Rules are to Guide You - 08, 09 & 10
Respect what the Writer Meant!
Also, I looked for ways in which I could learn the rules to guide me. The technical word for these rules is hermeneutics. It is of Greek origin and means interpret. I signed up for a conference in Illinois put on by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. The presenters spoke about the principles for properly interpreting the Bible. I purchased a book, Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible. The book is a compilation of papers written by some of the most respected exegetical minds.1
There are scores of books presenting rules of interpretation. And you will find some disagreement as to what all the rules are and how you are to go about applying them. This should not discourage you as a reader and studier of Scripture. The minute you open the book and flip the first page you are incorporating rules into your reading. The question is not whether or not you are going to use rules, but which rules will you use to honor God’s Word and the intent of the biblical writers.
Here is a short list of some good books on hermeneutics. Buy one or two. I mentioned one already in the footnotes. The last on this list is not geared toward biblical hermeneutics but provides rules for proper reading, nonetheless.
Biblical Hermeneutics, Terry, Milton S., Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids.1961.
Knowing Scripture, Sproul, R.C., IVP Books; Revised ed. edition (March 25, 2009).
Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning, Kaiser, Walter C., Zondervan Academic, Revised Expanded Edition, (August 19, 2009).
How to Read a Book, Adler, Mortimer J. & Van Doren, Charles, Simon & Schuster, 1972.
1 Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, & the Bible, Papers from ICBI Summit II. Radmacher, Earl D., and Preus, Robert D. Editors, Academi Books, Zondervan Publishing House,1984.