1. James 1:19–21 (ESV)
  2. Application

Interpreting the Word of God

James 1:19–21 (ESV)

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

If you want to be sanctified by the Word of God, then my dear readers, you must approach the Word of God in the way the Spirit of God teaches you here. As handlers of the Word of God, understand well, that rightly dividing the Word of truth is not simply mastering the principles of hermeneutics, learning to use the tools of exegesis—as necessary as all those things are—but essential foundational to all of them is your relationship to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. You are resting in Christ, not just for justification but for sanctification; approaching the Word of God in the way he teaches you. Then you will be those who rightly divide and interpret the Word of God.1

Joseph A. Pipa