Wretched: Brainy Yakking: What does it say? A Tip for Scripture Reading
Brainy Yakking: What does it say? A Tip for Scripture Reading
Here is a simple tip that might help you in your Bible reading. You can learn by asking questions. Rudyard Kipling the British author and poet put it this way:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who
These questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, are basic to all learning, because the answers to these six questions lead to a more thorough understanding of any subject. This is known as the method of interrogation, and you can apply this method of learning to your Bible reading, whether it is a verse, a paragraph, a chapter, a book, a Testament or the whole Bible. Simply ask these questions and find their answers in the text and you will have a greater understanding of what it says. There are two other benefits of this method. First, it helps you keep the passage in context. Second, it helps you prevent inserting ideas that are not in the text.
Give it a try with Acts 2:42-47 below and see if it adds to your understanding of the passage.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
-Brainiac
Miles Coverdale was a translator and reformer. In 1535, he published the first English version of the Bible. In the prologue of that Bible, he addressed the reader and offered the following:
It shall greatly help thee to understand scripture, if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and unto whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstance, considering what goeth before, and what followeth after.
As a translator, Miles Coverdale understood that the Bible contains various levels of context, both large and small, near and far. It also contains different types of context including lexical, literary, historical, geographical and theological. Coverdale is helping us to understand the Scripture by observing those various levels and kinds of context. Notice that he is using the familiar who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. Coverdale is simply applying those same questions to the various levels and types of context.
Pay special attention to this phrase, “ …mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and unto whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstance.” We can see that Coverdale moves from asking what it says, to asking who said it, and why. Coverdale’s questions are an excellent tool. We can re-state them and construct a helpful framework for reading and understanding Scripture.
Here are Coverdale’s questions re-stated and arranged:
- Author
- Audience
- Genre, structure, & style
- Occasion & setting
- Purpose
So, here is the tip: ask these questions of every text and answer them from the text. If you cannot answer a question from the text, move on, for now. This method is faithful to Scripture because the answers to these questions come from the Scripture itself. This tip will helps us to read Scripture according to its own context, and it helps us avoid imposing outside ideas upon the Scripture.
Give it a try with the passage below and see if it helps your understanding (Hint: you may need to look elsewhere in the same Epistle to answer the questions).
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed (2 Peter 3:8-10).
-Brainiac
K.-"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."-John 16:13
When you receive the Sprit of truth who is the Holy Spirit, who is Christ,.. ask him anything period!! Too many error filled ... See Morepreachers out there for me to risk asking them about something I can get first hand from the Spirit of God already!
Jesus says it is him who guides into AAAALLLL truth, no one else! A believer can only know scripture in part and say what they know in part if he is not in error, but the Spirit knows all!
R.-Observe: How not to interpret the Bible.
K.-You mean?
S.W.A. -“Sola Scriptura does not mean "me and my interpretation alone." ~ William Johnson
J.P.That's why they call him Brainiac. :-)
C.F-.Finally! Someone that knows why people call him "Brainiac". But please be more specific, if you can, Jim.
W.S.-Kit, where did you get that profound idea?? Did you have a "burning in the bosom?" What you stated is the result of subjectivism (i.e. gnosticism). You are blatantly imposing your on prejudices upon the biblical record. Try honestly and carefully asking those questions posed in the article of the text you quoted! You may be surprised by the outcome.
S.F.W.-So glad to see that you promote common sense in our hermaneutic. This sounds like what your second grade teacher would tell you in reading and then testing on understanding of what you read. It's funny how we forget such basic things when it comes to reading the Bible and try to let our doctrine define the text instead of the text define our doctrine.
J.R.-SO OFTEN i SPEAK FROM IGNORANCE, AND PRIDE..... then it's time to examine myself to see if i'm in the faith
M.D.L.-The God that said "the Spirit shall guide you into all truth" is the same God who said "come let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18), and "love the Lord your God with all your MIND" (Mark 12:30). Cannot the Spirit guide us into all truth BY using the reasonable method of study Rick suggests?
W.S.-Indeed Michelle! You nailed it!
C.G.-Do not rend Word and Spirit...They are inseparable! A Church with the Word and no Spirit is intelligent but dead in effectiveness and works. A Church with Spirit but no Word is going to be filled with error and worthless works because of the lack of discernment.
God is Spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and in truth.
N.C.-My pastor conducts sunday morning bible studies before church service begins and he always encourages us to ask questions. I think theses are the kind of questions he is talking about. Thanks
S.M-.Very similar to Precept study, 5 w and an h.
S. E-.very important and it addresses a real problem that we have today - sloppy and faulty interpretation of the text
thanks for sharing!
C.A.-thanks, sharing this....
D.R.-Excellent point. So where does one find that information? Does anyone have information on the soundness of the Geneva Bible? It's supposed to pre-date the KJV and have footnotes.
R.D,- you asked, "So where does one find that information?"Are you refering to the the author, audience, occasion etc? If so, I can give you a few tips for finding that information.
R.M.-Hey... this sounds almost like that stuff I heard about on "Herman Who?"
J. T. -This is exactly what Precept Ministries' Inductive Bible Studies are made of. Good stuff!
B.O.-Yes! Context context context!
R. -Yes, I was referring to the author, audience occasion information.
I.W.-thanks Brainiac - wise you are.
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