Comparing Scripture with Scripture

One element of what I call the central loop (programming background comes out!) is “compare.” To review, the central loop involves:

Meditate, Question, Research, Compare (Repeat as needed)

This involves a very common principle, that scripture is its own best interpreter. It’s also called “comparing scripture with scripture.” But this process of comparison can be dangerous. It’s very easy to turn comparing scripture with scripture into combining random phrases from one scripture with random phrases from another, and when that happens the result can be absolutely anything.

So how do you compare?

Remember that each passage you study is part of an act of communication. It was given under its own circumstances at a particular time and place. In order to sensibly compare passages, you have to understand both passages and how they are related.

Here are some of the basics:

1. Whenever you compare two scriptures, be sure you have carefully studied both passages.
2. Look for the relationship.
   1. Is one copying or quoting the other?
   2. Is one alluding to the other?
   3. Are they talking about the same subject?
   4. Is one the fulfillment of something predicted in the other?
   5. Do they use common symbolism, metaphors, or other languages?
3. Avoid the assumption that a word defined one way in one passage necessarily means the same thing in another. Words have a range of meaning, and can have different precise definitions in different passages. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is “the substance of things that are not seen,” and in Mark 5:34 Jesus tells the woman with the issue of blood that her faith has saved/healed her. The range of meaning of “faith” (Greek pistis) covers both instances, but we’re not looking at precisely the same point.
4. Be sure you’re aware of the focus and the key point(s) of each passage.
5. Be sure you’re aware of who’s speaking. For example, people frequently quote from the speeches of Job’s friends as support for particular theological positions, but God doesn’t appear to be very impressed.
6. Don’t let comparing scripture with scripture keep you from hearing what each author is saying. It’s easy, for example, to explain away James by quoting Paul, but perhaps it would be good to fully hear what James has to say before combining the two.
7. Don’t assume that all Bible cross-references are valid. Just because someone printed it in a Bible note doesn’t make it true. Check for yourself.

Many of these points could do with considerably more discussion, but I think is a good start.