We all want to read the Bible better. Understanding it correctly is not easy, but it is certainly not impossible. However, there are some pitfalls and pitfalls to avoid, and in this two-item series we’ll pass some very basic tips. So what should we consider when we think about reading the Bible better?
The Bible is a great book. For many of the people we work with on the periphery, it is a very large book, its pages contain many types of literature: poetry, prophecy, history, narrative, epistles and apocalyptic writings. It’s heavy. Understanding it correctly is not easy, but it is certainly not impossible. We don’t need to study in a seminary to open the Bible and understand it. An open Bible, in the hands of an avid and spirit-filled reader, is powerful.
- However.
- There are some traps that we should avoid.
- And this series of two articles will give us some very basic tips.
- So what should we consider when we think about reading and teaching the Bible in our neighborhood or poor community?.
Avoid being superficial. We cannot just read the biblical text and jump directly to what it means to us; we have to do the hard work of interpretation. Time and culture change and then we have to understand the original meaning of the text or we can create a big problem. Imagine your wife gets dressed in the morning and starts that typical hour-long bathroom conversation, half the time getting it. Hair ready. ? How are you??? She asks. You reply: “Well, my dear, it looks a bit like Song of Songs 4. 1:” Is your hair like that of a herd of goats? Don’t stop there. What do you think of Song of Songs 7. 4b? “Your nose, like the tower of Lebanon, looking at Damascus. ” None of these comments will receive much affection. But in Middle Eastern culture, the bigger the nose, the greater the beauty, and being compared to something as precious as goats was a great compliment! We must be careful not to read the Bible superficially or we may cause (serious) trouble.
Don’t over-spiritualize the Bible. 1 Samuel 17 is the best example. We all know the story. While King Saul and his army were frightened by fear, David understood Goliath’s challenge as an offense against God and his people. Armed with a slingshot and five smooth stones, David knocked down the giant and beheaded him, sealing his fate as king of Israel. What app have I heard countless times? We all face giants like Goliath in our lives. What are some of our giants? Drugs, divorce, deprivation, death, etc. How can we beat these giants like David did?What do the five smooth stones represent? What about our past (past victories?), Prayer, priorities (reputation/glory of God), passion and perseverance, apply them in our lives, and defeat our own giants.
What is wrong with this interpretation and application? Well, for starters, it puts us in David’s place. This places us at the center of the story. It makes us heroes. But we are not the hero. David is the hero. If we were anywhere in this story, we would be with King Saul and the Israelites fearful of Goliath. In fact, we are the ones who need a hero, a champion, a savior. So Jesus is the real hero in this text. He is the Son of David, the heir to the throne of David (? Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. ?? Matthew 1. 1. ? This will be great and will be called Son of Majority. High; God the The Lord will give him the throne of his father David; Luke 1:32). So what we have here is actually a shadow of Jesus, the one who defeated the true giant, death, when he faced Satan and died on the cross, so that we no longer live in fear. This text is about Jesus, not about us. Be careful not to mega-spiritualize the Bible in small ways about how we should live. The Bible is not always, or ultimately, a book about us. It’s a book about him.
Be careful with the tongue. Words change their meaning. The word cabinet is a good example. Originally, this meant a place where weapons were kept. Imagine how many words have changed or changed their meaning in a book for thousands of years? 1 Corinthians 4. 1, for example, brings a translation. Butlers? Or ministers in some translations of the Bible, but the literal meaning is “slave. ” Paul wanted his inheritance to be considered no more than that of a slave. It’s a much stronger thought (and translation) than just a steward or minister when you think about what those words mean today.
History, why did Pilate allow the Jews to kill Jesus when he knew he was innocent?Wasn’t he certainly a friend of the Jewish people? History can help us here, it is well documented that Pilate hated being sent to Israel. We read in the history books that when Pilate came to his post, he tried to force the Jews to worship pagan deities, but ended up seeing him. a great revolt in his hands. A lot of people lost their lives before order was restored. His boss, the emperor, was so angry with him that he threatened to remove him from office if he could not keep the peace. Pilate, therefore, did what he could, to keep Jewish leaders happy and prevent him from losing his job and his status in society.
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