The present paper proposes a catechetical interpretation of the Bible consisting of three stages: vocabulary understanding, theological understanding, and existential understanding. It is intended for catechists working with adults and can be applied during biblical meetings.
The vocabulary understanding is the initial, preparatory stage, necessary for the correct interpretation of any biblical text. It consists in understanding the meaning of a statement in its both literary and historical dimension. The theological understanding is the intermediate stage, which centres primarily around the main theological theme of the passage. The existential understanding is the final stage of reading and considering the biblical text. The essence of this stage is reading the biblical text as the word of God in order to bring it personally into effect.