Authorial Intent
Studying scripture is not relegated to pastors, theologians, and seminary professors. As the primary way God speaks to and instructs us, all Christians should go beyond reading the Bible as though it were a novel and instead actually study its contents to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the text. A key component of studying scripture and understanding a passage’s meaning is authorial intent, which is explained in this short article.
JT Pitts
When interpreting a verse(s), chapter(s), or book(s) of the Bible, the most important step to correctly understanding the meaning of a text is to consider what was the purpose of the author’s writings. All scripture is written by the Lord through divinely inspired authors who wrote to particular people, in particular times, for particular reasons. We are unable to read the minds of the author, but with literary study and historical context we are able to understand the authorial intent of a book of the Bible. One must be aware of culture, setting, characters, as well as the relationship of the writer and the intended audience. The timing of the message also plays into the reasoning for the message. All of these factor into the particular reasons as to why the audience of the text was in need of hearing what God intended the writer to say. There is a why behind the author’s writings and this is called authorial intent.
Authorial intent is presented in the meaning of the text. The meaning of the text is the author's intended purpose of the text when the text was written. Readers of the Bible today can confuse the meaning of the text with the implications or the significance of the text. It is important to understand that the meaning of the text never changes; however, the implication or significance of the text changes as we do. As we grow and life changes, verses can have different implications or significance to us at different stages of our lives. For example, take the verse, John 3:16. Reading how God gave His only begotten Son impacts a parent differently than someone with no children. The significance of the text changed as I became a parent. A parent may feel the weight of giving up or losing their child more heavily or emotionally than someone who has never experienced parental love. Significance and implication lead to our application of the text. Just as culture and technology changes, so does application, but not meaning. The meaning of the verse never changed. God gave His only Son to pay the wages of sin on our behalf.
JT Pitts
Published 24 September 2025
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