Traveling Down the Theological Trail

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” How very true that is. I would like to share with you, with this concept of “light” in my mind, an acrostic with you, that will help one with interpretation of Scripture correctly; LIGHTS.

L- Literal Interpretation: To simply interpret Scripture in it’s clearest, most obvious sense. We also take note of figures of speech (metaphors, similes, and hyperbole, etc.) and allow for such interpretation.

For example in John 10, verses 7 and 9 (NIV), Jesus twice refers to Himself as a gate. This is literally a metaphor for, as Jesus explains in verse 9, “whoever enters through me will be saved.”

I-Illumination by the Holy Spirit: This is a very important principle for the Bible reader. We should always pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to help illuminate, help teach us, and help show us the truth of Scripture! Please never neglect to ask the Holy Spirit to help; it does not matter if you are reading the Bible for your daily devotions, getting a Children’s Church lesson together, preparing a sermon, or completing a paper for an SVMC class. Always invite the Holy Spirit to show us the correct meaning of the Bible and how we should apply it in our life.

G- Grammatical Principle: it is good to understand what the Bible authors meant in the original languages of the koine (common) Greek and in Hebrew. This may seem intimidating at first glance, however it is really not, because there are resources for the layperson that make it easy to look up a Greek or Hebrew word and it will you the meaning. A good Concordance and Expository Dictionary can together cost for as little as $20 off a site like ThriftBooks. Come see me if you have any questions or interest in learning more about this!

H- Historical Context: It is good to understand the historical background, customs and manners of the Bible times.

T- Theology: Be wary of contemporary teachers in the church today who may have the the newest latest teaching that never existed in the previous 2000 years in the Church. Please remember that main things (teachings) are the plain things in Scripture. Unfortunately, some people in the Church want spiritual goosebumps and chase feelings at the expense of correct Bible teachings.

S- Scripture Harmony: This goes hand in hand with Theology, and quite simply means, let Scripture interpret Scripture. In any good study Bible, there is always a list in a column or bottom of the page, of other Scriptures that agree with with the passage or verse you are reading. This is a great boundary that keeps us from drifting off into a wrong understanding of the truth. Observe the sermons that I preach. Each one will contain other Scriptures that back up the verses of the main text that I preach from. You can be sure that Scripture never contradicts Scripture and that Scripture is not full of contradictions either! Remember LIGHTS when you are studying the meaning of a passage. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the correct meaning of Scripture. Last but not least, reach out if you have any questions. I’d love to show you LIGHTS in more detail!

John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome or understood it.”