“Ultimately the question of the authority of Scriptures is a matter of faith and not argument” (Martin Lloyd-Jones)
People who disagree with the Bible, often do so, not because they don’t understand it, but because they do, and they don’t want to follow its instructions. In such cases, arguments will not be persuasive. People usually end up coming to Jesus because they either fear God and the consequences of rejecting Him, or because they are attracted to him. In that first case, people are less secure in their beliefs of something else than they are in their beliefs about Jesus. In the second case, which is more common these days, people are drawn to Jesus even if they have doubts about His followers.
If we fully accept, not just tolerate, authority from outside ourselves, it will not be due to fear or a critical attitude. We only accept authority of another because of trust, that is, we must have faith, confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11:1) Once we have faith in God, not only in his existence but also in the reward we can receive by seeking him (Hebrews 11:6) then we can be open to God’s special revelation of himself. (Ephesians 1:17; 3:3; Revelation 1:1). Once we enter into a relationship with God by faith, our experiences allow us to grow even more (Eph 4:14-16; Col 2:14-19; 2 Thes 1:3-4; 2 Pet 3:17-18)
We know the Bible is authoritative because the living God has breathed into the lives of those who wrote the Bible and into the lives of those from whom we learn it. (2 Tim 3:14 -17). We are ensured of that authority because of its ability to penetrate into our very being as it analyzes and judges our very thoughts and attitudes (Heb 4:12).
When analyzing scripture, or actually any document, context is important. A word by itself may have many meanings, but once that word is put in a sentence, the number of meanings will be restricted. For example, the word, “plane,” can refer to an aircraft, a tool for smoothing the surface of wood, or a two-dimensional surface; but when put into a sentence like, “the carpenter smoothed the railing with a plane,” that word must only refer to a wood-working tool. In a similar way, even sentences can be taken out of context. One of the clues of the need to find context is when a sentence starts with words like “and” or “but.” A general rule to keep in mind is that any correct analysis of a biblical text will mean that the analysis will agree with the full text of the Bible. Which means that we a full understanding of a biblical text will include the context of a word in a sentence, in a paragraph, in a chapter, tin a book, in other writings by that author, and in the Bible as a whole. The context also includes who is writing to whom in what literary style, in what culture.
Basics of interpretation.
Analysis of the Bible always begins with trying to understand what the author meant to communicate. This analysis includes understanding all the levels of context previously mentioned. This step of the analysis is called “exegesis” which means to “lead out.” This should always be the first step of the analysis.
The next step of analysis is to try to understand the implications of what we just analyzed, that is, how should we interpret this text to discover what it means to us today or what general principles are contained in the exegesis that can be applied in other situations. This step of the analysis is called “hermeneutics,” which means “to interpret or translate.” This process could involve some “eisegesis,” or reading into the text. A word of caution, when we try to “read ourselves: into the text, it is never proper to read into a passage what the text never meant to say. The goal is to “read out” the meaning of what the author meant and then find out the principles that the author intended that can be applied to different situations.
See also Mystery of the traditions and the Bible, The context of theology, and Appendix A – tips on how to study the Bible
Transcendent Touched 