Making Sense of the Bible #3

“Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Using common sense is one of the basic necessities to understanding any literature. A quick glance of my library indicates that I have over fifteen different books on the subject of how to interpret the Bible (hermeneutics). I have never read a book on “hermeneutics” which did not mention “common sense” as one of the primary rules for a proper exegesis of the text (getting the meaning out of the text). While that may be stating the obvious, when it comes to making sense of the Bible it is obvious in reading and listening to some discuss the scriptures, common sense is not so common.
Applying common sense to Bible interpretation does not mean we approach it with preconceived ideas. That goes for everyone regardless of how well you know or think you know the scriptures. Common sense is applying the same rules to interpretation that we would to any other piece of literature.

The Bible employs a vast array of literary genres (poetry, narrative, figurative, prophetic, et. al.) to reveal its message. Just as we would not read every book in a library the same way, we should not read every book of the Bible the same way. Is the Bible literal or figurative? Yes. Thus, we need to take the literal parts of the Bible literally and the figurative parts figuratively. A careful reading of the context will tell us whether the passage is meant to be interpreted literally or figuratively. Therefore common sense seeks to understand any given passage in its historical context (to whom was it written, the occasion, the purpose of the writing) and in its immediate (literary) context.

Words have meanings in sentences and are grammatically constructed to express the author’s thoughts which harmonize with both the immediate context (those sentences preceding and following any given passage) and the remote context (whether it be the whole Bible, or the particular book of the Bible we are studying). A dictionary may give us several definitions for a word but it is the context that determines the meaning. We have no more right to take any definition we want from the dictionary and apply it than we do in wresting a verse of scripture from its context to give it whatever meaning we want. Common sense should never been as uncommon as it often is when it comes to Bible reading and studying. Let your light shine, use common your common sense when reading the Bible.