APR 27

Luke 10:29-37
Memorise Luke 10:34
“they that are unlearned and unstable wrest”

This method originates through the union of Greek philosophy and religion. To varying degrees, this method attempts to see a deeper meaning behind the simple literal reading of each passage by way of allegories. It is not the natural evident meaning that gives the Bible its importance but the ‘mystical’ sense, which means its hidden or spiritual sense. These interpreters search for the hidden meaning beyond the external, literal meaning. They may sometimes have good intentions, but the method is wrong, and it results in the wrong interpretations of God’s Word.

For example, in the account of the Good Samaritan, the literal plain meaning is that we are to love our neighbour, showing kindness and compassion. This neighbour includes anybody that God brings our way, including people whom we may dislike or are at enmity with. However, those who use the allegorical method might explain this passage by saying that the wounded man stands for Adam, the thieves are the devil and his demons, and the innkeeper is the ruler of the church as the inn is the church. Jesus is then the good Samaritan who brings Adam into the church, and gives two coins, the Old and New Testament. This is sheer imagination, and not at all the intention of this parable.

The error of this school of interpretation is its foundational assumption that what God said in plain language is not really what God meant. Instead, it depends on the ingenuity and imagination of the interpreter and not the Word of God. This method makes the Bible say what the interpreter wants it to say. This forces the biblical text to have a meaning which it does not possess. The authority of the Bible is therefore also lost.

Indeed, when the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense. This is a good guideline for you when you read and study your Bible.

Thought: “When the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense.”
Prayer: O Father, illumine me and guide me when I read, study and meditate on Your sacred Scriptures. Help me to rightly divide Your Word.