What comes to mind when you think about the Bible? The answer to that question is varied. There are devout people throughout the world who hold the Bible in reverence as the word of God. Others view it as an obsolete collection of texts that reflect a degree of ignorance and lack of development in relation to modern thinking. Some have an interest in the Bible but don’t know how to start studying it. The Bible too many times is just a thick book with tiny print on thin pages that is probably important but extremely confusing to understand. I wrote this study in an attempt to make understanding God’s word less intimidating.
Understanding the Bible is no different than studying any other subject. Initially there is a large amount of content that is confusing until we familiarize ourselves with it. What one needs is a guide to help us become comfortable with the scriptures. A guide should function like a road atlas or map. Maps do not tell us where to go but assist us in reaching the destination we desire. Preparing for a trip, travelers note the physical terrain over which they will pass and identify appropriate routes and landmarks. Preparation such as this enables one to enjoy the journey more fully and provides greater ability to deal with obstacles when they are encountered. Travelers taking these steps have a greater chance of success than those who do not plan ahead. Students of the Bible, like travelers, have similar needs and can benefit from a reliable guide in the form of a teacher or reference. It is possible to read the scriptures and figure them out on our own but the process can be tedious and time consuming. Often we do not see our progress and frustration sets in. One might be tempted to give up before realizing what has been achieved. Assistance reduces the likelihood of discouragement and restores our energies and sense of direction when we waver.
During the course of our lives we try to learn many new things. Some of those attempts are successful while others are not. One of the challenges we face is to find instructional material written at a level we can understand. A lack of familiarity with a subject demands that we have a command of basic concepts before we can deal with more advanced ideas. Educational guides, tutorials and other materials in various formats too often introduce complex topics before building an adequate foundation. This fact accounts for the difficulty in finding a course of study we can relate to when gaining new knowledge and skills.
A study of the Bible is no different. We must know what the basics are before we move on to more complex and complicated ideas. This study has been designed with this principle in mind. Bible studies sometimes begin simply but then present materials that require more preparation than what has been offered. Others never fully present the basics and have a tendency to venture into more complicated areas of scripture prematurely creating confusion rather than clarity. Shortcomings such as these can lead to misinterpretation and error that will be difficult to correct at a later time. First impressions are the hardest to correct if they are inaccurate and this is especially true when dealing with God’s word. Unreliable guidance will cause us to take a wrong turn at a critical moment and we may never find our way back again. Maps help us avoid taking wrong turns and becoming lost. This study is designed to act as a map, showing what is in God’s book and providing a means of understanding what we are reading. The formation of incorrect ideas can be lessened by providing a solid foundation of fact. We can advance our awareness of the Bible when we are ready to move forward if we have a reliable guide.
The study is divided into three sections. The first presents the content of the Bible. There is a structure to the scriptures which is critical to understanding many finer points later on. Elements of the structure include events, characters and the arrangement and relative historical setting of the books. Regardless of the translation or version of the Bible one uses, the structural characteristics are brought out by the narrative itself. Each of these elements establishes a frame of reference for grasping the message of the Bible and serve a function similar to the cardinal points on a map. If we wish to travel North we have to know where North is and how to tell if we are heading in the right direction. The content provides this guidance and prevents us from becoming lost as we journey through the pages of God’s word.
The second section explores the way in which meaning is associated or attached to objects, places, procedures, events and people. These mechanisms are commonly referred to as symbols. I refer to these forms as representations to avoid subjective interpretations and opinion. It is easy to get lost in the scriptures trying to impose meaning on something that may cause a conflict with other passages. We will see that not everything in the scriptures has these attachments and others may be overlooked if we don’t understand how to recognize them. The idea that these forms truly represent a greater truth can only be established through patterns and complementary values elsewhere in the scriptures. The study will avoid forcing something to take on a value that cannot be confirmed. We will also see that it is God who infuses meaning into these things not the opinions of humanity. This section builds on the foundation of content with emphasis on maintaining the integrity and consistency of the scriptures.
The third section explores the meaning of the scriptures. Drawing on the framework of content, representative elements and the various patterns in the scriptures, the unique doctrine of the Bible will be clarified. An objective presentation and analysis of the material coupled with the aim of allowing the Bible to speak for itself will confirm the points made. Reading the text and passages cited will bring us closer to our destination, understanding the Bible, enabling us to make informed decisions about what we believe.
Each section begins with an introductory chapter outlining what is covered in that division. The descriptions below are for the first section that deals with the content of the Bible.
The first chapter, The Structural Arrangement Of The Scriptures, introduces the layout of the Bible providing the road map discussed above. This will demonstrate how the books of the Bible are arranged which will help establish the overall context of each of the writings. This is a critical point and will be dealt with in more depth later.
Lord Of All The Earth, demonstrates how God has dealt with all people and nations. Our somewhat limited view of the Bible, and it’s most popular stories, does not do justice to the fact that God has been active in the affairs of all of mankind from the beginning.
The Historical Narrative defines the nature of the stories that appear in the scriptures. Is the Bible an attempt on the part of the writers to give their own mythological account of the world, or is there something else that we overlook?
The following five chapters, The Birth Of A Nation, The State Of The Union, What Happened In The North, What Happened In The South, and Judah’s Last Stand describes how God selected a special nation to bring the Messiah into the world and the relationship these people had with their God.
The Messiah Appears demonstrates how the Biblical narrative revolves around Christ and His mission to redeem mankind. Christ’s commands and the kingdom He established are described in The Apostolic Era which summarizes the work of the early church.
The material in this section is a straightforward rendering of what the Bible says. Every effort has been made to allow the scriptures to speak for themselves preserving the voice of God in His own words through divinely inspired scripture. Whether you are a believer or not, this section will simply present what you can read for yourself.