I have had the privilege of really getting to know a great guy and blogger, Brandon, over at A Peculiar Pilgrim, and we have had some great discussions on commentaries. Which ones, how many, by whom, etc. I love that kind of discussion! But it got me thinking about a lot of other stuff, like Bible study, when to and how to use commentaries, and what other tools we can use to help us better understand the Bible and apply it to our lives in a real way, not some superficial way. So over the next couple of posts, I would like to put down my thoughts about Bible study in general, leading to a discussion on tools and possibly some recommendations, at least from my humble opinion.
I would like to start out by saying that in order to really study the Bible as the Word of God, one needs to begin the process and endeavor with some critical assumptions. First of all, I think that one needs to approach the Word of God as the Word of God. That means one begins with the assumption that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit through human agents, without error (inerrant), without the possibility of error (infallible), the authoritative and sufficient rule for faith and life. There are certainly more characteristics about the Bible than those, but certainly the student of the Bible, in order to fully comprehend what the Bible says, should come into the endeavor assuming that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 states, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…. Breathed out by God, God-breathed, theopneustos. In John 17:17, Jesus states that God’s Word is truth. It is not just true, but it is truth itself. We must come to the Scriptures with reverence and humility, knowing the book we are holding and reading is the very Word of God.
A second assumption that one needs to have is, if the Bible is the Word of God, it is the Word of God for man. Therefore, it is clear, and made by God to be understood by man. This is called the perspicuity of the Bible. The Bible was written by human beings who were inspired by God to write, but it was written in human language so that we as humans could understand it. While everything in the Bible may not be perfectly clear to everyone, and while some things in the Bible may be easier to understand than others, the Bible was made to be read and understood by mankind. Those who say that God and the things of God are so mysterious and mystical that they cannot be explained in human language are misguided, to be polite. Language was made to convey meaning, and whether the topic is God or football, language is sufficient to accomplish the task. We may not be able to convey everything there is to know about God, and the Bible makes no attempt to do that. It does, however, clearly convey what God intended us to know about Himself and His plan for creation. Again 2 Timothy states, 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. How can we be competent and equipped for every good work if the Scriptures are unintelligible or clear as mud?
Thirdly, the Bible is authoritative, simply because it is the Word of God. Therefore, we as Christians have a duty to study it, and obey it. We study the Bible to know the true teaching of Scripture, which is orthodoxy, and we also must know how to apply it to or lives, which is orthopraxy. In both of these areas, doctrine and life, the Bible is the final authority. It may not be the only authority, because we may have developed creeds, confessions, and interpretations from the Scriptures that we also follow. However, the one overriding authority is none other than the Word of God itself, and all of these creeds and confessions must follow from the Scriptures. We must not merely study Scriptures simply to know them, although that is a noble, worthy, and required cause. Once again, 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Paul is exhorting Timothy: 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Notice how the Scriptures will make one wise for salvation, and how they are profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Orthodoxy and orthopraxy.
Other Scriptures include Psalm 119, Deuteronomy 6:4 – 9, John 14:26, Hebrew 2:1 – 4, and 1 Corinthians 2:10-14.
So as we come to the Scriptures we must come to them with reverence, respect, humility, and in much prayer. As we begin to study the Scriptures, we have to remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1: 12 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. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 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. When we approach the Scriptures with a reverent attitude, in prayer, seeking illumination from the Holy Spirit, denying ourselves and lifting up Christ, then we will be able to see and understand the truth as revealed by God in Scriptures.
In the next post, Lord willing, I would like to talk a little bit about hermeneutics, or how to interpret the Bible. The Bible was given to us by God, in original Greek and Hebrew, over a time of 1,400 years, ending about 2,000 years ago. So yes, there is some interpreting required. We will have to learn a bit about interpretation. What does the text say, and what does it mean, in the historical and grammatical context in which it was written.
