How to read the Bible

How to read the Bible

Understanding and Applying

Is there a wrong way to read the Bible?

What is Scripture all about, exactly?

• Desire to know what God is saying

• Reading through the filter or lens of own desire and cultural understanding.

What is Scripture all about, exactly?

• The Bible is about God

• It does not bend to our will or needs.

• It reveals God is worthy of our trust

• We must Learn and Live Scripture so others come to know and follow

Tolle Lege: Pick up and read

• Most people couldn't read or own a Bible

• Printing press - Johannes Gutenberg's printing press helped plant seeds of change.

• Mass produce writings of Martin Luther's writings (Spirit of God) started Protestant Reformation

Objectives

• Describe how not to read the Bible

• Explain that Scripture is about God and not us

• Articulate why it is important to read the Bible properly

• Give an example of how Postermodernism has affected the study of the Bible

Tolle Lege: Pick up and read

• The Bible has tremendous power

• If we read it poorly or self-centeredly, we will not see its power to change us or the people around us.

Why is it common to read the Bible with a Self- centered focus?

• What does this mean to me?

• We want to solve our life problems and hope the Bible can help.

Why is it common to read the Bible with a Self- centered focus?

• We are all about "ME".

• A cultural mood of narcissism

• Created an attitude of "ME"

Postmodernism

• Skeptical worldview:

• Suspicious of metanarratives and teaches that ultimate reality is inaccessible, knowledge is created by society and truth claims are political power plays.

Why is it common to read the Bible with a Self- centered focus?

• Failure of scene and technology to bring a better world.

• No longer big Truth

• Personalized, local truths developed through one's own experience.

Bible with a Self- centered focus

• Postmodernism says:

• Reading is no longer value the author's intent or meaning

• It is about the destination or the reader's experience.

• Readers: free yourself from an author's single intended meaning and invent new meanings.

Bible with a Self- centered focus

• Postmodernism says:

• No text can claim truth if one does, it needs to be deconstructed

• No real world out there for us to know

• What is true for you isn't true for everyone.

Deconstruction

• Method of literary analysis that questions the ability of language to represent reality adequately and seels to discern and expose purported underlying ideologies of a text.

Deconstruction

• You need to find the underlying assumptions and intentions of the author

• Set those aside as "their" truth

• This book cannot reveal the world to you.

• Merge this text with your own experiences and cultural influence.

Deconstruction

• You need to find the underlying assumptions and intentions of the author

• Set those aside as "their" truth

• This book cannot reveal the world to you.

• Merge this text with your own experiences and cultural influence.

Orthodox Christian and Postmodernism

• Is it compatible: NO!

• Bible's authority is about what God wants to communicate

• Not whether we like it or not

• Our part is to respond to God's authority

Orthodox Christian and Postmodernism

• People read the Bible poorly

• This leads them and others to misunderstand and misapply the truth.

• Others manipulate other people

Objectives

• Describe how not to read the Bible

• Explain that Scripture is about God and not us

• Articulate why it is important to read the Bible properly

• Give an example of how Postermodernism has affected the study of the Bible

Objectives #2

• Idenityf the ten most common mistakes people make when reading the Bible.

• List the ten steps to reading the Bible well

• State what to do with your doubts.