Bible Bridges: Part 8

This is a good time to pause and reflect on the goals of this series. I'm not sure where you are in your Bible reading and study life. The reason I felt I should do an extended and open-ended series like this is to spur you on in apprehending the Bible in greater authenticity. The journey motif is intentional. No matter where you are at, whether novice or experienced, I think we can all use a perspective that pricks us a little bit.

The perspective being offered in this series is my own. Naturally, my approach has developed over many years. It is not perfect, and can still stand improvement. Thus, I invite you to join me in this journey together. I need your help to grow, just as I trust God is using me in a small way to help you!

So I thought that by going into details in my personal methodology, others might benefit. That was the original desire that prompted this series.

I recently discovered a compelling article from the Gospel Coalition: "The Danger of Forgetting How to Read the Bible". It was yet another perspective that speaks to what I am also attempting to promote, namely on becoming "technical, devotional readers". There are some necessary skills in handling God's Word well. The article rightly points that out. Those skills include things I have already introduced, as well as other methods I hope to talk about in future articles: the benefits of understanding Bible translations, "literary, cultural, and historical contexts", using some original language tools, and other resources.

Now, there may be one thing that may seem peculiar to some people reading this blog. As the Gospel Coalition article above puts it, I believe in a healthy "respect [for] the distance between our world and that of Scripture". True, the article properly warns that an excessively academic approach can be spiritually detrimental to us. However, there is a balance between our desire to hear from God for us right now and what was imparted to an ancient audience. There must be an appropriate distance allowed in our study of the Bible. This is why many Bible study guides routinely ask the question of authorship and original audience. Let us not forget: they all died over 2,000 years ago.

The really hard work, then, is to travel the distance to glean application for our lives while retaining the full weight of original context. There is much we can take away from an ongoing study and reading of the Bible. The warning I submit here now is to refrain from a completely isolated approach to your Bible study.

We really should not allow our sense of individuality override the long road already traveled by those who have proceeded us through the centuries. When I confess that "I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting", this statement of doctrinal unity was forged in the messy past of the adolescent bride of Christ. My reading of Scripture must not neglect the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1), and must be subject to reproof. And that reproof may create controversy at times (that's what I mean by a "messy past"). Please do not see this as excuse to create division in the church (God forbid). Rather, let this be an opportunity to learn how to hold to a type of church unity that, while gathering separately, can dialogue and hold a variety of convictions, and yet love God, His Word, and each other!

So again, you are invited to sharpen your Bible skills. Let's get going together, since we all benefit when God's Word is opened and inspected in community--even in an online and informal community as this blog may find an audience.

Blessings,
Jared Tremper