Mistakes people make when studying the bible
one point in Mistake number one
we assume that the bible doesn't need to be interpreted
it is wrong to say that the bible speaks for itself
Often churches will incorrectly stay the bible speaks for itself
thought the bible is authoritative and perfect it must still be interpreted
hermeneutics
the process of devising the best methods for understanding and interpreting scripture
step 1
commit to reading the bible
mistake 2
we wrongly individualize the bible
read and interpret 2 chronicles 7:14 as an example
we need to first focus on God and how to deepen our understanding of him
allegory
a fictional narrative in which characters and events are presented as symbols for moral or spiritual truths
step 3
choose a translation
mistake 3
we skip over verses that don't fit our theology
we rely too much on systematic theology
we need to value all of scripture, not just the that serve our agendas
moral relativism
the belief that no objective moral norms exist that apply to every person in every time and place
step 5
understand the context
mistake four
with an allegory each story has a deeper meaning
cultural relativism
the belief that morality is culturally relative
step 7
look for relationships between passages
mistake 5
reminders of gods are a good thing
we don't always need an aha moment
personal subjective relativism
the belief that morality is relative to the individual
step 9
bring your experiences to bear