Understanding the Word of God

 

These are my reflections on session one two of our SummitLife Leader Training about Bible Interpretation for the Small Group Leader. 

If what Paul says about Scripture is true — that is, that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17), then Scripture MUST be paramount in our small groups. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle the Bible.

One one hand, we are able to handle the Bible with Faith that we can understand the Word of God through his Spirit (1 Cor 2:9-12). This is an amazing thought – that God empowers those who believe to read his Word and to gain meaning and insight from it. Insight about what? Anything that can equip us for “good works.” Perhaps most importantly, we can gain insight into who God is, and what he has done, and our appropriate response. So pray to God that the Spirit will empower you to understand his word, and press on in faith that he will.

However, we should handle the Bible with a measure of humility. After all, we’re sinful creatures. The very same passage that gives us faith and confidence to approach the Word should also caution us to be humble, since it is not through our own ability that we are made wise, but through God’s! Your ability to read and understand scripture isn’t meant to give you a platform for boasting. Rather, it is meant to point you back to the grace and mercy and patience of the Father. 

So, what’s the application here?  

Find the author’s original meaning. Since the author is the one who ascribes the intended meaning of a passage (and not the reader), this is crucial. Examine the words and grammar of the passage. What is the author actually saying? Also, examine the literary and historical context of the passage. There is very little more dangerous than taking a passage out of context and trying to apply it to your life. Sometimes, the literary context is a few verses or a chapter. You may need to look at the story across several chapters. Also, gaining a better understanding of the “when and where” in a particular passage can contribute to understanding. There are some really cool study Bibles that do a good job of this with chapter introductions and footnotes. Not a bad idea to have one.

Note the genre. There are several kinds of books in the Bible – poetry, narratives, parables, letters, prophecy, proverbs, lamentations, and laws – all different in their uses and interpretations. You wouldn’t read a narrative book the same way as a book of law. It’s helpful to recognize this before studying a passage.

The most important step in studying Scripture is looking for Christ. As the four-part story of the Bible unfolds (creation, fall, redemption, and new creation), Christ is shown in every single part. So, connect the passage you’re reading to that overall story line. How does it reveal the need for a savior? How does it show God’s disposition to provide a Savior? Does the passage foretell of the coming Messiah, or reflect on him? God sends his Son into the world to redeem sinners – what part of that story does the passage you’re studying tell?

There are also a few things you want to avoid when studying the scriptures. Avoid allegorizing the passage and subtracting meaning. Don’t moralize scripture and take it out of the context of the overall story – for example, Jesus feeding the 5,000 isn’t about sharing your lunch. Avoid pulling things out of context. It’s just dangerous. And finally, remember: the Bible has an Old Testament and a New Testament. Both are scripture, so study them both. It’s often helpful to see what a New Testament passage says about an Old Testament passage, or to read a New Testament passage in light of the Old Testament story to which it refers. 

One tip that I’ll add is to check out sound, trustworthy commentaries. The commentaries of folks like Matthew Henry and John Calvin have stood the test of time for a reason – they’re onto something. Don’t make the mistake of taking them as Scripture, because they aren’t. But they’re still useful in helping us find meaning when we find ourselves stumped.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? Comments are open…