Fully Devoted: An Introduction预览

How Do We Read the Bible?

The Bible is not like any other book, so if we try to read it like every other book, we’ll quickly get into trouble. So today we’re going to look at a couple foundational ideas to help us read the Bible wisely.

So, what is the Bible—and what makes it different from any other book? The Bible is a story written by people and inspired by God, that leads to Jesus and teaches us to live like Jesus.

That means reading the Bible isn’t about proving how smart or holy or awesome you are. It’s about getting to know Jesus and letting His life and love change us from the inside out.

With that being said, to read the Bible wisely we need to remember two things: Jesus is King and context is everything.

Jesus Is King

The Bible is all about Jesus. He’s the main character, not us. The Bible tells the story of a loving God creating a good world and creating human beings to share in that world with Him. Tragically, we messed things up. We rebelled against God and rejected Him as the true King of the world.

Instead of choosing to partner with Him, we attempted to rule over Him. But instead of lashing out in anger, God responded with mercy. He put a plan in motion to rescue us from our sin and repair our broken relationship with Him so we could once again partner with Him in His plans to restore the world.

How would this rescue plan be accomplished? Through Jesus. The Old Testament shows us the ways God was working with the people of Israel to undo the curse of sin and unleash blessing into the world through the eventual arrival of Jesus, the Messiah. The New Testament begins with the arrival of Jesus and all that He accomplished through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The New Testament ends with a prophetic vision of Jesus’ return and the New Creation He is bringing with Him. From beginning to end, the Bible is inviting us into the story of what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do through Jesus.

The Bible leads to Jesus. Every page and passage of Scripture is intended to point us to Jesus. Near the end of his gospel, John writes this:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31 NIV

It’s all about Jesus, and it’s all written to bring us to Jesus. It is only through faith in Jesus that we can find full forgiveness of our sins and experience eternal life with Him.

The Bible also helps us become like Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, we read these words from Jesus:

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” Luke 9:23-24 NLT

Saying “yes” to Jesus means saying “no” to our own way of doing things. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, which we talked about on Days 2 and 4 of this Plan. Remember, disciples are students and followers of our King Jesus.

So remembering Jesus is King is foundational to reading the Bible. Whenever you're reading Scripture, keep these three questions in mind:

1. What does this show me about Jesus?
2. How does this point to Jesus?
3. How is this teaching me to become more like Jesus?

Context Is Everything

Context is the information that gives meaning to what we are reading. This is important because without the context, you might know what the Bible says, but totally misunderstand what it means. On the flipside, learning the context is the cure to just about every bad Bible interpretation out there.

When it comes to the Bible, the context usually falls into one of two categories:

• The biblical context
• The historical context

The biblical context is everything in the Bible that gives meaning to what we’re reading. While that sounds like a lot, the best thing to do is start small and focused, and then slowly zoom out from there.

First, look at the verses that come before and after the verse you’re reading. See how those shape the meaning of what you’re reading. Then, read the rest of the chapter to figure out what it’s talking about.

After that, think about the book it’s found in and whether or not that book is in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Where it’s located within the biblical story can shape your understanding of what’s happening in that specific part or passage.

The historical context is anything that was going on at that point in history. Questions like, “When did these events take place? Where did they take place? What was going on at that point in history? How was their culture and society similar or different from ours today?” can help us make sure we aren’t missing out on what God is trying to show us through His Word.

Let’s apply this idea to these words from the Apostle Paul:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

By themselves, these verses sound like helpful advice for what to do when we’re feeling anxious. Pray, give thanks, and tell God what you need. Which are great things to do. But these words become even more powerful when we start one sentence earlier:

… The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7 NIV

The Lord is near. These verses aren’t just good advice. They’re good news. Paul isn’t just telling us what we should do. He’s reminding us what God already has done. God came near as the person of Jesus, and now His Spirit lives inside of us. Because of that, we can go to Him with confidence, knowing that He is near, that He loves us, and that He hears our prayers.

As students of Jesus, reading the Bible well is a really big deal. The whole Bible is a story that leads us to Jesus and teaches us to live like Jesus; every page and passage points to His goodness. It’s foundational and wise to remember that Jesus is King.

The other really important thing to understand is that context is everything, because reading Scripture is not just about gaining information; it’s about becoming a new kind of person. There is transformative power in God’s Word, so we need to understand it truly in order to apply it faithfully.

Journaling Questions:

• Write down the Scripture that stuck out most to you from today’s reading. What strikes you about that Scripture? Why do you think that’s important?
• What’s a part of the Bible that you have a hard time understanding?
• When it comes to reading the Bible through the lens of “Jesus is King and context is everything,” what feels hard about applying that filter? How could you overcome that challenge?

Memory Verse

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV