Hungry for God: Authorial Intent
“And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”—Mark 1:22
Reading is a science and an art. To read a book and try and understand what the author is saying is the key. We, by ourselves, can find whatever meaning we want to find in something if we aren’t careful. We can dissect A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Poo, for example, and see Poo as a compulsive eater with low self-esteem. We can see Tigger with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Eeyore suffering from depression, Piglet with general anxiety, Rabbit with obsessive compulsive disorder, and Christopher Robin with gender confusion disorder, or we can simply look at the book as a children’s fantasy. It depends on whether we are wanting to see. If we see it as Milne wanted us to see it, then it's strictly for children, but if we want to read our contemporary culture into it, then that is up to us.
It takes a discerning reader to accurately apprehend what the author is trying to communicate, and to do so is called finding authorial intent. This means that we need to understand what the author’s intent was in writing, not our own. There was something similar going on during Jesus’ day. There were different camps or schools of thought on how to interpret Scripture. Some schools wanted a strictly literal interpretation, while others wanted a more allegorical or metaphorical interpretation. And Scripture certainly has both. But with Jesus, there was a new development. He didn’t need to cite any of the previous schools of thought, for He knew exactly what it meant, because HE WROTE IT! As John marveled,
Jesus has not only authority over the Scriptures, but all of life. His call and His words are the only words that truly matter. Too often we are too afraid of man and not afraid enough of God. If we are to live lives that are truly significant, then we must talk to the author of life, read His Word, and apply it to our lives. We need not fear what man says, as the Bible reminds us:
Reading is a science and an art. To read a book and try and understand what the author is saying is the key. We, by ourselves, can find whatever meaning we want to find in something if we aren’t careful. We can dissect A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Poo, for example, and see Poo as a compulsive eater with low self-esteem. We can see Tigger with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Eeyore suffering from depression, Piglet with general anxiety, Rabbit with obsessive compulsive disorder, and Christopher Robin with gender confusion disorder, or we can simply look at the book as a children’s fantasy. It depends on whether we are wanting to see. If we see it as Milne wanted us to see it, then it's strictly for children, but if we want to read our contemporary culture into it, then that is up to us.
It takes a discerning reader to accurately apprehend what the author is trying to communicate, and to do so is called finding authorial intent. This means that we need to understand what the author’s intent was in writing, not our own. There was something similar going on during Jesus’ day. There were different camps or schools of thought on how to interpret Scripture. Some schools wanted a strictly literal interpretation, while others wanted a more allegorical or metaphorical interpretation. And Scripture certainly has both. But with Jesus, there was a new development. He didn’t need to cite any of the previous schools of thought, for He knew exactly what it meant, because HE WROTE IT! As John marveled,
“All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men”—John 1:3-4.As Jesus taught the crowds they were astonished at His teaching, because He didn’t teach like the scribes did—citing this rabbi and that rabbi, this school of thought, or another. He knew exactly what He meant and didn’t need to consult anyone. The author of life and Scripture was in their midst!
Jesus has not only authority over the Scriptures, but all of life. His call and His words are the only words that truly matter. Too often we are too afraid of man and not afraid enough of God. If we are to live lives that are truly significant, then we must talk to the author of life, read His Word, and apply it to our lives. We need not fear what man says, as the Bible reminds us:
“So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”—Hebrews 13:6.Trust in the Lord, beloved. Do not worry about the opinions and theories of man that change from day to day, but trust in Him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)—Jesus Christ, our Savior and God. Amen.
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