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NASB | 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately--behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; |
Subject: how to interpret scripture? |
Bible Note: What is the literal interpretation of the following statement? "Mary had a little lamb." Let's start with just three of the possible meanings of the word "had". Mary (possessed) a little lamb. Mary (owned) a little lamb. Mary (ate) a little lamb. For each of these 3 interpretations, there is a variation in overall meaning that depends on the emphasis of the other words. MARY had a little lamb. (Mary, not Martha) Mary HAD a little lamb. (in the past, but not now) Mary had A little lamb. (only one, not many) Mary had a LITTLE lamb. (little, not big) Mary had a little LAMB. (a lamb, not a calf) If the statement is interpreted in non-literal ways, such as secret code, metaphor, allegory, etc, even more meanings can be articulated. Clearly, reliable interpretation depends on the author's purpose and method, the context in which the sentence apprears, the intended audience, skilled translation and the interpreter's perspective. In light of all these issues, some argue that we cannot know the true meaning of the Bible. I disagree, not because these issue are not real, but rather because they are mostly used to justify unbelief. That is, instead of interpreting their experiences in terms of God's truth, some interpret God's truth in terms of their experiences. Instead, we should remain humble, mindful of these issues as we study God's Word, knowing that our shortcomings are usually a result of our seeing only what we want to see. In this way, we can avoid ascribing meanings that happen to fit our agendas, that deceive or confuse us, or that dismiss our sinful acts. Parable |