of our own strength but because of His grace.

An Acronym for Accurate Exegesis: “SOAP”

To help accurately exegete Scripture, consider the acronym SOAP:

  • S – Scripture: Read the passage carefully, noting key words, phrases, and structure.
  • O – Observation: Examine the historical, cultural, and literary context. Who wrote it? To whom? Why?
  • A – Application: After understanding the original meaning, consider how the text applies to your life today.
  • P – Prayer: Pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate and guide you to live out its truths faithfully.

Helpful Resources and a Word of Caution

A valuable resource for understanding the context of Scripture is a good study Bible, such as the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. These tools provide background information, historical context, and theological insights that can enhance your study. People have devoted their entire lives to painstakingly research the historical contexts, this is good!

However, it is crucial not to depend too heavily on study Bibles and commentaries. While they are helpful for uncovering context, they are secondary to the Scriptures themselves. Remember, we rely on the Holy Spirit, He is the one who illuminates God’s Word to our hearts. As Jesus said in John 16:13, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

The Holy Spirit, not our emotions. Just because we draw out something that feels good to us when we read it, does not mean that we are actually rightly interpreting.

A good way to evaluate whether we are interpreting Scripture correctly is to ask, “What is the text actually saying?” rather than, “What do I think it says?” or “What does it mean to me?” This question keeps us anchored to the text itself, preventing personal biases from shaping our understanding.

The Risk of Doctrinal Error

When we lean into how a text makes us feel, without anchoring our interpretation in proper exegesis, we open the door to doctrinal error. Our emotions are subjective; they cannot be the foundation for theological truth. Scripture warns of this danger, as Paul admonishes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 about people who “will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires.”

Instead, we must adopt the posture of the psalmist in Psalm 119:18 (NASB 1995), “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” Let us humbly acknowledge our dependence on God to illuminate His Word, and seek His guidance to understand and apply it faithfully.

Conclusion

The living and active nature of God’s Word is not an invitation to subjective interpretation but a call to diligent study and reverent submission. By seeking the original meaning of the text, we guard against error and allow Scripture to shape us according to God’s truth. As we approach the Bible, may our hearts echo the psalmist’s prayer, desiring not just personal insight but divine illumination.

Bibliography

  • Ferguson, Sinclair B. From the Mouth of God: Trusting, Reading, and Applying the Bible. Banner of Truth Trust, 2014.
  • Frame, John M. The Doctrine of the Word of God. P&R Publishing, 2010.
  • Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Zondervan, 1994.
  • The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible (NASB), 1995 Edition.