How to read the Bible: Part Deux

I realize this is rehashing something I wrote to you before. But it's so important that I feel the need to offer it up to you one more time (just in case you forgot).

 

And I wanted to add a few insights that might help enhance your experience.

 

This is the last of my automated sequence of e-mails everyone receives when they sign up. You'll still be receiving my daily(ish) e-mails. If there's something you want addressed, or have a question, let me know. I may write a "daily" about it. 

 

This is the method for reading/meditating on the Bible I've followed for the last several years. It's the same method I sent you before. I'm going to send it again followed by a few additional "tips."

 

I recently found someone else who outlined this approach in a very clear way. So, I'm going to direct you to Jon Adams' Holy Mystical Bible Study as a resource if you want to follow this method more deeply.

 

I highly recommend it. You can download this method on his website and print it out on a single page if you'd like. But here are the steps Jon outlines for us. I'm adding my commentary to his method in brackets.

 

1. I self-reflect.

   I assess my emotional state, I confess my biases and pre-understanding, and I prepare my soul to hear something new and unexpected. [We can't know where we're going unless we know where we're coming from. This is an act of humility and awareness.]

2. I pray and set my intention.

   I ask God to speak to me through his Word once again. I ask for God's help to encounter him through the text, to crucify my false self, to recover my true self, to embody Christ, and to reunite with all creatures. [this notion of false self/true self is about the 'face' we tend to wear and show to others, the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves... and the true self is who Jesus says we are. We are God's children. We are loved. We are who He made us to be, not who we usually pretend to be]

3. I read and I listen.

   I take note of the first impressions the text makes on me, and I try to understand my initial response. [This becomes almost like a conversation. I usually realize that something about my bias/presuppositions was off, doesn't quite fit, or that my emotional state is awry. I allow the Scripture to reflect this truth back at me. This process is about ultimately turning the fun-house mirror of the false/warped self we see looking at us into a real mirror that shows a true reflection of the person we actually are in Christ]/

4. I ask good questions.

   I research the text: (a) language; (b) context & history; (c) modern scholarship; (d) the ancient Christian mystics. [This might take a lot of practice, especially if you don't have a lot of resources. There are some good study Bibles, Bible Handbooks, and Commentaries out there to help. If you need suggestions for resources to help you go deeper in this step, shoot me a reply along with your basic background in Bible study so I know where you're starting and what resources might be most helpful to you].

5. I face the challenge.

   As I go, there will be something in Scripture that rings my bells. When I stumble upon some truth about myself and God, I stop studying. I respond to God. I meditate on this new truth to try to understand it and its implications. [The STOP sign!!! In the past, I've been tempted to making rolling stops when Scripture struck me. I recognized a new insight, but didn't digest it... and kept reading. This means to SLOW DOWN, stop, and let whatever new insights you gleaned really sink in. Remember the goal isn't to get through the Bible... but to hear what God has to say to us through the Bible today.]

6. I reflect and ask for more.

   I continue to meditate on the passage. I sit with it, repeat it throughout the day, think about it, and ask God to reveal more to me. Crucially, I spend time listening in silence. [This builds on the last step. I've had times when a single verse offered multiple insights... and in this step, I often uncovered more truths that I needed to sit with for a while. You can spend several days on one verse/passage if that's what's needed. Let the process work for you, don't try to work the process.]

7. I embody my insight.

   I take my new understanding into the world, try it out, and see what happens - all in a continuing spirit of prayer. [Let God transform you through the Holy Spirit as He changes you through the Scriptures. You'll be surprised how HUGE of an impact this can have on your life if you stick to the process].

 

Here are a few tips to help along the way. Some basic "principles" of interpretation that will help keep you grounded.

 

1. Approach everything with humility. Don't get hung up on what doesn't make sense. Focus on what you can discern from the text and make a note to come back to the more difficult concepts/passages later.

2. Scripture interprets scripture. As a general rule, when we encounter a passage that's hard to interpret, we should read it in the light of clearer passages that touch on the same issue/topic. Let the clearer passages shape your understanding of the unclear ones.

3. Understand genre. Every genre has different "rules." You wouldn't read a Harry Potter novel the way you might a newspaper (though honestly, these days, both might be fiction). You don't read poetry the same way you'd read a novel, or a memoir, or an autobiography, or a textbook. It's helpful to do a little research into the "genre" of each book you're reading so you know which rules to apply. There are also unqiue/ancient genres (e.g. Apocalyptic) that are pretty foreign to us. Also, we need to be careful not to apply the rules of modern genres onto ancient practices. Histories today have different standards/agendas than historical books in the ancient world. Different standards don't mean that the history is "better" or "worse," only that it's different and that the authors are doing different things.

4. Even some of the best Bible scholars disagree on small points. So, consult different opinions. Ultimately, though, don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good. You won't ever have a perfect understanding of Scripture. There will always be things you aren't totally sure how to interpret. Be comfortable with that. It's better to admit uncertainty than to force certainty upon a text and entrench yourself into a single interpretation. In fact, the more you get into Scripture, the more you'll resist definitive interpretations. Keep an open mind and realize that it's okay to be wrong... because it's better to recognize we might be wrong than to find yourself committed to a narrow viewpoint.

5. Consult with others. Not just experts and scholars. Engage in conversation with others. In fact, it can be an enriching experience to follow this pattern of Bible reading with someone else. Start with the same text. Set boundaries (e.g. we're not going to go past verse 2 today) and communicate your insights with each other every day. Then, set an intention/agenda based on both/all of your experiences, for the next day. You can even set up an online community/group to make communicating with each other easier. Whatever works for you!

 

Now, there's another method (in addition to the above) that you might experiment with.  

 

It's usually associated with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He's the founder of the "Jesuits." I'm not Catholic, and therefore not a Jesuit, but I do find his approach beneficial depending on the text at hand. Especially narrative texts, scenes in the Gospels, etc.

 

This approach involves reading through the text just to get a feel for it once.

 

Then, a second time, meditating on anything that stands out to you.

 

Finally, a third time, but this time you aren't so much "reading" the text as visualizing it: Put yourself into the story.

 

What do you see? Feel free to bring experiential elements not defined in the text to mind... like the feel of the air, the temperature, the smell of the area. Imagine yourself as a witness to the scene.

 

Engage all five senses.

 

What does it make you feel, how do you respond to what you're seeing?

 

Jesus just performed a miracle, or offered a teaching... and he's come up to you and acknowledged you. You have a chance to respond to him, to ask him a question. Ask that question (this is a prayer, but you're using the power of the story to make it more real)... how does he respond?

 

Is his response what you merely want him to say? Make sure you don't force it. What do you believe He is really saying to you in response?

 

Don't use that information as some kind of "new revelation" in addition to Scripture, but perhaps meditate on what you think he's telling you, pray about it, and bring it to scripture again. This is a powerful method to bring ourselves into the story and consider it's significance for our lives.

 

I alternate between the method from Jon Adams above and this approach from Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises. Both have their merit. Experiment with either approach and let me know your experience. Is it helping you go deeper in prayer and in your Bible study/meditation?

 

Blessings,

 

Judah

 

P.S. Are you already doing this practice? Let me know how it's going. Is it working for you? Just hit reply. But keep in mind... this kind of discipline takes time. If you aren't seeing the fruit if it yet, keep at it. Give it at least 90 days, see if it becomes a habit.

 

P.P.S. I have a huge library of theology books. Because when I was in seminary, there wasn't a lot that was digital. However, today, if you want to build a library of books on Bible study (to help with step #4 in Jon's method) I'd recommend investing in a basic package at Logos. It's amazing software that can really help you go deeper. I have one of the big packages... but to start... you can get one of the cheaper ones and go from there. If you need a free option, check out StudyLight.org

 

P.P.P.S. Know anyone else who might enjoy these daily newsletters/meditations? Share this link with them!!!