This principle entails elements of previous principles, yet retains its own distinctiveness. The principle states that "no meaning should be elicited from Scriptures other than that which a fair and honest interpretation yields (Northeast Bible Institute, p.1)." By this I mean that the reader of Scripture should make use of all the tools which one has available in attempting to determine what the correct interpretation of a passage or particular book of the Bible might be. To elicit an interpretation which is not found even implicitly in Scripture, is to distort the original intentions of the writers of Scripture. If possible, one should make use of the original languages (Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew) in which the Bible was written. In this way, it is possible to come closer to the meaning which the writers sought to give (Carmona, p.35).
This particular principle guards us against "reading into" the Scriptures something which is not there, even by implication. It also prevents us from arriving at conclusions which were never intended by the writers.
The questions for us are:
What tools, in addition to the Bible itself, do we utilize in attempting to draw out the meaning of what we read in Scripture?
How do we reconcile the discrepancies that exists between the different translations of the Bible?
How do we reconcile the differences of interpretation and perspectives that exist between the different biblical commentaries?
In your opinion, is it possible for us to achieve a purely "objective" and "infallible" interpretation of the
biblical text?
Feel free to address any one or all of these questions. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A.Ayala-Carmona
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