Key Question: How do we apply what we read in the Bible?
How do we really live out what we read? Frankly, everyone picks and chooses passages that they choose to follow and we ignore what we don’t like or don’t understand. There are things that we read that Paul said that we don’t do. There are things that we read that Jesus said that we don’t do.
In essence, when we don’t live out what we read we are saying, “Sorry, I really don’t believe that passage.”
5 Ways We Read the Bible That Can Leave Us Distorted
1) Morsels of Law -reading the Bible in such a way as only looking for Yes/No commandments. Problem: This truly is an all or nothing endeavor but we don’t really believe that either.
2) Morsels of Blessings and Promises– reading the Bible in such a way as only looking for blessings and promises. Problem: reading in this way gives us “spiritual diabetes” (my phrase) and distorts the word of God. McKnight noted that you never see a calender filled with Wrath passages. 🙂
3) Rorschach– opening the Bible and looking for the “answer” much like an inkblot test. Problem: Reader projects their own agendas, desires, thoughts onto the Biblical passages
4) Systematic Theology Scatter-Shot Reading in such a way as to boil down the Word in to understandable statements of fact and theology. Problem: Peterson said that reading the Bible this way “Tames the Bible so that we no longer can hear its wildness.” Things get left out or minimized.
5) Seeking the Maestro– People read the Bible through the lens of their favorite “master voice.” Jesus is a Maestro. Paul is a Maestro. Ezekiel is usually not a Maestro. Problem: fails to take all voices into account.
So what do we do? How can we read the Bible in way that is faithful to the revealed Word of God and actually live out what we read?
The secret is to read in such a way and with such intensity that our lives are sucked up into the story.
Ruth 1:16-17- Where the Bible goes we will go…
1Corinthians 9:19-23- allow the HS to guide you to follow what you read in every context in which we live.
I have been dealing with these thoughts a lot recently, i tried to capture it a little in a recent blog (http://marcsherrin.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-big-question.html), but i couldn’t quite get to it.
i agree with you, read with intensity, don’t over simplify, and don’t focus just on fractured view points…
live the life, but before you can, you have to actually know what Jesus said to do…
thanks mike… you still owe me some coffee though! 🙂
GREAT! I thought once I was in heaven, there was no more diabetes…but now you’re throwin in this “spritual diabetes”…I’m never going to shake that danged disease! lol jk
But in all seriousness, Ruth 1:16-17 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
Marc-
I do owe you coffee!!! My time in Austin was cut short. I was actually going to see if we could get a burger but I had to head home much earlier than expected. Sorry.
You nailed it- “Live the Life”
Hope all is well.
Caitlin-
No worries. There is no “spiritual diabetes” in heaven either. I need to write an entire post on this. There are way too many Christians crippled by “spiritual diabetes related comas.” That’s a good teaser.
When are you coming home for a visit?