Seeker sensitive individuals can, at times, accept what is imagined among people in the reading of the biblical text. If imaginations both creative and wild reach too far to form false ideas of theological relevance, the outcome can at best result in confusion or contradiction to Scriptural truths. The truths of Scripture that are made clear are often simple according to the author’s biblical genre and the Spirit of the LORD. A practice that is colloquially known as “twisting scripture” is a distortion of meaning without contemplation, careful thought, or proper biblical exegesis. It can become that which accompanies the absence of critical thought for questionable gain.
Honor Intended Meaning
To find Christ in every single area of the biblical text is to betray the intended meaning given by the authors of Scripture. The word of YHWH is precious and the source of life. It is written to save the souls of those who are His (James 1:21). It should be revered, loved, and honored with such a high view that interpretation never becomes a source of confusion to shapes misguided conclusions. It is possible to go too far in seeing Christ in the Bible.
Consider the context of Proverbs 6:6-8, where it is written, “Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.” Where is Christ in that segment of text?
We do have helpful guidelines to walk through and keep our conclusions coherent and on point. Specifically, with the intended meaning of Scripture. [1]
- The principle should be reflected in the biblical text.
- The principle should be timeless and not tied to a specific situation.
- The principle should not be culturally bound.
- The principle should be consistent with the teaching of the rest of Scripture.
- The principle should be relevant to both the biblical and the contemporary audience.
Theological Criteria for Meaning
This outline serves as a criterion to identify a valid theological principle. If we seek to find correlations of Christ and foreshadows of Him in Scripture, we can apply this outline to assure we are on the mark to form reliable conclusions about what the LORD wants us to understand and accept.
It is especially useful to reference the Biblical Map of written text across genres. A principle we come upon using this guideline must fit or correlate with the rest of the Bible as indicated in our outline above. This criterion helps to qualify theological principles eligible for acceptable use. An overall effort to include relevant passages about the person and deity of Christ, His mission, and permanent status as our LORD and King.
[1] J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2012), 45, 262.
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