Episode 01 of Christ for Us Bible Study Podcast. Pastor Preus will explain the principles of biblical interpretation. How do you know how to read and understand the Bible? Why do different church bodies come to different conclusions from the Bible? How can you know which one is right? 

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Intro and closing music: Wachet Auf, Ruf Uns Die Stimme BWV 645, setting by J. S. Bach, Noncommercial Use

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There are dozens of churches in my town. There are literally thousands of denominations to choose from. How can you possibly know which is the right one? Some say Baptism saves, others say Baptism is just an act of obedience. Some say we are saved by faith alone, others say we are saved by faith and works. Some say that the Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of Christ, while others say that the bread and wine is only a symbol or that Jesus is present spiritually, but his body and blood remain as far away from the bread and wine as heaven is from the earth. How do you know that the Roman Catholics are wrong about these things and the Baptists are wrong about those things and the Mormons are wrong about everything? And how can Lutherans say that they are right? Surely, if several groups read the same Bible and come to different conclusions, then some must be right about some things and others about other things and no one is right about everything! And many people resign themselves to this conclusion and figure that every church has somethings right and somethings wrong, so they’ll just pick the church with the friendliest people, the liveliest music, the most active youth group, or the best potlucks. Of course, that is a dangerous thing when you are receiving Communion, which is an act of confession that you confess what the Church publicly teaches. No, you should Commune in confidence and you should be confident that your Church is teaching you the truth and not false doctrine.

All these questions of doubt can be clarified if we look at the method by which we interpret the Bible. This is called Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Different religious groups come to similar conclusions, because they have similar principles of interpreting the Bible. The Lutheran principles of biblical interpretation are the best, because they are the principles taught in the Bible itself. In this episode, I’m going to go through five principles, which Lutherans follow to interpret the Bible. Lutherans did not come up with these principles themselves, but they are taught in Scripture itself. And it is by following these principles that we come to the conclusions that make us Lutheran.

First, let us pray: Enlighten our minds, we beseech Thee, O God, by the Spirit which proceedeth from Thee, that, as Thy Son hath promised, we may be led into all truth; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Before we can even begin talking about the principles of biblical interpretation, we must pray to the Holy Spirit, because the natural person cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God unless the Holy Spirit opens his mind. And Jesus promises that God will give the Holy Spirit to him who asks (Luke 11:13).

• Scripture is the only source and norm of all Christian teaching. This is called the Formal Principle, that is, the authoritative source.

• “1. We believe, teach, and confess that the sole rule and standard according to which all dogmas together with [all] teachers should be estimated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and of the New Testament alone, as it is written Ps. 119:105: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. And St. Paul: Though an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed, Gal. 1:8. (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/epitome/#ep-rule-and-norm-0001 )”

• This because the Bible is the Word of God

• All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

• And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21

• 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time[a] the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 1 Peter 1:10-12

• He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? Matthew 22:43-44

• and Scripture cannot be broken John 10:35

• Abraham and the Rich man: But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ … He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ Luke 16:29, 31.

• The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. Jeremiah 1:1-2

• The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, Hosea 1:1

• The word of the Lord that came to Joel, Joel 1:1

• This Formal Principle distinguishes the Lutheran Church from the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, among others, who claim that the Bible is a product of the Church itself and is not the sole source of doctrine.

• St. Paul makes clear in Ephesians 2 that the Church received Holy Scripture and stands on Holy Scripture, not the other way around.

• the household of God, [is]20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, Ephesians 2:20

• All errors come from manmade traditions (Matthew 15:3-9).

• The Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics both claim that Scripture is a product of their tradition and that tradition alongside Scripture should be used to establish doctrine. However, their traditions contradict each other! Who is to say whether the Eastern Orthodox tradition or the Roman Catholic tradition is right? For that matter, how do we know that the tradition of the Talmud, which the Jews claim to be the oral tradition passed on since the time of the prophets, is not valid?

• This principle also means that the ELCA and other liberal groups, which claim to be Lutheran are not actually Lutheran. You shouldn’t waste your time with a church that will not confess the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God.

• The Material Principle, that is, the central teaching of the Bible is that a sinner is justified by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

• For by works of the law no human being[c] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:20-25

• For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,[e] as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”[f] Romans 1:16-17

• Jesus on the road to Emmaus: 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27

• Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Luke 24:44-47

• But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31

• That the Gospel is the chief teaching of Scripture is clear; however, it is only evident to those who have been given to know the secret of the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:11-16).

• To protect this chief article of the faith, Law and Gospel must be clearly distinguished.

• By keeping the Gospel predominant and distinguishing between Law and Gospel, a correct interpretation of the Bible is protected.

• Scripture is clear. We don’t believe that only a select few can read and understand the Bible. The Bible is written in plain language. And the simplest understanding of the text should most often be accepted. Difficult passages should be interpreted in the light of clear passages.

• Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

• The unfolding of your words give light; it imparts understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:30

• The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

• And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place…2 Peter 1:19

• If our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost… 2 Cor. 4:3

• Not magisterial, but ministerial use of reason.

• Scripture speaks of things, which are beyond human comprehension.

• For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

• For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[d] 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:11-14

• Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think Ephesians 3:20

• This means that we should not try to reconcile Scripture with our reasoning, when what God tells us goes beyond our comprehension. This is why Lutherans accept

• That Baptism saves.

• That the Lord’s Supper is the true body and blood of Jesus.

• That God desires all people to be saved, yet only the elect are saved, yet God does not predestine anyone to hell.

• All Christians accept the principle to some extent, because all Christians accept the doctrine of the Trinity and the two natures in Christ, although these doctrines go beyond our human comprehension.

Fifth Principle: Always go back to the Institution.

• When defining institutions in the Church, such as the Office of the Ministry, Baptism, the Office of the Keys, The Lord’s Supper, you must always start with Christ’s institution.

• Summary. So, in short, Lutherans interpret the Bible

• By acknowledging the Bible as God’s Word and the only source of Christian teaching.

• By recognizing the Gospel that sinners are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone as the chief doctrine of Scripture. Law and Gospel must be clearly distinguished. By teaching this, we guard against false teaching in other areas, because all doctrines are connected to the chief article.

• Scripture is clear.

• Scripture must rule over reason, not reason over Scripture.

• The definition of things in the Church begins with Christ’s institution.