The British newspaper Guardian quotes Camping as saying, “I can tell you when 21 May came and went it was a verydifficult time for me – a very difficult time. I was truly wondering what is going on. In my mind, I went back through all the promises God had made. What in the world was happening. I really was praying and praying: ‘Lord, what happened?’”

What happened was simple: In his search for hidden clues in the Bible regarding the end times, Camping missed the obvious. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36) He was so engrossed in his Biblical research, and became so certain of his findings, that he claims to have figured out something that even the Jesus and the angels don’t know.

I don’t know Harold Camping, but I know I can be just like him sometimes, looking for ways to make the Bible explain things the way I want things explained. I pour over the Scriptures looking for answers to my life’s most difficult situations or troubling questions. When there’s no clear statement from God that seems to fit my current dilemma, I piece together some relevant passages, then add my own unique interpretation. If you’ve ever done any serious Bible study, you’re likely guilty of the same thing.

There’s a simple paradigm for Bible study that all of us (and especially folks like Harold Camping) should utilize as often as possible. It’s kind of a “checks and balances” for those who study scripture, and is necessary to avoid error or even heresy. When consulting the Bible for any of life’s questions or issues, it’s important to have three components: Personal interpretation, contemporary understanding, and historical perspective.

Personal interpretation involves reading, studying, meditating, and listening to the Holy Spirit in prayer as you consult the scriptures. What comes next is pretty important (and could have saved Mr. Camping a lot of embarrassment).

Contemporary understanding involves consulting fellow believers, pastors and Bible scholars about the topic at hand. Are there recent books, sermons or commentaries that address the issue? If so, how do they compare/contrast with what you’ve come up with in your personal study?

The final component is acquiring an historical perspective. If Solomon was right, then there is nothing new under the sun. Which means that there’s a good chance that other Christians throughout history have dealt with something similar (if not identical) to what you’re wrestling with. Understanding their conclusions can be very helpful in your own study.

But there’s another essential component to sound Bible study and interpretation – humility. When Camping was obviously wrong concerning his May 21 prediction, he didn’t admit it. Instead he claimed the May 21, 2011 Rapture was “an invisible judgment day“ that he believes is a spiritual, rather than physical event. He tried to cover his error with another explanation – one that will likely also be wrong. The results are significant: Instead of  humble man seeking to know the will of God through Scripture study and prayer – admitting when he stumbles or misunderstands – he’s now a laughingstock.