One of the most important subjects within the orbit of Christianity is the science and art of Biblical interpretation

or hermeneutics. The word `hermeneutics' is ultimately derived from Hermes, the Greek god who was supposed

to bring the messages of the gods to mortals, and was the god of science, speech, writing and art. It has a connection

with the Greek word hermeneia, interpretation, and its verbal forms: diermeneuo, to interpret, or explain;

methermeneuomai to interpret, to translate; dusermeneutos, difficult to interpret; diermeneutes, interpreter.

God has spoken to men through the Holy Scriptures, but what has He said? What is the meaning of His Words?

If we cannot be sure of His meaning, of what practical use are the Scriptures to us? How can we receive Divine

understanding unless the meaning of the Word of God is clear to us? It is the aim of hermeneutics to ascertain what

God has said in His Word and to determine its meaning. This is a high and holy task and needs to be approached in

deep humility. Upon the correct interpretation of the Bible rests our doctrine of salvation, sanctification, Christian

living and future hope, and it is our solemn responsibility to get to know what God has said with reference to each of

these, and in fact all His Truth as far as we are able to receive it. Not only this, but if we do not know the correct

method of Biblical interpretation, we shall confuse the voice of God with the voice of man. In every place where

our interpretation is at fault, we have substituted the voice of man for the voice of God, and are getting error instead

of truth. Most of the doctrinal variations and disagreements in Christendom are due to differences in interpretation.

Thus it is practically impossible to over-estimate the importance of correct hermeneutics, for from this flows correct

After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and in Luke 24:27

we read:

` ... beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded (interpreted, diermeneuo) unto them in all the

Scriptures the things concerning Himself'.

And later on, to the eleven He said:

` ... all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms,

concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures' (Luke

It is helpful to see the important place that understanding has in the parables of the kingdom of heaven. Israel's

unbelief and failure inevitably led to a non-understanding heart (Matt. 13:15), and in such a condition the human

mind is especially open to the devil's activity (verse 19). He that received seed into the good ground is he that heard

the word and understood it (verse 23). At the end of His discourse, the Lord asks: `Have ye understood all these

things?' and the favoured disciples were able to answer: `Yea Lord' (verse 51). In the Acts of the Apostles we find

Philip asking the Ethiopian eunuch:

`Understandest thou what thou readest?'

and his reply was:

`How can I, except some man should guide me?' (Acts 8:30,31).

There is no doubt that Divine understanding is the need of us all, but we are not in a position to receive this if

our method of Biblical interpretation is at fault. We are prompted to ask the question, `Is there some way of

interpreting the Word of God so that human opinion is ruled out and Divine understanding given?' We believe there

is, hence the supreme importance of this study.

Someone may object and say that anything can be proved from the Bible. We have to face the fact that the most

extraordinary ideas and fantastic notions are backed up by quotations from the Scriptures. Edward White writes: