A perceptive biblical interpreter must possess certain skills and competencies to master the art and science of biblical exposition. Because biblical interpretation is an art, these skills require time and repetition to perfect—that is, practice. As a science, these skills demand learning the rules of hermeneutics. But in addition to these essential skills, an effective biblical expositor must also possess a few interpretive virtues. What is meant by “virtues” in this context is what can be termed “a code of ethics” for biblical interpreters. These virtues are (1) being submissive, (2) being humble, (3) being spiritual, (4) being sensible, (5) being seasoned, (6) being committed to proper procedure, (7) being intentional, (8) being consistent, (9) being perceptive, (10) being conservative, (11) being courageous, (12) and being exegetical.1
While these virtues are certainly Christian character traits, in this specific context, they are limited to their application to the interpretive task. As will be revealed below, these virtues are essentially a heart posture that will manifest themselves in how we read and interpret Scripture. For the sake of brevity, this discussion will be limited to discussing only six of these twelve virtues.
1. Being Submissive
Among the twelve virtues listed above, the authors Köstenberger and Patterson did well when they chose to list this virtue before all else. This virtue is perhaps among the pillars on which the remaining virtues must be established. The way they describe it is by having a submissive stance toward Scripture, or, as they put it, “Approach Scripture with reverence as the Word of God.”2 But to put this in practical terms, this virtue revolves around the following question: when an interpreter approaches Scripture, does he subject his mind to the word of God, or does he subject the word of God to his mind? In other words, which one is above the other, Scripture or our own thinking? There is a world of difference between the two postures. When Scripture is subjected to our thinking, we will inevitably impose our views and interpretations on Scripture. Meaning, that we will make Scripture say what we want it to say instead of allowing Scripture to speak for itself (better known as eisegesis). From these polluted waters flow all kinds of erroneous interpretations—and they have! Conversely, when we approach Scripture giving it its due reverence as superior and elevated above our thinking, our very minds, convictions, and beliefs will subsequently be formed—and transformed—through the pages of Scripture. This is the first, crucial virtue to build upon.
2. Being Humble
I would argue that the lack of this specific virtue has split apart the body of Christ and divided it many times over! As the authors frame it, this virtue guards us (or it should!) against being dogmatic. This means making every difference of opinion an irreconcilable difference in faith. In other words, taking the non-essentials and making them essentials. Usually, this is fueled by our desire to judge others who differ in opinion from us, as opposed to addressing their opinions merely as differences in views. Invariably, what follows is personal vendettas, strife, and division. Throughout church history, there have been many “schisms” caused by exactly that—differences in interpretations became personal, instead of remaining mere differences. For instance, in AD 451 in the Council of Chalcedon, the monophysite churches of the East insisted on claiming “one nature of the incarnate Son of God,” while the Western churches demanded the belief in “two natures, one divine and one human.” Though the unified church had no specific stance on this issue because there had been no prior discussion of it in the church for more than 300 hundred years, because of disagreements on the interpretation of certain biblical passages, the church was split and remains split to this day. Those who study this unfortunate period in church history would quickly come to realize that the differences and the dissension were less about matters of faith and more about personal disagreements and the desire “to be right”!
3. Being Spiritual
It is acknowledged by most orthodox biblical interpreters that, though Scripture was written by human authors, the Holy Spirit is its ultimate author. As is the case with all other books and forms of literature—take the works of Shakespeare as an example—to read an author’s work with understanding, one must learn about that author and study his or her mind. Without this crucial knowledge, it would be impossible to fully comprehend what that author attempts to relate in his or her work. Given that Scripture is God’s revelation to mankind, it is possible that anyone can read it, but it is nearly impossible that one would be able to fully understand it, let alone exposit it and explain it to others, without learning about God and knowing the mind of God. As Scripture itself tells us, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). Thus, those who read—and interpret!—Scripture must be sanctified and “baptized” by the Holy Spirit. I am not referring to the gifts of the Holy Spirit; I simply mean being immersed in God’s word and obediently indwelled by the Holy Spirit. That is, being obedient to the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart; the Holy Spirit must not be extinguished or grieved. But what does that mean in practice? This involves personal, one-on-one time with the LORD daily. It primarily involves daily prayer and time in Scripture, not to interpret Scripture, but to be richly filled with the Spirit of God. Without this personal time with the LORD, biblical exposition would be merely a mental exercise, not a spiritual endeavor!
4. Being Sensible
This virtue refers to what is known as “sanctified common sense.” While interpreting Scripture, one is faced with the realities of uncertainty, lack of clarity, and incomplete knowledge. A faithful interpreter must acknowledge these realities. There is much about Scripture that we, admittedly, do not know, some of which we may never know. The word of God itself teaches us, saying, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Therefore, we must distinguish between: (1) what we know for certain (knowledge that the Scripture has plainly given us, such as the oneness of God, the identity of our Lord Jesus as the Son of God, and the like), (2) what we know with limited certainty (things that the Scripture has stated, but has not fully revealed to us, like the Millennium, the rapture, and so on), and (3) what we simply do not know at all (realities that the LORD has directly told us have not been given to us to know, such as the time and day of his return: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” [Acts 1:7]). A wise interpreter does not assert with confidence what Scripture has not openly stated.
5. Being Seasoned
As stated above, biblical interpretation is part art and part science. While it does require certain knowledge to be able to approach Scripture and interpret it with wisdom, it also requires experience. This is not only limited to frequent research, but it also involves training under the auspices of other, more experienced biblical expositors who exhibit the virtues listed above, among others. Over time, this would enable aspiring interpreters to be mindful of errors, biases, and potential pitfalls. Among these many pitfalls, for example, is one’s preunderstandings and presuppositions when approaching Scripture.4 It would also help form their approach to Scripture by challenging it, thus, creating accountability and developing responsible hermeneutics. For this reason, learning and practicing hermeneutics in an academic setting is a must. One cannot begin to describe the myriad of false and erroneous teachings that could have simply been avoided had those who have taken to the pulpits been properly trained in the academy!
6. Being Committed to Proper Interpretive Procedure
Building on the last virtue, this virtue entails resisting the desire to take “shortcuts” when it comes to handling the word of God. If an engineer takes a shortcut (or two) while designing a bridge or a building, many innocent people would pay for that with their lives. Biblical exposition is no less perilous! Flawed hermeneutics can lead (and has led) many to eternal destruction. A good interpreter, therefore, must not deviate from the proper hermeneutical methods that he or she has learned. Following a methodology—such as learning the historical-cultural setting of the text, properly handling its literary and linguistic aspects, and deriving sound theological doctrines—is essential to proper interpretation. No matter how strong the temptation is to deviate from that process and take shortcuts, a committed interpreter must not succumb!
Conclusion
To close this brief discussion of these interpretive virtues, there is nothing better than the words of our Lord Jesus when asked by one of the teachers of the law about how he could inherit eternal life. Our Lord said in response, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Luke 10:26). From this, we infer two critical aspects related to biblical interpretation: First, what is written in the law in the eyes of our Lord is of utmost importance; it is how one would inherit eternal life (or fall short!); thus, we must handle it reverently and take what is in it seriously. Second, hermeneutics is all about how we read what is written; therefore, we must read what is written, not what is in our heads. In other words, we must read what is written, not write our own “Scripture.” This may be the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation!
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1 Andreas J. Köstenberger and Richard D. Patterson, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology, Invitation to Theological Studies Series, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2021), 655–56.
3 Köstenberger and Patterson, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, 655.
