Abundant Joy

Note to my regular readers:

The following is a transcript of the talk that I gave at our Women’s Ministry event at church on 9/23/2024. I will be back to wrap on the last two posts on 2 Peter in the next week.

Place of Grace Talk

As far back as I can remember, I have loved the Word of God. The first Christmas gift I can remember getting is a Bible. My parents used to have their friend dress up as Santa Claus every year. I remember the joy when Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a white leather Bible with my name embossed on the front cover. I wish I could say that I still have that Bible.

When I turned 18, my best friend Edie saved up her money and bought me a Ryrie Study Bible. She didn’t have a lot of money, was working a minimum wage job at the mall and was saving up to head off to college. This Bible was an expensive leather-bound edition that I had wanted. She had it engraved with my name, and she went through and highlighted her favorite verses. She wrote me a note on the flyleaf. I still have this Bible today and it is among my most cherished possessions. It is falling apart at the seams because I used it so much.

I have gone through many Bibles since that treasured Ryrie Study Bible. But I haven’t always known how to study the Bible. Tonight that is what we’re going to talk about.

Importance of a Biblical Worldview

But before beginning the “how,” we need to know the “why.” Why do we read our Bibles? It is God’s Word to us. Second Timothy 3:16 says,

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness…”

Inspired also means God-breathed. It is God’s very words to us. It is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. And it equips us to serve Him. The next verse goes on to say,

“so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Today, Christians no longer hold a biblical worldview. Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway conduct a survey every two years to check the State of Theology in America. They survey to find out what Americans believe about God, salvation, and the Bible. Here are a couple of the questions with the results:

Does God change? They posed this statement and asked whether the Bible affirmed it or not. “God learns and adapts to different circumstances.” Overall, 51% agree versus 32% disagree. Evangelicals, 48% agree versus 43% disagree. The Bible says that the triune God is both omniscient, meaning he knows all things, and immutable, meaning He cannot and does not change. Isaiah 46:10; Malachi 3:6; James 1: 17; 1 John 3:20.

Are we born innocent? The statement: Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God. Overall, 71% agree versus 21% disagree. Evangelicals, 65% agree versus 32% disagree. The Bible teaches the concept of original sin, which means that since the fall, every human being inherits a sin nature from the time of their conception. Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:3.

God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In 2016, 48% of evangelicals agreed. In 2022, 56% agree. John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God. In 2020, 30% of evangelicals agreed. In 2022, 43% agree.

I’ll have the link so you can read the whole article, but the last one is this:

Gender identity is a choice. In 2016, 32% agreed. It dropped in 2020 to 22%, but in 2022, it rose to 37%. In Genesis 1:27-28, we read that God created man in his image. He created them male and female.

Link: The State of Theology

Why did I show you all of this? Because we have secular worldviews creeping into the church. The way that we keep a biblical worldview, a worldview that I would argue makes the most sense, and fits the way things truly are, is to know your Bible. And the way to know your Bible is to read it!

How Not to Read the Bible

Before we get into how to read the Bible, I am going to go into a few common errors. Hats off to Jen Wilkin and her Women of the Word book for these.

The Xanax Approach-this is where you look up verses to solve problems that you are facing. Some examples- are you worried, Philippians 4:6. It tells us to be anxious for nothing. Are you feeling ugly? Psalm 139 says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You might be using the search feature on your Bible app or the topical index in your Bible to find a verse that solves the problem you have. You are using the Bible to serve you rather than using the Bible to find out how you can serve God. Don’t get me wrong. There is great comfort to be found in the Bible. But if this is the only way you are using your Bible, you are missing out on so much content and the way that the Bible is meant to be read.

The Pinball Approach-this is where if you’re not sure what to read today you just open up the Bible and wherever it falls, you are going to count on the Holy Spirit to show you what you need to know. The problem is this is not how the Bible is intended to be read. It gives no thought to historical or cultural context, who the author is or why it was written. Can you imagine reading any other book this way? Can you imagine trying to learn math (or any subject) this way? Just open the book to a random location for 10 minutes a day and read a paragraph here and there. This is not the way we learn.

Magic 8 Ball Approach-do you remember this toy? You ask it a question, then shake it up and look to see what the answer is? Sometimes we do this with our Bibles. Should I take this job offer? Should I make this move? Then we open our Bible and look for confirmation. How about this? A man is wondering if he should ask his friend on a date. He opens the Bible to 1 Timothy 6:21. It says, “Grace be with you.” Her name is Grace! I hope you can see the problem with this approach. The Bible is not a Magic 8 Ball, and its purpose is not to answer our questions in this way. This is dangerously close to fortune telling which the Bible forbids. The Bible is far more concerned with you as a decision-maker than the decision making itself. Its aim is to change our hearts so that we desire what God desires.

The Telephone Game Approach-do you remember this game? You whisper something into the person’s ear next to you. They whisper it to the person next to them. This goes on until the last person says the word aloud. Usually the word or phrase was garbled by the time it made its way around the circle. The same thing can happen when we read books about the Bible instead of reading the Bible itself. Why? Because authors build on the writings of others. It’s not as bad as the telephone game, but it is something to be aware of. We shouldn’t read other authors (especially just one author) more than we read the Bible itself. Books can be helpful, but you want to know what the Bible actually says, not just what that author thinks, no matter how good they are. The same thing can be said for daily devotionals. If we are counting on these for our Bible reading, this is the same thing. We are to love the Lord with our mind. We need to know the Bible for ourselves.

The Jack Spratt Approach-this is the picky eating approach with the Word. This is when you read the New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, maybe Ruth and Esther, but avoid the Old Testament entirely. Certainly not Leviticus! I’m just going to pick the books with characters and plots that I can identify with. But we need to remember that all Scripture is inspired and profitable. To understand the big picture, which is what we’re about to get into, we need to read all of it, from Genesis to Revelation.

Read the Whole Bible

I know that I have been guilty of some of those! I did not understand that the Bible was more than just a book of stories and useful information for Christians until I was in my early 20s. We had a pastor who did an Old Testament survey class, and I signed up for it. I learned about the divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah, and I began to understand that there was a bigger picture in the Old Testament. While I knew a lot of stories from the Old Testament, I had never put them all together into the big picture. I had never read the Bible through.

The most important thing to understand about the Bible is that it is a sweeping narrative about God’s plan for mankind. It is a grand story, a true story, an overarching account that provides structure for the way we are to live our lives. It begins with creation, which is soon followed by the fall, which introduces sin into the world. This provides a need for redemption, which is found in Jesus, and it ends with restoration which happens with Jesus’s second coming.

Too often we think of the Bible as a series of disconnected stories, like I did. We pull them out and try to make them fit into our situation or we only read the ones we like. So my first point today is if you have not read through the Bible before, I encourage you to do it! It can be difficult to do, so I recommend some helpful tools:

The Bible Recap  Start — The Bible Recap

This is a daily reading plan which is chronological. You can read or listen to the version of your choice followed by a short daily recap that explains what you have just read. The daily reading plan can be found on the You version Bible app. My husband and I have gone through this for three years using three different Bible versions and we have found it to be helpful.

The Bible from 30,000 Feet     The Bible from 30,000 Feet – 2018 – YouTube

This is a book, workbook, and videos by Skip Heitzig. Skip Heitzig is a Calvary Chapel pastor from Albuquerque who did a series of sermons several years ago and then created a book and workbook. These are overviews of each book of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. You read approximately a book a week so that you will finish the Bible in a year. You can either read the hardcover book or watch the videos on YouTube. My husband and I are completing this plan this year.

You Version Bible app   YouVersion Bible App – YouVersion

There are multiple read-through-the-Bible plans that can be found on this app, both chronological and otherwise. I have done them both.

The Bible Project   Bible Word Study Videos (bibleproject.com)

The Bible Project has created multiple videos both on books of the Bible and other series. The books of the Bible videos are helpful to watch before you read any of the books to get a basic overview. There is also a How to Read the Bible video series that is useful.

The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl

This is an overview of the Biblical story, describing the Christian worldview in a short, easy to read book form.

Exegesis and Hermeneutics

We have covered the importance of reading the whole Bible, of understanding the big picture. Now let’s move on to some of the ways we do it. You may have heard of the words I’m going to use next and wondered what they mean. Or maybe you have never heard of them. For some of you, this may be review! Two ways we study the Bible are through exegesis and hermeneutics.

Let’s start with exegesis. This is the careful, systematic study of Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. The key to good exegesis of a passage of scripture is to read it carefully and ask good questions. What is the historical context? Who is the author? What type of passage are we reading? Are there geographical, topographical, or political factors that are relevant? You will notice that when Pastor William preaches, he often gives us these details on the passage so that we can better understand what we are learning. When you are studying the Bible on your own, a good study Bible, a Bible dictionary, or online Bible study tools can be helpful.

The most important part of the historical context is what is the occasion and purpose of the book. What was going on in Israel or the church that called for such a document? Often, this can be found in the book itself. Examples: why was Paul writing the letters to the churches?

What is the literary context? I’ll be covering genres next. What is the point? What is the author saying? What did the original author intend? These are all questions that you can be asking when you are reading your Bible.

One of the mistakes we make with our modern Western worldview is to make the Bible a book all about us. This is a mistake. The Bible is primarily a book about God. If you were at church yesterday, you heard Pastor William talk about abiding with Jesus. The second point of the sermon is that our purpose is to know and love Him more. We can do this by reading our Bibles. We need to set aside our modern Western worldview and look at the Bible through a historical, biblical worldview. Our modern worldview makes everything about us, or rather, me. How does this affect me? How does this apply to me? So when we read the Bible, we do the same thing. We ask every time we read the Bible, “How does this apply to me?” And that is where we make our mistake. We need to remember that the Bible is not about us. The Bible’s purpose is not to teach me all about me and how I should live. It’s to teach me about God. It’s a book all about Him. And when I learn about Him, I will learn how to live my life in obedience to Him. When we make the Bible all about us, we insert ourselves into Scripture and we run the risk of doing eisegesis, which is the practice of interpreting a text by reading one’s own ideas, agenda, or biases into the Scripture rather than the text’s intended meaning. An example of this is taking the story of David and Goliath and making it about facing the giants in our lives. Instead, we should look for God in the story. It is about how God used a shepherd boy to rescue His people. So remember exegesis, not eisegesis.

 Hermeneutics-while exegesis is all about finding the original intended meaning, hermeneutics is discovering the Bible’s application for the here and now. It’s the field of biblical interpretation seeking the contemporary relevance for the Bible. But this is important! We start with exegesis first. The only proper control for hermeneutics is found in solid exegesis. The original intent of the biblical text will never change. A text cannot mean what it could never have meant for its original readers. Its application is how the meaning is relevant to readers today. Although there is only one meaning, there can be multiple applications. Let’s look at an example from 1 Peter 1:6-7. Peter writes about rejoicing in various trials so that the proven character of faith may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus returns. This meaning will not change. But the application for each one of us will be different. We will each have our own trials to go through.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in this process? His job is to illuminate the Scripture, to help you to understand. The Holy Spirit will never repurpose a Bible verse with a private meaning just for you. 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, “Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” If this wasn’t the case, anyone could make any verse say whatever they wanted and give credit to the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we see this all the time! It becomes completely subjective and who is to say who is right and who is wrong? That is why we anchor it solidly in the original text.

Genres

To understand what you are reading, it is important to understand that the Bible has different genres. We already do this with other things we read: fiction versus nonfiction; textbooks; newspapers; magazines- you get the idea! Just as you wouldn’t read a Shakespeare sonnet the same way you would read a historical account, so you shouldn’t approach a Psalm the same way you would the historical account of 1 Kings. Let’s take a look at some of the genres in Scripture.

The Bible is made up of history, prophecy, epistles, wisdom literature, poetry, and apocalyptic writings. Each genre has its own interpretive principles.

Epistles-The most familiar portions of the Bible along with the Gospels are the Epistles. The Epistles are the letters written either to a person or group of people during the 1st century. They were usually written to correct behavior or doctrinal error or to correct a misunderstanding. It is important with each Epistle to understand who the author is and why he is writing the letter. Read through the entire letter first to get the big picture before studying the verses or passages. Identify which section the passage you are studying is in- the greeting, thanksgiving, body, moral exhortation, or closing.

The Old Testament Narratives-Quite a bit of the Old Testament is narrative. Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Haggai are all narrative. Exodus, Numbers, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Job all have substantial narrative portions. Narratives are stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present. There are three levels of narratives in these stories-the top level is the one I talked about at the beginning, the whole big plan of God working out his redemption plan through creation, focusing primarily on his chosen people. The second level is God’s redeeming a people for himself, first through a covenant with Abraham, then a new covenant through Jesus’s death and resurrection. The Old Testament narratives focus on the first covenant, the calling of Abraham, all the way through the exile and return. The first level of the narrative is all the hundreds of individual narratives that make up the other two. It is important to ask how these first level narratives fit into the second and third levels of the biblical story. These stories are not prescriptive, they are descriptive. God is always the hero of the biblical narratives.

Parables– parables are the stories that were told by Jesus that were intended to be understood by those who followed Him. They can be difficult to understand today because we are not the original audience to whom they were told. We lack the historical and cultural background. If we can learn the historical and cultural references, that will help us to understand them better. Jesus also used different types of parables. Try to determine whether the parable is a story, an illustration used to make a point, or something else. Remember that parables are not history!

Psalms-the poetic features of Hebrew poetry are quite different from our poetry. Psalms are prayers and hymns to God by the Jewish people. They are inspired by God and express truth about God. If you want to dig deep into the Psalms, learn about the various types of parallelism used in the Psalms.

Wisdom Literature– Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes are considered wisdom literature. Some Psalms fit into this category, and Song of Solomon may be called lyric wisdom. Wisdom literature uses language that is generally true, though not universally true. The first step in biblical wisdom is knowing God. Proverbs are not promises. They are expressions of basic truths of life.

Prophecy– First, understand that minor prophets and major prophets are called that because of the length of the books, not because of their importance! Less than 2% of the OT prophecy is predicting the messiah. Less than 5% specifically describes the new covenant age. Less than 1% concerns events yet to come in our time. So what are they prophesying? Mostly about immediate future events of Judah and Jerusalem. They were God’s spokesmen for the people. In the prophetic books, we hear from God through the prophets. These books can be difficult to read because they are not always in their chronological sequence. This is where the chronological reading plans have helped. They aren’t perfect, but they do help sort out the order!

If you want to learn more about these genres along with others, (such as reading Revelation, Acts, and the Law), I highly recommend How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. It helped me to understand the differences in reading the various genres.

Context

Perhaps this is the first thing I should have covered, but one of the most, if not the most important thing you need to remember when reading your Bible is context. I quote Greg Koukl all the time in saying, “Never read a Bible verse.” It is so important to read verses in context! This is the key to properly understanding Scripture. Context determines the meaning more than anything else. You cannot know what a verse says unless you read it in context. It is so important to read it in the context of the paragraph, or even the chapter. Without the context, we create a context vacuum. Our minds fill in the missing context from our own life situation. Our own circumstances become the new context. Since context determines meaning, our own life situation gives words of scripture a new meaning that was foreign to the author.

Let me give you an example from my own life. I used to think of the verse from Philippians 4:13: ^“I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me” whenever I needed encouragement to get something done. I had it memorized this way. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I can do anything! But is this what Paul meant? Let’s look at the context. “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”  No, what Paul is saying is that Christ gives him the strength to meet any circumstance that he might find himself in. It doesn’t have to do with physical strength but with sustenance. Christ sustains him in all situations.

Another thing that falls under context is promises that we like to claim. Many times we will take a promise from the Bible and claim it for ourselves. Jeremiah 29:11 is a classic example of this. It is a beautiful verse, but we do need to look at it in context. Who was it written to? When was it written? It was written by Jeremiah to the people in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah was a prophet, and he was giving them a promise from God that He would return them to Jerusalem. It is not a promise for us. How do we know which promises are for us? First, we look at who the promise is made to. Was it made to people in the Mosaic Covenant (along with all the blessings and curses)? Or was it made to us in the New Covenant? Next, we ask what the promise commits to. Then we ask why the promise will be fulfilled. Are there any conditions or requirements (often signaled by an if/then clause). Do we meet the requirements? Lastly, when will the promise occur? Is it for a particular time? You may have to read the entire chapter to get the questions to these.

Although we cannot claim the promises that God made to the Israelites in the Old Testament, we can learn about God’s character. And because God is unchanging, what we learn about Him there is true of Him today. So in Jeremiah 29:11, we learn that He is trustworthy, He is faithful, and He cares about His people. That does not change.

Putting It All Together

The actual process might look different for everybody, but there are some basics that I have found to be helpful. I am using the technique found in Jen Wilkin’s Women of the Word book combined with how I do it. I am hoping that you will find it helpful to your process.

It is important to have either a Bible you can easily take notes in, or a notebook specifically designated for your Bible study. You can also get individual books of the Bible with lined pages next to each page. After you have done this, you are ready to start.

Whatever method you try, the first thing you need to do is read your passage. This is also the time to find out who authored the book. Why did he write it? Who did he write it to? Are these questions answered in the passage? If you have a good study Bible, the introduction to the book you are studying will have this information. Right now, I am using The Apologetics Study Bible. In addition to the notes, there are articles throughout by apologists. As I am reading through the Bible this year, I am taking the time to read each article, and I have really enjoyed it.

Now, back to our passage. Make sure that you are reading it in context. So if you are studying chapter 1 of Ephesians, you will want to read through the entire book a couple of times before you start to tackle chapter 1. You will want to have colored pencils, a regular pencil, and a dictionary. Reread Chapter 1.

Start by looking up any words you don’t understand. You can use a regular dictionary or your phone dictionary, but you want to understand the meaning.

Are certain words, phrases or ideas repeated throughout the passage? Highlight, underline, circle, put a box around (whatever is going to work best for you!) in the same manner for each distinct idea. Kay Arthur has an inductive method of Bible Study that utilizes a complex series of symbols like this. Many people enjoy this method and if it is something you think you would benefit from, you can find information online. Here is a link to her website. What Is Inductive Bible Study? – Precept

Did you learn something about God? Write it down.

Does the text make several points in a row? Number them and write them down.

Are there transition words such as therefore, because, but… Draw an arrow or make note in the margin to its beginning argument.

Sometimes pronouns can be confusing. Who is the pronoun referring to? In Chapter 1 of Ephesians, the pronouns are especially confusing. I highlighted Jesus in one color, and God in another. Then I went through and used those colors to highlight the appropriate pronouns.

Read the passage in another translation. The Blue Letter Bible App has multiple translations to choose from. Some translations are word for word (ESV, KJV, NASB) and some are thought for thought (NLT). Some are mostly word for word, but blend in thought for thought as needed. NIV and CSB are examples. If a passage is confusing in the translation you are using, try a different one. Translations are better than paraphrases when you are doing Bible study. If you are still not sure the difference, you can read my blogpost here: Versions of the Bible – Abundant Joy

I like to look up ideas and see where else they are used in Scripture. Let’s apply this to our passage in Ephesians. When I study, I only focus on a few verses at a time. Let me be honest with you. I spent an entire year studying the book of Ephesians! But for today, let’s look at verses 1-10. The concept that really interests me is adoption. I’m going to focus on the New Testament. I use the search feature in the Blue Letter Bible app, narrow my search to New Testament, and put in the word “adopted.” Something from Acts comes up, but it doesn’t have anything to do with us being adopted as sons. Now I will try the word “adoption.” This is much better! Romans 8:15-17, 23 addresses us being adopted (and we can now cry out “Abba, Father!”). And in Galatians 4:4-5, Paul writes about God sending His Son to redeem us, so that we might receive adoption as sons. I would write these two passages in my margins or notebook.

Did the author quote any other Scripture in this passage? In this case, no. Paul did not quote from any Old Testament authors. But let’s look at a sample of where he does. If we move over to Ephesians 4, verse 8, you will see it in bold print.

Use commentaries to deepen your understanding. Only do this after you have made an attempt to understand it on your own. I like Enduring Word Enduring Word – Free Bible Commentary from Pastor David Guzik. The church library has the New Testament set of Barclay’s Commentaries and I found them online at Read & Study the Bible Online | BiblePortal.com. I also like John Piper’s Look at the Book which can be found on his Desiring God website. Desiring God Blue Letter Bible Bible Search and Study Tools – Blue Letter Bible also has some amazing Bible resources, including many free online commentaries. Paraphrase any added information that you have learned.

After we have done all the exegesis, now we are ready for the hermeneutics- the application. Remember, the Bible is a book about God. What did we learn about God? How does this aspect of God’s character change my view of self? What should I do in response?

Let’s look at this in Ephesians 1:1-10.

What I discovered about God is that He had a plan, even before He created the world, to redeem us through Jesus. He knew we would need forgiveness, and He already had a plan in place. My response is found in verse 4. I am to live a holy and blameless life before Him.

Conclusion

I hope that this has helped. My prayer for you is that you would fall in love with reading God’s Word. Psalm 119 is an alphabetic poem, where each stanza is represented by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order. Each of the sentences within the stanzas starts with that letter of the alphabet. And each couplet is a meditation on the Word of God.

How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction! (v. 1)

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. (v. 9)

I long for your salvation; I put my hope in your word. (v. 81)

How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long. (v. 97)

How sweet your word is to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth. (v. 103)

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. (v. 105)

The way that we will keep a biblical worldview and recognize the counterfeit views that the devil wants us to fall for, is to keep our faith firmly grounded in the Word of God. Read it. Study it. Know it. Love it.

Grace be with you!

How to Read Your Bible Resources All in One Place:

The State of Theology

The Bible Recap

The Bible from 30,000 Feet – 2018 – YouTube

YouVersion Bible App – YouVersion

Stand to Reason (str.org)

What Is Inductive Bible Study? – Precept

Read & Study the Bible Online | BiblePortal.com

Enduring Word – Free Bible Commentary from Pastor David Guzik

Desiring God

Bible Search and Study Tools – Blue Letter Bible

Books:

Women of the Word by Jen Wilken

The Story of Reality by Gregory Koukl

The Bible from 30,000 Feet by Skip Heitzig

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart

Bibles:

The church provides the following Bible to new believers:

NIV Quest Study Bible

Other good study Bibles:

NLT Life Application Bible

The Apologetics Study Bible CSB

Here’s an article on how to choose a study Bible for yourself.

What Makes a Really Good Study Bible? | Tim Challies