I want to get the most out of the Scriptures, don't you?
The obvious, glaring question is HOW do we do this? How might we read, understand, meditate on, grasp, learn and grow in the right way?
The Bible - as we have it (which in our time is not at all in universal form or content - but that's a whole diffferent topic altogether) - was completed (roughly speaking) by the turn of the 2nd century. Since then - and increasingly in the last 50 years or so - people have employed many, many techniques and methods for engaging the text. Much of this is wonderful, I think. Unfortunately, we we humans seem to be quite prone to misusing, distorting and destroying anything good (sex, food/drink, authority, relationships, money, etc.). I wish this didn't apply to Bible study as well, but I'm afraid that it can happen and does. Whether it's chanting or reading portions of Scripture while 'listening' for special messages from God, breathing slowly, finding the right posture, or whatever, these concerns don't have much (or anything at all) to do with rightly engaging the Scripture.
Now, I don't have time - nor would I think it my responsibility or within my ability - to systematically identify and de-bunk every technique that you or I might think needs identifying and de-bunking. I will, however, pass on a few helpful (and I believe essential) principles I've picked up from others that we must keep in mind if we wish to read our Scriptures for all they're worth - which I believe to be infinitely more than we may realise.
First Things First?
The first thing is of first importance. More and more, I hear the same question being asked over and over again. The problem isn't this questions itself, but the importance and immediate priority it is given. It is the question of 'what does it mean to ME?' Given our increasingly individualised culture in western nations, I'm not surprised by this. Now, let me be clear. I believe that 'it' has quite a lot to say to 'me' and you. The problem comes when this is our first and primary question we ask of the text.
Our initial task in reading the Scriptures is to attempt to perceive what the author is saying to the audience, and how they might have received it. By this, I mean (taking the New Testament epistle of Paul to Philemon as an example) what is the Apostle Paul saying to Philemon. Sure, 'I' can learn a great deal from what Paul is saying to Philemon, but Paul is not writing to Dale in New Zealand in the 21st century. Our question is what did (in this case) Paul mean? Tom Wright has called this seeking to 'think Paul's thoughts after him.' Paul was not thinking about me.
Our Place in The Story
With this in mind, we dig deeper. But not too deep too quickly. The Bible is full of potentially confusing commands, exhortations and instructions. This is why, secondly, we need to familiarise - and re-familiarise - ourselves with the entire unfolding narrative of Scripture. Tom Wright again has been very helpful for me in this regard. He has popularised a 4-act analogy regarding the story of God's interaction with the world. Within this analogy, we live between the Apostles and chapters 21 & 22 of Revelation, and find ourselves with roles to play in God's fourth act. Our task is not to repeat the first three acts, but to discover how are roles are to be 'acted out' so as to 'fit' with what has come before and to point toward what is coming - namely God's ultimate renewal of Heaven and Earth.
If we don't know how the story begins, develops, expands and ultimately ends, we are all the more likely to 'act' in a way that is inconsistent with it. Mark Strom has described this as the need to be 'patient' with the Scriptures, lest we distort them in our application (i.e. by taking something in the Scriptures and doing it when we ought not to, not doing it when we ought to or doing it in the wrong way than was intended). The old-new covenant distinction is perhaps one of the most common points of confusion that I know of regarding application for us today - again, another topic altogether.
Mark has articulated his 'big-small-big' method for reading which I find very helpful. First, we read the passage with the 'big story' in mind. Second, we observe details in the passage, looking for the flow and looking outward to the expanded context. Finally, we summarise the small picture and locate it's place in the big picture, clarifying the impact of the gospel and living what we find. I think the key difference is that in this model, the personal application for 'me' is found only in the 'big story' and only after we consider the implications of the Gospel.
...'For We Know In Part'...
This 'patience' means that we may have to go through periods of time where we don't have every text nailed down - as if any of us do anyway! We shouldn't be surprised when we read a passage looking for answers and instead get more questions! This happens to me all the time. I find myself flicking all over the Scriptures and looking up various things that pertain (at least that I think pertain!) to where I've begun. Naturally, I've both learned and un-learned a few things this way!
However, if this is the only way we learn or un-learn from the Scriptures, then we are in great danger. Thirdly, and lastly, I want to share the principle of community. The Bible is a community book. Originally written in community. Originally read in community. Originally worked out in community. Studying the Bible privately is a privilege that we enjoy like few other of the many generations that have come before us (hand copies only until the printing press!). We should enjoy this privilege, but not gorge ourselves on it. We need others around us (and around the world, both living and deceased) to sharpen whatever clever ideas we think we might get from our private study. Of course, with the internet, you can always find someone to agree with you (on that note, you can also quite easily find someone who disagrees, but it's much more comforting to only read people who agree with us!) but don't let that stop you from benefiting from the study of others.
Original writer, original audience - knowing the Story and our place in it - and engaging the Scriptures while being guided by communitiy. I think these principles will serve us well as we attempt to read Scripture for all it's worth - at its worth is great! It will take patience, but like a good meal is much more satisfying than fast food - in more ways than one - so is reading the Scriptures as they were intended.
The obvious, glaring question is HOW do we do this? How might we read, understand, meditate on, grasp, learn and grow in the right way?
The Bible - as we have it (which in our time is not at all in universal form or content - but that's a whole diffferent topic altogether) - was completed (roughly speaking) by the turn of the 2nd century. Since then - and increasingly in the last 50 years or so - people have employed many, many techniques and methods for engaging the text. Much of this is wonderful, I think. Unfortunately, we we humans seem to be quite prone to misusing, distorting and destroying anything good (sex, food/drink, authority, relationships, money, etc.). I wish this didn't apply to Bible study as well, but I'm afraid that it can happen and does. Whether it's chanting or reading portions of Scripture while 'listening' for special messages from God, breathing slowly, finding the right posture, or whatever, these concerns don't have much (or anything at all) to do with rightly engaging the Scripture.
Now, I don't have time - nor would I think it my responsibility or within my ability - to systematically identify and de-bunk every technique that you or I might think needs identifying and de-bunking. I will, however, pass on a few helpful (and I believe essential) principles I've picked up from others that we must keep in mind if we wish to read our Scriptures for all they're worth - which I believe to be infinitely more than we may realise.
First Things First?
The first thing is of first importance. More and more, I hear the same question being asked over and over again. The problem isn't this questions itself, but the importance and immediate priority it is given. It is the question of 'what does it mean to ME?' Given our increasingly individualised culture in western nations, I'm not surprised by this. Now, let me be clear. I believe that 'it' has quite a lot to say to 'me' and you. The problem comes when this is our first and primary question we ask of the text.
Our initial task in reading the Scriptures is to attempt to perceive what the author is saying to the audience, and how they might have received it. By this, I mean (taking the New Testament epistle of Paul to Philemon as an example) what is the Apostle Paul saying to Philemon. Sure, 'I' can learn a great deal from what Paul is saying to Philemon, but Paul is not writing to Dale in New Zealand in the 21st century. Our question is what did (in this case) Paul mean? Tom Wright has called this seeking to 'think Paul's thoughts after him.' Paul was not thinking about me.
Our Place in The Story
With this in mind, we dig deeper. But not too deep too quickly. The Bible is full of potentially confusing commands, exhortations and instructions. This is why, secondly, we need to familiarise - and re-familiarise - ourselves with the entire unfolding narrative of Scripture. Tom Wright again has been very helpful for me in this regard. He has popularised a 4-act analogy regarding the story of God's interaction with the world. Within this analogy, we live between the Apostles and chapters 21 & 22 of Revelation, and find ourselves with roles to play in God's fourth act. Our task is not to repeat the first three acts, but to discover how are roles are to be 'acted out' so as to 'fit' with what has come before and to point toward what is coming - namely God's ultimate renewal of Heaven and Earth.
If we don't know how the story begins, develops, expands and ultimately ends, we are all the more likely to 'act' in a way that is inconsistent with it. Mark Strom has described this as the need to be 'patient' with the Scriptures, lest we distort them in our application (i.e. by taking something in the Scriptures and doing it when we ought not to, not doing it when we ought to or doing it in the wrong way than was intended). The old-new covenant distinction is perhaps one of the most common points of confusion that I know of regarding application for us today - again, another topic altogether.
Mark has articulated his 'big-small-big' method for reading which I find very helpful. First, we read the passage with the 'big story' in mind. Second, we observe details in the passage, looking for the flow and looking outward to the expanded context. Finally, we summarise the small picture and locate it's place in the big picture, clarifying the impact of the gospel and living what we find. I think the key difference is that in this model, the personal application for 'me' is found only in the 'big story' and only after we consider the implications of the Gospel.
...'For We Know In Part'...
This 'patience' means that we may have to go through periods of time where we don't have every text nailed down - as if any of us do anyway! We shouldn't be surprised when we read a passage looking for answers and instead get more questions! This happens to me all the time. I find myself flicking all over the Scriptures and looking up various things that pertain (at least that I think pertain!) to where I've begun. Naturally, I've both learned and un-learned a few things this way!
However, if this is the only way we learn or un-learn from the Scriptures, then we are in great danger. Thirdly, and lastly, I want to share the principle of community. The Bible is a community book. Originally written in community. Originally read in community. Originally worked out in community. Studying the Bible privately is a privilege that we enjoy like few other of the many generations that have come before us (hand copies only until the printing press!). We should enjoy this privilege, but not gorge ourselves on it. We need others around us (and around the world, both living and deceased) to sharpen whatever clever ideas we think we might get from our private study. Of course, with the internet, you can always find someone to agree with you (on that note, you can also quite easily find someone who disagrees, but it's much more comforting to only read people who agree with us!) but don't let that stop you from benefiting from the study of others.
***************************
Original writer, original audience - knowing the Story and our place in it - and engaging the Scriptures while being guided by communitiy. I think these principles will serve us well as we attempt to read Scripture for all it's worth - at its worth is great! It will take patience, but like a good meal is much more satisfying than fast food - in more ways than one - so is reading the Scriptures as they were intended.
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