How to Read the Bible

It is a mistake

to look to the Bible

to close a discussion;

the Bible seeks

to open one.

- William Sloane Coffin

Once we have established that the Bible is utterly trustworthy, how do we approach it? Do we read it in a special way? The answer to this is both yes and no! Yes, we apply the standard interpretation of any literary document by paying attention to the word selection, type of literature, and historical context. Yet, we must also exercise far greater trust in the truthfulness of what is written. The best technique is to blend the ordinary reading of literature with a special reverence and respect.

When we read the Bible, we should approach it in several ways.

1. The Bible should be read for the most obvious and immediate meaning in the text. Answering the questions of who, what, when, where, and how helps us to find our bearings. It's essential to clearly define what the original author meant at the time the words were penned and how his audience would have perceived his words. These things should guide all contemporary interpretation of the passage. 

2. The Bible should be read in the context of other passages of Scripture. We should acquire a habit of comparing a passage with others on the same topic. This gives us perspective. Without the wisdom of the whole Bible, it's easy to misunderstand what is meant by a single passage. By setting a passage against the backdrop of other passages, the story of the Bible as a whole is kept in mind, and ultimately this clarifies the meaning for us.

3. The Bible should be read as part of a conversation with other believers. Many wise men and women have wrestled earnestly with issues of interpretation and theology. Their discoveries can illuminate our understanding. We should read with an awareness of the ongoing witness of the church and consult reliable commentaries to inform our personal discovery process.

4. It's also important to read the Bible with the heart -- to "listen" to Scripture with the soul yielded and still, asking questions like, "What does this mean for me? How should it change me -- the way I think and the way I live?" It's important to reflect on a passage, pray for insight, and try to apply what is revealed from meditating on it. 

Reading with the heart is simple but life-changing. In it, we look to God to reveal the truth to us and to transform us with it. Once we have set up appropriate context and boundaries for interpretation, we can turn to God in a very simple and childlike manner, asking him how we can apply what we have learned, and knowing he will surely answer us, since he loves us and wants us to become mature.

Do you have a favorite Bible? Or a favorite Bible study book? Why is it your favorite? 

Is the Bible a Book of Fables and Fairytales?

The human qualities of the raw materials show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not “the Word of God” in the sense that every passage in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God.

–C.S Lewis on The Bible

Is the Bible really different from other books? What is the best way to view it? Some people think the Bible is a book of "just-so stories" like the tales of Rudyard Kipling, or a book of Jewish fables or fairytales. I actually heard a Bible professor say this to an audience years ago. He likened the accounts of the Creation of the World, Adam and Eve in the Garden, Noah and the Ark, the Fall of the Walls of Jericho, and Jonah and the Whale to fables--tales which were made up, perhaps with a kernel of history, and which were good stories telling us something important about how we should live. If you are not familiar with Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories, below are a few titles:

• How the Whale Got his Throat
• How the Camel Got his Hump
• How the Rhinoceros Got his Skin
• How the Leopard Got his Spots
• The Beginning of the Armadillos
• How the First Letter was Written
• How the Alphabet was Made

Kipling's tales were fun stories for children, but aside from the moral lesson in them, we do not need to take them seriously as truth. If you haven't encountered it yet, you will read or hear from an expert at some point that the Bible is really a book like this, that it is folklore which is important culturally and historically, but it is not absolutely true, and was never meant to be considered as absolute truth.

WHAT JESUS DID

What is very interesting to me is that Jesus did not treat the Bible this way. Instead, he treated all of the words of the Old Testament as utterly true, making the words of Moses equal in stature to his own in John 5 as he was speaking to the religious leaders about who he was and about having faith in God:

"I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”(5:43-47)

Jesus was referring to these very same stories which the Bible professor referred to, but he was treating them as history. Moreover, he was equating them with his own words, as being in the same category of pure revelation from God.

"YOUR WORD IS TRUTH"

In John 17:17, Jesus prayed for his disciples, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." The "word" he referred to in his prayer is the very same of which he declared in Matthew 5:18-19,

"Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

His statements about the Old Testament are astounding. From these passages alone, we can see that he considered the Old Testament writings to be the eternal Word of God. But there is more evidence of this in his words for those who look carefully at the Gospel accounts.

His reverence and respect for the Old Testament Scriptures was indicated frequently by his referral to them. He taught from the Old Testament Scriptures (Matthew 5-6). He used them to rebuke Satan, repeatedly saying, "It is written" (Matthew 4; Luke 4). He treated events in the Old Testament as though they were historical facts (John 8). Referring to himself and his future death, he also referred to Jonah in the belly of the whale (Matthew 12:39, 16:4; Luke 11:29-30).

Clearly, these were true stories in his mind, written in true words.

He also addressed the Scriptures which would be written after he died. The night before he was crucified, he had an intimate conversation with his disciples. There, he promised them divine guidance, indicating that the Spirit would guide them into all truth, speak plainly to them, and bring to their remembrance of all that he said (John 16). They were to be his witnesses. Later the disciple John would write:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4).

As we discussed in the last post, Jesus presented himself as the Son of God, and then went on to prove it through his resurrection. If we accept his claims about himself, it follows naturally that we should accept his claims about Scripture: that it is true and reliable.

THE NEED FOR THOUGHTFUL STUDY

That said, we must approach the Bible with wisdom and an understanding that Biblical passages must be interpreted in their own context: they must be understood through appropriate scientific, historical, and social analysis. They should not mean anything to us today which is contrary to what they meant to their first audience.

Biblical authors did not write a textbook or technical manual, but rather a long story of a relationship between God and his people, filled with poetry, wise sayings, proverbs, history, and personal reflections. This is why Biblical authors did not use technical language or focus on extreme precision. Although all the Bible declares is true, it is necessary to ascertain what the author of each book actually committed himself to, that is, what he actually affirmed. We must take into account the type of literature which was being written, idioms and figures of speech, and that a reported event was not necessarily condoned.

Furthermore, the truth of the Bible does not imply omniscience on the part of the authors: their knowledge was partial, even though the Holy Spirit guided their writing. Their writings are necessarily limited by this and by the fact that they did not have space to report all that happened. For example, John in his Gospel stated, "Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book (John 20:30)". This makes sense, because John had only a limited amount of space to fit the actions and words of the Lord into one book.

Yet, it also reminds us of something significant. We do not have the entire story. For this reason, we generally understand that when we say the Bible is true, we mean when all the facts are known, the scriptures in their original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be wholly true in everything that they affirm. There is never a place in the Scriptures where what they affirm is false. This applies uniformly to doctrine, morality, history, and the sciences.

The Scriptures are wholly true and completely trustworthy. This is the way Jesus treated the Bible. He set an example for us, so that we would know how to respond to it.

What do you think? Can we trust the Bible to be true? Are there places in the Bible which are difficult for you to accept?

Waterford illustration of Tristan and Isolde, courtesy of Dover Publications.

Why Jesus is Our Guide to Reading the Bible

There is a lot of talk about the Bible today, about how we should understand it and whether or not it is all true. If you go into a bookstore, you can find books of all kinds about it, with a wide variety of views. The real issue at the bottom of these books is: How should we interpret the Bible? What does it mean?

The best way to answer this question is to examine how Jesus did it. Before we do that, however, we should think for a minute about who Jesus was. His full identity becomes apparent when we examine the events surrounding his death (Matthew 27-28; Mark 15-16; Luke 23-24; John 19-20).

What Happened When Jesus Died?

After Jesus was crucified, a man from the religious leaders named Joseph of Arimathea requested permission to have the body for burial (John 19:38-60). After Jesus' body was placed in the tomb, the religious leaders themselves requested that the tomb be sealed with a large stone weighing several tons and that soldiers be stationed in front of it, so that no one would steal the body and establish the fraud of a resurrection (Luke 23:62-66).

However, the stone which sealed the grave was mysteriously rolled away in the middle of the night. It was reported that an angel of the Lord came down to roll the stone and sat on it. The soldiers guarding the tomb fled in terror (Matthew 28:2-4). This empty, open tomb, along with the angel, was what greeted the amazed women who arrived to treat the body with spices very early in the morning (Mark 16:2-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1). They reported all of this to the disciples who were hiding from the authorities in the fear that they would also be arrested and executed (John 20:2). The disciples were skeptical: the Bible tells us it seemed "like nonsense" to them (Luke 29:9-11).

Then the Bible tells us an amazing thing. Jesus began appearing to his followers (Matthew 28;Mark 16; Luke 24: John 20). In fact, he remained with them for a period of forty days (Acts 1:3-12) and appeared to 500 of them altogether (1 Corinthians 15:6). As a result of this, they became strong in faith and publicly declared that Jesus was the Son of God. Eventually, they were martyred for their testimony. The radical change in their behavior is strong evidence that they believed for themselves that the resurrection had happened (Acts 2).

Who Jesus Claimed to Be

All of this leaves us with only one conclusion: the resurrection must have happened, and therefore Jesus must be who he said he was, but who exactly was he claiming to be? Taken altogether, his statements about himself were astounding. Take a look at the list below of fifteen things Jesus claimed about himself from just one passage in the eighth chapter of John.

In just 60 verses, Jesus claimed that:

1. He was the light of the world (v. 12),

2. He was sent by God his Father who was testifying for him (v.17),

3. He was going where no one can follow (v. 21),

4. He could predict the future (v. 21),

5. He was from above, that is, from heaven (v. 23),

6. He had heard directly from God (v.26),

7. He always did and said exactly what God His Father wanted him to do -- that is, he was perfectly righteous and without sin (v. 28),

8. The truth he taught would set men free, if followed sincerely and faithfully, without exceptions (v. 32),

9. He had been doing and telling what he had received in the Father’s presence (v. 37-38),

10. He came directly from God, who was his Father and who sent him (v. 42),

11. Any person who heard and believed him belonged to God, and anyone who did not believe him was unable to hear him and was a child of the devil (v. 44-47),

12. God was seeking to glorify him as the Son (v. 50, 54),

13. Anyone who followed his teaching would never see death (v. 51),

14. Abraham, centuries earlier, had looked forward to his arrival (v. 56),

15. He was the “I AM” who existed before Abraham, and by definition, even before any men were created (v.58).

For those who were only willing to call Jesus a teacher or a prophet, his statements about himself created a crisis. The intensity of his incredible claims built to the final one in verse 58 which echoed Isaiah 41:4 written centuries earlier, “I, the Lord, the first, and with the last, I am He.”

Those who did not believe him exploded into violence, picking up stones with which to kill him. Jesus forced them to consider, to choose a side, either for or against him. Not only did he make such outrageous claims about himself that they had to choose, but he also pressed the religious leaders about their hypocrisy. He refused to let them relax as they were in their fleshliness and complacency. He was on the offensive to remove, if possible, their sinful attitudes and spiritual blindness -- an offensive echoed in the physical realm with his healing of a blind man which immediately follows this scene in John 9-10:21.

During the intense confrontation, Jesus was remarkably forthright in his disclosure of his identity. He recalled Abraham who looked forward to one who would come as Redeemer, and then he made it plain that he was the one Abraham had anticipated. In case anyone had misunderstood, he made it abundantly clear: he called himself by the name “I AM,” which belonged only to the Holy God of Israel (Exodus 3:13-15). He thus identified himself as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, the very God incarnate, standing in human form in front of them.

Jesus Left no Room for Ambivalence

Jesus made such incredible claims in this passage leading to his statement “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58), he left no room for ambivalence. His listeners were forced to take one of three positions:

1. accuse him of being evil and a blasphemer,

2. decide he was out of his mind (as his family had before),

3. or bow down and worship him as God.

It is clear from his relentless attacks on the Pharisees and his long list of assertions about himself, that he intended to force the issue. Choose, he pressed them: decide who I am. He did not intend to give them space for vacillating any longer.

We should bear in mind that Jesus was successful in his intent, for we read not only that a number of them attempted to stone him (v. 59) but also that many believed him (v.30).

Why Does it Matter?

Why does all of this matter for us when we read the Bible? Here is the key issue: if Jesus was who he said he was, then he handled the Bible in the correct way. As the Son of God, he would have modeled for us the best way to approach all the revelation about God which we have.

Who do you think Jesus was? How do you think he regarded the Old Testament which was the "Bible" of the time of his earthly ministry? Have you ever thought much about his claims concerning himself? Do you think they were incredible or shocking?

The Bible is God's book. He inspired the writing of it. His heart is made plain to us in it, along with his intentions for mankind.

This great book was created to help us. No other book is able to guide our spiritual transformation in quite the same way. In it, we find a long and varied series of histories, songs, letters, poems, and proverbs which chart the path to a relationship with him and the life "which is truly life." (1 Tim. 6:19).

But it is a strange and wonderful book. For the life in it becomes our life only as we interact properly with it. Not only was this the way in which God created it -- through the actions of people -- but this is the way its message comes alive for us. We must reflect upon it, pray with it, discuss it, and apply it, if we want to discover its power and meaning.

If we come seeking external conformity as our goal, we will grow stiff and brittle, demanding and judgemental, hard and graceless. If we approach it merely to prove a point and to support doctrinal positions, it will deaden our compassion and make us instruments of conflict among others. If we approach it only for knowledge, our knowledge will make us proud, and we will forfeit the love which can restore us. These approaches to the Bible do not bring good results, because God never intended for us to read his book apart from interacting with it personally and deeply.

If we come to the Bible humbly, if we cry with the King David,

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean;

wash me and I shall be whiter than snow . . .

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me . . .

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

(Psalm 51)

Can you think of some reasons why the Bible is a special book, different from other books? Has it spoken to you in a special way?

When You are Afraid

In the Psalm 56, David writes, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." David was afraid. He experienced fear may times. But he has also learned the way through it. He had learned to take himself and his fear to God and leave all of it into God's hands.

If you are afraid, God already knows this, because knows everything about you.

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether." (Psalm 139:1-4)

God knows your thoughts and your fears. He knows where you are failing. He knows all the secrets you might be afraid to tell someone. He understands how far you fall short of his holy standards. He sees that you are afraid to be too close to him. Yet he still loves you -- passionately, deeply, joyfully.

When you did not even know him, Jesus died for you, to make a way for you to have a close relationship with God and eternal life. He accepts you utterly and completely, just as you are now. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

But God is not satisfied to leave you as you are. He wants a better life for you. He wants you to have the kind of life he has and to walk in freedom.

Because you are precious to him and he knows everything about you anyway, you can come to him, confident of his love and help. He lived in our world as a human being, he suffered like we do, and yet he lived a perfect life. He stands ready to help you with your dread, your ambivalence, and your reluctance to commit your whole life to God.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)

You can pray with the man who said, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) Jesus responded to his cry by providing for him and setting his son free from bondage. This is how he will respond to you, too. He will take the tiny bit of faith you have to confess your fear and work with it to set you free.

Is there something that you fear when you think about getting very close to God?

Photograph of LaPush, WA, copyright 2011 by Benjamin Frear.

Why We Hesitate

There is a very interesting story about Jesus and Peter in the fifth chapter of Luke's Gospel.

After teaching a crowd from Peter's boat, Jesus instructed him to lower his net into the water. Peter had toiled all night and protested, but did as he was told. As the nets were pulled up, they were so full of fish, they were breaking.

Peter fell down before Jesus and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

When Peter saw his nets full of fish, he knew who was sitting in his boat. He suddenly realized who Jesus was. Then he begged him to leave.

Prostrate, he pleaded, Go away. I'm sinful. You know it.

Does his response surprise you? Whether he was profoundly aware of his sin and repentant, or whether he was afraid to face it, we cannot be sure. Either way, his plight is also ours. If we stop to really think about it, we could come to a similar conclusion: we are afraid of God. We are afraid to let him take over our lives completely and change us. What might he ask of us? Where will he take us? We fear the prospect of becoming like him. Will we still be ourselves? We cling the identity we already know and shrink back from the unknown elements of a new, godly life.

Perhaps we fear more than the unknown.

Perhaps we fear absolute holiness and devotion. It could be that we feel more secure with our choices in shades of gray, with options that let us change our mind. Less right, more right, less wrong, more wrong -- these comparisons are comfortable. We shrink back from the bright light of God's searching gaze, the total vulnerability of being absolutely known and having every single sin exposed, the severity of a complete surrender to him. We'd rather belong to ourselves and do just enough to feel better than someone else.

We know how to stand with Peter beside his boat. There, we feel we still have all our choices. There is time to explore, to ponder, to linger on the fringes of full commitment. We do not have to dive into discipleship with full abandon.

The problem with this is that the longer we wait, the harder a change becomes. It will always be easier to remain in a life which is familiar, but the longer we live in it, the more attached we become.

There have been many studies done in recent years to verify this: people tend to stay in familiar circumstances, even when those circumstances are miserable. It's a well-known fact, for example, that majority of domestic abuse victims return to their abusers after running to shelters for relief. Incredibly, they return, even when their personal safety is threatened.

It's easier to remain with what we know, even if what we know is destructive. But the longer we stay with it, the harder leaving it becomes.

If you're like most of us, you have fears about following God with total abandon. You feel some anxiety over letting him expose all your sins. You hesitate at the threshold of giving him your whole life to change as he wishes.

But this is precisely what the kingdom of God is designed to do. Take your life and make it his.

Jesus said,"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)

He also said,"whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:24)

We cannot have both. We must choose. Our life or his. He did not intend to leave both options open to us.

It's normal to feel afraid, normal to question, normal to hesitate before allowing God to bring deep change - normal because it is part of our sinful condition. The best thing to do is to ask God to help you with the fear.

Here is my encouragement to you: God is very good at helping us process our fears. If you simply begin to talk to him about your anxieties and hesitation over making a full commitment and ask for his help, he will surely send it. Through a book, a sermon, a song, a friend, or fresh mental clarity, he will take you forward to a place of peaceful resolve.

What are the fears you have about following God with total abandon? You can start by listing them and asking God to help you.

Photograph of LaPush, Washington, copyright 2011 by Benjamin Frear.

A New Thing

Several months ago, I went for a walk in a park. It was late August. After months of searing heat and stifling humidity, the air had turned clear. A bare touch of fall rose from the horizon in a cooling breeze lifting lemony scents from wood chips under my feet. Green growing things sparkled with early dew and sunshine, instead of drooping in a steamy haze.

I had waited for a new season for weeks. But on the morning it arrived, I could not take it in. My muscles kept tensing, anticipating another familiar wall of hot air around the next bend. Our long, oppressive summer was firmly planted in my mind and body.

When the first bit of change came, it did not seem like a solid thing. History was easier to believe than a promise.

I do this with other areas of life, too. I believe whatever has been in the past is most likely in the future. Whether I’m considering a project, a relationship, or the evening news -- I expect things to continue as they have.

It works fairly well. Most of the time, the past accurately predicts the future. Except when it doesn’t.

Consider this from Isaiah:

Remember not the former things,

nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43)

Through Isaiah, God is referring to the time when he will save his people by sending a Messiah.

Later, he continues:

For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness. (Isaiah 65)

This also refers to a time in the future when God’s people will have a Savior. As we ponder what God will do, he instructs us not to use the past as a reference point. The former things will not even be remembered.

Paul echoes this idea in his second letter to the Corinthians:

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh . . . if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

My tendency to rely on my past as an indicator for my future cannot help me understand what God is doing for my spiritual growth. If I am trusting Jesus as my Savior, then I am becoming something I have not seen before!

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” -- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God . . . Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned . . . (1 Corinthians 2:14-19)

Paul was writing here about the fact that we cannot understand the new things God is doing for us and in us by considering the past or leaning on our old ways of understanding. The new life God offers us simply will not make sense to us that way.

When Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” he was referring to God’s truth, not my construction of a “truth” from my experiences. God’s kingdom is not like my experiences in a fallen world. Walking with God is a path, not a place. It is a life with God, rather than a set of rules or precepts. That is why Jesus’ invitation was, “Follow me.”

The joy of walking with God is discovery. The delight is in becoming the person God designed me to be and learning more about him. Although this can be hard at times, there is deep gladness in the transformation. Loving God means I turn my effort everyday toward being made new. I can put my feet on the path He has for me and take a few more steps.

God knows the way to fulfillment will be long. He has no expectation of immediate perfection. Quite the opposite. That's why Paul wrote: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). It will take a while for the work of God in us to be completed in our experience.

Becoming new means that we will not always be comfortable. This new thing won’t be easy or quick. But it also means we live in a glorious hope. God has a plan for our completion, and he will achieve it. Our part is to take the next step.

What might be the next step for you to take with God today or this week?