Theology Thursday: 14 (so far) Principles for Bible Study

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Today's question:
What should I keep in mind when I read and study the Bible?

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
A few months ago I started keeping track of the principles for Bible study that make their way into my sermons and writing. So far, I'm up to 14. Many of these are related, and they're in no particular order:

• Remember that the Bible was not written in English, and that language evolves over time.
  
  
• There are no “proof” texts. The Bible tells the story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. No single verse, passage, or book tells the whole story, nor should any single verse, passage, or book form one’s whole theological system. Every doctrinal statement derived from scripture must be read in light of the rest of the scripture. No section of scripture exists in a vacuum, so they should not be isolated to make an argument. In other words, interpret the part in light of the whole, and the whole in light of the part.
  
  
• Approaching the text without considering its context is just a pretext for using it to say what one wants it to say. Contexts to consider: historical, cultural, literary, scriptural, authorial.
  
  
• Ask: Who was this written by? Who was this written to? What was this written for? Why is this in the Bible at all?
  
  
• Try not to say/think “The Bible says…” try to say/think “Paul says…” or “Ezekiel says…” or, at least, the book title: ”Genesis says…” This helps us remember that real people wrote using their own personalities and reflecting their direct circumstances. It better situates these texts in their proper place and time, and helps us better see scripture as mostly about God, rather than always making it mostly about us.  
  
  
• On any particular biblical or theological topic, the passion/strength of one’s opinion should match the depth of one’s study.
  
  
• Consider whether the passage is primarily descriptive or primarily prescriptive. If it appears to be prescriptive, consider whether it is contextually prescriptive (for them, there) or universally prescriptive (for all, everywhere).
  
  
• Ask: What does this passage say about God? Does it say anything about me? If so, what? How does it point to Jesus?
  
  
• In general, core doctrines should arise from the clear, repeated passages of scripture, not the obscure, ambiguous passages.
  
  
• As it is “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16), the message and teachings of God’s Word are infallible and authoritative. This does not mean every chosen word and structured sentence is exactly how God would have done it had he sat down and written it by hand himself. God chose to use humans to reveal his word. As such, the Bible is both divinely-inspired and human-crafted. It is never contradictory, but it is, at times, confusing and unclear. There is no cause for uncertainty regarding the central tenets of scripture, but there is cause for humility on disputed and controversial matters of interpretation.
  
  
• Don’t read just the Bible, read about the Bible.
  
  
• Conclusions about the meaning of a particular passage should generally align with the passage-writer’s intended meaning, to the extent that it can be ascertained. In other words, one shouldn’t claim meaning with which the original writer wouldn’t agree.
  
  
• Ask: What literary genre am I reading here? The Bible comprises many different kinds of writings: law/instruction, poetry, narrative history, gospel biography, personal letters, prophecy, apocalyptic symbolism, and wisdom.
  
  
• When reading entire Bible books - or at least larger passages - ask: What is the melodic line? The finer details may be more or less important, but the melody that plays consistently through the text will generally provide an adequate presentation of the author’s intent.

TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.