TEACHING / INTERPRETATION Skills
The art of teaching involves the need to be accurate in definitions. This is a basic element and most do not think of this process as one of the basic methods of interpretation (hermeneutics)–the correct, appropriate(within context) definition.
Remember, literal means ‘as is’; spiritual means ‘pertaining to the spirit not the fleshly side of life’ and ‘figure of speech’ means to consider how the word, or words, are being used.
(e.g. When Jesus said in John 10, “I am the door”, was he?
Was he literally the gate with wooden poles and leather hinges of the sheepfold?, or, Was he the door spiritually speaking?, or, Was he the ‘door’ meaning, he was the place
of entrance in to the service of the Heavenly Father?
These considerations move each of us Bible readers into the field of interpretation. The point is: Does the interpretation match the available evidence at hand to prove if the verse is literal, spiritual and/or figuratively.