It is only reasonable that those who profess to know God would read his Word. In reading it our responsibility is to do our best to understand what we are reading. It is for that reason, that I’m offering suggestions how to interpret Bible passages.
The first rule is to detect the subject matter of the text such as that which applies to Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, rules that concern Israel, rules of the New Testament that speak of Christ’s return, rules dealing with how Israel is mentioned in the New Testament, or that which discusses in the New Testament the Messiah himself.
The second rule tells us to be aware of what makes sense as it is spoken, we need not seek some alternative understanding. Take the passage in its primary, usual, literal meaning unless the context clearly tells us to gain further understanding by the study of other Scripture.
The next rule is that of observation. Who is speaking to whom about what under what circumstances for what reason? Avoid misapplying a text to another situation or person.
There is the law of double reference. The passage may be speaking about two different persons or events, some of which may be separated by a long period of time.
There is the rule of double fulfillment. The fulfillment may be already occurring in a near view such as the birth of a child while a distant view could be referring to the birth of Christ.
The next rule is that of recurrence. A Scripture may report an event that another Scripture may report on the same thing with more or less detail. An example is Genesis 1 that records the chronological sequence of creation while chapter 2 provides additional information.
Another rule is that of context. The passage must not be pulled or applied to meaning something else than what is plainly mentioned. Falsely connecting versus can create an impression that was not meant.
The next rule is that of self-interpretation. To approach studying the Bible with preconceived notions invariably leads to a false understanding of Scripture. We cannot impose our belief system onto the Bible. The Bible must impose upon our own beliefs.
The last rule is that of disagreement. We may not like what we read, but it’s what God is saying. By putting our opinion above that of the Bible, we are challenging God’s authority. When we struggle with the passage, it is our obligation to ourselves to resolve our erroneous thoughts so that we can accept what God says.
Christian Writer 