Bible Interpretation 101: "The Analogy of Faith"

The Analogy of the Faith Principle of Interpretation

“One of the most basic principles of interpretation is the ‘analogy of faith.’ This principle says that unclear passages should be understood in light of clear ones, not the other way around. The difficult passages need to be explained in harmony with clear ones. In other words, if a passage has two or more possible interpretations, and only one fits well with the Scriptures as a whole, the Bible student is bound to select the interpretation which is in harmony with the rest of biblical revelation. Thus, though a passage may have two possible interpretations in isolation from other passages, when placed alongside clear, unambiguous passages, only one interpretation exists.”[1]

Reference:

[1] J. Hampton Keathley, III, "The Stewardship of God's Truth Through Evangelism (Part 3)" (July 1, 2004), bible.org website.