Scripture Is Its Own Interpreter

“Scripturam ex Scriptura explicandam esse: Scripture is to be explained from Scripture

one of several forms of a maxim employed by both Lutheran and Reformed orthodox to indicate the normative authority and self-authenticating character of Scripture over against the Roman Catholic contention that the church has absolute authority to explain the text.”

Richard Muller, Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms: Drawn Principally From Protestant Scholastic Theology, Term: Scripturam ex Scriptura explicandam esse.

Muller goes on to say on this point that

“Since Word, as such, is authoritative and effective, it must be its own standard of interpretation.”

Muller, Dictionary, Scripturam ex Scriptura explicandam esse.

The point for today’s brief article is that many Christians accept that the Scriptures interpret themselves as to their meaning. What seems to be of significant dispute or neglect is that the Scriptures as self-attesting, self-authenticating, and self-interpreting speak for themselves as to what is and is not Scripture as well. The Scriptures do not merely attest to and verify their meaning; they attest to and verify their very being or propositional substance. The Scripture itself in real and present time explains its meaning as you hold it in your mind and its very imminent existence as you hold it in your hand.