"[A]nd there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word" (1 Sam. 3:21, NIV).
"[T]ill what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true [tested him]" (Psa. 105:19, NIV).
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27, NKJV).
"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law" (Psa. 119:18, NKJV).
"It's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that bother me, it's the parts I do understand." --Mark Twain
NB: It is one thing to know the Scriptures, and quite another to know the Author, as the Bible doesn't so much as describe God as to make Him known.
We all need to address a problem with a plan of attack and studying the Bible is no easy one for the novice. Basically, all the rules that apply to any literature also do apply to Scripture, only more so. The Bible, for instance, is to be taken literally, at face value, but not everything is meant to be literal but as plays on words and figures of speech. Poetry is usually figurative and not to be taken literally all the time, which is a common mistake; likewise, citing Proverbs as promises you can take to the bank or divine directives is mistaken--all genres must be treated accordingly. One common error is to interpret the Bible according to our experience; the flip side is correct, though--interpret experience according to the light of the Scripture. The Bible makes sense and common sense is a basic concept--if common sense makes sense, seek no other sense, or you'll have nonsense, it is said.
The Bible is a library with a coherent theme that forms a complete picture taken as a whole, and to see the big picture one must recognize the storyline, the revelation of Jesus everywhere, and main message, which even a child can comprehend. Normally, we interpret it as it's written and let Scripture be its own interpreter or Supreme Court. This means understanding poetry as poetry and narrative as narrative, history as history, etc; i.e., distinguishing genres. Be careful not to read into the Bible what you already believe and are just looking for proof texts to validate yourself. We must search for the intended meaning to the recipients and what the author meant, not what it means to us when we see some far-fetched idea from some isolated passage. Don't look for far-out truths, but try to see the obvious ones first. Caveat for mysticism: Note that "no prophecy is of any private interpretation" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20), and God isn't going to show you unique, or personal truths that no one else knows as some special revelation--He reveals truth to the body of Christ and the church in particular to confirm it. "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life..." (cf. Deut. 32:47, ESV).
The Bible is meant to change our lives, not increase our knowledge and it will keep us from sin, or sin will keep us from it. We must apply ourselves to the study of the Word, and be in the right spirit, frame of mind, having an open, willing, and obedient attitude. We need to be like Ezra, who "prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD," (cf. Ezra 7:10). God's Word will test you and it's what sanctifies us as Jesus called it truth (cf. Psalm 105:19; John 17:17). Don't think it needs to be rewritten, it just needs to be reread, for you don't read it once and put it on the shelf. Even Lincoln said he was profitably engaged in reading the Bible! We need to be like Paul said, "The Word is very near you...." Paul urged Timothy to give himself wholly to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Tim. 4:15).
Remember, when reading, that the entirety of God's Word is truth (cf. Psalm 119:160), and this means the sum of it, and you cannot divorce or isolate Scripture to suit your private interpretations. What would the reader have understood? That means don't try to apply ex-post facto standards or laws to Bible times, but interpret according to the time written and don't fit it into politically correct norms. The whole purpose of reading is to see the world through the spectacle of God's Word and get a Christian worldview, experiencing the mind of Christ and thus be sanctified by the Truth. It is said the Bible is our beacon, our celestial fix, our heavenly GPS, and our guidance system for life; however, it's much more than a rule book or set of instructions or code to live by--we experience God in the Word and find that He speaks through it.
One key to reading, as with all reading, is to do it with purpose and have the right attitude: a needy heart, a willing spirit, and an open mind. God will show us "Aha!" moments in the Word if we do this. We learn to experience the living God in the living Word! No need to get Bible fatigue, or boredom from overuse of familiar versions, try new ones! When we learn to see Jesus in the Word, we can rightly divide the Word of Truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15), as exhorted; the whole of Scripture is about Him in some fashion.
The most common mistake is to take texts out of context and get a pretext, even when using it as a proof text. As is the case with all reading, common sense, grammar, logic, diction, syntax, and the rules of inference and allusion or quotation apply. Don't read into the text (eisegesis) with preconceived notions and opinions just looking for verifications! You must be willing to go where the Truth leads and be willing to admit you could be wrong! There is no such thing as total or perfect objectivity but this is no excuse not to have sound study technique and habits.
In studying it, be sure to interpret narratives or history in light of didactic or teaching passages, implicit in light of explicit, obscure and unclear in light of the clear, and also don't forget that we interpret the New Testament in light of the Old Testament and vice versa--never dividing what God has progressively revealed and joined (cf. Mark 10:9). A caveat for Gnosticism or mysticism: Don't individualize it or think it applies especially to you and no others or there is some secret message or knowledge to be had. It is easy to take a mere academic approach or to over-spiritualize, allegorize (see it merely as a tall tale and only a practical lesson to be learned), or be guilty of subjectivism (inserting personal opinion and feelings).
For example, seeing the story of Job as merely a grin and bear it, or David and Goliath as standing up to your foes; or the feeding of the multitude as being prepared. Even though some passages are allegorical, such as Sarah and Isaac and Ishmael, but we must see the deeper meaning of what is intended, that which only the Holy Spirit can illuminate. Thus, there is grave danger in negligence of the author's intent and concentrating on your immediate impression. In other words, we don't read it like we would Aesop's Fables for the moral of the story, that we could learn from any fictional source. We can expect "the day to dawn and the morning star to arise in [our] hearts" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).
There's more than one way to skin a cat: Do word studies traced through the Word; look for the big picture and see the main message gradually revealed from book to book; take on a subject and see the entire Word develop the doctrine, known as topical study; trace the development of a doctrine; study one book at a time or certain genres of books; study by genre, such as poetry, proverb, history, prophecy, law, and gospel; do an exegesis of one text and analyze it critically, in context, to decipher its message in detail, or do expository studies to reveal and expose truths needed to be discovered, broadcast, or disseminated even using a lexicon, Bible dictionary, or Bible handbook.
In sum, we take Scripture at face value (the Bible does engage in symbolism and Jesus didn't always beat around the bush though) and take it according to the whole analogy of the Word and we cannot fabricate our own truths; we have a right to our own opinions and applications, but not our own truths.
CAVEAT: We need to steer clear of being mystical and interpreting passages with private meanings that others don't see; i.e., wondering what it means to us, not what the writer intended and what the recipient understood--the Bible isn't a fairy tale or bedtime story. Soli Deo Gloria!
"[T]ill what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true [tested him]" (Psa. 105:19, NIV).
"For I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27, NKJV).
"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law" (Psa. 119:18, NKJV).
"It's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that bother me, it's the parts I do understand." --Mark Twain
NB: It is one thing to know the Scriptures, and quite another to know the Author, as the Bible doesn't so much as describe God as to make Him known.
We all need to address a problem with a plan of attack and studying the Bible is no easy one for the novice. Basically, all the rules that apply to any literature also do apply to Scripture, only more so. The Bible, for instance, is to be taken literally, at face value, but not everything is meant to be literal but as plays on words and figures of speech. Poetry is usually figurative and not to be taken literally all the time, which is a common mistake; likewise, citing Proverbs as promises you can take to the bank or divine directives is mistaken--all genres must be treated accordingly. One common error is to interpret the Bible according to our experience; the flip side is correct, though--interpret experience according to the light of the Scripture. The Bible makes sense and common sense is a basic concept--if common sense makes sense, seek no other sense, or you'll have nonsense, it is said.
The Bible is a library with a coherent theme that forms a complete picture taken as a whole, and to see the big picture one must recognize the storyline, the revelation of Jesus everywhere, and main message, which even a child can comprehend. Normally, we interpret it as it's written and let Scripture be its own interpreter or Supreme Court. This means understanding poetry as poetry and narrative as narrative, history as history, etc; i.e., distinguishing genres. Be careful not to read into the Bible what you already believe and are just looking for proof texts to validate yourself. We must search for the intended meaning to the recipients and what the author meant, not what it means to us when we see some far-fetched idea from some isolated passage. Don't look for far-out truths, but try to see the obvious ones first. Caveat for mysticism: Note that "no prophecy is of any private interpretation" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20), and God isn't going to show you unique, or personal truths that no one else knows as some special revelation--He reveals truth to the body of Christ and the church in particular to confirm it. "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life..." (cf. Deut. 32:47, ESV).
The Bible is meant to change our lives, not increase our knowledge and it will keep us from sin, or sin will keep us from it. We must apply ourselves to the study of the Word, and be in the right spirit, frame of mind, having an open, willing, and obedient attitude. We need to be like Ezra, who "prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD," (cf. Ezra 7:10). God's Word will test you and it's what sanctifies us as Jesus called it truth (cf. Psalm 105:19; John 17:17). Don't think it needs to be rewritten, it just needs to be reread, for you don't read it once and put it on the shelf. Even Lincoln said he was profitably engaged in reading the Bible! We need to be like Paul said, "The Word is very near you...." Paul urged Timothy to give himself wholly to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Tim. 4:15).
Remember, when reading, that the entirety of God's Word is truth (cf. Psalm 119:160), and this means the sum of it, and you cannot divorce or isolate Scripture to suit your private interpretations. What would the reader have understood? That means don't try to apply ex-post facto standards or laws to Bible times, but interpret according to the time written and don't fit it into politically correct norms. The whole purpose of reading is to see the world through the spectacle of God's Word and get a Christian worldview, experiencing the mind of Christ and thus be sanctified by the Truth. It is said the Bible is our beacon, our celestial fix, our heavenly GPS, and our guidance system for life; however, it's much more than a rule book or set of instructions or code to live by--we experience God in the Word and find that He speaks through it.
One key to reading, as with all reading, is to do it with purpose and have the right attitude: a needy heart, a willing spirit, and an open mind. God will show us "Aha!" moments in the Word if we do this. We learn to experience the living God in the living Word! No need to get Bible fatigue, or boredom from overuse of familiar versions, try new ones! When we learn to see Jesus in the Word, we can rightly divide the Word of Truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15), as exhorted; the whole of Scripture is about Him in some fashion.
The most common mistake is to take texts out of context and get a pretext, even when using it as a proof text. As is the case with all reading, common sense, grammar, logic, diction, syntax, and the rules of inference and allusion or quotation apply. Don't read into the text (eisegesis) with preconceived notions and opinions just looking for verifications! You must be willing to go where the Truth leads and be willing to admit you could be wrong! There is no such thing as total or perfect objectivity but this is no excuse not to have sound study technique and habits.
In studying it, be sure to interpret narratives or history in light of didactic or teaching passages, implicit in light of explicit, obscure and unclear in light of the clear, and also don't forget that we interpret the New Testament in light of the Old Testament and vice versa--never dividing what God has progressively revealed and joined (cf. Mark 10:9). A caveat for Gnosticism or mysticism: Don't individualize it or think it applies especially to you and no others or there is some secret message or knowledge to be had. It is easy to take a mere academic approach or to over-spiritualize, allegorize (see it merely as a tall tale and only a practical lesson to be learned), or be guilty of subjectivism (inserting personal opinion and feelings).
For example, seeing the story of Job as merely a grin and bear it, or David and Goliath as standing up to your foes; or the feeding of the multitude as being prepared. Even though some passages are allegorical, such as Sarah and Isaac and Ishmael, but we must see the deeper meaning of what is intended, that which only the Holy Spirit can illuminate. Thus, there is grave danger in negligence of the author's intent and concentrating on your immediate impression. In other words, we don't read it like we would Aesop's Fables for the moral of the story, that we could learn from any fictional source. We can expect "the day to dawn and the morning star to arise in [our] hearts" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).
There's more than one way to skin a cat: Do word studies traced through the Word; look for the big picture and see the main message gradually revealed from book to book; take on a subject and see the entire Word develop the doctrine, known as topical study; trace the development of a doctrine; study one book at a time or certain genres of books; study by genre, such as poetry, proverb, history, prophecy, law, and gospel; do an exegesis of one text and analyze it critically, in context, to decipher its message in detail, or do expository studies to reveal and expose truths needed to be discovered, broadcast, or disseminated even using a lexicon, Bible dictionary, or Bible handbook.
In sum, we take Scripture at face value (the Bible does engage in symbolism and Jesus didn't always beat around the bush though) and take it according to the whole analogy of the Word and we cannot fabricate our own truths; we have a right to our own opinions and applications, but not our own truths.
CAVEAT: We need to steer clear of being mystical and interpreting passages with private meanings that others don't see; i.e., wondering what it means to us, not what the writer intended and what the recipient understood--the Bible isn't a fairy tale or bedtime story. Soli Deo Gloria!
