Responsible Biblical Interpretation | APPLES, BANANAS, COCONUTS & DURIANS | Jacob Cherian | Part 2

Main ideas & lessons (responsible biblical interpretation)

• You already know how to interpret; you may need mindset adjustments

  • People interpret all the time using common sense and experience.
  • The key issue is that misunderstanding often comes from missing context—not from lack of intelligence.

• Meaning depends on context, not fixed dictionary definitions

  • The same action/gesture can mean different things to different audiences (e.g., cricket signals vs. a preacher-like gesture).
  • Words can have multiple meanings depending on context (e.g., “sink”; “bow”; Greek “agape/agapao”).
  • Agape (noun) vs. agapao (verb): “agape” is not automatically “unconditional love of God.”
  • The same verb can describe love for darkness (John 3:16 vs. 3:19), so context determines meaning.

• Core interpretive principle (Acronym: A AND M)

  • A AND M = “Meaning that the author intended” and “Meaning that the audience understood.”
  • Responsible interpretation follows this order:
    1. Determine what the author meant (author’s intent).
    2. Determine what the original audience understood.
    3. Then ask what the text means for us now (application), which may differ from the original situation.

• A “litmus test” for meaning

  • Ask: Could the author reasonably have meant this modern thing?
  • If not, your interpretation is likely wrong (e.g., trying to interpret Revelation 11 as about “television” centuries before TV existed).

• Don’t “read verses like magic”; read the text as part of a larger whole

  • The Bible is not a bag of disconnected quotations.
  • Reading only one verse can cause major misinterpretation.

• Warnings against misreading and cult-like thinking

  • Suspending judgment and assuming “God is speaking through this one person” is dangerous.
  • Historical examples (e.g., Kenya; Jim Jones) illustrate how people can be harmed when context and independent judgment are abandoned.

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Methodology: three levels of context (A/B/C/D “apples, bananas, coconuts” framework)

Overview of the “fruit” analogy

• Apples = Literary level (read around the passage)
• Bananas = Cultural & historical level
• Coconuts = Deeper/sometimes hard-to-access background (may require tools/resources)

A. Apple level — Literary context (read “around” the text)

• Read the surrounding passage, not a single verse

  • Don’t rely on verse divisions/headings; those were added later.
  • Many translation paragraphing helps reflect original flow.

• Example lesson points

  • Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things…”)
    • The meaning is about contentment and strength in hardship, not unlimited ability to achieve any life goal.
    • Interpret “everything” as Paul intended within that paragraph.
  • John 10:10 (thief/steal/kill/destroy)
    • In context, it concerns the shepherd imagery and the surrounding argument—not necessarily Satan in this exact passage.
  • Matthew 18:20 (“two or three gathered…”)
    • Used often in prayer meetings, but in context it connects to discipline/accountability steps within church life.

B. Banana level — Historical & cultural context (what the original audience would assume)

• Learn cultural symbols and background assumptions the text relies on.

• Example lesson points

  • John 15 / “true vine”
    • Vine/vineyard imagery is tied to Israel in the Old Testament (e.g., Israel as God’s vineyard).
    • “True vine/true Israel” frames Jesus fulfilling and replacing Israel’s role.
  • Luke 10 / Good Samaritan
    • “Samaritan” is a severe insult among Jews (context includes Jewish–Samaritan hatred).
    • The story is not merely “be kind to strangers”; it reframes enemies and calls for sacrificial love.
  • Deuteronomy 22:5 (gender-related clothing)
    • The point is not modern “pants/saris,” but ancient gender distinctions and likely covenant identity in that context.
  • Deuteronomy 22 and mixed practices/materials/food
    • Many prohibitions relate to ancient Canaanite fertility/religious practices and Israel’s distinctiveness.
  • Boundary stones
    • “Stone” language is literal in that specific case (land seizure), not metaphorical—though some “stone” references elsewhere can be symbolic.

C. Coconut level — Deeper context requiring “extra tools”

• Some references require external historical knowledge

  • The Bible may not explain certain events/terms directly.

• Example lesson points

  • John 10:22 / “Feast of Dedication”
    • Refers to Hanukkah-style rededication after temple desecration by Seleucids (Antiochus Epiphanes IV; Maccabean revolt).
    • The point is not child dedication; it is historical temple rededication that shaped Jewish understanding of the term.
  • Temple language in John
    • Jesus redefines “temple” as Himself and later as believers/church.
    • A future rebuilt Jerusalem temple is not a core meaning for this language.

• Apocalyptic genre requires special rules

  • Revelation is treated as a different genre/game with symbolic language.
  • Key implications:
    • Images (horses, blood, etc.) are symbolic, not necessarily literal events.
    • Numbers often function symbolically.

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Interpretive guidance for apocalyptic writings (Revelation)

• Use genre awareness

  • Revelation is apocalyptic literature: symbolic meaning dominates.

• Symbolic numbers example (666)

  • The proposal is that 666 refers to Nero Caesar via Hebrew-letter numerology (gematria), not a random literal number.
  • A brief analogy is given for how symbolic number codes appear in modern extremist cultures—but the main focus remains the text’s historical coding.

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How to apply Scripture to modern readers (without distorting intent)

• Application comes after meaning

  • Steps:
    • Understand author intent + original audience understanding.
    • Then translate meaning into modern obedience/life practice.

• God can speak powerfully through a text

  • Examples of individuals encountering specific passages and being deeply impacted:
    • John Lawson (prison, Ezekiel 18), later becoming a preacher/testimony.
    • Augustine (Romans 13:13–14) after hearing “take it and read it.”
  • These are presented as exceptions, not a method for “opening the Bible randomly like a lucky charm.”

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Practical resources he recommends

Books / commentaries

• Fee & Douglas Stewart: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (with Gordon Fee positioned as a major mentor).
• South Asian Bible Commentary
  • A one-volume commentary; purchasing options and library assistance are mentioned.

Online resources

• The Bible Project
  • Multi-language video channels and extensive free content.
• biblicalelearning.org
  • A lecture/training library covering Old/New Testament, languages, theology, etc.

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Speakers / sources featured

Speaker (primary)

• Jacob Cherian (often referred to as “Pastor Jacob” / “Pastor Jacob, you say…”)

Biblical authors / figures referenced

• Paul (Philippians; 1 Corinthians; etc.)
• Jesus (multiple sayings in Gospel accounts)
• John (Gospel of John; also “agape/agapao” references)
• Apostles/disciples (e.g., James and John in Luke 9 referenced)
• Augustine (Saint Augustine)
  • Augustine’s cited text: Romans 13:13–14
• John Lawson (personal testimony/story)
• Maccabees / Judah Maccabee (background for John 10:22 explanation)
• Antiochus Epiphanes IV and the Seleucids (background for Hanukkah/temple dedication)
• Nero Caesar (used as interpretive proposal for Revelation 13:18 / 666)

Cult/history examples referenced

• Jim Jones
• Kenya (recent Kenya killings referenced, without naming a specific group)

Modern cultural references used as analogies

• White supremacists (number 14 and 88 explained)
• Elon Musk and the Pope (mentioned in the context of avoiding symbolic misreadings)