Learning to Read Scripture (pt 1)
Here is another snippet of my forthcoming book (re)aligning with God: Reading Scripture for the Church and the World. It will be published by Wipf and Stock in late 2010.
There is no substitute for a careful and deliberate engagement with the biblical text. The Scriptures may be likened to the earth’s vast oceans. There are multiple levels and depths of meaning. If one only studies the seas from a single shoreline, one may observe and record accurate observations, but much will be missed. It is vital for interpreters to go as deeply as possible into the text and to read it carefully from a variety of angles in order to engage it in its fullness. This book focuses on a missional approach to the Bible, but such an approach assumes a deep engagement with the text. I will turn now to a brief introduction or perhaps refresher on good reading practices.
The primary determinant for the meaning of a text is its context. It is vital to read the Bible in large chunks rather than in isolated verses. Reading Scripture is an intimate dance between the reader and the text. The wise reader must be acutely aware simultaneously of the broad movements of the wider Scriptures and the specific details of the portion of text being interpreted. To focus only on the big picture risks missing the nuances of the Bible, which fill out and unpack its larger truths in the lived lives of its original audience. The temptation is to flatten out the Bible by making its individual sections conform to our assumptions about the big picture. To focus only on the specific details runs the danger of missing the message of the whole. It is like having a closet without hangers or shelves. All of our clothing is scattered randomly without any discernible organizing principles.
What are key elements or tools for the interpretation of the Bible?
© 2009 Brian D Russell
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