Hermeneutics 1

1-Read the bible like you read any other book(but see also next point). The Bible is not written in secret code. Its message is saving and sublime, but Bible passages are rightly interpreted by attention to everyday matters like word meaning, grammar, literary structure, and context. We should read it in large blocks rather than snatching fragments here and there. If we want to understand it well, we should read it daily and with our full attention.  All these things are true of any book we would seek to understand closely and well. 

It is quite crucial to read the Bible in context. Taking Bible words out of their context can skew their meaning. If we go to scripture in need of comfort and fixate on Mic. 4:10, "Writhe and groan," we may feel worse needlessly. In context, those are words of rebuke to ancient Judah and only apply to us to the extent that we are rebelling against God like Judah was. The Bible often uses metaphor, hyperbole, and other literary devices to convey its message.  Again, the context helps us see when these devices are being used. A sound hermeneutic is alert to the literary conventions that come into play in the Bible as in all literary expressions.