Author Greg Koukl says that if there is one bit of wisdom he could share to help an individual in their Christian faith, it is this: Never Read a Bible Verse. [1]https://www.str.org/articles/never-read-a-bible-verse
My version of this is what I call the OVINE Principle. For those who don’t know, “ovine” is a word for things related to sheep (somewhat similar to using the word “bovine” for cattle). However, in this case, I am using it as an acronym: One Verse Is Never Enough. And considering the frequency and usage of shepherd and sheep imagery in scripture, it should be an appropriate and memorable one.
The OVINE Principle says that most issues in biblical interpretation can be resolved by understanding the immediate context of the verse(s) in question. There are, of course, multiple levels and types of context. Some passages require familiarity with the background of the entire book, with the specific genre within which the book was written, with the historical and/or cultural context, with the original languages, and in some cases even the history of how the church has traditionally interpreted the text.
But in most cases, a general understanding of biblical principles and a close reading of the verses before and after the verse in question is enough to provide enough context to understand the meaning of scripture.
Here’s a personal example: I remember reading 1 Corinthians 9:14. The King James translation renders this as “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” At the time, reading that verse alone in single translation, it made perfect sense to me; I would have paraphrased it as “Those who preach the gospel should live according to the principles of the gospel.”
But reading from the beginning of the chapter, it becomes clear that Paul is talking about something completely different. Paul says that when a soldier goes to war, he doesn’t do it at his own expense (1 Cor. 9:7). He says that when someone plants a vineyard, the worker eats the grapes, or someone who tends animals drinks from their milk.
Trying to determine important doctrine from a single verse is like playing hermeneutical “Name That Tune.”
Paul provides several other examples, such as “those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple” (1 Cor. 9:13). In context, his true point is clear: those who preach the gospel have a right to make a living from their work. The meaning is more obvious in newer translations. (The NIV says “In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”) But even in the King James version, which in this case is less clear, reading the paragraphs before verse 14 helps uncover the correct interpretation.
The OVINE Principle is also particular useful in making one frequent interpretive distinction: between biblical “promises” and “principles.”
In future articles, we will look at the promises vs. principles issue, additional examples of the OVINE Principle in action, and the OVINE Method for even deeper levels of understanding. But this should serve as at least a minimal introduction to the idea.
Another way in which “One Verse Is Never Enough” is that it is probably unwise to base any core doctrine on a single verse or passage. Repetition and reinforcement of concepts is a key characteristic of scripture and particularly of Hebrew writing, so an idea that seems to only be explicitly stated once in scripture is a potential — or even likely — source of misinterpretation.
Some readers may remember a television game show called “Name That Tune” that aired (off and on) from the 1950s to the 1980s, The game-play was focused on identifying popular song using minimal information, with the most memorable format involved the players “bidding” on how few notes it would take for them to name the mystery tune: for example “I can name that tune in three notes.”
Trying to determine important doctrine from a single verse is like playing hermeneutical “Name That Tune.” It is more likely to reflect limitations of the mind of the reader than it is to result in the knowledge and understanding of what God is trying to communicate.
And that my two cents…
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