6 Questions to Discern Faithful Bible Teaching
How can I know if what I am hearing/reading is true?
In my sermon preparation, I typically follow the same pattern. I read the text repeatedly. I read the surrounding context—sometimes the entire book, sometimes the chapters that precede and follow the passage. I then take a pen and mark up the text. I highlight a multitude of things: repeated words, key verbs, tone words, and other significant details. I outline the passage and attempt to distill its basic meaning into a single, clear sentence.
Next, I search for other relevant passages related to the text and evaluate what the whole Bible says about the subject. If the passage is from the Old Testament, I look for how it is cited or fulfilled in the New Testament. If it is from the New Testament, I look for Old Testament texts it quotes or alludes to. In doing this, I am engaging in what theologians call canonical interpretation—reading Scripture as a unified whole. I then identify key themes and trace the argument the biblical author is making.
One of the final steps is to check my work by reading commentaries and listening to other sermons to ensure that I have not missed the mark entirely. If I encounter an interpretation that disagrees with mine, I return to the text and reexamine my notes, asking myself: Did I miss the mark—or did they?
That raises an important question: How do we determine when someone has missed the mark in their interpretation? And how can you do this as well?
Let us be honest—this task can feel daunting. Many preachers, commentators, and scholars possess far more formal education than we do in particular areas. How, then, can we confidently discern what is true without simply deferring to the so-called experts? While I have received plenty of education myself, no one can be an expert in every subject. So how do we determine what is right and true when interpreting Scripture?
The good news is that God has given us tools—even simple ones—that help us walk the right path.
Context Determines Meaning
1. Does This Interpretation Make Sense in the Immediate Context?
This principle applies to all communication, not just Scripture. One of my favorite illustrations comes from Psalm 14:1, which says, “There is no God.” Read in isolation, that line would be shocking. How could the Bible deny God’s existence?
But the fuller context clarifies the meaning: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1, ESV). In context, the verse rebukes atheism rather than affirming it.
If a teacher’s interpretation does not align with what comes before or after a passage, it is not a faithful reading of the text.
2. Does This Interpretation Make Sense in the Context of the Whole Book?
A passage must also be read in light of the author’s overall purpose and argument. Letters, narratives, prophecies, and psalms all have internal logic. Pulling a verse out of its literary context often leads to distortion rather than understanding.
3. Does This Interpretation Make Sense in Its Historical and Cultural Context?
The historical realities of the text matter. Who wrote the book? To whom was it written? Why was it written? What circumstances prompted it?
A foundational principle of biblical interpretation is this: before we can know what a passage means for us, we must first know what it meant for its original audience. This requires historical and cultural research—what scholars call grammatical-historical exegesis. Many commentaries helpfully provide this background in their introductory sections.
4. Does This Interpretation Fit Within the Larger Biblical Story?
Historically, Christians have affirmed that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV).
An interpretation should not contradict clearer passages of Scripture. This principle is known as the analogy of Scripture (analogia Scripturae): Scripture interprets Scripture. We allow the clear to interpret the unclear, recognizing that God does not contradict Himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:33).
Because God is consistent and truthful, His Word forms a coherent and unified witness.
5. Does This Interpretation Align with the History of Christian Theology?
Christian history did not begin with us—or even with our oldest church member. For nearly two thousand years, believers have read, studied, prayed over, and applied Scripture. While Christians have not always agreed on every issue, certain doctrines have emerged as core truths of the faith.
These include, but are not limited to:
Creation ex nihilo
The Trinity
The full deity and full humanity of Christ
Justification by faith alone
These truths were affirmed in the early creeds and later clarified in confessions and catechisms. My point is simple: if an interpretation has never been held by the church across its history, it should be approached with deep caution. Novelty is rarely a virtue in biblical interpretation.
6. Does the Speaker Have an Agenda Foreign to the Text?
One of the earliest warning signs of interpretive error is when someone brings an external agenda to Scripture rather than drawing meaning from it. This is often subtle and requires discernment. However, if you have faithfully worked through the previous questions, many such distortions will already have been exposed.
Final Guide: Humility
God’s Word is clear, yet we read it through fallen and finite lenses (1 Corinthians 13:12). Therefore, we must be willing to be wrong, willing to be corrected, and willing to accept that even people we respect or love may misunderstand a passage.
Scripture is clear in matters of salvation, but God Himself is infinite, holy, and beyond our full comprehension (Isaiah 55:8–9). It makes sense, then, that His self-revelation would require careful study, patient reflection, and prayerful dependence on the Spirit.
Humility is not the enemy of confidence—it is the soil in which faithful interpretation grows.