What Stop Signs Mean to Me

Of course, that’s ridiculous. There’s no wiggle room. Stop signs aren’t open for interpretation, and they’re not a suggestion to slow down. Saying stop signs mean something to you and something else to me would eventually land me in jail.

I used to think interpreting the Bible wasn’t an issue. What is there to interpret? Just do what the Bible says. That is, until I heard someone’s interpretation of the Tower of Babel. “Nothing was impossible for them,” she said. “They banded together. So too when we band together, nothing will be impossible!”

There are places in the Bible that teach, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). But the Tower of Babel isn’t one of them. This project was a declaration of self-worship by people who wanted to make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4). When God came down to see the city and tower, He wasn’t pleased.

When we read Scripture, the question is not (as I hear in so many Bible studies), “What does this mean to you?” but “What does this mean?” We may ask how this applies to each person, but the original author was speaking to a specific audience and communicating a specific message.

While it sometimes may not matter how we read, other times it matters significantly. If I have a project due, I want to know what the professor meant, not just interpret the rubric how I like and fail. If I’m driving, I can’t interpret traffic lights the way I want because they were set up to give drivers a message that, if obeyed, would keep everyone safe.

Reading the Bible and looking for the meaning we want to see will lead to dangerous interpretations. Google Augustine’s commentary on the parable of the Good Samaritan, and everything represents something else. This is not what Jesus intended. He’s clear in Luke 10:27: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s the message. It doesn’t matter who they are; we’re called to love our neighbor.

Improper interpretations and applications have been the start of cults and practices that are clearly unbiblical. Yet if we love God, we want to know what He has to say, and His messages to us aren’t arbitrary.

Let me put a disclaimer in here. I know many faithful students of the Bible who disagree with me on some things. However, just because we disagree doesn’t make them false teachers. What matters is being solid on the crucial points of Scripture, like the validity of creation and the resurrection.

When we do disagree, we should (1) be open-minded while examining other views in light of Scripture, (2) to an extent agree to disagree regarding each other’s opinions on what is not explicit, and (3) be content with not knowing all the answers. We can be willing and eager to discuss God’s Word with the end goal being not to prove the other person wrong but sincerely and humbly seeking what God wants to teach us. The common denominator should be that we all are seeking truth.

On all key doctrines (doctrines that make a Christian a Christian) compromise is not an option. In some ways, the fact that Christians sometimes disagree is encouraging in that people are willing to think for themselves and not blindly accept just any teaching.

At the same time, we can’t lose sight of the message God wants to communicate through His Word. His “yes,” “no,” “slow,” or “go” aren’t suggestions; they are to keep us safe and point us in the right direction.

So, the next time you come to a stop sign, come to a complete stop and remember that God has clear messages for us too.