 Comprehension
Reading is more than simply being able to identify letters and sound out words in your native language. Reading is about comprehending the message that the words, sentences, and paragraphs are intending to communicate. This is not only true when reading. It is necessary to all forms of communication that the message is accurately comprehended. Many if not most of the relational issues that we have in our world stem from issues of miscommunication. Most marriage counselors will acknowledge that marital problems, stemming from all kinds of issues such as financial fights, infidelity, extended family drama and more, start with poor communication. When we hear about communication problems, I think that most of us usually assume that the problem is with the delivery of the message. Therefore, we believe that to fix the problem we need to communicate more clearly, directly, and succinctly. Obviously, many communication problems do derive from the message being delivered poorly. However, it is also possible that many misunderstandings take place because the message was not received and understood rightly. Anachronism Anachronism means “something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time” or “an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one.” A couple of examples should help us to grasp the concept. Imagine that you were watching a documentary about the Civil War and one of the soldiers was wearing a cell phone on their belt. This would be an anachronism because cell phones didn’t exist in the period of the Civil War. Or what if you were watching a documentary about World War 2, but the soldier on the screen was armed for a first century battle with a sword and shield. These are examples of chronological inaccuracies. One of the ways that many people misinterpret historical texts, especially the Bible, is by reading a current understanding of a word or concept back into the time when it was written. One example would be if we read every use of the word “preach” in our Bible and assume that it is referring to a preacher standing behind a pulpit delivering a monologue lecture. Or if we always interpret the word “baptize” as referring to immersion in water, or if we interpret the word “church” as referring to a building where the followers of Christ would meet for worship (which it never means in the Bible). We are interpreting the text anachronistically. Context The only way for us to correctly interpret what the Bible means is to understand the historical context of both the author and the intended audience. We must remember the principle that the Bible can never mean what it never meant. This means that the meaning and interpretation of a given text of Scripture is fixed in its original context. However, that meaning can then be applied to our modern context in many different ways. This means that we must understand the historical, grammatical, and redemptive context surrounding any particular passage of Scripture so that we interpret THE meaning of that text. Once we understand the correct meaning then we can apply that truth to our specific situation. It is my position that most cults and even many Christian denominations have doctrines and beliefs that stem from anachronistic understandings of certain words, phrases, or verses. This not only happens when we attempt to bring the text forward into our day but also when we try to place ourselves into the text without understanding the historical realities. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul is encouraging Timothy to accurately handle the word of truth. The Bible can, and often has been, misinterpreted and misapplied, even doing damage to misinformed souls. Therefore, we must seek to understand the Scriptures correctly for the good of human souls and the ultimate glory of our great God!
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