When The Plain Sense Makes Good Sense, Seek No Other Sense
This is what Bible says: Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." - Psalm 119:18 The Bible is not a book to which we can freely assign whatever ideas we would like or can imagine. God has spoken to us through His Word that we might know His truth.
Author:Bernard HorneApr 17, 20226.6K Shares214.6K Views This is what Biblesays: "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." - Psalm 119:18 The Bibleis not a book to which we can freely assign whatever ideas we would like or can imagine. Godhas spoken to us through His Word that we might know His truth. The acronym "LIGHTS" helps us to remember six important principles for interpreting the Bible correctly. The foundational rule in hermeneutics (the study of the principles of interpreting the Bible) is:
The Principle #1: "L" "Look for the natural, normal meaning."
Scriptureis to be understood in its natural, normal sense. When reading and studying the Bible, seek the basic, most obvious, customary meaning of the words. (This principle prevents the interpreter from distorting the text with a deeper, secret, imaginative, allegorical, or spiritualized meaning.) In the same manner in which you would read and understand a newspaper, letter, or a historybook, look first for the clear teaching of Scripture, not some hidden meaning. The natural, normal meaning of any text will be either 1) the plain, literal sense, or 2) a figurative expression that presents thought in a colorful way.
Figures of speech (such as a simile, metaphor, or hyperbole) are an unusual, more vivid way of expressing a thought. It is a form of expression used to convey meaning or heighten effect often by comparison or identifying one thing with another.
As we read the Bible, "Look for the natural, normal meaning," and seek out the most obvious meaning of the words. Remember that when studying the Scripture, when the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense.
This article explains that when we read the Bible, we must read it correctly and understand it without making it too complicated. And we should seek the real meaning of the words.