- Some Notes on Interpretation

2. Some Principles to Guide Us in Interpretation

The first basic principle in interpretation is: Context is King, and Wider Context is the King’s Supreme Adviser. The second basic principle is: be careful not to confuse the sound of a word with the sense of that word. A word sounds all the same regardless of its context... but the sense of the word is always determined by its immediate and wider context. And words have meaning. The third basic principle: Scripture is always consistent, and non-contradictory. So is sane exegesis. An interpretation that contradicts or is inconsistent with another part of the Scriptures is questionable at best, erroneous at worse. Someone rightly observes, “If you have a contradiction, then you have a misinterpretation!”

Here is the relevant statement from the Confession of Faith that indicates the disputed doctrinal point. 1689.10.1 that summarizes the teaching of Scriptures state thus: “Those whom God hath predestined unto life, He is pleased in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh: renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.” [emphasis mine]

What or who does ‘His Word’ refer to? Let me assure you that this is not just a wasteful dispute over one small word. A vital truth is at stake here. So, don’t dismiss this as irrelevant. In any case, the fact that the leaders of seven churches have met, deliberated and deemed it ‘fundamental and serious’ enough to lodge an official complaint on this matter to SDC is proof that it is no small matter at all.

It is a dispute over how the eternal life is bestowed by God to His elect people redeemed by Christ. Is some kind of human co-operation needed by the Triune God to effectually call His elect unto eternal life? Is the Triune God in some way dependent upon some instrument, like the gospel preaching and hearing, in His sovereign act of bestowing eternal life to His elect people? Did God anywhere decree to include human co-operation or instrument in His purpose of bestowing eternal life to His elect? How did you come to possess eternal life? Was it by your co-operation like your hearing and believing and/or some assistance from other people, e.g. like the preacher and his faithful preaching? So, this doctrinal subject is actually intensely personal. It concerns you. It is as personal as ‘how were you conceived?’ How did your life come about? Were you conceived by your parents with the help of things like nappie, baby cot, baby clothes, talcum powder, etc?

I am fully aware that God has appointed the ministry of the word to ‘bring life and immortality to light through the gospel’ 2Tim 1:10. ‘To bring life to light’ is to make manifest the life that God has already bestowed. That’s what the gospel is appointed to do – to make manifest the life that was ALREADY bestowed. Life is made manifest through the preaching of the gospel, ‘the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace’ (1689.20.4). The gospel is to reveal what God has done in a person. The gospel cannot reveal what is not already there in the person. The person will not believe unless God has first bestowed the gift of faith to him. And faith is evidence of salvation already bestowed (1689.11.2).