The goal of biblical interpretation is not to find what no-one else has ever found before but to discover the plain meaning of the text. There is only one meaning in any one scripture although there may be multiple applications. However, an interpretation may seem unique to those who have not seen it before. The plain meaning of a text is not always plain to everyone and interpretation is not a trivial exercise. .
Everyone who reads the Bible is an interpreter whether they like it or not. People tend to think that our understanding of the Bible is the same as the Holy Spirit's and the human author's intent. We fail to see that everyone brings to the Bible their own culture, personal experiences, pre-understandings of words and ideas and their own theological/philosophical presuppositions. These are unavoidable but awareness of them usually prevents subjective interpretations. If we aren't aware of them, they may lead us astray or cause us to read thoughts and ideas into the text that aren't actually there.
Guidelines for Sound Biblical Interpretation.
Genre.
Genre refers to the "type" of the literature. In communicating His message, God used virtually every kind of available form of written communication including historical narratives, genealogies, chronicles, laws, poetry and songs, proverbs, prophetic oracles, riddles, drama, biographical sketches, parables, letters, sermons, apocalypse, dreams and visions. The type of a text has a significant effect on the way it should be interpreted. Therefore, to understand what God is communicating it is necessary to learn not just general principles of interpretation but also specific rules for each different form. It is also necessary to understand how these different forms function in communicating God's word.
For example, in historical narrative, always make a distinction between the "voice" of the narrator and that of a character. The Biblical narrative is authoritative and represents God's view.
