The Process of Application

Learning Objectives

• Describe what is meant by application
• Explain some of the major guidelines for doing responsible application
• Discuss the various mistakes interpreters often make in applying a text

Begin this module by viewing the following video

Introduction

In this final module we turn to the subject of application. In the previous modules we have examined some of the various principles necessary for determining accurately the original meaning of a text, but here we will focus foremost on the issue of determining the significance of a message and how to apply it to our modern context.

What is Application?

Learning to apply the message of a text is crossing that final threshold wherein the interpreter allows the living Word of God to have its full, transformative effect in their life and in the life of others. Indeed, this final step in the process is crucial; the hermeneutical process is simply not complete without it.

Guidelines for Application

The steps for application can be boiled down to five main points.[1]

1. Determine the original meaning of the text intended by the author for the original audience. 

While this step is technically more of a prerequisite for determining application, I have included it here to underscore its importance. It is very difficult for the interpreter to determine accurately the significance of a message without understanding the meaning of a message. Therefore, to the greatest degree possible, seek to understand the original meaning of the author’s communication.

2. Determine the original application (or applications) of the text for the original audience. 

In this step we are considering what impact the author would have wanted to see the message have on his or her audience. What was the envisioned outcome? How was the audience to act or think differently? It is crucial to seek to determine what the application of the message was for the audience in their own historical situation.

 3. Evaluate the level of specificity of the original application or applications.   

In this step the interpreter is seeking to determine whether or not the original application is limited to the original context in some way that prevents it from having bearing for modern readers. In other words, is the original application of a text bound up in the historical or cultural circumstances such that it cannot be applied today in the same way? For example, Joshua’s command to march around Jericho seven times cannot be applied today because it is bound to a particular setting and historical situation. But the task of determining whether the original application is limited is much more difficult in other circumstances, such as when it is related to cultural issues. For example, were Paul’s admonitions regarding when and why men and women should or should not cover their heads in worship (see 1 Cor 11:2-16) culturally specific, or do they apply in a straightforward manner today?

Often this process requires careful consideration and study. One must evaluate the intended purpose of the application, how it was intentionally cultural or counter-cultural, and how it fits in the broader teaching of Scripture on the subject (see Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, pp.791-92; in greater depth, Klein et al., 2017, pp. 615-28).            

If a teaching can be determined to have a clear and timeless application – that is, it transcends the history and culture of its time - then it probably can be applied as such. For example, “You shall not murder” (Ex 20:13) has continued bearing today, because it transcends its historical-cultural circumstances. However, if the application of a passage is determined to be historically or culturally specific such that it cannot be applied in a one-for-one correspondence today, then the interpreter should seek to determine the underlying principle from the original application that is useful today. We turn to this presently.

4. Seek to identify the cross-cultural principles.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul states in no uncertain terms that all of Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (ESV). On this basis, if a particular passage cannot be applied directly to our present circumstances, either due to historical or cultural issues, the interpreter should look to identify the timeless principle that will apply to modern circumstances. 

Duvall and Hays (2005, p. 24) offer helpful guidelines for determining such principles. For example: (1) Make sure the principle is reflected in the text; it should be clear that the text points to the principle. (2) The principle should not conflict with or violate Scriptural teaching elsewhere in the Bible. (3) Make sure that the principle is readily applicable to both ancient and modern context alike; if the principle is tied too specifically to a historical or cultural situation we have not yet arrived at a truly timeless principle. 

5. Identify appropriate applications that embody the broader principles.

In this step we move to action by translating the principle into practice today in a manner that responsibly corresponds to the original situation of the text. For example, “we may give a hearty handshake instead of a holy kiss; we may set up inexpensive food banks instead of leaving our fields to be gleaned; and we should be concerned about the effect of consuming alcohol in the presence of a recovering alcoholic, even if we are never faced with the dilemma of whether or not to eat meat sacrificed to idols” (Klein et al., 2017, p. 632). This is where the difficult work of understanding one’s own culture plays a large part, as the interpreter seeks to creatively and faithfully make the Bible come alive for modern audiences. One is wise to remember that the closer the modern application mirrors the original application, the more authority it has.

Mistakes in application?

Now that we have examined some of the guidelines for responsible application, we can briefly mention a few of the mistakes that are certain to undermine effective application. Interpreters err when they ignore the context of a passage in the process of making application. This mistake can occur in various degrees. It is a lesser mistake to marginally misunderstand the proper historical or literary context that shapes the meaning and application; it is a very significant mistake to rip a passage entirely out of context and interpret and apply it at face value without any regard for these issues.

It is perhaps less egregious, but it is also a mistake to disregard the modern context to which one is trying to apply the text. While few would deny this, such a mistake often occurs when the interpreter spends a disproportionate amount of time determining the original meaning and significance of a text, thereby giving too little consideration as to how it applies today. The responsible interpreter of the Bible must seek to be one who understands the culture sufficiently well to know how and when the biblical principles apply most accurately and effectively.

References

Duvall, J. & Hays, J. (2005). Grasping god's word: A hands-on approach to reading, interpreting, and applying the bible. Second edition. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 

Fee, G. & Stuart, D. (2003). How to read the bible for all its worth. Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Klein, W., Blomberg, C., & Hubbard, R. (2017). Introduction to biblical interpretation: Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Köstenberger, A. & Patterson, R. (2011). Invitation to biblical interpretation: Exploring the hermeneutical triad of history, literature, and theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel. 

[1] This list is adapted from Klein et al., 2017, pp. 609-635. See also Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, pp. 790-795.