by Wes Fortin, Elder
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
It was common at one time for Christians to have a “life verse”, sometime around middle school. For me, it was Matthew 7:7-8. Even then, I had a lot of questions and was searching for answers. In my case, I went far afield. I say all that to get to the first of several points that are at the foundation for my approach to Bible study.
First, use good sources. The best source, of course, is Scripture itself. But which Bible to get? At the highest level, Bibles range from the interpretive to the literal. Obviously, English syntax is different than first century Greek, so some interpretation has to occur. But, I want a Bible that is as close to a literal translation of the text as possible. For me, that’s the ESV Study Bible. I shun the “interpretive” bibles because God’s word has a lot of nuance that gets lost. Some of these interpretive Bibles have abstracted the text so much in order to convey what that author thinks is the “big idea”, that the text almost gets ridiculous. The Living Bible is an (in)famous example of this type of interpretive Bible. Avoid these! If you aren’t sure, ask Pastor Gene or any of the Elders for guidance. A strong hint is the versions used during the Sermon (which is almost always the ESV).
Second, I look for help with context. All of scripture is inspired writing that speaks to us now, but also spoke to those reading and hearing it for the first time. As a result, some customs, metaphors and issues relevant to the people through whom the Spirit spoke, are completely incomprehensible to our 21st century western minds. I like the Archaeology Study Bible to help me with the contextual issues. I also have a Jewish Study Bible and references from other denominations such as a Catholic Encyclopedia, Luther’s Small Catechism and others.
I’ve also read a lot of anthropology, archaeology and history of the Middle East – especially as it applies to the time covered by the Bible. That’s a life-long work that is always changing as new finds are made. A classic example is that the Hittites were once believed by scholars to be a fictional people invented by the writers of the Bible… then they found the Hittites. Egyptologists and scholars deny the book of Exodus is anything but a fiction, claiming they have all the kings lists for Egypt. Just this week, they discovered more tombs which included an unknown queen. The works of scholars can help me understand the Bible, but they are not inspired by the Holy Spirit. In spite of what they might think, Scripture is always right.
Which brings me to my third point, Scripture is always right… however, our understanding of it is sometimes wrong. Today, as always, men have used the Bible to justify all sorts of horrors either through elaborate deceptions or by looking at one verse, or idea, out of context. Remember, Satan quotes Scripture too (see temptation of Christ). When we read Christian books, remember they are not a replacement for Scripture. If they disagree with Scripture, God’s word must win. Make sure you have a good copy of God’s word, as noted in my first point.
These three points are my starting foundation. To summarize again:
• Use an accurate translation of Scripture;
• Reference reliable texts and commentaries to explain the cultural and historical context;
• Remember, Scripture is the final authority.
Tools and approach determined, I read Scripture as it was written, as a contiguous communication. Everyone, myself included at times, is guilty of “cherry picking” Scripture. A verse here, a sentence there, a metaphor and voila, a new teaching. That’s not how we are supposed to read and understand God’s word. These “books” were written as scrolls that are, with few exceptions, organized with a deliberate flow and structure. For example, to understand what Paul is saying in Romans 11, you have to first follow the train of thought he develops in Romans 1-10. When the writers of the Bible wrote, they didn’t say to a scribe “my letter to the church at Corinth, chapter one, verse one…”.
Chapters and verses were added by scholars later for reference. The chapter divisions can sometimes break up the flow of thought. When I wrestle with a difficult verse or idea, I find if I go back to earlier verses or chapters, and then read forward to see how the thought progresses, a lot of the confusion goes away. Most Bibles cross reference other verses that may be relevant – check those. If I further check my commentaries and Bible study notes, I gain further context and understanding. If my commentaries don’t agree, I go look for articles from trusted publications on line. If I find an article that adds clarity, I’ll research the author to find out who they are and sort out how much I trust their writing. Just because the author has a PhD, and I’m not, doesn’t mean they are right. PhD’s often disagree, so don’t be fooled into thinking they must be right and you are wrong. Even then, I check what the author writes against Scripture. It’s okay if there isn’t a good answer to be found… we are not God. I think it’s clear in Scripture God loves when we wrestle to understand his will. He loves an honest question from a heart desiring to hear from him.
Finally, I pray a lot. You’ve probably noticed I’m not the most eloquent in open prayer. I have a natural aversion to sermonettes disguised as prayer, something many of us will experience at Thanksgiving dinner this week. When I am wrestling with Scripture, I pray for understanding. On a daily basis, I pray almost conversationally like a child to a loving father. Sometimes, I find the best thing to do is to set aside the issue for a time and let it percolate. More than once, I’ve been pondering an issue for some time and hear a sermon on that very topic, or come across a chapter somewhere else, that opens my eyes. Today, Marilyn had been wrestling with a personal issue that was causing her a lot of anxiety, and up popped her daily devotional that just happened to address the very issue she was struggling with. Sometimes, the answer from God is “my grace is sufficient” and to accept my limitations. Sometimes, we have to wait.
Hopefully, this is useful to you. I arm myself with good tools and a life time’s worth of reading, not just in Scripture, but other books that give me a greater understanding of the cultural and historical context. I read a book of Scripture as it was intended to be read, as a whole and not chopped up in verses and chapters. I take note of other places in Scripture that talk about the same idea. I pray for insight and wisdom, listening for God’s answer… which is sometimes long in coming (in human terms). I humbly accept my limitations and those of even the best and brightest of us. I look forward to the age to come when we are with God and there are no more questions, only answers.