Reading to Grow

A Field Guide to the Bible

Mauser

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781532616150
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

This book is a short introduction to the things every Christian should know about the Bible. It provides answers to a broad assortment of questions ranging from why there are different translations, how do experts approach Bible difficulties, what are the basics of interpretation, and more. The work seeks to be a powerful tool to equip and encourage the saints so they rightly handle the Word of God. Drawing from a rich tradition of theology and philosophy, readers will find themselves instructed and inspired from some of the greatest minds in the Christian tradition on various Biblical issues.

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HAZARDOUS CONTENTS

“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word from the mouth of God.”

—Jesus (Matt 4:4)

The book you are now holding is extremely dangerous. Every year hundreds of thousands of Christians are being persecuted and martyred for their faith. As this book is designed to equip people to understand the Bible, there will be many that will do everything in their power to keep you from reading the forthcoming pages. In the big picture, you’ll learn how to understand our origins, the meaning of life, the battle we are in (whether we know it or not), and our destiny. In nine short chapters you’ll glean practical tips for understanding the Bible, answering Bible difficulties, choosing the best translation, and strategies for flourishing God’s way. As a result, this work will prepare you to deploy the equipment necessary to face the darkest times, even when under attack from the greatest foes. I guarantee that if you take the time to study and apply the truths that you’ll find in this book, you’ll have the essential tools you need to thrive in the midst of perilous circumstances.

Three villains oppose us daily—the world, the flesh, and the devil. Those from the world of men often come in sheep’s clothing. These are false teachers and teachings that call for a measure of discernment and judgment to oppose. There is also a spiritual battle occurring. Forces of darkness in the spiritual realm are invested in this battle. These evil forces’ sole desire is the deception, death, and destruction of all of mankind. In order to combat this enemy, we will explore strategies to advance against the gates of hell, and win those that are captives to their deceit. The attack from within arises from our fallen propensities evoking apathy, ignorance, and pride. The apathy often comes from what we think will be momentary delays “until we have more time to really get into God’s word.” Our ignorance and pride are on display when thinking, “We need no one to teach us what the Bible means.” We are removed from the Bible’s context by factors like history, language, and culture. These factors do not need to be considered alone. This book equips you to valiantly overcome and heed our General’s instruction.

Some may object to the characterization of warfare I’ve described. Yet this is exactly what every person faces. This book will equip you to use one of the most powerful weapons we have against our enemies—the word of God! D. L. Moody warns those who think the battle is over upon becoming a Christian.

But a good many Christian people make this mistake: they think the battle already fought and won. They have an idea that all they have to do is put the oars down in the bottom of the boat, and the current will drift them into the ocean of God’s eternal love. But we have to cross the current. We have to learn how to watch and fight, and how to overcome. The battle is only just commenced. The Christian life is a conflict and a warfare, and the quicker we find it out the better.1

The Christian should immediately realize that he is on the front lines of warfare upon conversion and seek to utilize the tools God has given him to succeed.

Even beyond equipping us for the most important things we need in this life, the greatest significance of the Bible is it claims to be God’s revelation of Himself. Understanding its message is the important task undertaken each time we read God’s word. Knowing God’s message tells us both how we ought to live and who He is. Christian theologian Bernard Ramm insightfully writes, “There is no profit to us if God has spoken and we do not know what He has said. Therefore it is our responsibility to determine the meaning of what God has given to us in Sacred Scripture.”2

REVEALING PURPOSE AND MEANING

There are few of us who don’t love a good joke. Consider the church sign: “Don’t let worries kill you—let the church help.” As funny as the sign was, if I missed the ambiguity inherent in the phrase it wouldn’t be funny. Tied up with the enjoyment that comes in those hilarious moments when we grasp incongruity, we find ourselves in the midst of both transcendence and meaning. It is little wonder then why so many are addicted to comedies. Comedies help briefly appease an appetite hungering for meaning, purpose, and transcendence. Those who have read the Bible realize there is something far greater that it offers. What it promises is not a mere temporary satisfaction. The Bible offers hope for a person to be fully satiated and never again hunger or thirst for more (John 6:35).

In a world that is plagued with trying to find meaning and purpose, the Bible offers guidance in these areas that is clear and imbued with significance. The questions that are nearest to the heart deal with these very issues. The ancient philosophers recognized the natural desire of man for purpose. For those who take seriously the claim that the Bible is the word of God, it behooves us to explore what it says about matters that relate to meaning and those things we so eagerly desire.

The Bible has tremendous value as God reveals things with which our hearts resonate. The Word provides a context that situates us in a larger story and reveals a transcendent perspective to have meaning in life. The Scriptures offer the guidance along the path that promises true life.

In short, each person longs to reach God, and the means to do so is revealed most clearly in Scripture. What some pagans discovered about God’s existence, through struggle, is evident even to children through what is called the perspicuity of Scripture. Perspicuity simply means that people can easily access the ideas in the Bible that are most important. The greatest thoughts in Scripture are those that explain God and the way we reach Him.

THE GUIDANCE OF WORLDVIEW

There are many useful things a person may need to know when seeking direction in life. A person may struggle with questions ranging from the trivial to those that will forever impact them. The question about whether one should wear a certain color socks, have corn flakes or eggs for breakfast, or even which amazing book on how to understand the Bible to read may be among those trivial questions. However, some questions are more important—like how can a person get to heaven? People need a way of seeing the world to help them live, which is provided in Scripture (this is called a biblical worldview).3

In many ways the Bible is like a map. Consider some advantages to having the tools necessary to read the map. It helps each individual steer a clear course. It also posts warning signs similar to what the old maps warned—that in certain areas of life there be dragons! Many of us, even those that know better, need the continual reminder that the warning is intended to help us and not to harm. There are concrete things we can avoid to stay out of trouble. We can thus avoid the error of our ancestors (in a garden) in calling “good” what God has said is evil. The road map is significant in what it identifies as good, the principles that guide us, and how to be fruitful and holy in our endeavors. Considering the author of the map is also the author of history and nature, a person ignores what is written at his or her own peril.

The Bible also explains how there are unseen evils that can affect us. Scripture informs us that we are in a battle. Our greatest foes are spiritual forces of darkness. Apart from Scripture, we’d have little hope in knowing how to fight against such enemies. Charles Spurgeon, known as the Prince of Preachers, spells out the practical consequences of seeing this battle against Satan for what it is.

Also, let it be remembered that, incidentally, the temptations of Satan are of service to the people of God. Fenelon said that they are...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: Hazardous Contents
• Chapter 2: Athletics and the Bible: The Challenge of Understanding
• Chapter 3: Lost in Translations?
• Chapter 4: The Basics of Biblical Interpretation
• Chapter 5: How Does Genre Help Us Understand?
• Chapter 6: How Does Language Relate to God?
• Chapter 7: Avoiding Land Mines in Interpretation
• Chapter 8: Love Story From the Battlefield: Biblical Application
• Chapter 9: Putting on the Bulletproof Vest: The Inerrancy Debate
• Appendix: Guidelines for Bible Study
• Bibliography