Understanding God’s Word Using P.S.R.
Recently I decided to shift gears and focus more on the pew level approach to understanding God’s Word. Rather than concentrate on the academic level with regards to biblical interpretation, I decided to develop a “sweat less system” whereby any Christian can approach Bible studies with only the Bible in hand. There are many systems out there basically providing the same rehashed methods to understanding scripture which has value, but fails to meet the needs of those who lack regular discipline in reading the Bible for themselves. Another problem I see is that many people no longer know how to read. People would rather watch a movie, see a show, listen to music or play games on a computer. This has in my opinion crippled our overall reading abilities. When was the last time you read a book? How about the Bible? My father-in-law pastors a church in the Philippines where the typical education for those seated in the pews average from the 4th to 5th grade level. Attempting to school them from a textbook on hermeneutics on any level will be extremely difficult. By the way, my father-in-law implemented the P.S.R. before he left for the Philippines to test the value of this simple technique. His comments were, "Wow, I'm so happy. It really works!" My goal is to show a person how to read the text (Bible) and understand it without having to carry any other book(s) other than the Bible.
P.S.R. (Paraphrase, Synonym(s), Rewrite)
Paraphrase- The objective here is to paraphrase (say what you are reading in your own words) what the author said. This forces you to “see” what’s there. Flawed interpretation is usually a result of not taking into consideration the details of a given passage. I have always taught that the more details (words) you observe the closer you are to the meaning of the text. By using the details (words) provided in a given passage we are able to be faithful to what Jesus said regarding living off of every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matt.4:4).
Consider this illustration:
A two story house has been burned to the floor. Nothing is left aside from the ashes and soot. To the average person looking at the remains, it would be impossible to ascertain how and what triggered the destruction of this home. To the trained eye that specializes in “looking” at the information (details), he can piece it together based on his observations and clues. The more details that are left behind, the easier it is to discover the cause. Though nothing is left, he discovers certain burn patterns, and notices things left behind that gives him all the info needed to determine what actually started the fire. He concludes that it was a clothing iron that was left on.
When you paraphrase the text (yes, the English) you are now forced to concentrate on each word that you are reading. This alone reduces significantly any chance of misinterpreting the text. Keep in mind that you are to stay faithful to what you are reading and replacing. The more words (details) you use (replace) when paraphrasing the higher the accuracy. I’ve said this in class that though we have many translations out there, they are basically saying the same thing for the most part just in a slightly different way. If you paraphrase the English Bible, you are doing a mild form of translating from a translation. Your overall accuracy depends on word choices when replacing what you are reading. If the NAS, NIV, NKJ, as well as a host of other translations are considered accurate and based on the original, why not paraphrase the Bible in words that you can understand? There will always be exegetical issues but this is usually dealt with on a language and syntax level. This technique is not for handling those issues but rather the issue of reading for understanding.
Synonym- Use a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning. When you replace a word with another word which in essence means the same thing you buffer the overall interpretation. In a typical Bible study you read a passage, and then decide what it means. Rarely do people slow down to observe the words in view. Definition comes as a result of words put together to state the authors intentions. Since meaning is shaped by words, we need to consider them as we study the Bible. Have you ever noticed during a Bible study people give their opinions based on what they “think” it means? Very rarely do people "know" it means. If there are twenty people in the study, you will get thirty interpretations (opinions). With this approach (P.S.R.), you are forced to pay attention to the words of the author. You are simply re-saying the verse with similar words.
Rewrite- At this point you should have paraphrased and selected key words (such as verbs and/or nouns) and replaced them with synonyms (similar words). By rewriting the text, this allows you to take ownership of the passage. The more senses you use when approaching the Bible, the better the overall focus which gives for greater accuracy of the text.
Example using Rom: 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; KJV
For the anger of God is currently displayed from heaven against all ungodly and evil men who restrain the truth in their sinful living. AIC
I've always believed that when you read any passage/verse of scripture you should be able to restate it in your own words. If you can't, it would be equivalent to not reading it at all. Don't proceed until you can say what you just read.
My attempt is to provide the Christian community a simple approach to understanding the Bible. Once these techniques are mastered you can proceed to advanced forms of hermeneutics/exegesis to which there are many.
A.I.C.
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