from Dr. R. A. Torrey's The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study (New York: George H. Doran Co., 1921), pp. 55-90.
1. Get absolutely right with God yourself by the absolute surrender of your will to Him.
2. Be determined to find out just what God intended to teach and not what you wish Him to teach.
3. Get the most accurate text.
4. Find the most exact and literal meaning of the text.
5. Note the exact force of each word used.
6. Interpret the words used in any verse according to Bible usage.
7. Interpret the words of each author in the Bible with a regard to the particular usage of that author.
8. Interpret individual verses with a regard to the context.
9. Interpret individual passages in the light of parallel or related passages.
10. Interpret obscure passages in the light of passages that are perfectly plain.
11. Interpret any passage in the Bible as those who were addressed would have understood it.
12. Interpret what belongs to the Christian as belonging to the Christian; what belongs to the Jew, as belonging to the Jew, and what belongs to the Gentiles, as belonging to the Gentiles.
13. Interpret each writer with a view to the opinions the writer opposed.
14. Interpret poetry as poetry and interpret prose as prose.
15. The Holy Spirit is the best interpreter of the Bible.
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Reuben Archer Torrey was one of America's best-known evangelists and Bible teachers. He was educated at Yale and also at various German universities. During his early years he went through a time of extreme skepticism, but emerged as a staunch preacher of the faith.
In 1889, while in the pastorate, D. L. Moody invited him to become become the superintendent of his new school in Chicago (now the Moody Bible Institute.) He also served as pastor to the Chicago Avenue Church, now the Moody Church. He and Charles Alexander conducted evangelistic meetings together in many parts of the world.
From the years 1912-19 R A Torrey served as dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. He also served from 1914 as pastor of the Church of the Open Door. From 1924 to his death, he ministered in conferences and taught at the Moody Bible Institute.