Slideshow image

November 25, 2024

Q & A: Reading the Bible

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Peter 2:2

This week we continue our Q & A blog.

Question: Why is reading my Bible hard? I must not be doing something right.

Answer: I think this is a common question for both seasoned Christians as well as new ones. The Bible is a large library composed of 66 books, with 40 different authors (i.e., Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Micah, Matthew, John, Paul, Peter, etc.), written over 1,500 years.

It can be difficult to read because there are gaps between the audience (who it was originally written to) and modern-day readers (us), gaps between their culture and ours, gaps between time  (i.e. the book of Revelation, the last book to be written, was written between A.D. 90-100), and a language gap (i.e. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic and the New Testament was written in Koine Greek).

Reading the Bible can be challenging because we must bridge those gaps as we read. For example, one of the cultural aspects we see in the New Testament is that of foot washing. This is not a custom we follow today; however, the roads were not paved in the Middle East and the kinds of shoes they wore there are not the same kind we wear today. Imagine after walking around on dusty roads, a person’s feet would be significantly dirty. For that reason, when entering a home, it was common for the household servant to wash the feet of those that entered. This is seen in the telling of the “last supper,” the last meal that Jesus ate with his disciples before his crucifixion (see Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:7-23; John 13). John 13 is the only passage that tells us that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet that evening. Washing feet is a dirty job, pun intended, so you can see why no one, including the 12 disciples, jumped at the opportunity to do it. Jesus, as an act of servanthood, took on the task that no one wanted by washing their feet.

Some Christians think foot washing is something Jesus did as an example, and told his disciples “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14, NKJV), consequently, think this is something modern Christians ought to do. Namely, we should literally wash each other’s feet although we don’t walk around on dirty streets and have better shoes than 1st century Christians. I interpret the above passage to mean, for contemporary believers, that we should serve one another. Now, that service may take different forms. I could serve my Christian brother/sister by mowing their yard if they had surgery and weren’t able to or write them an encouraging note or text message telling them I am praying for them or visit them at their home. I don’t think I need to literally wash my fellow Christians feet. I think that was a cultural observance during the 1st century, not applicable to modern Christians.

I recall one of my first classes in seminary was called “Bible study methods and hermeneutics.” Hermeneutics addresses how we are to interpret the Bible. One of our textbooks was titled Basic Bible Interpretation by Roy Zuck. It was so valuable in helping me see the gaps I mentioned above. On one page, Zuck listed 48 items we were to determine whether they were permanent mandates to follow for all Christians for all times or whether they were temporary based on culture and, therefore, only the original readers were to follow. Here’s a few examples. 1. Preach two by two (Mark 6:7). Permanent or temporary? 2. Greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16). Permanent or temporary? 3. Avoid praying in public (Matthew 6:5-6). Permanent or temporary? 4. Meet in homes for church (Colossians 4:15). Permanent or temporary? 5. Be baptized (Acts 2:38). Permanent or temporary? 6. Cast lots for church officers (Acts 1:26). Permanent or temporary? 7. Work with your hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Permanent or temporary? 8. Have seven deacons in the church (Acts 6:3). Permanent or temporary? Interesting list, don’t you think?

If you have a difficult time understanding your Bible, no you aren’t doing anything wrong. It is a difficult book. It isn’t impossible to understand; however, we must be willing to put the time in by learning how to read and study it. The book that helped me with that task was one I read in college which I would recommend to you as well. Living by the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks is a great resource for new and seasoned Christians. This work will help you master a method of reading and studying the Bible (i.e., Observation, Interpretation, Application, & Correlation). Once I understood the principles taught in this book, I became excited to study my Bible.

So, don’t be discouraged. Pick up a copy of Living by the Book, master its methods, and you’ll find you enjoy reading and studying the Bible too!