Love, Game, Set, Match: 6 Rules For Scriptural Interpretation
I spent my youth on a tennis court. Racquet in hand, I would go out there after school, on weekends and during summer/winter vacation practicing. This is often the life of a child of a tennis professional. So, it wasn’t long before I was teaching lessons, clinics, camps and hosting tournaments. One thing that is the same for every person learning tennis is that there are certain rules for the game, strokes hit and embellishments you can make on your shots (from slices to top spin.) These things are taught consistently to each learning generation to give a proper foundation and avoid future problems. We do the same with interpreting Scripture. In 1994, Roy B. Zuck edited a book called A Biblical Theology Of The New Testament consisting of contributions from the Dallas Theological Seminary Faculty that explained the 6 principles of the Holy Spirit’s role in interpreting Scripture. We can think of each as our faith’s forehand, backhand, overhead, volley, serve and approach shot.