Principles of interpretation

The principles of biblical interpretation are not arbitrary. They are derived from the character of the Bible itself as God's Word written, and from the character of God as revealed in it. We look for the *natural* meaning because we believe that God intended his revelation to be a plain and readily intelligible communication to ordinary human beings. We look for the *original* meaning because we believe that God addressed his word to those who first heard it, and that it can be received by subsequent generations only in so far as they understand it historically. Our understanding may be fuller than that of the first hearers (e.g. of the prophecies of Christ); it cannot be substantially different. We look for the *general* meaning because we believe that God is self-consistent, and that his revelation is self-consistent also. So our three principles (of simplicity, history and harmony) arise partly from the nature of God and partly from the nature of Scripture as a plain, historical, consistent communication from God to men.

John Stott
--From "Understanding the Bible" (rev. edn. London: Scripture Union, 1984), p. 182.