How Do You Interpret the Bible?
Serena, Doha.

Thank you for your reflective question, Serena. It’s one of the most important questions a believer can ask: How do I interpret the Bible rightly? Let’s walk through the answer slowly, in the light of Scripture.

Biblical interpretation is not merely an intellectual activity—it is a spiritual exercise, rooted in the heart and mind of God. The Scriptures are not a dead text but a living voice. Christ said:

“You search and keep on searching the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is these [very Scriptures] that testify about Me.”
— John 5:39 AMP

This tells us: the goal, testimony and witness of Scripture is Christ Himself. Without seeing Him, all interpretation becomes blind and external. Therefore:

Christ is the lens through which all Scripture must be interpreted.

Interpretation Requires Revelation, Not Just Information #

The Greek word translated as “interpret” in Luke 24:27 is diermēneuō, meaning to “unfold thoroughly” or “explain fully.” When Jesus walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, He didn’t merely quote Scripture—He unveiled Himself in the Scriptures:

“Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.”
— Luke 24:27 AMP

The Bible is not a book of rules or stories—it is the unfolding of the Person of Christ from Genesis to Revelation.

The Spirit Must Open the Eyes of Our Heart #

We do not interpret the Bible by intellect alone. The Holy Spirit is the Author, and He alone can illuminate what He has inspired.

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate…) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name… He will teach you all things.”
— John 14:26 AMP

That is why Paul prayed:

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him…”
— Ephesians 1:17 AMP

Without the Spirit of revelation, we risk interpreting the Bible according to the letter, which kills, instead of the Spirit, which gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Scripture Interprets Scripture #

We must let the entire counsel of God shed light on individual passages. We do not base doctrines on one verse alone, but on the pattern of truth woven throughout the Word.

For example, if a verse speaks of “judgement,” we must examine how judgement is described in the light of mercy, righteousness, and the cross throughout Scripture. The whole Word must shape our understanding of each part.

The Bible Must Be Read With a Spiritual Posture #

We interpret wrongly when we read the Bible for personal agenda, proof-texting, or tradition. But when we come in humility, hunger, and dependence on the Spirit, the Word opens.

The Bible Must Be Interpreted From Union With Christ #

You cannot rightly understand the Word unless you are one with the Word. Christ is the Living Word (John 1:1,14), and unless He lives in you, and you walk in the Spirit, you will misread the written Word.

All this is only true when Christ is in you, when you are moved by the Holy Spirit, when you are dead to the world, dead to Adam and the flesh, but alive in Christ and the Spirit. Then the Word is no longer a scroll, but a mirror of the life within.

Keys to Interpreting the Bible #

“The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”
— Psalm 119:130 NASB

Hope this helps, Serena.

In Christ,
Shaliach.