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The Holy Bible has roots in history going back over four thousand years. Authored by over forty different writers throughout the ages with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this holy manuscript has been a lamp unto the feet of both kings and laymen alike. Not only has the Bible been a guide, but it has also been the source of numerous disputes throughout the centuries concerning its proper interpretation as it applies to theology and to individuals. Interpretation of the Bible is called "hermeneutics," and the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines this term as, "The study of the methodological principles of interpretation (as of the Bible)." With this knowledge, it is obvious how subjective the results of this practice can be. The contents of the Bible are not to be taken lightly, and in order to have an intensive understanding of its pages, one must interpret the Bible with care. To facilitate a deep appreciation for the text and an understanding of how the Bible applies to daily lives, a brief background of the Scripture's history will be reviewed, and the surrounding hermeneutical aspects will be evaluated.

As the Apostle Paul explains in Second Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." This should topple the arguments of every adversary to the Bible in regards to the divine authorship and accuracy of all Biblical texts. However, scholars throughout history have denied the Holy Spirit's presence during the compilation of the Bible, and as a result have placed doubt in the minds of millions of individuals. Their arguments have not only spawned blasphemies concerning the Bible but also led to unnecessary suspicions surrounding the text itself in an effort to defame the Lord Jesus Christ. But the same God who inspired the Bible has also built a firewall into the passages of His Word, and as a result, the Bible has withstood the test of time and tampering. As receivers of the Word we can have an appreciation for the gift He has given us of the Bible and the books within that serve to interpret each other. But in addition to tampering, the doubts and suspicions have also given rise to a myriad of textual interpretations that stand under debate even today. With each of these anticipated, we will review a brief history of the text itself as well as a sampling of diverse interpretations.

The Early Church, contrary to popular opinion, had each of the many apostolic epistles available to them for instructional purposes. The early dating of these

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