40 Questions - Discussion Part 2B - Questions Related to Meaning

Kelly Ann Marino

Welcome back to the FC Residency Channel—Hermeneutics for You. I'm Kelly Ann Marino, here with my wonderful friend, Paul Sheffield. Today, we’re taking on Part 2 B of Plummer's "40 Questions" book. One of the questions we'll be exploring is in the area of biblical interpretation: Who actually gets to decide what the Bible means? Is it, like, mostly about the author's intention—whether that's the human or divine author—or are readers kind of crafting new meanings as they go?

Paul Sheffield

That’s, uh, that’s the crux, isn’t it? In seminary, I remember a lively debate—folks arguing if the meaning comes from the author, the audience, or sometimes somewhere in-between. If you look at history, you've got Christians, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses—all reading the same book, but ending up in wildly different places, doctrinally. I mean, Christians hold to one triune God. Mormons see, well, lots of gods, and Jehovah’s Witnesses say the divinity of Jesus is off-limits. That’s not even touching disagreements among Christians themselves, like over sexuality.

Kelly Ann Marino

Exactly. And even within Christianity, you see so many interpretations of the same exact passage. I used to sit in our blended family’s living room—Dad reading one translation, Grandma clutching her King James—and I’d hear two totally different takeaways. It’s not always about who’s “right” but understanding there’s, you know, a need for careful, humble interpretation.

Paul Sheffield

Yeah, and it isn’t just theoretical, either. Early in my pastoral days, I led a small group—this was probably, goodness, the late ‘80s—and someone once read John 3:14. Instead of connecting it to Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness, they linked it to, well, something totally out of context, and it spun the discussion off track for weeks. That’s when it hit me: left unchecked, our own lenses can take us far away from what was really meant. That’s why—Scripture itself says—there’s both a correct and an incorrect way to understand what’s written.

Kelly Ann Marino

And that's why, honestly, we all need a posture of humility when we come to the text. Otherwise, we just end up stating our biases more loudly, not really letting the text shape us. I love that these challenges aren’t new—they’re, like, baked into the whole process of interpretation.

Kelly Ann Marino

So, building on that… one of the wildest things for me learning church history was how people have, well, kind of swung between “one clear meaning” and “so many secret meanings” over the centuries! In the earliest days, the New Testament writers really respected the Old Testament’s context, mostly drawing out messianic or typological meaning—how Jesus fulfilled what came before.

Paul Sheffield

That’s spot on. But, not long after that, a wave of allegorical interpretation took off. Origen—he was a real heavyweight back then—argued every verse had, like, a literal, a moral, and a spiritual meaning. And the Middle Ages added even more layers—Jerusalem could mean a piece of land, the Church, your soul, or the heavenly city. It gets dizzying. The creativity could be beautiful…or it could just leap off the rails.

Kelly Ann Marino

Oh, absolutely. I remember hearing a sermon as a teen—everything in, I think, the story of David and Goliath was symbolic. The five stones stood for five virtues, and the sling was, I don’t know, personal faith? I left thinking, “Am I supposed to make up new symbols every time?” Later on, I learned how important it is to balance creative connections with a deep respect for what the author intended in the text’s context. Otherwise, it’s easy to assign, well, almost anything to any verse, and that’s risky if we really care about truth.

Paul Sheffield

Right. That’s why the Reformation was such a game-changer. Luther and Calvin, they pushed us back to “ad fontes”—back to the sources, the literal and historical context. Most scholars today agree—with rare exceptions—the legitimate meaning is the one intended by the author, unless the text itself cues us to look for something figurative or symbolic. That doesn’t mean there aren’t lessons, or even deeper layers, but we have to guard against using allegory to twist the text around our wishes.

Kelly Ann Marino

Yeah, creativity’s not a bad thing, but it’s got to be tethered, or else interpretation just… floats off. The lesson from history is, we need both reverence for the original meaning and, I think, a little humility before the voices that came before us—learn from their brilliance and their mistakes, both.

Paul Sheffield

Maybe this is a good moment to talk about the inner part of interpretation—the spiritual. Prayer. Humility. The Holy Spirit’s role. I don’t think it gets said enough: understanding Scripture isn’t just academic. The Psalmist prays, “Open my eyes to see wonderful things in your law.” That’s a real thing—a need. We aren’t just wrestling with words here.

Kelly Ann Marino

Yeah, and it’s reassuring, honestly, that we’re not left on our own. Even with all the tools, background, and approaches, it’s the Spirit who helps us see. Prayer grounds us—reminds us that, left to ourselves, we miss things or distort them. Sometimes, when I’m feeling uncertain or stuck, I’ll just sit quietly, reading and re-reading a passage, and let my questions turn into prayers. It feels a lot more honest than pretending I’ve got it all figured out.

Paul Sheffield

And, you know, some of my biggest "Aha!" moments have come when, after struggling with a passage, I hear another believer’s insight—or maybe a voice from a commentary or sermon—shed new light. Scripture calls us to community for a reason. It's healthy not to do all our interpreting in a vacuum. “Scripture interprets Scripture,” as the Reformers used to say. What’s clear in one place helps clarify what’s tough somewhere else. And it’s all pointing toward the main message—God’s unfolding plan, culminating in Christ.

Kelly Ann Marino

I love that, too. Zooming out to see the whole narrative—God seeking people, redemption, Jesus as the anchor—that unified story brings so much clarity. And for anyone just starting, maybe the takeaway is: begin with prayer, lean on community, and don’t be afraid to use the tools available. You’re joining a much bigger conversation than just, well, you and a book alone.

Kelly Ann Marino

Okay, so how do we balance what the Church has always taught and the personal insights that come as we study? I’ve met folks who, kind of, swing hard in either direction. Some won’t budge from tradition at all; others feel tradition is stale, just wanting something new.

Paul Sheffield

Yeah, it’s a real tension. Tradition anchors us—a safety net, so to speak. There’s deep wisdom in the creeds, the ancient prayers, all that’s been sorted and sifted by the Church for centuries. Yet, if we only rely on tradition, sometimes we miss what the Spirit might be doing in our midst right now. It’s not an either-or situation; both sides matter. Community is crucial in shaping our understanding. I’ve seen local churches, study groups—even my old men's breakfast group—really challenge and refine what I thought a passage meant. We need each other.

Kelly Ann Marino

I like that idea of community as a kind of “interpretive check”—not just an echo chamber. And practical steps matter. Engaging with other perspectives, reading commentaries, praying for discernment… all those things help prevent us from drifting into interpretations that, honestly, feel more like our pet theories than something Christians have recognized through time.

Paul Sheffield

And as we’re talking about growth, study partners or groups help keep us grounded, too. Fresh perspectives, honest questions, a bit of loving pushback—it sharpens us, and we grow together in faith. Nobody should feel like they’re on this journey alone.

Paul Sheffield

All of this leads straight into something close to my heart—responsibility. Interpreting the Bible isn’t solo sport; it’s humbling work. We’re limited, prone to misunderstanding—it’s just true. If we admit that from the start, we’re set up for healthier learning and less pridefulness. And honestly, ongoing learning is part of the calling.

Kelly Ann Marino

Yeah, absolutely. I tell people all the time: don’t just sit alone with your thoughts and a Bible, week after week. There’s so much value in forming a group—doesn’t have to be big. A few trusted friends or even one study buddy can open up whole new reflections. When Dad and I started our “Monday night debates,” I realized how much I needed someone to push back, ask, “Are you sure about that?” That kept me on track and stretched my thinking.

Paul Sheffield

And there needs to be that balance again—personal reflection is good, but make sure it fits with the broader core message of your faith community. If your take ends up completely outside what Christians have believed for centuries, maybe pause and reconsider. It’s not about stifling questions, but about anchoring ourselves to something bigger than just “what feels right today.”

Kelly Ann Marino

So, in short: approach with humility, seek out others, stay open to learning. And always let the message of Scripture and your tradition guide interpretation, not the other way around.

Kelly Ann Marino

As we wrap up, I want to come back to something that keeps me grounded every time I approach Scripture—the big picture. Paul, you’ve said before, the point is never just information…so what’s at the heart of it all?

Paul Sheffield

Well, I might fumble the poetry here, but the central thread running through the whole Bible is Jesus Christ—his person and his saving work. Everything before him anticipates the coming of God’s Kingdom, his life, and resurrection brings that Kingdom to reality, and everything after points forward to his return, the consummation of God’s plan. Scholars talk about “salvation history”—that’s just another way of saying the Bible is the story of God stepping into our mess, working through real history, to save a people for himself.

Kelly Ann Marino

Yeah, that gives so much shape and hope—when I read those hard passages about exile, or laws about, you know, skin diseases or land, it all makes more sense when I see it’s part of a larger redemptive story. It’s God intervening in history, again and again, to bring people back to himself.

Paul Sheffield

Absolutely. So, whether you’re studying by yourself or in a crowded living room—or even just walking in the woods with a question echoing in your head—remember this: the overarching message is about God’s relentless pursuit, all centered on Christ. Everything else falls into place from there.

Kelly Ann Marino

And with that hope, we’ll let our conversation land for today. Thank you for joining us, Paul. And thanks to everyone who listened in. We’ll dive even deeper in our next episode, so come along. Take care of yourselves and each other. Goodnight, Paul.

Paul Sheffield

Goodnight, Kelly Ann. And goodnight to all of you. Keep reading, keep asking—and we’ll see you next time.