Understanding God's Word--First of Three Blogs
~Authorial Intention: Meaning is determined by the intention of the author.~
Have you ever been to a Bible study where the facilitator or someone in the group asks, “What does this verse mean to you?” It seems like many have encountered this situation. However, it should be of no surprise. We live in an era where truth is subjective, and many hold meaning to be something they create within themselves. Furthermore, the world often attempts to dilute God’s Word for secular purposes.
Perhaps the foundational question in hermeneutics is “Who or what controls meaning?” This may seem like an elementary inquiry to some, but higher critics of Scripture and even self-proclaimed Christians often deny that God (the author) creates meaning in the biblical text. Theories presented have put forth statements like, “meaning is created by the reader,” or “meaning is created soley by the text.” When men take the Scriptures' meaning away from God, there is ample opportunity to mold it into what we desire. In short, removing His authorial intention enables men to deny the truth of His word.
The nature of God’s word is a personal communication to its reader. His message contains warnings, promises and covenants; it demands a response. Thus, authorial intention becomes key, and the reader must seek to understand the Lord's meaning. Men are fallen and sinful; we cannot possibly create objective truth of our own. Furthermore, if we divorce authorial intention from the biblical text, its meaning becomes subject to any whim of the human heart. Ultimately, God wants to be known, and He embeds His meaning within Scripture through the human writers He utilized.
Also, understanding the true meaning of God’s word demands that we acknowledge our own presuppositions and prejudices. Often, we come with ideas about a passage or narrative that are just plain wrong. Because of these dispositions, we must work to understand cultural context, literary context, and language associated with the Scripture we are reading at any given time. The Christian's ethical responsibility is to understand what the Lord is conveying to us.
In the end, comprehending God’s intended meaning is a blessing. Nevertheless, His truth is sometimes challenging for our sinful flesh, but it is loving. Those who are born again will embrace it and seek God’s authorial intention for a lifetime.
Psalm 119:160
The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
John 10:27-28
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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