An article was written in the newspapers, Today, on 10^th September 2012.  In it, the author defended the use of proper grammar in journalism and wrote that he “hoped that proper grammar can endure,” and “rules of grammar and usage assist us in expressing ourselves with precision.”

Precision in language also leads to precision in thoughts.  We tend to be sloppy these days in putting forth our arguments.  The main reason is the increasing carelessness in our language.” Grammatical rules are precise, accurate and indispensable.  This, in turn, enforces precision and accuracy of the thoughts.

Likewise, God’s word, the Bible, is precise, accurate and indispensible.  The Bible governs our conduct and the way we live our life.  God, in His infinite wisdom, wrote the Bible, so that we could know God’s Word in a precise and accurate manner.  To do so otherwise would require endless volumes of books.

As much as there are rules in grammar, likewise, there are rules in the interpretation of the Bible.  One such rule is to identify the main thought (and where possible, also the key verse) of the passage.  This key verse forms the main idea of the passage.  This, in turn, would then be elaborated in the verses which precede or follow.  Observing connective words such as “for,” “therefore” and “because” will lead us to understand the connection between verses.  It will highlight clearly to us the full meaning of the key verse and hence the full thrust of the passage.

I thank God that our pastor makes a lot of effort to teach us the rules of the interpretation of the Bible.  Once you understand the art of interpretation, you will be able to enjoy and understand God’s word and thus be a better Christian.

As the author stated, if we were sloppy in our arguments, it would be because of our increasing carelessness in our language.  Likewise, if we are sloppy in our study and interpretation of God’s Word, we would also live a sloppy Christian life.

If, however, we make effort to strictly use the rules of interpretation to understand God’s word, we would be strong Christians.  We can live a vibrant and victorious Christian life.

In our Adult Sunday School, we strive to teach the students not only to understand God’s word with its full thrust, but also to learn the art of Bible interpretation.  If you are not already part of Sunday School, may I strongly encourage you to join one of the classes.  Study the Word of God diligently and the rules of Bible interpretation to become a strong, vibrant and victorious Christian.