How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

February 2011Newsletter

Have you ever read the Bible and thought, “I don’t know what means”? That’s a silly question; of course we all have! The purpose of DCC 201: Grow is to decrease the number of times you ask that question. We do this by giving you tools for your personal spiritual toolbox so that you can study and understand God’s Word as a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.

This month, I want to recommend to you the single best “how to” manual for reading the Bible. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart wrote a wonderful book, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (currently $11.55 on Amazon.com), that will forever change how you read the Bible. Hopefully, you’re already reading the Bible and asking, “So what? How can I apply this to my life?” Sometimes however, the quest to apply the Bible to our lives can have us quickly jumping to conclusions about the text without first making sure we’re applying it the way God’s Spirit intended us to apply it. As the authors put it, “To make this text mean something God did not intend is to abuse the text, not use it.” (p. 25)

The original recipients of the Bible never thought it was ambiguous nor had a difficult time understanding what the author meant. Our challenge today is to read a Book that was written in the “then and there” and apply it to our lives in the “here and now.” To do that, we rely on scholars and translators to grapple with the context and the content for us—producing accurate translations and reliable commentaries. However, with a little homework, we all can do some of this ourselves. That’s what this easy-to-read little book is about.

One of the most practical chapters in the book is the one on all of the different translations. Why are there so many and how do you pick one? They explain the two basic approaches to translating the Bible: [1] literal, word-for-word (think KJV, NASB), and [2] functional/dynamic, thought-for-thought (think the Message, TLB). They talk about the strengths and weakness of each approach and then recommend some “happy medium” versions.

The rest of the book discusses how to “use” the Bible, section by section. What are The Law and OT narratives good for today? What are they not good for? How should we use books like Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes today? Was the job of the prophets really the job we think it was? Why do we have four books about the life of Jesus? Did Luke want us to use the book of Acts as a normative, authoritative manual for how we should “do church” today? Did Paul intend for his letters to be circulated to other churches and then used by us, 2000 years later? Why are there so many disagreements over the book of Revelation?

God’s Word is perfect, priceless, and practical (2 Tim 3.16), but it only helps us if we understand it as He wants us to. I highly recommend this book as a great tool for increasing your ability to do just that.

“The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him…the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still: His kingdom is forever”
–Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress

At Your Side,

-bill