Articles

Two Sundays ago, I was able to deliver a sermon about the importance of the Word in the life of a healthy church. In general, we were covering the importance of the Bible itself, and in particular we were unpacking the importance of the ministry of the gospel word in the life of the church. Since the Bible is a book about God, a book about his Son Jesus, and ultimately a book about the uncovering of the mystery of the gospel, I felt it was prudent to write an article that concerns itself with “how” we should approach the reading of our Bible.

Preliminary Remarks
Before we begin, let’s take a few moments and nail down a major truth. We must actually read our Scripture. For the sake of brevity I cannot run through the history of the church and how many amazing saints died and shed their blood in order for us to have the ancient, sacred text of Scripture preserved for us. It is no small thing. Therefore the way we honor these sacrifices is not by ignoring the Bible on our bookshelf, but by reading it.

If we do not read the Scripture, an article that dissects “how” to read it is unimportant and unhelpful. So take a moment and ask the Lord to place a desire in your heart to read the Bible and to find Him in the pages.

The Kitchen
Not that we have resolved to read the Word it of next importance to discern “how” the Bible must be read. 

The Bible is a book made up of 66 other “books” that were all written by multiple authors over thousands of years and inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. There are different genres, different audiences, different intentions, and most difficult, different interpretations of all the different passages that make up the Scriptures. Therefore, when we simply open the Bible for spiritual growth we are not opening up a piece of candy. 

When you open a piece of candy, it is relatively simple to define what you should do with the candy once it is opened. You eat it. It is tasty and satisfying, but only lasts for a short while. It doesn’t fill your appetite per say, but it was a nice treat. 

The Bible is more like opening the door to a kitchen full of ingredients and food with instruments and ovens and more. There are no instructions to be seen at first, and ultimately you are overwhelmed at the variety and quantity of food. For the most part, you could safely eat some the ingredients on their own and it would not be a detriment. You could eat raw onion or a loaf bread on the counter and be fine. But, the ingredients are meant to be cooked and mixed together. Certain instruments are to be used, certain temperatures are important and patience is key in the cooking process. 

Then there is the danger of eating something in the kitchen, that by itself will upset your stomach. Too much honey or chocolate would not feel good. A plate full of cinnamon, dill, cumin, and salt would not settle well either. How about a fist full of flour for lunch?

You get the point.

The Bible is a lot like this. We open the book and there is so much to explore. So many unique ideas and possibilities. Our hungry souls are mesmerized by the amount of spiritual food available. And as starving baby Christians, the Lord in His grace often preserves us from eating something that would be harmful or even poisonous in the early days.

But as we grow older, we must learn how to navigate the kitchen. 
Pastor Joseph defined leadership this Sunday like this:

“A leader is someone who takes responsibility.”

That seems like an oversimplification, but if you put it into practice as a working definition, it is really not. So if a leader takes responsibility, I propose that the first thing a leader must do is take responsibility for his/her spiritual life. The first step in this process is learning to navigate the depths of the Word.

In this article, we will lay out some basic tools that every Christian should apply to get the most out of their Bible-reading experience.  

Choosing a translation
I won’t spend much time here, but it is important to note that choosing a good translation is important. There are MANY great translations of the Scriptures that can be helpful to gleaning spiritual truth. However, there are some translations that have been altered to highlight “pet truths” and even heretical doctrines.

For instance the New World Translation is a Bible translation specifically designed for people of the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Scriptures have been modified throughout to change the title of God in the OT from “Lord” to “Jehovah.” This doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but it is the other modification’s that are deeply harmful. Scriptures throughout the text have been modified to eliminate the allusions and assertions of the Deity of Jesus Christ (i.e. John 1:1). Since the Deity of Jesus is the core of the Christian faith, this is not the same as the King James Version and English Standard Version having a slight different rendering of John 3:16 (whosoever believeth vs. whoever believes). This is an outright shifting of major doctrinal truth. 

Other translations are helpful as commentaries or “everyday readers” but not so helpful as in depth study guides. For instance, The Message by Eugene Peterson is an extremely readable translation of the Bible that is super helpful for baby Christians to get a grasp on the overall point of a passage. However, I would not encourage a growing Christian to use this as a study Bible as it does not translate exact word for word, and therefore misses key phrases and ideas that are important to spiritual growth. 

As a side note, Providence uses the English Standard Version as our go-to translation. It is a strong, word-for-word translation that is noted as a highly respectable work.

Overall, choose a translation that suits you and is doctrinally sound. Using the YOUVERSION application on your phone is helpful, as it normatively filters out all translations that should be avoided.

Choosing the Atmosphere
Every activity has its ideal place. We cook in the kitchen, lounge in the living room, sleep in the bedroom, shower in the restroom, eat in the dining room and recreate outside. You can switch all of these around and still have fun doing it. You could eat outside, sleep on the couch, and lounge in the kitchen. But if we are honest, when we allow things to have their place the overall experience is more fruitful.

Choose a place to read your Bible that is quiet, comfortable (but not too comfortable as it is easy to fall asleep reading), and energizing. I like to read my Bible at my breakfast table, with coffee and a pen. The television calls to me when I am reading on the couch, in my truck I feel like I am wasting precious time and in the office my computer always wins. Breakfast table works for me.

A note to moms: you are probably reading this like “Yeah Kort, that breakfast table serenity sounds great! Try that with 2 kids hanging around your hip!” I acquiesce. This is not as easy for some as it may be for me in this season. But, you should get creative as to how you make time for your devotional life and how you set aside a placethat is special for you. 

As men, we will spend hours getting our shops tended to, and even more time making sure the 70" flat screen is just right for the big game. We ought to spend even more energy ensuring that the environment for our time spent with the Lord is that prim and kept. And husbands, help your wife out and make sure she has this opportunity as well. Every season is different. Don’t be condemned. Remember, it is more important that we have time in the Word, not how we have it. But how can sometimes make it more attractive when your desire isn’t there.

The Role of Prayer
Now that you have your translation and you are seated in the best atmosphere you can muster, take a moment and humbly come to God in prayer. It is important to recognize the sacred nature of the Word and our total inability to concoct any spiritual good from it apart form His grace. Ask Him for wisdom, patience, and understanding. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind to all that God has for you in His Word. 

A man of God was once asked, “How often should I be on my knees in prayer and how often should I be over my Word in study? I struggle with the balance.” The man answered “How about on your knees in prayer, as you are over your Word in study. Only a prayerful reading of God’s Word is a fruitful reading.” 

So, the role of prayer is of utmost importance.

Choosing a Text
Ah and now we have come to it. Where do I start? The Bible is such a big book. Where do I begin? You can always try the “close your eyes, open to the middle and point” method. This one seems to lead to unhealthy assumptions about God’s will for your life, and almost always leads to a butchering of Major Prophet interpretation.

Instead, I would encourage a “Bible in a year” plan if you are beginning in January. And if not, apps like YOUVERSION will create a yearly plan that begins on whatever day you choose. If you don’t choose that, I would encourage a new believer to start in the gospels to read the life of Jesus. Whatever you do, have a plan. As you grow in Christ you can begin to choose books at your discretion and really dive in, but in the beginning, I would encourage methodical, reasonable, regular reading of New Testament books that will help give some color to major theological truths. 

For our purposes today, I have chosen a text from the New Testament. We will be reading 2 Timothy 3:10-17.

Who, What, When, Where, Why
Ask the 5 W’s of every text. This is a helpful and important task that can help frame every Scripture and allow us to glean spiritual food. It takes longer, but usually if you are in one book and reading through it, you will only have to do it once. Also, many study bibles and some regular ones have the answers to these 5 W’s in the introduction to the book. Reading this is helpful and should be a regular practice for you as you read. 

Why you ask? Because the Bible will never mean what it never meant. This is an initial rule in interpretation. If the Bible did not mean something in its original context to its original audience, it will not now mean something completely different to us. This is how we have quirky theologies that have been created by lazy men who care nothing about the sacredness of God’s Word. We must know the 5 W’s or we will fall prey to the scheme of the enemy, which is to create false teaching in the church. 

Who: Who wrote the book and who are they writing to? You won’t always get a “for sure” answer here because not every biblical writer indicated their authorship, but most did. Nonetheless, we should ask the question because knowing the author and audience goes a long way to interpreting the text.

What: What is the genre of the writing. Is it a letter? Is it a story? Is it historical? Is it songs? Is it a prophecy? Every genre reads differently and plays into how one should interpret it. Letters are different than laws in the same way that emails are different than the Texas Penal Code. Both are important and tell us things we need to know, but aren’t read the same. 

When: We must be careful here to not be “chronological snobs” as C.S. Lewis called us. Old does not mean “outdated” and “laughable.” Sometimes when we think of something older, we think of it as simple or “dumb.” We need to know the time of a document to help frame the culture and viewpoint of the time, not to help us squirm around biblical truth because it seems “old-school.” 

Where: What is the place of the people to whom this document is written, or about whom this document is written? Where do they live? What are their customs there? What are the hot topics of the day? Big issues at the church in Israel today, are not the big issues we face in Atascocita. 

Why: Why is this important? Why was this written? Was it written to inform, inspire, correct, encourage, or instruct? 

A Little Before, A Little After
Now that you have the information needed, read through the text. For us, we will read through 2 Timothy 3:10-17. 

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 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. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:10-17 ESV)

Okay, did you read through it? Man, the Bible can be intense right?! So now, let’s practice reading a little before and a little behind the text we just read. If you are on a bible reading plan, this will be easy and familiar for you. 

So by reading a little before our portion of Scripture we get a little context here don’t we? If we take into consideration our 5 W’s we know that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from a Roman prison cell, to instruct him as to how he ought to lead the church at Ephesus, but more importantly to warn him about false teachers and encourage him to protect sound doctrine from the evil men who were looking to deceive and ravage the church.

By reading a little before in chapter 3 we see Paul’s serious tone about the false teachers who are trying to creep into the church. These same men were the one’s who “deserted” Paul when he was arrested in Rome. Paul said these men would “[appear godly], but deny the power of God.” The litany of descriptive terms that Paul uses here shows us that the text we have chosen is no light-hearted piece. Paul is deeply concerned for Timothy and deeply hurt/angered by these false teachers. 

Do you see how reading a little before gave us a good feel for the passage? It really sets the stage.

Mining the Text
Mining leads to meaning. Mining the text means searching it for the meaning. Once we have the meaning, we can look to apply it.

Paul then turns to encourage his “son” in the faith. He juxtaposes the false teachers with Timothy’s faithful modeling of godly character. Paul highlights Timothy’s ability to not only model character, but persevere through hardship and persecution. He underscores this by asserting that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” and that “evil people will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Here I note two things: (1) sometimes the bad guys seem to win the fight and it is tough. (2) deceivers are very convincing because they themselves are deceived. 

Now, think about how this plays in the mind of Paul as he writes. He is in prison. He has been abandoned by false brothers. He is being slandered by them. Many might even be gloating over his imprisonment. What once was a big band of brothers, is now only Luke by his side. He is lonely, beat up, and hurt. So what does he do? He writes to his son in the faith, to encourage him and teach him how to operate in hardship.

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believe, knowing from whom you learned it.” 

Here we find the heart of Paul’s response to persecution and suffering. Move forward in what you have firmly believed. Lean into the gospel. Lean into the truth about Jesus. Paul tells Timothy to grow in his understanding of Christ and really lean into that truth as he fights false teaching. The way we fight false teaching is not with flesh and blood. We fight false teaching by making our foundation more sure and sound and remembering our leaders, and our Great Leader, Jesus. 

How do we make our foundation sure? Paul tells Timothy to look to the sacred writings. Aha! Here we get to the heart of the passage! The sacred writings will make us wise to salvation! Wisdom comes from mining the word of God. We fend off false teachers by knowing how to rightly divide the Word. How important is reading our Bibles? Well, Paul says that there are attacks every day that are planned by the enemy to make you buy into false teaching that will not lead to salvation in Jesus. 

There are books shelves full of this teaching at your local store. There are articles online that are flashy, sleek, and modern! The teaching sounds good and even calms your concerns for some of the harder truths of the Bible. Don’t be deceived friends! These false teachers are not new, they have always been around. From the surface it seems to alleviate the burden from you, but on the inside these teachings make you big and your God small and inconsequential. They create a man-centered universe that looks to circumvent the truth of the Bible and echo the serpent by asking “Did God really say that?” It is no small thing to read your Bible, for it is in the “sacred writings” that we learn to submit to the Lordship of Jesus and not the whims of mortal men. 

Paul’s theology of the Bible here is clear. “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable.” The whole Bible is a God-breathed work. He has presided over it from start to finish and it is a gift for us. Therefore we must learn how to use it. It is a double edged sword, which means it must be wielded with care lest we harm ourselves, or worse the ones we are trying to defend. The Bible is the only way to equip us for the life we were purposed to live in Christ (verse 17). 

This is how I would mine the text. As I read it, I consider the W’s. Another thing you may have noticed it that I refer to what I have read in the past to shape what I am reading now. This is a rule of biblical interpretation as well. It is: Scripture interprets Scripture. 

As we look for meaning in a text, all of Scripture should be used to help us understand certain portions. This is another reason reading your Bible through as a whole is important. When we approach difficult passages, we can walk in a better understanding if we are able to use the whole of Scripture to understand the specific texts we are reading. 

Application
Now we have mined the text. Here comes an important part. What should I do with this? Now I have read and done the labor in understanding what the Bible is saying. Now what should I do about it? 

Prayerfully, the Holy Spirit has begun to lead you here. HE is faithful to apply all that God has said and lead us necessary repentance, joy, comfort, encouragement, rebuke and instruction as He sees fit. 

A practical way to look to apply Scripture is to use a journal. After you have mined a text, journaling allows you to process it prayerfully. How does this apply in 2015? How should you approach your day differently now that you know what God has spoken? How should this shape your missional ministry going forward.

Important Note
All application must be filtered through the ultimate message of the Bible: the gospel. Especially if you are reading Old Testament laws and narrative, it is easy to boil down the meaning of a text to moralism. Moralism looks like this: “David was faithful, I should be faithful too. Amen.” It is true that you should be faithful, but this kind of application does not do justice to the totality of Scripture and will not lead to true change and life. 

Instead, filter this through the gospel. David was faithful here. I am not always faithful. David was not always faithful either. Jesus is always faithful. In fact, the Bible says that even when we are unfaithful, He remains faithful because he cannot deny himself. Jesus is faithful because he is committed to his glory. I am a Christian. I was reborn to be committed to His glory too.

(Here comes the application).

“Lord, help me to be faithful as you are faithful. Forgive me for my unfaithfulness. Thank you for dying so that I can not only be forgiven of unfaithfulness, but changed to become faithful. Holy Spirit, check me today when I am presented with an opportunity to be faithful, and help me make the right decision. And God, let me be like Jesus and ultimately do this for your glory.”

This is how it looks to filter your meaning that you derived through the gospel. This helps us to not be moralists who look to our own abilities to change, but to be sons and daughters who look for dad’s help to walk uprightly for his glory. 

Community
Walking in community is an integral part of reading your Bible and growing from it. Just as Joseph said this Sunday, ‘the cornerstones of leadership are accountability and responsibility." So it is not only that we take responsibility for our own spiritual lives, but also that we are accountable to brothers, sisters, and leaders for that. Home Group’s offer this community in a real way. It is a place that we can read the Word and look to apply it.

Most of your application points are impossible without test subjects. How do you know if you r heart is becoming more loving unless you are around others to love? How can you assess your ability to forgive unless you are around people enough to let them sin against you? 

Without community, good doctrine is dead, sterile knowledge.

Conclusion
My prayer is that this article helps you on your journey to mine God’s Word. In no way are these the only tools to use when studying and I pray you would do the task of researching more ways to get the most out of studying God’s Word. It is profitable and God-breathed. May our hearts burn within us as Jesus opens to us the Scriptures, Providence!

Blessings,
P Kort