Context
Before asking what a verse means to you, what should you do first?
Read what it actually says.
Application comes after this step.
Understanding what it means.
Words can have more than one what?
Meaning
A good Bible student asks questions before making conclusions. True or false?
True
Matthew 7:12 - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Before applying this verse, what is the first thing you must understand?
You need to understand what the verse actually says before thinking about how to live it out.
Reading only one verse without the surrounding verses ignores this.
What is context?
Starting Bible study with “What does this mean to me?” skips this critical step.
Find the original meaning.
We figure out which meaning fits by looking at this.
Context
Ignoring history and culture can lead to this.
Misunderstanding the verse. .
Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
What principle helps you know what “all things” actually means here?
Look at the verses around it; it’s about trusting God in every situation, not doing anything you want.
If someone says, “That verse means something different to everyone,” they are denying this idea.
Scripture has one intended meaning and that there is only one correct meaning
A passage cannot mean something today that it never meant to the original audience. Why?
Meaning depends on what God meant.
Assuming a word always means the same thing ignores this.
Words can have different meanings in different places.
Study tools should help but never replace this.
The Bible itself.
John 10:9 - “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
What interpretive principle tells you this is not about a literal door
Figurative language - context and genre tell you Jesus uses imagery to explain spiritual truth/
It’s a picture, showing that Jesus is the way to salvation.
Why is it risky to build a belief on just one isolated verse?
You miss the rest of Scripture.
If two people get completely opposite meanings from the same verse, what must be true?
At least one is wrong.
Why is it wrong to combine every possible meaning of a word?
Only the meaning that fits the context counts.
If someone uses one verse to prove something clearly contradicted elsewhere, what principle are they ignoring?
Scripture explains Scripture.
James 2:24 - “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
What principle helps you understand this without contradicting Paul’s teaching in Romans?
Compare it with other verses to see that real faith shows itself in actions.
Explain why we “discover” meaning instead of “make it up.”
God already had a meaning; we find it.
Explain the difference between interpretation and application using your own words.
Interpretation = what it means; Application = how we live it out.
Why might English today mislead us when reading the Bible?
Word meanings can change over time.
Someone says, “I don’t care what the context says — this verse speaks to me this way.” What’s wrong with that?
They’re ignoring what God meant.
Matthew 5:29 - “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”
Use two interpretive principles to explain how this should be rightly understood.
Jesus is using a picture to show we must take sin seriously and avoid it in our lives.