Word...

So for the past three and a half months, I have been posting almost weekly. The main focus was on discipleship, using Bill Hull's six areas of transformation as a guide to help us see where God wants us to become more like Jesus. Along the way we focused on various parts of studying and interpreting the Bible since this is probably the most important item. I want to talk about that this week, as there is a fine line between studying the Bible for growth and studying the Bible for knowledge. And there is a difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible. I feel there is a need for both, and my reasons should become clearer as you read.

In my opinion, the way we live our lives is determined, more than anything else, by what we believe. Perhaps another word that may help you understand is "worldview." As Christ-followers, most of us would probably say we have a Christian worldview. Unfortunately, a Christian worldview really does not define much about what we believe since there are so many different beliefs that people consider to be "Christian." Honestly, it is really our theology that affects our worldview in this instance. But where are we getting our theology from? What forms our view of who God is and how God does things and what God is like? Well, I would hope beyond all hope that a major tenet of that belief for Christians would be based on the Bible. But even when we look at the Bible, we have different camps of belief about what the Bible actually is and what the Bible actually says. Obviously this will affect what we believe about God, right?

Before I dig into this further, I want to stop and say this. Whatever view you might have about the Bible, you should realize that it carries an authority with it. There are things written in the Bible that are meant to be obeyed. Therefore, to study the Bible and not have any interest at all in obeying it is very twisted. I want to get that out before I continue to get into a bunch of details about Bible study that will excite those of you who just like to know things, and it will probably bore the rest of you because you see little importance in knowing details about theology and biblical studies. Either way, this stuff is crucially important because the way you interpret the Bible will affect not only your belief about God, but also your belief about what you should obey!

So the big question right now is, "Why spend so much time studying the Bible?" This is a valid question. Some have gotten lost in the study of the Bible to the point that they lost sight of God. But in studying the Bible, the purpose must remain front and center or we can lose sight just the same. The reason we should spend time studying God's Word is because it is just that: God's Word. It is His self-revelation to us. If we want to know who God is, how God does things, and what God is like, we should probably become familiar with this divinely inspired collection of literature. Makes sense, right? Does God disclose Himself in other ways? I believe He does, but that belief is based on...what the Bible says.

Is it arrogant to think God could not disclose Himself to me in a way that the Bible does not describe? That's tough. It may be arrogant of me to think that, quite honestly. Not everyone has the Bible, so people have to take the message of the Bible to others. However, they must first know the message, right? But the real reason why the Bible becomes so important is because there are opposing forces, evil spirits, which are out to deceive us. God's Word becomes a ruler against which we can measure the still small voice when it comes. So when someone says God told them to kill that person or leave their spouse for someone else, we can measure that against His Word, which doesn't agree.

Forgive my rambling to this point, I just want to make sure it is clear that we cannot overemphasize the importance of knowing God through His Word. The big issue comes when we realize this importance, we believe God through His Word, and we are seeking to live according to His will. Why is that an issue? Because we all want to interpret the Bible differently. Seriously, there are so many different ways people view the Bible, and many more different interpretations of scripture. Some people believe the Bible is an instruction book for life, some view it as God's story, some view it as different pieces of literature with a common thread, some view it as a mystical book of law and prediction, etc. As I have begun paying more and more attention to this the last few years, I have noticed several different ways of interpreting the Bible, that each have positive and negative attributes. For instance, homosexual interpretation views the Bible in a way that most of us would call liberal, saying that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. They have scholarly people that have aided their cause. Now, I believe that their interpretation is wrong, but I do think the strength of their interpretation is that it focuses on love for everyone. A recent Messianic movement over the last 60+ years has begun to focus on the Law of Moses and the prophets. Even Gentile believers are moving toward this view. The strength of this view is a heightened view of God, moving away from humanism and a value of the Bible from cover to cover. Some areas of concern are legalism, a view of prophecy as primarily predictive, and a seemingly arrogant way of communicating their view. Then again, whose teachings do not seem arrogant?

I could continue down these roads, but for now let's leave it at this. We all have a way of interpreting the Bible. All of our ways have their strengths and weaknesses, but we must understand that our theology is formed from our view and interpretation of the Bible. Nobody has a perfect theology. But the more we study God's Word, the more our theology will be shaped by it. We should approach the Bible with humility, not arrogance. We are a broken people, and we need the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us. It is very worthwhile to pore over God's Word continuously as we seek to understand Him and become more and more like Jesus. That's the point: becoming more like the Lord in every way of our lives. If we miss that, then we run down the road of Bible study that has no end, no purpose, and eventually leads us away from Jesus. So consider this a call to study the Bible, pursue Christ-likeness, and keep an open mind to interpretations of the Bible that may not agree with yours. After all, we might be the ones whose mind is changed in the end.