Given that the Bible was written long ago in times very different to today, how should it be read in order to understand it’s “intended meaning”? A common sense approach is to endeavor to better understand the message the original recipients would have received and, once this is understood, apply that message for today.
This can be a challenge since many kinds of communication are used in the Bible – including some not common today such as proverbs, Hebrew poetry, prophetic oracles, parables and apocalypse. It is helpful to know some of the rules that applied to each of these literary forms. In addition, Bible passages contain the vocabulary and “thought patterns” of people who lived thousands of years ago and which were conditioned by the culture of the day.
Fortunately for us today, there are many excellent resources that can help us. Good commentaries, dictionaries and translations are helpful. Some of these resources have been used to prepare short, “to-the-point” topics in this web site.
Everyone who reads the Bible today will interpret it in some way. Given we live in different times, it is possible to read into the text ideas that were not in the author’s mind. It is important to understand the original intent, otherwise, a Bible text can be made to mean anything a reader wants it to mean. “A text cannot mean what it never meant”. Although the Holy Spirit can use “misinterpreted” Scripture to “speak to” the reader, appreciating the message intended for the initial recipient is important.
Postscript: This interpretative approach is based on Fee & Stuart’s “Reading the Bible for All it is Worth“.