Introduction
If there is only one God speaking to all believers around the world with one voice, then how can the Church have as many as 45,000 distinct denominations and even more doctrines leading them in different directions? Unity is unquestionably one of the primary objectives of the New Testament—so, what does that mean in light of such division?
Perhaps the most pervasive problem with the Church's unity is related to scripture--not it's inerrancy or the truths within, but our interpretation of it. A hundred people can look into the same sky and experience a hundred things, but does that change the sky? It is one thing for the Holy Spirit to lead us through scripture relative to our unique needs, but would He lead us apart from one another? Would He teach us conflicting truths?
If only there were a way we could all read Scripture differently in personal and communal context, yet consistently arrive at one unchanging truth—God’s truth—with no differences in who God is and His relationship with man. If only there was a method for all of us to 'get on the same page' instead of over 45,000 ways of interpreting what is, in reality, one unified Word from God.
Hermeneutics - The Way We Interpret The Bible
Most pastors, teachers, and church leaders have learned to interpret Scripture through methods passed down by faithful mentors, seminary training, or years of study—what’s commonly referred to as hermeneutics. While each approach has its strengths, the goal has always been the same: to faithfully understand what God is expressing to us through His written Word (Special Revelation). Here are some of the most widely used interpretive approaches, each offering valuable insights:
Literal Interpretation – Takes the text at face value, emphasizing the plain meaning of words within their immediate context. Strength: clarity and consistency.
Historical-Grammatical Method – Seeks the author’s intended meaning by examining original language, grammar, and historical context. Strength: depth and accuracy.
Theological Interpretation – Interprets Scripture through the lens of established doctrinal systems. Strength: coherence with core beliefs and confessional integrity.
Canonical Interpretation – Understands individual passages in light of the entire biblical canon. Strength: unity and redemptive flow.
Allegorical or Symbolic Interpretation – Searches for deeper spiritual or metaphorical meanings beneath the literal text. Strength: richness and spiritual reflection.
While some traditions lean primarily on a single method (literal, allegorical, or theological), many pastors wisely adjust based on the intent and genre of the text. The Better Ministry (TBM) has chosen the latter regarding literal or allegorical understanding as appropriate—but always on the unshakable foundation of historical-grammatical, canonical, and Ontological interpretation.
Ontological Hermeneutics – Interpreting Scripture According to What Is Real
By ontological hermeneutics, we simply mean interpreting Scripture in alignment with what is real—what God has revealed through the universe He made, the history He allowed, and the patterns He embedded in everything from gravity to justice. These truths are made known to us in every part of daily life.
This includes not only creation but also the structures of human life, relationships, moral consequence, redemptive patterns, and even the long arc of history and scientific discovery. Ontology, as used here, is not a theory but a recognition of what God makes undeniably real.
Ontological interpretation is not one interpretive lens among others—it is the standard by which all interpretations must be tested. Scripture is our preserved written revelation and final authority. But ontological interpretation begins with the reality God has already made known and continues to sustain. Scripture does not override reality—it clarifies and confirms it.
This approach requires three things:
Reality – As God created and sovereignly governs it
The Holy Spirit – Who teaches us as we walk with Him in it
A posture of application – A commitment to act on what we read and hear from Him
When these three are aligned, interpretation becomes living truth.
Conscience and experience, while real, are not final authorities. They are shaped by reality and can be distorted by sin, culture, or emotion—and must be tested against God’s fuller revelation through Scripture and all He reveals in the world. Similarly, divine illumination by the Holy Spirit and the counsel of mature believers are not interpretive techniques but expressions of humility and dependence. However, the more agreement we find among Spirit-led prayer, confirmed reality, and the wisdom of faithful believers, the more confident we can be that we are aligned with God’s truth--that is Ontological Hermeneutics.
For example, if someone interprets a passage to mean that the sun revolves around the earth, or that the earth is flat, yet God’s creation plainly demonstrates otherwise, ontological interpretation demands a re-examination. Or if someone reads “be fruitful and multiply” as referring only to reproduction, but the structure of creation shows that fruitfulness requires greater stewardship, cultivation, and innovation to sustain more lives, then our interpretation must be reconsidered—not because science trumps Scripture, but because world God rules and His Word must speak with one voice when rightly understood.
If our interpretation of Scripture contradicts what is unmistakably real, the error lies not in God's revelation but in our reading of it. General and Special Revelation cannot conflict—only our interpretations can. That is why they must be continually tested—not only by tradition or theology, but by reality itself.
Fundamental Principle: Interpretation is only valid if it aligns with the observable, God-governed universe He is revealing every day.
From Interpretation to Application – Commitment Comes First
How many people do you know who study the Bible more than they apply it? Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that even the greatest knowledge, without love, amounts to nothing. James tells us clearly: “faith without works is dead,” and we must be “doers of the word, not hearers only.”
If we commit ourselves to interpretation but not application, we risk misrepresenting the very truth we claim to uphold. Application is not a step that follows interpretation—it’s a critical step required for not only interpreting what is real and true, but also knowing it.
You can read about riding a bike, but you don't know how to ride until you have ridden. The more you do, the more you know. The same is true about Scripture—if you only interpret without doing, you don’t actually know how it applies to you. Ontological Hermeneutics is most practical here: we know Scripture through lived experience. We may discuss it, journal it, even memorize it—but until it is practiced in the context of real life, our understanding remains incomplete, and possibly false.
Fundamental Principle: True interpretation cannot exist apart from lived commitment to apply what is read.
From Commitment to Doing – Letting the Holy Spirit Teach Through Reality
Reading Scripture without committing to apply it is like promising to act without any real intention to follow through. That might hit hard, but can anyone truly say it’s not accurate?
The Holy Spirit is not waiting for us to understand in theory—He is teaching us in real-time. The more we posture ourselves as doers, the more teachable we become. And the more we are taught, the more we understand—not just intellectually, but ontologically.
When Jesus commanded us to make disciples it was not to study the Bible, it was to learn-and-live to follow Him. He did not tell us to make students—disciples learn from following, not in classrooms. And who are we following? Jesus promised those who put their full faith in Him a helper--the Holy Spirit--to convict, guide, encourage and strengthen us, "and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." (John 14:26).
Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” All things—Reality—General Revelation. Every moment is an active classroom. Scripture is our preserved/written curriculum, the Holy Spirit is our ongoing Teacher, we are the HIs disciples, and reality is where it all unfolds.
Fundamental Principles: We learn-to-know by doing. The Holy Spirit teaches in real-time as we commit to walk in truth as His disciples.
In Summary:
Ontological Hermeneutics requires three things:
- A reality-centered framework (what God is revealing in all things)
- A posture of committed application (doing, not just hearing)
- An active relationship with the Holy Spirit (learning in real time)
Scripture becomes fully alive when we stop treating it as content to master and begin treating it as a voice to follow. Only then will interpretation lead to unity, truth, and transformation.
And ultimately, the only way we can hope to unite the Church before Jesus returns for His bride is through the practice of Ontological Hermeneutics. There may be 45,000 ways to interpret Scripture, but there is only one reality—and the more we allow reality the God rules (General Revelation) and the helper Jesus promised as the Holy Spirit to shape our understanding of God's Word (Special Revelation), the more united we can become. One Spirit, one Reality, and one Word—leading us to glorify and enjoy God in all things as the Bride of Christ, on earth as it is in heaven.
Comments
Post a Comment