Fred Malone Lectures On Biblical Interpretation

Many of us in the conservative stream of Christianity use what is called the "historical-grammatical method" for interpreting the Bible. This is the method that is used in my church when traditions are recognized and worked through,and original intent is sought. There is a serious problem with this method though. It is simply assumed that if one uses this method, he will find the original meaning of the author, and his interpretation wil be unbiased. This is simply not the case.

How often have conservative Trinitarians read back into Old Testament passages the doctrine of the Trinity? Were Old Testament Prophets consciously writing about the Trinity? I think not. Much of what is revealed in the New Testament was hidden in the Old Testament. This is evidence of God's inspiring of the Old Testament. This is evidence of God speaking to His people.

The problem with saying that one believes in the historical-grammatical method of interpretation is that he looks for the original intention of the author, but often misses the fact that God is also the author. It is precisely for this reason conservatives, who love the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, have recognized the interpretive principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture.

There are also some other major factors that many preachers overlook in their interpretative method that influence the outcome of their reading of the Bible. For instance, does the Old Testament tell us the meaning of Jesus' teachings about End Times, or should we allow the teachings of Christ tell us how the Old Testament promises are to be fulfilled?

These issues are discussed in a 40 minute lecture by Dr. Fred Malone. You can listen to a very instructive lesson on Biblical Hermeneutics here. I truly think you wil be blessed.

Sola Scriptura!