How to Read the Bible

Harvey Cox

How does a liberal Harvard professor read the Bible? As a story. As a (wildly inaccurate) history. As a spiritual guidebook we can ignore or reinterpret, even while respecting “the right of the text to say what it says and not what you would like it to say.” Cox’s noble goal of bringing (academic) Biblical Studies and (amateur) Bible studies together is hamstrung by his credulous assumption that most of the Bible is fiction. Thus, readers of Scripture have the “right to see things differently.” Translation: The Bible—and, by extension, God Himself—has no right to the last word.

Reading the Word of God in the Presence of God: A Handbook for Biblical Interpretation

Vern Poythress

Does Scripture give “unmediated access to the rock of stability that is God himself”? No. Rather, Jesus Christ, the Living Word, mediates access to the Father through His Spirit’s written word. Master Scripture, and you master God. But we can’t master God. That’s why Westminster Theological Seminary professor Vern Poythress reads the Bible with perspectives, not methods. Our readings can focus on language, history, story, textual transmission, or God’s plan for history, but we must read submissively: Sound interpretation requires religious commitment, spiritual health, and moral obedience. If you treat Scripture as a merely human document, you will never understand it.

How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor: A Practical and Entertaining Exploration of the World’s Most Famous Book

Mark Yarbrough

“Know it, work it, live it.” That’s Yarbrough’s motto for biblical interpretation. Thus, to “know it,” he describes the Bible’s structure, story, and core teachings. To “work it” is to understand the language, the culture from which the books came, and the genre in which they’re written. Yarbrough deftly summarizes this information, giving Christians some powerful exegetical tools. To “live it,” Yarbrough suggests finding applications for categories like “money,” “language,” “community,” and “sexuality,” and then implementing them with prayer. This book serves as a stand-alone introduction to benefiting from the Bible. New Christians especially will find it profoundly helpful.

The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air

Søren Kierkegaard

Though written in 1849, Kierkegaard’s discourse on the lily of the field and the bird of the air is far from stale in Bruce Kirmmse’s new translation. As Jesus describes them in the Sermon on the Mount, the lily and bird are two examples of trust in God. Kierkegaard takes this theme and expounds it, looking principally at the silence and obedience birds and lilies manifest. For both creatures, unconditional obedience to God is the only imaginable way of life. That’s why they are carefree and uncomplaining. Live today, as they do, says Kierkegaard, and you will live forever.

Afterword

Richard Bewes’ Equipped to Serve (Christian Focus, 2013) deals with practical skills valuable to both leaders and laypeople. He includes chapters on public reading of Scripture, running a meeting, telling your story, prayer, and prayer meetings. He also includes a warning, quoting John of Chrysostom: “Just as a beautiful coat only looks its best when worn on a body, so the Scriptures—even though wonderful when proclaimed in public—are far more stupendous when they are being lived out by the people who hear them!”

TJ and Jenn Menn’s Faith to Foster (Abeille Books, 2016) is the story of two West Point cadets who meet, marry, and decide to become foster parents. The book describes their motivation—to advance God’s kingdom by loving others—and the practical challenges involved in fostering 22 children. Jenn Menn encourages others to accept that pain comes with the territory: “I’m disheartened that others, especially Christians, fear serving others because they know it will hurt.” —Susan Olasky