Learning How to Read #1
I learned to read in the first years of the 1970s using Ginn reading textbooks. That was the era of phonics in reading before it fell badly out of favor in the 1980s, and then came back into favor in the last few years. The very fact that you the reader can interpret these symbols we know as letters and translate them into thought is an indication that you too learned to read. Unfortunately, many of us today don't know how to read the most important book of all. Some do know how and don't realize it. Even worse, some think they do but really don't. My goal over the next several posts is to give some rules of thumb for how to read and interpret scripture.
Right off the bat, this is something that doesn't come instantaneously. I once had a book called "Thirty Days to Understanding the Bible." Reading and understanding scripture can't be rushed. We can't "microwave" it. The more you read the better you get at reading it, and the more you begin to understand. Our trouble is that we flip to a verse, read that one verse, and try to figure out immediately what it means. Another little tip is don't reach for the study Bible first. Wrestle with a text for yourself first before you look at the footnote in the study Bible. When we look first to the footnotes in the study Bible we typically don't dig any deeper and thus we stunt any growth we might make. Additionally, people make the mistake of thinking that the editor's footnotes are just as inspired as the scripture itself. I'm not saying to toss out your study Bibles, but simply saying to reach for them last instead of first.
With this said, the first important rule in interpreting scripture is context. Where does a particular verse fall in the chapter? Where in the book is the chapter? What type of Biblical literature are reading? Nobody would think of picking up a John Grisham novel turning to page 234 and then trying to get an idea of what is going on in the 3rd sentence of the 2nd paragraph, yet we do this all the time with the Bible. Take time to read the entire chapter, then place this chapter in the context of the book.
Context also means recongizing what type of Biblical literature you're reading. We read science fiction differently than we read poetry, and biography differently than we read history. In terms of scripture we find several different types of literature- law, history, poetry, wisdom sayings, and prophecy in the Old Testament. Turning to the New we find Gospels, history, and letters. In each we find that strangest of Biblical literature- apocalyptic. Without taking the space to discuss each of these I'd like to give some examples of the way genre affects how we read scripture. The Psalms can't be read as Law. They record what are often bare human emotions- joy, grief, anger, praise, resentment, hate, love, etc. We can't read Psalm 137 and think that God endorses murder of children. We can't read Psalm 22 and think that God had actually abandoned David.
Proverbs tells us that if we train up a child in the way he should go that he won't soon depart from it. As a principle of wisdom it is true that children who are raised well generally turn out well. However, this proverb is not a promise from God that every child raised well will end up well. Apocalyptic literature isn't exactly the same as prophecy. We can't read the symbolism and imagery of Revelation, Daniel 7-12, and parts of Ezekiel in the same way we read Jeremiah or Amos.
We shouldn't read the Gospels as straightforward history. They do contain history, the people and events are real and actually happened I believe. The key is that each of the Gospel writers crafted his work differently. Stories found in one may not be found in others. There are frequently differences between how they are recorded. The sequence of events is sometimes different, the best example being the cleansing of the temple. John places this early in Jesus' ministry and the others place it near the end. This doesn't mean that one is right and another wrong. It does mean that they weren't writing history as we know it and weren't bound by the conventions of modern history. You could even say that they were writing something more valuable and important than history. Each was trying to make a particular point about Christ Jesus and shaped his work accordingly.
My encouragement now is to pick up a Bible and just read. It's the written word of God. Enjoy it. Soak it up!
Right off the bat, this is something that doesn't come instantaneously. I once had a book called "Thirty Days to Understanding the Bible." Reading and understanding scripture can't be rushed. We can't "microwave" it. The more you read the better you get at reading it, and the more you begin to understand. Our trouble is that we flip to a verse, read that one verse, and try to figure out immediately what it means. Another little tip is don't reach for the study Bible first. Wrestle with a text for yourself first before you look at the footnote in the study Bible. When we look first to the footnotes in the study Bible we typically don't dig any deeper and thus we stunt any growth we might make. Additionally, people make the mistake of thinking that the editor's footnotes are just as inspired as the scripture itself. I'm not saying to toss out your study Bibles, but simply saying to reach for them last instead of first.
With this said, the first important rule in interpreting scripture is context. Where does a particular verse fall in the chapter? Where in the book is the chapter? What type of Biblical literature are reading? Nobody would think of picking up a John Grisham novel turning to page 234 and then trying to get an idea of what is going on in the 3rd sentence of the 2nd paragraph, yet we do this all the time with the Bible. Take time to read the entire chapter, then place this chapter in the context of the book.
Context also means recongizing what type of Biblical literature you're reading. We read science fiction differently than we read poetry, and biography differently than we read history. In terms of scripture we find several different types of literature- law, history, poetry, wisdom sayings, and prophecy in the Old Testament. Turning to the New we find Gospels, history, and letters. In each we find that strangest of Biblical literature- apocalyptic. Without taking the space to discuss each of these I'd like to give some examples of the way genre affects how we read scripture. The Psalms can't be read as Law. They record what are often bare human emotions- joy, grief, anger, praise, resentment, hate, love, etc. We can't read Psalm 137 and think that God endorses murder of children. We can't read Psalm 22 and think that God had actually abandoned David.
Proverbs tells us that if we train up a child in the way he should go that he won't soon depart from it. As a principle of wisdom it is true that children who are raised well generally turn out well. However, this proverb is not a promise from God that every child raised well will end up well. Apocalyptic literature isn't exactly the same as prophecy. We can't read the symbolism and imagery of Revelation, Daniel 7-12, and parts of Ezekiel in the same way we read Jeremiah or Amos.
We shouldn't read the Gospels as straightforward history. They do contain history, the people and events are real and actually happened I believe. The key is that each of the Gospel writers crafted his work differently. Stories found in one may not be found in others. There are frequently differences between how they are recorded. The sequence of events is sometimes different, the best example being the cleansing of the temple. John places this early in Jesus' ministry and the others place it near the end. This doesn't mean that one is right and another wrong. It does mean that they weren't writing history as we know it and weren't bound by the conventions of modern history. You could even say that they were writing something more valuable and important than history. Each was trying to make a particular point about Christ Jesus and shaped his work accordingly.
My encouragement now is to pick up a Bible and just read. It's the written word of God. Enjoy it. Soak it up!
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