Early Christian Views on Interpreting Scripture

Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians Direct teaching

Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Direct teaching

and [it consists in] reading [the word of God] without falsification, and a lawful and diligent exposition in harmony with the Scriptures, both without danger and without blasphemy;

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book II Direct teaching

But that I may not be thought to avoid that series of proofs which may be derived from the Scriptures of the Lord (since, indeed, these Scriptures do much more evidently and clearly proclaim this very point), I shall, for the benefit of those at least who do not bring a depraved mind to bear upon them, devote a special book to the Scriptures referred to, which shall fairly follow them out [and explain them], and I shall plainly set forth from these divine Scriptures proofs to [satisfy] all the lovers of truth.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

Let him he patient and gentle in his admonitions, well instructed himself, meditating in and diligently studying the Lord's books, and reading them frequently, that so he may be able carefully to interpret the Scriptures, expounding the Gospel in correspondence with the prophets and with the law;

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Oration to Origen Supporting witness

The Prophets and Their Auditors are Acted on by the Same Afflatus. Origen's Excellence in the Interpretation of Scripture

2 Peter 1:20 Direct teaching

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2 Timothy 3:16 Direct teaching

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Nehemiah 8:8 Supporting witness

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

2 Timothy 2:15 Supporting witness

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Luke 24:45 Supporting witness

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

1 Corinthians 2:13 Supporting witness

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

Where there is a difference in teaching, there the corruption of the Scriptures and of their explanations must also be seen. Those who intended to teach differently had to arrange the instruments of doctrine differently. They could not possibly have made their teaching different in any other way except by changing the means by which they taught. In their case, corruption in doctrine could not possibly have succeeded without corruption in its instruments also. In the same way, for us, sound doctrine could not have come about without soundness in the means by which doctrine is handled. Now, what is there in our Scriptures that is against us? What have we introduced of our own, so that we should need to remove it again, or add to it, or change it, in order to restore to its natural soundness anything that is contrary to it and contained in the Scriptures? What we are, the Scriptures also are, and have been from the beginning. From them we have our being, before there was any other way, before they were altered by you. Now, since every alteration must be understood to be later, because it comes from rivalry, and rivalry is never earlier than, or native to, the thing it tries to copy, i

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

One man perverts the Scriptures with his hand, another their meaning by his exposition.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...ering what fully belongs to and fits the Sovereign God, and by establishing each point shown in the Scriptures again from other similar Scriptures. So then, they are not willing to turn to the truth, because they are ashamed to give up the claims of self-love. Nor are they able to support their opinions without forcing the Scriptures. But after they have first published false teachings to people, openly fighting against almost the whole of Scripture, and being constantly refuted by us who oppose them, they then do the following. On the one hand, even now they refuse to accept the prophetic Scriptures. On the other hand, they speak badly of us as if we were of a different nature and unable to understand what is special to them. Sometimes they even deny their own teachings when those teachings are refuted, because they are ashamed to admit openly what they glory in teaching in private. This can be seen in all the heresies, when you examine the evil in their teachings. For when they are overthrown by our clearly showing that they are opposed to the Scriptures, one of two things can be seen in those who defend the teaching. Either they despise the consistency of their own teachings,

Caius, Fragments Direct teaching

They have boldly falsified the sacred Scriptures, rejected the rules of the ancient faith, and ignored Christ. They do not ask what the sacred Scriptures say. Instead, they work hard to discover what kind of syllogism they can invent to support their impiety. And if anyone puts a word of divine Scripture before them, they examine whether it can make a connected or a disjoined form of syllogism. Leaving the holy Scriptures of God, they study geometry, like men who are of the earth and speak of the earth, and who are ignorant of Him who comes from above. Some of them carefully study Euclid. Aristotle and Theophrastus are admired. And Galen, forsooth, is perhaps even worshipped by some of them. But these men misuse the arts of unbelievers to establish their own heretical doctrine, and by the craft of the impious they adulterate the simple faith of the divine Scriptures. So what need is there to say that they are not near the faith? For this reason they have boldly laid hands on the divine Scriptures, claiming that they have corrected them. And so that I may not seem to say this falsely against them, anyone who wishes may find out for himself. For if anyone chooses to collect all their

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Supporting witness

The flaw in this explanation is clear. When John proclaims one God, the Almighty, and one Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten, through whom all things were made, he states that this is the Son of God, the Only-begotten, the Creator of all things, the true Light that enlightens everyone, the Creator of the world, the one who came to His own, and the one who became flesh and lived among us. Yet, some people distort these statements through a seemingly plausible interpretation, asserting the existence of another Monogenes, following creation, whom they also call Arche. They claim there is another Savior and another Logos, the son of Monogenes, and another Christ, created for the restoration of the Pleroma. In twisting the truth of each expression that has been cited and misusing the names, they have reshaped them to fit their own system. Thus, according to them, John does not mention the Lord Jesus Christ at all in these terms. They propose that if John mentioned the Father, Charis, Monogenes, Aletheia, Logos, Zoe, Anthropos, and Ecclesia, he referred to the primary Ogdoad, where there was no Jesus or Christ, the teacher of John. However, the apostle did not speak about their conjunctions

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...ersy against pure tradition and the Catholic faith, while taking offense at Christ, and because the Scriptures also declare Him to be God, and we also believe this, we must rightly contend that Christ is also God, so that every heretical slander may be removed from our faith. Yet we must do this in such a way that it does not go against the truth of Scripture, or against our faith, which declares and believes from Scripture that there is one God. For both those who say that Jesus Christ Himself is God the Father, and those who want Him to be only a man, have drawn from there the sources and reasons for their error and perversity. When they saw that it was written that God is one, they thought they could hold their opinion only by supposing that either Christ was only a man, or else that He was truly God the Father. And they used to join together their clever arguments in such a way as to try to defend their own error. So those who say that Jesus Christ is the Father argue like this: If God is one, and Christ is God, then Christ is the Father, since God is one. If Christ is not the Father, because Christ is God the Son, then it seems that two Gods are introduced, contrary to the

2 Peter 3:16 Direct teaching

As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Acts 17:11 Supporting witness

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

For how can any one be said in the full sense to believe the Scripture when he does not see in it the mind of the Holy Spirit, which God would have us to believe rather than the literal meaning?

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

For it is the custom of these writers (of Scripture) to distribute into many classes those writings which express one sense when taken literally, but which convey a different signification as their hidden meaning;

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Direct teaching

12. But as there are certain passages of Scripture which do not at all contain the corporeal sense, as we shall show in the following (paragraphs), there are also places where we must seek only for the soul, as it were, and spirit of Scrip­ture.

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

We ought to give a liberal interpretation to such utterances of Scripture;

Origen, Commentary on Matthew Direct teaching

... disciples privately, Mark 4:34. And for this reason the writers of the Gospels concealed the clear exposition of the parables, because the things signified by them were beyond the power of the nature of words to express. And every solution and exposition of such parables was of such a kind that not even the whole world itself could contain the books that should be written, John 21:25, in relation to such parables. But it may happen that a fitting heart is found, and because of its purity it is able to receive the letters of the exposition of the parable, so that they could be written in it by the Spirit of the living God. But someone will say that perhaps we act with impiety, because of the secret and mystical import of some of the Scriptures that are of heavenly origin, when we wish them to be symbolic and try to expound them, even though it might seem ex hypothesi that we had an accurate knowledge of their meaning. But to this we must say that, if there are those who have obtained the gift of accurate apprehension of these things, they know what they ought to do. But as for us, who acknowledge that we fall short of the ability to see into the depth of the things signified her

Hippolytus, Exegetical Fragments Direct teaching

...usic of the strings. So much, then, for the literal meaning of these terms. But as for the mystical interpretation, it would be a psalm when, by striking the instrument, that is, the body, with good deeds, we succeed in good action, though we are not yet fully skilled in contemplation. And it would be a song when, by turning over the mysteries of the truth apart from practice, and fully agreeing with them, we have the highest thoughts of God and His oracles, while knowledge gives us light and wisdom shines brightly in our souls. And it would be a song of psalmody when good action takes the lead, according to the word, "If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord shall give her to you," and at the same time we understand wisdom and are counted worthy by God to know the truth of things that until now had been hidden from us. And it would be a psalm of song when, by considering with the light of wisdom some of the more difficult questions about morals, we first become wise in action, and then are also able to say what action should be taken, and when, and how. And perhaps this is the reason why the first titles nowhere contain the word songs, but only psalm or psalms.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

If anyone reads the Scriptures with attention, they will find an account of Christ and a foreshadowing of the new calling. Christ is the treasure hidden in the field, which represents the world (for "the field is the world"). The treasure hidden in the Scriptures is Christ, as He was revealed through types and parables. Therefore, His human nature could not be fully understood before the fulfillment of the predicted events, specifically the coming of Christ. This is why Daniel the prophet was told: "Shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of fulfillment, when many will learn and knowledge will be completed. At that time, when the dispersion is completed, they will understand all these things." Jeremiah also says, "In the last days, they will understand these things." Every prophecy, before being fulfilled, is like an enigma and ambiguous to people. But when the time arrives, and the prediction comes to pass, the prophecies have a clear and certain explanation. For this reason, when the law is read to the Jews today, it's like a fable; they don't have the explanation of everything related to the coming of the Son of God, who came in human form. But when Christians read i

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

but when it is read by the Christians, it is a treasure, hid indeed in a field, but brought to light by the cross of Christ, and explained, both enriching the understanding of men, and showing forth the wisdom of God and declaring His dispensations with regard to man, and forming the kingdom of Christ beforehand, and preaching by anticipation the inheritance of the holy Jerusalem, and proclaiming beforehand that the man who loves God shall arrive at such excellency as even to see God, and hear His word, and from the hearing of His discourse be glorified to such an extent, that others cannot behold the glory of his countenance, as was said by Daniel: “Those who do understand, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and many of the righteous as the stars for ever and ever.” Thus, then, I have shown it to be, if any one read the Scriptures.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

Further, Esaias the prophet is ordered to take a new book, and write in it Isaiah 8:1 certain things: the Spirit prophesying that through the exposition of the Scriptures there would come afterwards the sacred knowledge, which at that period was still unwritten, because not yet known.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

..., as far as lies in them, deprive the Lord of the true teaching. They do not quote or hand down the Scriptures in a way worthy of God and of the Lord. For the deposit rendered to God, according to the teaching of the Lord through His apostles, is the understanding and the practice of the godly tradition. And, "What you hear in the ear," that is, in a hidden way and in a mystery, for such things are figuratively said to be spoken in the ear, "proclaim on the housetops." He says this means to understand them in a lofty way, and to deliver them in an exalted manner, explaining the Scriptures according to the rule of truth. For neither prophecy nor the Savior Himself announced the divine mysteries simply, so that they could be easily understood by all and sundry, but expressed them in parables. Accordingly, the apostles say of the Lord that "He spoke all things in parables, and without a parable He spoke nothing to them," Matthew 13:34. And if all things were made by Him, and without Him not one thing was made that was made, John 1:3, then prophecy and the law also were by Him, and were spoken by Him in parables. But "all things are right," says the Scripture, "before those who unde

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

...o prove them by using illustrations. Think of man as a kind of temple, according to the likeness of Scripture. Then the spirit that is in man may be compared to the image that dwells in the temple. Now, a temple cannot be established unless an occupant for the temple is first recognized. On the other hand, an occupant cannot be settled in the temple unless the structure has first been built. Since these two things, the occupant and the structure, are both consecrated together, how can any opposition or conflict be found between them? Should it not instead appear that both have come from sources that are friendly and of one mind? And so that you may know this is the case, and that these sources are truly one both in fellowship and in lineage, He who knows and hears all made this reply: "Let us make man," and so on. For the one who builds the temple questions the one who fashions the image. He carefully asks about the measurements of magnitude, breadth, and bulk, so that he may mark out the space for the foundations according to those dimensions. No one begins the useless task of building a temple without first learning the measurement needed for placing the image. In the same way

Victorinus, Commentary on the Apocalypse Supporting witness

...ng the man in his own struggle. And so that there might still be no hesitation, He Himself gave the interpretation by saying, "Because you have prevailed with God, and are powerful with men." For this reason the same Jacob, already perceiving the force of the Mystery and grasping the authority of Him with whom he had wrestled, called the name of that place where he had wrestled the Vision of God. He also added the reason for his interpretation of the Vision of God: "For I have seen," he said, "God face to face, and my soul has been saved." Moreover, he saw God, with whom he wrestled as with a man. But still, he held the man as a conqueror, though as an inferior he asked for a blessing as from God. Thus he wrestled with God and with man. And thus that struggle was truly prefigured, and in the Gospel was fulfilled, between Christ and the people of Jacob. In it, although the people had the mastery, yet it proved to be inferior by being shown to be guilty. Who, then, will hesitate to acknowledge that Christ, in whom this figure of wrestling was fulfilled, was not man only, but God also, since even that very figure of wrestling seems to have proved Him man and God? And yet, even afte