10 Ways to Read the Bible

Would you like to get more from your Bible reading and study time? Perhaps you’re new to the Bible and not sure where to begin? Perhaps you’ve been reading the Word for years yet still not comfortable with studying God’s Word for yourself. It all begins with learning to really read the Scriptures.

There are three basic steps to studying God’s Word.

• Observation —what does the text say?
• Interpretation—what does the text mean?
• Application—how does it work?

Although many of us may be familiar with these steps, the tendency can be to quickly read a passage of Scripture and then jump right to application—tell me what to “do”! Perhaps we employ the “skimmer” method, skimming the passage looking for the “good stuff” that can help make sense of our situation.

In order to accurately interpret and apply the Bible, we must first do the hard work of observing—training ourselves to “see” what the text says.

“Before you understand you have to see.” —Howard Hendricks

Here are ten reading strategies you can use when studying the Bible to help you to slow down and spend more time observing so that you can rightly interpret and then apply the timeless truth contained in the passage.

TEN BIBLE READING STRATEGIES

# 1 Read Patiently:

• Be patient with the text.
• Be patient with yourself.

# 2 Read Prayerfully:

• Pray before, during, and after reading.
• When you’re stuck on a passage, having trouble understanding it, stop and pray.
• Pray the Scriptures for yourself and for others.

# 3 Read Repeatedly:

• Read it over and over and over and over…
• And just when you’re tired of it, read it again.

# 4 Read Imaginatively:

• Vary the Bible translation you normally read. Consider reading a paraphrase.
• Read it aloud.
• Listen to an audio version passage. The You Version and Dwell Bible apps will read a text to you.
• Rewrite the passage in your own words.

# 5 Read Thoughtfully:

• Look for the structure of the passage. How has the author organized the content of the text?
• Print out the text and use to mark up as you read looking for repeated words/phrases, contrasts and comparisons, linking words/phrases, verbs, cause and effect and lists in the text.
• Ask questions of the text.
• Think about the text throughout your day.

# 6 Read Purposefully:

• Look for the aim of the author. Every word contributes to the intended meaning. Structure (above) helps us see intent.
• Look for keywords and repeated words/phrases.
• Look for the purpose expressed through literary style: key people, key places, key events, key times and key ideas.
• Look for the purpose expressed through the grammar (more on this in future posts).

# 7 Read Acquisitively:

• Look for creative ways to retain what you’ve read and “make the passage your own”.
• Write a paraphrase.
• Draw the passage.
• Outline the passage.
• Story the passage. (More on Storying a Bible passage, here.)

# 8 Read Selectively:

• Ask the “Big Six” questions and answer from the text.
• Who—Who are the people in the text? What is said about the person or people? What does the person say?
• What—What is happening in the text? What are the events? What happens to the characters? What is the argument or point being made?
• When—When did the events in the text take place? When did they occur in relation to other events in Scripture? When was the writer writing?
• Where—Where is the narrative taking place? Where are the people in the story? Where are they coming from? Where are they going? Where is the writer? Where were the original readers of this text? If there is a journey taking place, trace it on a map.
• Why—Why is this included? Why is it placed here? Why does this follow that? Why does this person say that? There are an infinity of “why” questions.
• Wherefore (So What?)—What difference would it make if I were to apply this truth to my life?

# 9 Read Telescopically:

• How do the parts relate to the whole of the passage?
• How does this book fit into the Old or New Testament?
• How does the book fit into the whole story of the Bible?
• Pay attention to context.
• Look at the historical context.

# 10 Read Meditatively:

• Ponder, reflect, and think about text throughout the day.
• There’s a close connection between meditating on truth and applying it (Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 23:7, Psalm 1:1-2, Psalm 119:97
• Allow the truth to filter and percolate through your mind and into your life.

Don’t allow the list to overwhelm you! Try using just one new strategy at a time. Over time you will find your observation skills honed and you’ll find you’re “seeing” more in the text that you thought possible! Over time, you will find these strategies becoming habits in your Bible reading. Consider keeping a notebook or journal and recording your observations as you employ each reading strategy.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. —Psalm 119:18 ESV

(Adapted from Living by the Book, Howard Hendricks)

This post first appeared on the blog, susancady.com, ©2018.

Biblical Allegory - Michael Fink

Allegory is a means of presenting or interpreting a story by focusing on hidden or symbolic meanings rather than literal meaning. Allegory arose from the Cynic and Stoic philosophies of the Hellenistic period (fourth to second centuries B.C.). As a general phenomenon, allegorical interpretation is adopted when sacred traditions are challenged by advances in knowledge and thought. When no longer able to interpret the traditions historically, and unwilling to discard the traditions themselves, followers of the traditions probe for deeper, symbolic meanings. In the Greek world, allegory was used primarily to interpret the Homeric myths and to preserve some moral and philosophical truths from them. Old Testament Allegory Scholars generally agree that none of the Old Testament was written allegorically. Portions of it have been interpreted allegorically by later generations. For example, interpreting the Song of Solomon as an allegory of God's love for Israel rather than as a collection of romantic love songs may have played a role in the acceptance of that book into the Old Testament canon. Allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament arose among Hellenistic Jews in Alexandria during the second century B.C. Philo, who died about A.D. 50, was its most prolific proponent. Philo sought to preserve Old Testament traditions against Greek perspectives in science and philosophy. He applied allegory to many portions of the Old Testament where the biblical views seemed to contradict contemporary secular understandings. Jewish proponents of allegory, however, never abandoned the historical meaning of their traditions to the extent that Greek proponents did. Jewish interpreters in Palestine were less influenced by allegorical approaches. Their allegories were less complex and remained closer to the literal meaning. The rabbis placed more emphasis on extracting legal prescriptions from the traditions, while other interpreters were more attracted to viewing the Old Testament in terms of prophecies to be fulfilled. New Testament New Testament writers have more in common with the approaches of Palestinian Jewish interpreters of the Old Testament than with Hellenistic interpreters like Philo. Allegory is not widely used in the New Testament; and when it is employed, it does not depart far from the literal meaning. A strong prophetic-fulfillment interpretation of the Old Testament also is evident. While Jesus never made allegorical interpretations Proof the Old Testament, some of His parables were interpreted as allegories. The parable of the soils (Mark 4:1-20 ) and the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:24-30,13:36-43 ) are prime examples. Other parables draw on obvious Old Testament images (such as the vineyard representing Israel). In general, however, parables are to be distinguished from allegories because of their simplicity, sharp focus, and direct imagery. Contemporary scholarship generally prefers the plain and obvious point of the parable over the veiled and obscure meanings that often characterize allegories. Paul employed allegorical interpretations on four occasions (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 9:8-10; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Galatians 4:21-31 ), once employing the word allegory itself (Galatians 4:24 ). Paul's allegories generally are restrained and focus on contemporary application. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 is not so much an interpretation of the Old Testament as it is the use of an Old Testament image that finds fulfillment in the sacrifice of Christ, our Passover. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11draws heavily on the fulfillment that “followed” the Old Testament people in the person of Christ. These approaches are not far from Matthew's citations of Old Testament testimonies about Christ. They bear more resemblance to prophetic fulfillment than to allegory. On the other hand, 1 Corinthians 9:8-10 departs completely from the literal meaning of the law as it applied to muzzling oxen; and Galatians 4:21-31 is a thorough allegorization of the Old Testament. The writer of Hebrews followed in that same spirit in dealing with Old Testament themes like Melchizedek, the Old Testament priesthood, and the tabernacle.-

-Michael Fink

Holman Bible Dictionary