How to Read the Bible: A Practical Guide to Hermeneutics
WHY HERMENUTICS MATTERS.
We’ve all been there. You open your Bible, read a verse, and wonder, "What does this mean? And what does it have to do with me?" The Bible is God's Word, but it wasn't written in modern English to 21st-century people. It was written in ancient languages, across different cultures, to real people facing real issues in their own time. Hermeneutics is the process of learning to read the Bible well, with care, accuracy, clarity. It helps us cross the gap between their world and ours.
This article is your roadmap for doing just that. It will walk you through a proven method that brings clarity to the confusion and confidence to your Bible study.
THE FIVE STEP JOURNEY OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION.
Think of interpreting the Bible like crossing a bridge. On one side is the world of the Bible; on the other is your world. The goal is to get from there to here without falling into error or dragging in assumptions. Here's the journey:
01. GRASP THE TEXT IN THEIR TOWN.
Question: What did the text mean to the original audience?
This first step is foundational. It calls the reader to approach the Bible as a historical document, written by real people to real audiences in specific times and places. To "grasp the text in their town" means to do the hard work of asking: Who is the author? Who is the audience? What was happening in their world socially, politically, and religiously? What genre is this passage? Is it poetry, legal instruction, narrative, or prophetic warning? We begin not by asking what the passage means to us, but what it meant to them. This preserves the integrity of the text and guards us against misinterpretation. It demands we respect the distance between our context and theirs.
This is where every study must begin. Don’t rush to apply the passage to your life until you understand what it meant back then. That means asking:
Who wrote it?
Who were they writing to?
What was going on historically and culturally?
What kind of writing is this (poem, law, story, letter, etc.)?
📌 Example 01: When Paul tells Timothy to "bring the cloak" (2 Tim. 4:13), he's not commanding you to pack a coat. He's writing a personal request to a specific person. That's their town.
📌 Example 02: When Jesus says in Matthew 5:41, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles,” He’s speaking into a Roman-occupied Jewish context where soldiers could legally force civilians to carry their gear for one mile. The original hearers would’ve understood this as a radical call to humility and mercy under oppression, not just a general call to kindness.
02. MEASURE THE WIDTH OF THE RIVER DIFFERENCES.
Question: What separates them from us?
Here, the interpreter identifies the barriers that exist between the ancient audience and the modern reader. The "river" represents everything that separates us: differences in language, time period, geographical setting, customs, and theological covenant (Old Testament vs. New Testament era). Recognizing these differences is crucial. We cannot assume that a command given to ancient Israel applies directly to Christians today without qualification. This step trains us to slow down and examine what has changed between their world and ours, so we don’t flatten the text or universalize what was never meant to be.
Here we consider how our world differs:
Time (ancient vs. modern)
Language (Greek/Hebrew vs. English)
Culture (Eastern vs. Western)
Covenant (Old vs. New)
This step reminds us we can’t assume everything applies directly. A command to build an ark doesn't mean you should build one. You must identify the gap that must be crossed.
📌 Example: In Leviticus 19:19, Israelites are told not to wear garments of mixed fabrics. While this was part of the Old Covenant law meant to mark them as distinct from pagan nations, Christians today live under the New Covenant and are no longer bound by ceremonial purity laws. Recognizing this prevents confusion over what applies today.
03. CARRY THE PRINCIPLE ACROSS
Question: What timeless truth is taught here?
The bridge is where interpretation begins to transition into application—but not prematurely. Here, the goal is to extract a timeless, theological principle from the text. This principle should be rooted in the author’s original intent and shaped by the surrounding context. It must not be tied to culture or historical specifics, but instead transcend them. A good principle is one that would have made sense to the original audience and still speaks truth to a modern audience. This requires discernment, theological clarity, and a deep respect for the text’s authority. It’s not about being clever; it’s about being faithful.
This is the most critical and often most skipped step. You must distill a theological principle that is:
Reflected in the text
Not tied to a specific culture
In line with the rest of Scripture
Relevant for both the original and modern audience
📌 Example 01: In the Good Samaritan story, the principle isn't "walk on dangerous roads." It’s: "Love your neighbor sacrificially, even when it’s inconvenient or risky."
📌 Example 02: From the Leviticus 19 passage in the previous section, while the fabric command doesn’t transfer, the broader principle of holiness and distinction from the world does. The enduring truth is that God’s people are called to reflect His character in every area of life.
04. CONSULT THE BIBLICAL MAP
Question: How does this principle fit with the rest of the Bible?
No passage should be interpreted in isolation. Scripture interprets Scripture. In this step, the principle you've identified must be examined in light of the full biblical canon. Does it align with what the rest of Scripture teaches? Are there other texts that expand, clarify, or challenge the conclusion you've drawn? This theological consistency check ensures that application is not based on an isolated or distorted reading. The Bible is a unified story with a coherent message, and our interpretation must reflect that unity.
Before applying, cross-check your principle. Does it:
Agree with the gospel?
Align with other teachings in Scripture?
Contradict anything in Scripture?
This prevents misapplication and protects against twisting Scripture to fit an agenda.
📌 Example: Suppose you read Proverbs 3:9–10, which says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth… then your barns will be filled with plenty.” A quick check with the rest of Scripture—especially the teachings of Jesus and Paul—reveals that while generosity is commended and often brings blessing, it's not a formula for guaranteed material prosperity. The broader biblical witness teaches contentment in lack and warns against prosperity theology. This check with the "biblical map" helps refine the principle to something like: "God honors faithful stewardship, but not all blessing is material or immediate."
05. GRASP THE TEXT IN OUR TOWN
Question: How should we apply this today?
Now the principle travels into our world. At this stage, we ask how the timeless truth of the passage should shape our lives—personally, communally, and culturally. Application should be concrete and faithful to the principle we've derived. It should avoid moralism, legalism, and abstraction. We’re not looking for mere behavior modification but gospel-rooted transformation. This is where the Word meets life. It forms how we think, how we love, how we live, and how we witness. It moves from theology to discipleship.
Now bring the principle into real life. This is where transformation happens. Consider:
Personal applications (heart, habits, relationships)
Church-wide applications (worship, mission, discipleship)
Societal applications (justice, ethics, compassion)
Be specific. Don’t just say "love more"; say "love that neighbor who drives you nuts by initiating a conversation this week."
📌 Example: Take Romans 12:4–5, where Paul teaches that we, though many, form one body in Christ and belong to one another. The principle here is that Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation but in committed, interdependent community. When applied, this could look like prioritizing active participation in a local church, contributing to the needs of others, submitting to mutual accountability, and resisting the pull of individualism. This principle challenges the cultural norm of personal autonomy and invites believers into a shared, sacrificial way of life shaped by the gospel.
GENRE MATTERS: DON’T READ PSALMS LIKE ROMANS
Different types of writing need different interpretive approaches. Here’s a crash course:
WORD STUDIES: DIG BUT DON’T GET LOST IN THE DIRT
Sometimes the meaning of a passage hinges on a single word. But be careful:
Use tools like concordances or Bible dictionaries
Check how the word is used in that context, not just what it can mean
Avoid the "root fallacy" (thinking a word always means its origin)
📌 Example: "Dunamis" (Greek for power) doesn’t always mean dynamite-level energy. Context shapes meaning.
FINAL THOUGHTS: HERMENUTICS IS SPIRITUAL NOT JUST TECHNICAL
Reading the Bible well isn’t just about mastering technique. It’s about approaching God’s Word with humility, reverence, and a desire to know Him more. So, pray. Ask the Spirit to guide. Let the text read you even as you read it.
"The goal of interpretation is not just information, but transformation."
If you use this five-step journey consistently, you’ll not only avoid misreading Scripture—you’ll be shaped by it.