Key passages:

John 16:13 – Spirit guides into truth

Isa. 8:20, KJV – Testing by “the law and the testimony”

1 Cor. 2:9-14 – Unspiritual cannot understand the spiritual

2 Cor. 3:14 – The hardened mind

2 Cor. 4:4 – The god of this world blinds unbelievers

Romans 12:2 – The transformed mind

Acts 15 – The church at work interpreting Scripture

Isa. 28:9-10 – “Line upon line” (key text)

2 Pet. 3:15-16 – Ignorant and unstable twist the Scriptures

Key questions:

1. What did the Reformers mean when they said that the Bible was its own interpreter? Were they more concerned about the intrusion of church authorities, non-church authorities, or the weaknesses of human reason?

2. If it is true that the Bible never interprets itself but is always interpreted by someone, then how can we make sure that the various “someones” will do the job right?

3. What is the proper role of the church as a corporate entity in interpreting Scripture?

4. How should believers relate to other members of the body of Christ when it comes to interpreting Scripture? Should we seek their counsel, accept their counsel, adapt their counsel to our needs?

5. If human reason is fallible, what are the appropriate steps to take to overcome that danger?

6. What are the reasons why people wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction?

7. What happens when two honest interpreters differ on the meaning of a passage? Are there some passages that are so clear that they cannot be misinterpreted?

8. What happens when a modern translation loses a favorite interpretation (e.g. Isaiah 8:20, “to the law and to the testimony”; Isaiah 28:10, “line upon line”)?