Thursday, May 8, 2008

Explore the Bible for Yourself, Part 52 of 52

IDEA: Read the Bible as you would any other collection of books.

PURPOSE: To review the broad guidelines for Bible study.

Tm told that in another culture people were given a sundial. They were so impressed with it that they built a building around it to protect it from the atmosphere. We can do that with the Bible. We can reverence it but never use it.

We can read the Bible as we read another series of books. We go into a library with thousands of books.

What do all the books have in common?

How would the books in the library differ?

Would you read all the books in the same way?

The Bible is a collection of books. There are things the biblical books have in common and things in which they differ.

I. Principle #4: Read the Bible as you would any other book

You seldom read other books by starting in the middle.

Study a passage in its immediate and broad context. Context is King. A text removed from its context is a pretext.

II. Principle #5: Analyze the structure and the relationships of thought within a paragraph in the Bible

Think of studying a legal document. You pay attention to the grammar and the choice of words.

III. Principle #6: Consider the historical and cultural setting in which a passage is found

God gave His eternal truths to men and women living at a particular time and place in history. God's Word to us is first His word to them.

IV. Principle #7: Take note of the literary form (genre) in which a passage is placed

God used many different kinds of writings (poetry, history, proverbs, parables, letters, etc.) to give us His Word. We must be aware how they differ from each other when we read or study them.