Most small group Bible studies are lead by reading a portion of the Scriptures and then asking the participants, “What does this passage mean to you?” Everyone answers what they feel this passage is trying to say to them, they have a group discussion and that’s it. That’s a cell group’s “Bible” study.
The problem with this approach to Scripture is that it makes every individual’s feelings the interpreter of Scripture. It is one of the easiest way to twist Scriptures and make the Bible say what we want it to say rather than what God intended. The important question when sharing Scripture in a small group settings (as well as when preaching from a pulpit) is not “what does it mean to me?” but rather, “what does the passage say and what reasons do I have for such an interpretation?”
In Apostolic circles, not even a “Holy Ghost impression” is enough to judge the validity of an interpretation, but rather we judge every impression by the written Scripture as instructed by Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Interpreters (this includes the leaders, pastors and theologians) are not infallible, only Scripture is. That is why the context of a passage is so important to determine the meaning of the author. We compare Scripture to Scripture to make sure we are interpreting it correctly.
We believe the Holy Ghost can guide us in ascertaining the meaning of Scripture, but His meaning will never contradict the plain meaning of the Bible. The Holy Spirit didn’t make any mistakes when he inspired the writers of Scripture, therefore He doesn’t need a prophet or apostle today to fix His Word. He doesn’t make mistakes when He leads us in our Bible studies. But sometimes we think God is guiding us to a certain meaning when in reality is just our own mind or emotions. The Holy Spirit doesn’t make mistakes but people do. That is why we teach that the best interpreter of the Bible is the Bible itself.
We don’t ask, “What does this Scripture mean to me?” but rather, “What does God mean in this Scripture?”
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