How to Interpret Scripture

07-06-2025Weekly ReflectionJen Arnold, M.A.

The Catholic Church has three sources of authority: Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.

Scripture is the inspired Word of God written down by men throughout salvation history. After the Book of Revelation, there will be no new revelation to be added to Scripture until the Second Coming of Jesus brings everything to fulfillment. Tradition is the passing on of the Church’s practices, customs, and teachings orally and through the written word from the Apostles onward, forming the Deposit of Faith.

Tradition includes the development of theology and wisdom of the saints throughout the history of the Church. Tradition as a source of authority is reinforced in Scripture when St. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:5, “Stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us” (emphasis added).

The Magisterium is the official teaching office of the Church composed of the Pope and the bishops in union with him. Protected by the Holy Spirit, the Magisterium interprets Scripture and Tradition to formulate Church teaching and hand it down through Apostolic Succession. All three sources of authority are equal and dependent on one another to ensure that the faithful are receiving the authentic, true faith from the Church that Jesus himself established. Today, we are going to take a closer look at Scripture – and more specifically, interpreting Scripture.

As Catholics, we rely on the Catholic Church to authentically interpret Scripture for us. For over 2,000 years, many great theologians, ecumenical councils, colleges of cardinals, popes, and more have pored over Scripture to understand God’s Word. All the various books have been written at different times by different authors for different audiences and in different styles, so finding cohesive, unified messages and teachings can only be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When Scripture is interpreted outside of the Catholic Church, left to man’s own devices, there is no cohesive and unified message, which is why we see so many fractured Christian denominations that believe in sola scriptura. Each denomination interprets Scripture uniquely and differently. While we Catholics depend on the Church to correctly interpret Scripture, allowing her to teach us the faith, it does not preclude us from engaging in personal and private Scripture reading and study, which enables the Word of God to speak to us in our own individual lives. In fact, the Church highly encourages it. To that end, the Catechism provides some guidelines for us to follow about how to interpret Scripture.

The first point the Catechism makes is that “God speaks to man in a human way” (CCC 109). So, whatever Scripture you are reading, the Catechism says, you have to consider the human intention of the author and the culture and conditions under which they are writing. The Church says, “For the fact is that truth is differently presented and expressed in the various types of historical writing, in prophetical and poetical texts, and in other forms of literary expression” (CCC 110). This means that how you and I communicate and receive the truth today is not necessarily the same as how a culture 3,000 years ago somewhere else would communicate and receive the truth.

However, the Catechism goes on to explain that Scripture is inspired and, therefore, “Sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted in the light of the same Spirit by whom it was written” (CCC 111). In other words, we cannot only consider the human intention of the words, we must also consider the divine intention that is merely passing through the human as an instrument. The Church provides us with three criteria when we are interpreting Scripture in light of the Spirit. First, we must be attentive “to the content and unity of the whole Scripture” (CCC 112). There is a unity in God’s plan at which Jesus Christ is the center, and there is a unity in how he communicates that plan. When Jesus arrives, the New Testament does not negate the Old. No one text or verse can be isolated from any other, whether across the Old and New Testaments or within them. Scripture cannot contradict itself. Secondly, we ought to “read the Scripture within ‘the living Tradition of the whole Church’” (CCC 113). As I stated before, Scripture and Tradition work together, as affirmed by St. Paul in Scripture. Our Church has a rich history of those who have gone before us and have already done a great deal of interpretation for us. If we are not sure what something means, we have access to an abundance of Church documents and writings from our Church fathers, Doctors of the Church, and other great saints and theologians. There are also many great Catholic bible studies and study bibles that can help us keep our interpretations within the Tradition of the faith. Thirdly, we ought to be attentive to the “analogy of faith” when interpreting Scripture (CCC 114). While the first criterion states that there is unity in the message of Scripture, the analogy of faith means that there is unity and coherence in the truths the message conveys within God’s plan of salvation. So, while God’s Word cannot contradict itself, neither can the underlying truth of those words from one book to the next.

Finally, the Catechism discusses the “Senses of Scripture.” There are two broad senses: the literal and the spiritual. The spiritual sense is then broken down into three sub-senses: the allegorical, the moral, and the anagogical. Here is a brief description of each of these four senses of Scripture as developed primarily by Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas:

Literal: The foundational meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture, as intended by the human author under divine inspiration. It focuses on the historical and textual context—what the text directly says (e.g., historical events, teachings, or narratives).

Allegorical Sense: This is the spiritual meaning that connects events, persons, or things in Scripture to deeper truths, often relating to Christ or the Church. For example, the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus) can symbolize baptism or salvation through Christ.

Moral Sense: The spiritual meaning that guides ethical behavior and personal conduct. It reveals how Scripture instructs believers to live virtuously (e.g., the story of the Good Samaritan encourages acts of charity).

Anagogical Sense: The eschatological meaning, pointing to eternal realities and the ultimate destiny of humanity, such as heaven, hell, or the final judgment. For instance, Jerusalem in Scripture may represent the heavenly Jerusalem.

Hopefully, you already spend time with Scripture, preferably daily, as the Lord yearns to speak to you through his Word. If not, consider doing so. This week, select a few passages of Scripture across both the Old and New Testaments. Consider praying to the Holy Spirit beforehand, asking him to choose passages for you so that you might read a new message he has for you, then flip open your Bible at random and see what emerges. Read the passages a few times using the three criteria for interpreting Scripture in light of the Spirit that were covered earlier in this article. Regardless of what books they are from, can you find unity in the words and the message? Is there a connection between what you read and a Church teaching with which you are familiar? Reread the passages now using the four Senses of Scripture. What new meaning do you extract from them? When you approach Scripture with these guidelines, you may discover something you haven’t seen before. This is how God speaks to us in new and fresh ways on our spiritual journeys.