How to Study the Bible | xxiii
Similarly , proverbs , part of Old Testament Wisdom literature , frequently present life ’ s choices in a semi-riddle fashion , which require that readers take time to understand them . Those who work out the meaning of a proverb often read it repeatedly and thus learn its content while trying to understand its point .
RESPECT THE FORMAT
The format of the Bible requires appreciating it as an anthology of many books , each of which has its own integrity : Readers of the Bible must start by recognizing the genre of a given book and then reading it as both a unique piece of literature and one that contributes to the overall message of the anthology . The Bible is an integrated and univocal text that benefits the reader at both the individual book level and as a whole .
RESPECT THE HISTORICAL SWEEP AND CONTEXT
In one sense , the Bible is like a world epic : It covers the sweep of history from the very beginning of Creation to the end of history when our universe is radically transformed . Biblical books always deal with something that is part of this very big picture — the story of God ’ s creation , its fall , his ongoing redemption of it and / or the ultimate consummation of all the hopes of God ’ s people for a permanent establishment characterized by God ’ s goodness . Few other books , even other religious scriptures , resemble the scope of the Bible .
RESPECT THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF CAREFUL STUDY
There are several different ways to look at any piece of literature . In the case of the Bible , it pays to look from every angle that might yield a payoff . It is convenient to think of 11 such angles , or steps , in the study process :
1 . Text — Seeking the original wording to avoid treating a scribal error that accidentally crept into the text as original . ( Translations and study notes already depend on this scholastic research .)
2 . Translation — Studying how to best convey in a modern language the concepts conveyed by the original Hebrew , Aramaic or Greek . ( Consulting multiple translations and study notes aids in this process .)
3 . Grammar — Analyzing the language of the passage under consideration to be sure it is not misunderstood . ( Even one-volume commentaries will often explain these issues .)
4 . Lexical content — Seeking the correct meaning of individual words and phrases found in a passage . ( Study notes , commentaries and Bible software aid in this process .)