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MEANING FOR TODAY

Sound hermeneutics means that we do not give meaning to Scripture; rather, we discover the meaning that already exists. Many heresies and cults have developed since the inception of the church because someone placed a meaning on the text that was not in the mind of the author. Ultimately, God is the author of the Bible and He worked through men to provide an accurate account of His essence and relationship with His people. Since God wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), He does not give secret revelations to certain groups that the rest of the church cannot access. Everyone can come to know the true and living God through a careful study of Scripture.

The Biblical writers of the Old and New Testament, seeking to give an accurate account of history and the nature of God, did not neglect to write about the uglier side of humanity. For this reason, we need to carefully assess whether a passage or story is prescriptive or descriptive. A descriptive passage simply describes what happened to someone at a certain point in history. For example, God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and then withdrew that command before it could be carried out. God has not and will not repeat this test with anyone else. A prescriptive passage tells us as Christians how we should live or conduct ourselves. For example, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Attempting to make a descriptive passage prescriptive for everyone or for every situation will lead us and others out of God’s will.

Reading Scripture with an understanding of its historical context and cultural significance will help us to draw out any theological principles that may be present. In the context of Israel being exiled, Jeremiah 29:11, which reads “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” is not good news. Therefore, it should not be used to draw the theological conclusion that God is always saying this to everyone. Some of God’s statements are timeless and some applied to a specific moment in time. Careful hermeneutics will help us to know the difference and ensure that God’s meaning remains preserved.