Discover the Scripture interprets Scripture — the systematic approach setting you free to investigate biblical truth independently while maintaining rigorous interpretive standards based on God’s Word alone.

“Scripture is best understood when it is free from denominational constraints, grounded in biblical evidence, and guided by Scripture’s own interpretive principles.”

J. GonzalezRamos

---

The Problem: Who Do You Trust?

You’ve been taught to interpret Scripture through denominational lenses. Every church claims biblical authority, yet they contradict each other on fundamental doctrines.

The dilemma Truth Prospectors face:

Competing authorities. Your denomination says Sunday. Another says Sabbath. One teaches soul immortality. Another teaches soul sleep. Rapture theology. Replacement theology. Once saved always saved. Conditional security. All claim biblical support. Who’s right? This is where understanding how Scripture interprets Scripture becomes essential.

Tradition vs. Scripture. When you question traditional interpretations, you’re told: “That’s not what the church teaches.” “You can’t interpret Scripture privately.” “Trust the scholars.” “Our denomination has studied this for centuries.” The message? Scripture means whatever the organization says it means—directly contradicting the principle that Scripture interprets Scripture.

Interpretive helplessness. Without seminary training or formal theological education, you’re told you can’t understand Scripture properly. You need commentaries, study Bibles, systematic theologies—all filtered through denominational frameworks. Direct engagement with God’s Word using Scripture interprets Scripture methodology? Too risky. Too dangerous. Too likely to lead you “astray.”

The fear of error. What if you misinterpret something important? What if your independent study leads to heresy? Better to stick with established teaching, even when biblical evidence seems to contradict it. Safety in tradition, right? Or should you trust that Scripture interprets Scripture as the Reformers taught?

Here’s what they’re not telling you: God designed Scripture to interpret itself. You don’t need external authorities to understand His Word. You need systematic Scripture interprets Scripture methodology letting the Bible establish its own meaning through cross-referencing and progressive revelation.

That’s exactly what this pillar provides.

---

The Scripture Interprets Scripture Principle

“Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6, NKJV)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV)

The principle that Scripture interprets Scripture recognizes this foundational truth: The Bible contains sufficient internal evidence for determining correct interpretation without external authorities. God’s Word establishes its own meaning through cross-referencing, progressive revelation, and internal consistency.

This isn’t Protestant individualism run amok. It’s Sola Scriptura applied systematically—Scripture alone as ultimate authority, with Scripture interprets Scripture as the practical methodology.

Scripture interprets Scripture methodology works through these principles:

Cross-referencing builds understanding. When Scripture introduces a concept in one passage, other passages provide additional details, contextual clarification, and progressive development. Scripture interprets Scripture when you gather ALL relevant passages on a topic, identify common themes and patterns, reconcile apparent tensions through careful contextual analysis, and build comprehensive understanding from cumulative biblical evidence.

Progressive revelation unfolds truth. God reveals truth incrementally throughout Scripture. Genesis introduces the Seed promise without specifying all details. Later passages progressively reveal the Seed is singular (Galatians 3:16), the Seed is Christ, believers become Abraham’s seed through union with Christ (Galatians 3:29). This is Scripture interprets Scripture in action—later passages illuminating earlier ones through progressive revelation.

Original languages clarify meaning within the Scripture interprets Scripture framework. Hebrew and Greek terms are examined not through external lexicons as primary authorities, but through how Scripture uses these terms across multiple passages. Biblical usage patterns define word meanings—Scripture interprets Scripture even in linguistic analysis.

Context governs interpretation. Immediate context (surrounding verses, chapter placement) and broader context (biblical narrative, covenant framework, sanctuary progression) determine meaning through Scripture interprets Scripture principles. Isolated proof-texting violates this methodology. Systematic investigation honors it.

This is Pillar 3—the Scripture interprets Scripture methodology ensuring your interpretations come from the Bible itself. Without it, you’re dependent on human authorities. With it, you’re equipped for independent biblical investigation under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Biblical Foundation: Scripture’s Self-Interpreting Nature

The Old Testament Witness

Scripture Defines Its Own Terms: When Daniel seeks understanding of prophetic visions, where does he look? “I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (Daniel 9:2, NKJV).

Daniel interprets prophecy using Scripture—Jeremiah’s writings illuminate his own vision. This demonstrates how Scripture interprets Scripture in Old Testament practice. He doesn’t consult Babylonian wise men or rely on external authorities. He searches earlier biblical revelation, trusting that Scripture interprets Scripture.

The Law Interprets Itself: Moses repeatedly instructs Israel: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2, NKJV). God’s Word stands complete. Human additions or subtractions corrupt rather than clarify—the foundation of Scripture interprets Scripture.

Prophetic Consistency: Isaiah establishes the test for all teaching: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20, NKJV). Scripture itself—law and testimony—functions as the standard evaluating all claims through Scripture interprets Scripture methodology. Not tradition. Not human authority. Biblical evidence.

The New Testament Confirmation

Jesus’ Interpretive Method: How does Christ handle Scripture? He quotes it, cross-references it, and lets it interpret itself—modeling how Scripture interprets Scripture. Confronting Satan’s temptations, Jesus responds each time: “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Not “The rabbis teach” or “Tradition says”—biblical text alone settles the matter through Scripture interprets Scripture principle.

The Berean Example: Luke commends those who verify teaching against Scripture using Scripture interprets Scripture methodology: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NKJV).

Notice: They didn’t blindly accept Paul’s apostolic authority. They examined Scripture to verify his teaching—Scripture interprets Scripture even when testing apostolic claims. This is the model for all Bible students—test everything against God’s Word through Scripture interprets Scripture practice, even when respected teachers make claims.

Paul’s Appeal to Scripture: When establishing doctrine, Paul consistently appeals to biblical evidence through Scripture interprets Scripture methodology: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NKJV).

“According to the Scriptures”—that’s the foundation of Scripture interprets Scripture. Not church tradition. Not apostolic authority independent of Scripture. Biblical evidence establishes truth through Scripture interprets Scripture principle.

Scripture’s Own Claim: Peter explains prophetic inspiration: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NKJV).

Scripture doesn’t originate from human interpretation—it comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Scripture interprets Scripture must be the methodology. Human interpretations require biblical verification through letting Scripture interpret Scripture.

The Pattern Throughout Scripture

Watch how Scripture interprets Scripture consistently:

• Leviticus 16 establishes Day of Atonement services → Hebrews 9 reveals Christ as antitype (Scripture interprets Scripture)
• Genesis 3:15 promises the Seed → Galatians 3:16 identifies the Seed as Christ (Scripture interprets Scripture)
• Daniel 9:24-27 calculates seventy weeks → Gabriel interprets using day-year principle Scripture itself establishes in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 (Scripture interprets Scripture)
• Revelation’s symbols consistently reference Old Testament imagery providing interpretive keys (Scripture interprets Scripture)

This isn’t coincidence. God designed Scripture to be self-interpreting through the Scripture interprets Scripture principle, providing its own framework for understanding.

---

Scripture Interprets Scripture In Practice

When you apply Scripture interprets Scripture methodology:

Studying doctrines, you gather ALL relevant passages rather than cherry-picking supportive verses—letting Scripture interpret Scripture. Want to understand the state of the dead? Examine every passage addressing death, resurrection, intermediate state—not just John 3:16 or selected Pauline texts. Let cumulative evidence build systematic understanding through Scripture interprets Scripture.

Handling difficult passages, you use clearer Scripture to illuminate obscure texts through Scripture interprets Scripture methodology. Paul’s statement “absent from the body, present with the Lord” seems to suggest immediate heavenly consciousness at death—until you compare it with his comprehensive resurrection teaching in 1 Corinthians 15. Scripture interprets Scripture resolves apparent contradictions.

Interpreting prophecy, you let Scripture establish its own symbolic language through Scripture interprets Scripture. What do beasts represent in prophecy? Daniel 7:17 tells you directly: “Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.” You don’t import external meanings—Scripture interprets Scripture by defining its own symbols.

Testing teaching, you follow the Berean model using Scripture interprets Scripture. Someone claims Scripture teaches a particular doctrine? Examine biblical evidence through Scripture interprets Scripture methodology. Don’t accept authority claims. Verify through systematic cross-referencing. If teaching contradicts clear biblical testimony, reject it regardless of who promotes it—because Scripture interprets Scripture, not human authorities.

Growing spiritually, you read Scripture expecting the Holy Spirit to illuminate meaning through the text itself via Scripture interprets Scripture principle. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things” (John 14:26, NKJV). The Spirit works through Scripture interprets Scripture methodology, not independent of it.

Your Complete Framework: The Three Pillars Integrated

Congratulations, Truth Prospector. You’ve now encountered all three pillars of systematic Bible study:

✅ PILLAR 1: Christ is the Center — All Scripture testifies of Jesus
✅ PILLAR 2: The Sanctuary is the Map — God’s framework organizing biblical truth
✅ PILLAR 3: Scripture is the Authority — Scripture interprets Scripture methodology

These aren’t isolated principles. They form integrated methodology:

Christ-centered interpretation prevents theological fragmentation. Biblical sanctuary framework organizes what you’re learning. Scripture interprets Scripture methodology ensures your conclusions come from biblical evidence rather than human speculation.

Together, they provide complete system for independent biblical investigation that’s:

• Free from denominational constraints
• Grounded in Scripture alone through Scripture interprets Scripture
• Centered on Christ
• Systematically organized
• Verifiable and replicable

You now possess a complete interpretive framework for serious biblical study.

From here, every article, study, and book proceeds with clarity and restraint.

→ Explore Truth Prospecting Articles that apply this framework
→ Consult Ministry Publishing resources for extended study
→ Begin tracing Scripture patterns independently

---

Final Reflection

Truth Prospector, your biblical education begins now.

You possess the complete framework. Christ is the center. The sanctuary is the map. Scripture interprets Scripture. Now apply it. Study systematically. Dig deep. Verify everything. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.

The treasures of God’s Word await your discovery.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” (Proverbs 25:2, NKJV)

Start searching.