4 Different Interpretations to Bible Study: Which is Yours

Have you ever studied the Bible, then thought, “Okay, I’ve read it. But what on earth does this mean?” Finding the meaning of a passage you are studying is perhaps the most important part of learning to study the Bible.

Historically, the four approaches to interpreting the Bible are: literal, allegorical, moral, or anagogical (spiritual). The allegorical, moral, and anagogical approaches seek to discover deeper meaning beyond the text. The literal approach, however, seeks to discover the plain meaning of the passage.

Let’s explore how we got these different interpretive approaches, what they mean, and discover some basic rules for interpreting passages that will help you answer the question, “What on earth does this mean?” the next time you study the Bible.

Interpreting the Bible: An Overview

The aim of Bible study is to lead us into a life transforming encounter with God. If you are curious about the benefits of Bible study, then check out this article. To reach this goal, there are three main questions we ask in Bible study.

• What does the text say?
• What does the text mean?
• How do I apply the text to my life?

To answer the first question, we make observations. But interpretation is how we answer the second question. Bible scholars use a big fancy word for this called hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is simply the set of rules used to interpret the Bible.

Historically, there have been four approaches to interpreting the Bible. They are,

• Literal Interpretation: Taking the Bible at face value and understanding its stories and teachings in a historical and cultural context.
• Allegorical Interpretation: Finding symbolic or hidden meaning of a passage in the Bible, deeper than its literal sense.
• Moral Interpretation: Focusing on ethical and moral principles discovered through the Bible as a guide for teaching and decision making.
• Anagogical Interpretation: Exploring the Bible for spiritual or mystical insights that point to eternal truths and future life.

These four approaches for interpreting the Bible were first expressed by John Cassian (360-435 AD), a Christian monk. You see, from the earliest times after the writing of the New Testament, there were two schools of thought in interpreting the Bible.

The first, was a literal approach and was primarily used by Christians in and around Antioch. People like Justin Martyr (100-165 AD) and Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202 AD), primarily used the literal approach.

The second school of thought was an allegorical approach centered around the city of Alexandria, Egypt. People like Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD) and Origen (184-253 AD) are credited with the development with of the Alexandrian, allegorical approach to interpreting Scripture.

That said, Christians would use both interpretation approaches depending on the passage, verse, etc. And there wasn’t as clear a distinction as there is today. But it was John Cassian who took these two approaches and created the four “senses” that became standard during the Middle Ages.

So, let’s take a closer look at these four senses of interpreting the Bible.

Literal Interpretation

The literal interpretation approach takes everything at face value. It seeks to understand the plain meaning of the text. This doesn’t mean everything is read literally. For example, God is not literally a mother hen (Psalm 91:1-4).

Rather, the literal approach seeks to understand the Bible in its natural and historical sense. So, figures of speech are treated like figures of speech, poetry like poetry, and prose like prose.

The literal interpretation approach holds that there is one intended meaning of a passage and it is what the author intended. So, reading a passage in its context is vital to discovering this meaning. As such, understanding the history and culture behind a passage is helpful.

A literal approach accepts a direct and uncomplicated understanding of Bible stories, viewing them as accurate accounts of historical events. So, historical narratives, like the creation account and the Flood, actually occurred as recorded in the Bible.

This approach to interpreting Scripture is held by many Christians throughout history from a wide range of theological backgrounds.

In general, this approach says, “If the plain reading of the Bible makes sense, seek no other sense.”

Allegorical Interpretation

The allegorical approach to interpreting the Bible seeks to discover a deeper meaning behind the literal understanding of a Bible passage. It seeks to find deeper truth that represents universal truths or moral lessons, instead of focusing on the historical accounts of a story.

We can see examples of allegorical interpretation in the Bible. For example, Paul used the example of Abraham and his wives, Sarah and Hagar to represent the complex relationship between Christians and Jews in his day (Galatians 4:22-31).

The allegorical approach was the primary approach used during the Middle Ages and was often taken to extremes. Every little detail of an Old Testament story represented something about Jesus’ life or the New Testament reality.

While the Bible does contain allegories and typology, we ought to be careful not to over allegorize every little detail. Doing so, could lead to putting whatever meaning we want in the text. Rather, we should let the Bibe tell us what is an allegory and what is a typology.

Moral Interpretation

The moral interpretation of the Bible is a subcategory of the allegorical approach. It seeks to find moral and ethical principles from the Bible and practical application to daily life.

This moral interpretation was originally practiced by Jews who believed their laws and sacred writings had multiple layers of meaning and sought to reveal the ethics behind a text. This is called Midrash, and can be understood like a commentary on a passage.

An example of this from the Bible would be when Paul uses an Old Testament law about not muzzling an ox while it is working to defend his right to be supported financially as a minister (Deut. 25:4, 1 Cor. 9:9, 1 Tim. 5:18).

It seems Paul is taking the law out of context, but this article from The Gospel Coalitition may clear things up.

Another example of the moral interpretation approach is the Epistle of Barnabas. This letter interprets the ancient food laws in the Old Testament, not as a prohibition against certain food, but rather a call to avoid behavior associated with the animals mentioned.

Overall, it is clear that the Bible is beneficial for moral and ethical teaching. But here we have to distinguish between what a passage means and how it is applied. A passage only has one meaning, but it can have multiple applications.

Anagogical Interpretation

Like the moral approach, the anagogical interpretation approach is a subcategory of the allegorical approach. Rather than seeking to find deeper ethical meaning, the anagogical approach seeks to find deeper spiritual meaning.

This interpretative approach aims to find spiritual, mystical or divine truths related to the future of Chirst’s Kingdom, life after death, and the new heavens and new Earth. As such, it often looks beyond the temporal earthly things and toward future heavenly realities.

For example, interpreters who follow the anagogical interpretation approach would read in Revelation 21 about the new Jerusalem, and then every other time they read Jerusalem in the Bible would think it automatically says something about heaven.

Other examples of using the Anagogical interpretation involves the use of Bible-codes. One example, of this is called Gematria. Gematria is a system that assigns numerical values to letters, where words with the same numerical value are thought to share connections or hidden meanings.

Gematria was a common practice in New Testament Bible times, and seems to be used in Revelation 13:18 to identify the antichrist, as his number is 666. In the second century Irenaeus showed how this number can be applied to numerous different names and concluded,

“It is therefore more certain, and less hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned; and the same question will, after all, remain unsolved.”

Against Heresies, 5.30.3

The Bible never confirms or denies the reality of hidden meanings in numbers or the anagogical approach to Scripture. But since it is highly subjective and relies on human ingenuity, it should not be considered reliable for serious interpretation of Scripture.

Rules of Interpretation

Now that we’ve looked at common historical approaches to interpreting Scripture. Let’s look at some basic rules for interpreting Scripture to best discover the meaning of a passage.

These principles are taken and adapted from DA Carson’s article, “Must I Learn to Interpret the Bible?”

1. Context is Key:
   • It is vitally important you consider the context in which a passage appears. This includes the surrounding verses, chapter, and book as a whole. As well as the historical and cultural background. This helps you discover the author’s intended meaning.
2. Historical, Cultural, and Pastoral Context:
   • Consider things like historical events relevant to the time the text was written or the events were occurring. What customs or societal norms were prevalent? Additionally, it is helpful to note the pastoral context. In other words, what is the “why” behind what was being written.
3. Balance Scripture:
   • Look at the entire Bible when you interpret a passage. No single verse or passage should be isolated from the rest of the Bible. This ensures that your interpretation is in line with the rest of Biblical teaching. Don’t build an entire theology from one complex, obscure passage.
4. Understand What’s General vs. What’s Specific:
   • It is important to distinguish between what is taught and meant to be applied universally (general principles) and those that are specific to particular situations, individuals, or churches.
5. Let Scripture Interpret Scripture:
   • Letting Scripture interpret Scripture allows you to see how other parts of the Bible shed light on the passage you are trying to interpret. This allows you to use passages that are easier to understand and interpret affect how you interpret the more complex passages.
6. Don’t Turn Proverbs into Commands or Promises and Vice Versa:
   • This rule warns against misinterpreting poetic or proverbial language as direct commands or promises. Understanding the literary genre and purpose of a passage is crucial to accurate interpretation.
7. Apply Things with the Understanding that We Live in a Different Time and Culture:
   • Recognize that we are far removed from the events and culture of the Bible. So when it comes to applying principles found in the Bible it is wise to consider the nuances of time and place.
8. Let the Bible Have the Final Say:
   • The Bible is God’s word. It is inspired, and inerrant. The Bible has the final say on matters of interpretation. This encourages humility and fosters a dependance on the Holy Spirit when it comes to interpreting the Bible.
     

Additional Resources

• Must I Learn How to Interpret the Bible?‖ Modern Reformation 5:3 (May/June
  1996): 18–22. Updated 2003. by DA Carson
• Interpretation of the Bible | Theopedia
• Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics (bible-researcher.com)