Principle Three

Principle three: the literal interpretation is most usually the best

All Scripture must be taken in its literal and obvious sense allowing only for symbolism and figures of speech. Every passage must be taken at face value. Martin Luther called this principle "literal interpretation." This principles means that we read and evaluate Scripture with the same honesty and understanding that we read any book.

Let scripture speak for itself. Truth is absolute and not relative to your scenario. This principle has special relevance in the study of prophecy. The Old Testament contains about 450 prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ. Many of these prophecies were duplicates, at least sixty distinct facts of Christ's life and ministry were predicted, and all sixty, without exception, were literally fulfilled. Prophecy that is not literally fulfilled and I not true prophecy.

Ask the question: What concepts NATURALLY flow from the text? The plain meaning read it the way it was written. There is great wisdom in simplicity.