Lesson 4) Be Willing to Question Your Presuppositions

Questioning Presuppositions Before Interpreting Scripture

Well, welcome back to day number four in our introductory class on hermeneutics. We've looked already at the importance of context, the second principle of understanding the difference between descriptive passages and prescriptive passages.

We've looked at the importance of interpreting the more difficult passages by those that are easy so that we're not confused with complex passages. We go to the easier ones to understand. Well, today what I want to challenge you with is actually one of the first things you should do when you come to a passage of scripture, and that is question your own presuppositions.

Because sometimes our presuppositions, and when I say that, I'm also including your systematic theology, maybe how you were raised, maybe things that you had experienced. You want to question these things because sometimes we can be wrong because we come to a passage of scripture with a preconceived idea of what it's going to mean.

So sometimes you have people who believe that the charismatic gifts continued. Well, when they come to passages, they're going to look at that with the experience they have and read those passages different than a person who doesn't believe that the charismatic gifts continue.

They could come to the same passages and read them very different because of their experiences or lack thereof. Or it could be that some people are going to come to passages and because of their systematic theology, if they're Calvinistic, they're going to come to passages as Romans 9 and emphasize that strongly and maybe have a differing view of Romans 10 than someone that's coming with an Arminian theology.

The person with Arminian theology may be approaching it and saying, you know what, I'm seeing a lighter emphasis on Romans 9 and a stronger emphasis on Romans 10. And what you end up seeing is sometimes people come to a text and because of their preconceived ideas, they are thinking, this is what the text might mean.

And sometimes you actually hear people say, this is not what it can mean this because then my systematic theology would be wrong. Well, here's a simple principle that you always have to remember. Your systematic theology should be informed by your Bible interpretation and not the other way around.

So you shouldn't be coming to the Bible and interpreting that by your systematic theology because the systematic theology was systematized by men and can be wrong. The Bible can't be wrong. So what you want to do is take what the Bible says and then look at your systematic theology.

And sometimes your systematic theology could be wrong. Let me give you an example. For years I had a debate with friends of mine, those who are more Calvinistic, and I argued that salvation, when we think about it, many people would argue when we look at, when you look at Ephesians chapter 2 and when you look at verses 9 and 10, when it says that, sorry, 8 and 9, for by grace you have been saved through faith and this not of your own doing, it is a gift of God.

And many Calvinistic people would argue that that faith is a gift. And I said, no, it's not. Because in the grammar in that passage, that idea of gift can be the faith or the grace, either one. The grammar allows for that.

And so it's one that didn't really make it clear. And then one day I was, as I was pastoring and preaching through the book of Philippians, and I got to Philippians 1 .29, and I had myself a little problem, because I didn't like it.

Because there were things that I held to, and I even argued for, and I came upon this verse, for it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake.

And I went, ouch, I had a dilemma. That verse says that my belief has been granted to me. It was given to me. The arguments that I made for years was wrong. I was wrong. I had to call up some friends and apologize.

Why? I had one of two choices. I could double down and start to reinterpret what Scripture clearly taught and make it say something it didn't, and do a disservice to my congregation, or I could admit that I was wrong and change my systematic theology, change my theology because it's now informed by Scripture.

So we need to be willing to question our presuppositions. Now tomorrow's class, which we'll wrap it up, is going to be the topic of interpreting Scripture with Scripture, another important principle.