How to Read & Understand Your Bible

Interpretive keys & principles that will open the

Bible for your reading pleasure.

Some Facts About the Bible

A book of books– 40 authors over 1800 years in composition w/ one theme!

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is a record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. . . . It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.” Baptist Faith & Message

The Bible as Revelation

Hebrew– gala– to uncover, to lay bare; Greek– apokalypto– lay bare, uncover; God transcends time & space, therefore,

we need help in grasping His nature; General Revelation: History, creation &

Conscience (Judges, Rom.1:1,18-20); Special Revelation: Written Living; Progressive Revelation: Old & New Cov.

How the Bible Came to Us

Inspiration– 2 Tim. 3:15-16, 2 Pet.1:16f; Resulting in Inerrancy– Mt.5:17-18; Resulting in Infallibility– a safe guide; Our responsibility– Interpretation; Our resource– Illumination-- Jn.16:12-15 Our response– Application– James 1:19-

27.

The Process of Canonization

1. Authoritative utterances– Ex.24:3f; 2. Authoritative documents– Duet.31:24-

26; Josh. 1:8; 3. Authoritative collection of writings–

Josiah’s discovery in 2 Kings 22 & 23:3; 4. Fixed canon for the Pentateuch was

established circa 1000 BC; the rest of the Old Testament by 150 BC.

Classification of the OT Books

Pentateuch/Law– (Genesis thru Dueteronomy) called The Torah (book of instruction) or the Law (torah) of Moses;

Prophets– Former (Joshua, Judges, Samuel & Kings) & Latter (Isaiah through Malachi excluding Daniel);

Writings– Job thru Song of Solomon, plus Daniel, Ezra thru Ester & Chronicles

Result: The Old Testament Was the Bible of the Church– Acts 2:16-21,32f

It was Jesus’ Bible (books of scrolls); Jesus & Paul appealed to its authority; Paul knew he was writing Scripture as he

was writing (1 Cor. 7?).

The Impact of the Bible on Civilization

Biblical monotheism gave us a unified existence vs. fragmentation;

The same gave us the Conscience of the West, that small, still voice of conscience

Resulting in: human rights, governments, ethical treatment of neighbors, our understanding of God, our hope for the future.

How Do You Read It for instruction & guidance?

Observation: identify key terms, grammatical structure, type of literature & the mood of the passage or book;

Interpretation: ask questions, look for answers, integrate your findings;

Application: How does this work for me?; How does it work for others?

Summary: Read, record and reflect.

Recommended Reading

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart;

Living By The Book by Howard & William Hendricks;

The Bible Jesus Read by Phillip Yancey.