READ: 2 Peter 1:12-21
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. – 2 Peter 1:20, 21
The Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God therefore He is the one who can lead us into the correct understanding.
2. Do not spiritualise meanings of words.
If you take the language at its face value, you will save yourself from deception. When the Bible says in Matthew 8:17, “By his stripes we are healed,” there is no need to spiritualise the meaning of the word “heal”. The word “heal” is easily defined in the dictionary. I have reproduced below the meaning of the word “heal” from a dictionary.
heal v. 1. (often foll. by up) become sound or healthy again. 2. cause to heal. 3. put right (differences etc.). 4 .alleviate (sorrow etc.). healer n. [Old English: related to whole]
There is no reason to spiritualise or allegorise the meaning of any word. As you can see, the word “heal” can also mean to alleviate sorrow. In the context of Matthew 8:17 you will notice that Jesus was not trying to alleviate sorrow but He was healing the sicknesses of the multitudes.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and HEALED ALL that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Matthew 8:16, 17
3. Believe what you read. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. … Exodus 14:21, 22
When the Bible says that Moses stretched out his rod over the Red Sea and the sea parted, you must believe that that is what happened. If you spiritualise it you will immediately stray into deceptive waters.