2. The Bible

One God, one moral system, one Bible. If nature is a system, religion is no less so. God is "a God of order," which is the same as saying he is a God of system. Nature and religion, the offspring of the same supreme intelligence, bear the image of one Father; twin sisters of the same Divine parentage. There is an intellectual and a moral universe as clearly defined as the system of material nature. Man belongs to all three. He is an animal, intellectual, and moral being. Sense is his guide in nature, faith in religion, reason in both. The Bible primarily considers man in his spiritual and eternal relationships. It is the history of nature only as far as necessary to show man his origin and destiny; for it views nature, the universe, only in relation to man's body, soul, and spirit.

The Bible is to the intellectual and moral world of man what the sun is to the planets in our system—the source and fountain of light and life, spiritual and eternal. There is not a spiritual idea in the entire human race that is not drawn from the Bible. As soon as a philosopher can find an independent sunbeam in nature, so can a theologian find a spiritual concept in man independent of The One Best Book.

The Bible, or the Old and New Testaments, in Hebrew and Greek, contains a full and perfect revelation of God and his will, adapted to man as he now is. It speaks of man as he was, and also as he will be; but it focuses on man as he is, and as he ought to be, as its particular and appropriate theme. It is not, then, a treatise on man as he was, nor on man as he will be, but on man as he is and as he ought to be; not as he is physically, astronomically, geologically, politically, or metaphysically; but as he is and ought to be morally and religiously.

The words of the Bible contain all the ideas in it—these words, then, rightly understood, reveal the ideas clearly. The words and sentences of the Bible are to be translated, interpreted, and understood according to the same laws and principles of interpretation by which other ancient writings are translated and understood; for when God spoke to man in his own language, he spoke as one person converses with another, in fair, agreed upon, and well-established meanings of the terms. This is essential to its character as a revelation from God; otherwise, it would not be a revelation, but would always require a class of inspired men to unfold and reveal its true meaning to mankind.

We have written frequently and extensively on the principles and rules of interpretation, as essential and useful in this generation of remaining mysticism and allegorizing. From our previous writings, we will here only extract the bare rules of interpretation, derived from extensive and well-digested premises; fully supported, too, by the leading translators and most distinguished critics and commentators of the last and present century.

Rule 1. When opening any book in the sacred Scriptures, first consider the historical circumstances of the book. These include the order, the title, the author, the date, the place, and the occasion of it.

The order in historical compositions is very important; for example—whether it is the first, second, or third of the five books of Moses, or any other series of narrative, or even epistolary communication.

The title is also important, as it sometimes expresses the purpose of the book. For example, Exodus—the departure of Israel from Egypt; Acts of the Apostles, etc.

The peculiarities of the author—the age in which he lived—his style—mode of expression—illuminate his writings. The date, place, and occasion of it are obviously necessary for a correct application of anything in the book.

Rule 2. In examining the contents of any book, regarding precepts, promises, exhortations, etc., note who is speaking, and under what dispensation he serves. Is he a Patriarch, a Jew, or a Christian? Also consider the persons addressed; their prejudices, characters, and religious relationships. Are they Jews or Christians—believers or unbelievers—approved or disapproved? This rule is essential for the proper application of every command, promise, threat, admonition, or exhortation, in the Old Testament or New.

Rule 3. To understand the meaning of what is commanded, promised, taught, etc., the same philological principles, derived from the nature of language; or the same laws of interpretation applied to the language of other books, are to be applied to the language of the Bible.

Rule 4. Common usage, which can only be determined by evidence, must always decide the meaning of any word that has only one meaning; but when words have, according to evidence (i.e., the dictionary), more than one meaning, whether literal or figurative, the scope, the context, or parallel passages must decide the meaning: for if common usage, the writer’s purpose, the context, and parallel passages fail, there can be no certainty in interpreting language.

Rule 5. In all figurative language, identify the point of resemblance, and judge the nature of the figure and its kind from that point of resemblance.

Rule 6. In interpreting symbols, types, allegories, and parables, this rule is supreme: determine the point to be illustrated; for comparison is never to be extended beyond that point—to all the attributes, qualities, or circumstances of the symbol, type, allegory, or parable.

Rule 7. For the beneficial and sanctifying understanding of the Oracles of God, the following rule is indispensable—

We must come within the range of understanding.

There is a distance properly called the speaking distance, or the hearing distance; beyond which the voice does not reach, and the ear does not hear. To hear another, we must come within that circle which the voice audibly fills.

Now we may properly say that, as it relates to God, there is an understanding distance. All beyond that distance cannot understand God; all within it can easily understand him in all matters of piety and morality. God himself is the center of that circle, and humility is its circumference.

The wisdom of God is as evident in adapting the light of the Sun of Righteousness to our spiritual or moral vision as in adjusting the light of day to our eyes. The light reaches us without any effort on our part; but we must open our eyes, and if our eyes are sound, we enjoy the natural light of heaven. There is a sound eye in regard to spiritual light, as well as in regard to material light. Now, while the philological principles and rules of interpretation enable many men to be skilled in biblical criticism and in interpreting words and sentences—who neither perceive nor admire the things represented by those words—the sound eye contemplates the things themselves and is captivated by the moral scenes the Bible reveals.

The moral soundness of vision consists in having the eyes of understanding fixed solely on God himself, his approval and loving affection for us. It is sometimes called a single eye because it looks for one thing supremely. Everyone, then, who opens the Book of God with one aim, with one ardent desire—intent only to know the will of God; to such a person, the knowledge of God is easy: for the Bible is designed to illuminate such, and only such, with the beneficial knowledge of things celestial and divine.

Humility of mind, or what is effectively the same, contempt for all earthly pride, prepares the mind to receive this light; or, what is virtually the same, opens the ears to hear the voice of God. Amid the noise of all the arguments from the flesh, the world, and Satan, a person is so deaf that he cannot hear the still small voice of God's love for humanity. But withdrawing from pride, greed, and false ambition; from the love of the world; and coming within that circle, the circumference of which is genuine humility, and the center of which is God himself—the voice of God is distinctly heard and clearly understood. All within this circle are taught by God; all outside it are under the influence of the evil one. 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'

Therefore, anyone who would interpret the Oracles of God for the salvation of his soul must approach this volume with the humility and teachability of a child, and meditate on it day and night. Like Mary, he must sit at the Master's feet and listen to the words that fall from his lips. To such a person there is an assurance of understanding, a certainty of knowledge, which the scholar alone never attained, and which the mere critic never felt.

The Bible is a book of facts, not of opinions, theories, abstract generalities, nor verbal definitions. It is a book of awe-inspiring facts, grand and sublime beyond description. These facts reveal God and man, and contain within them the reasons for all piety and righteousness; or what is commonly called religion and morality. The meaning of the Bible’s facts is the true biblical doctrine. History is therefore the approach used in both Testaments; for testimony primarily deals with faith, and reasoning with understanding. History, we say, deals with facts—and religion springs from them. Hence, the history of the past, and the anticipations of the future, or what are usually called history and prophecy, make up exactly four-fifths of all the volumes of inspiration.