Interpreting the Bible Sorting out the confusion For both ppts:

Last week: What is the Bible? Three questions helped sort this out Q1 An encyclopedia or, like car headlights, light and revelation? Q2 God’s books: one, two or three? Q3 Is there any progress here?

Encyclopedia or car headlights?

Q2 God’s books: one, two or three? (a) Bible – Psalm 119 (b) Creation as a whole Genesis 1 (“God said …”) Ps 19: creation declares … (c) Christ – who is the Word made flesh The same author behind each of these ‘books’ – so we expect them to clarify and complement

Q3 Is there any progress here? Does our knowledge of God grow as we read the Bible? Any progress through the Bible? from OT to NT?

How do we understand the Bible? Four mantras that really help M1 Genre, genre, genre! We’re well over “only literal”

Different genres in the Bible:  Historical narrative / epic  Law  Wisdom and parables  Psalms  Prophecy and apocalyptic  Gospel  Epistle (letter) With different rules for interpreting each. And we’re especially careful about literalism; ‘book two’ can help here. A foreign language (eg ‘defence’ in Heb)

Hebrew very short of abstract words. So “the sea was a wall [= defence] on each side of them … ”

And these don’t have to be modern Western forms of the genres – eg, history. The Gospels are clearly central for us; but we might be surprised; eg:  Sermon on the Mount …  Theology trumps chronology …  “Narrative mayhem” in resurrection

M2 God or the locusts? Start with the locusts, or start with God? Top-down vs bottom-up reading. Bible as God-centred

M3 Bible: human or divine or somehow both? Helpful analogy: the incarnation – both human and divine… Because the Bible is human – we read it like any other book and expect … Because the Bible is divine – we read it like no other book and expect … Somehow both human and divine

M4 A Pope in every pulpit? Individual interpretation or the ‘Great Tradition’ of Christianity? So, “Reading the Bible with dead people” M1 Genre, genre, genre! M2 God or the locusts? M3 Human or divine or both? M4 A Pope in every pulpit?

Two key final points about reading the Bible One key reason for reading: It’s all about Jesus How the coming of Jesus changes everything. Matthew 11:11 (Jesus speaking): Matthew 11:11 (Jesus speaking): Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 5:17 (Jesus speaking) Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfil them. Romans 13: 8-10 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments … are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. So, the legalism that worries us about the OT … Galatians 3:28 There is now neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

A second reason: it’s all about our one-but- three God Our final authority as Christians is … ? So, let’s find and use everyday ways in which God’s Spirit makes the Bible:  Life-giving, nourishing, hope-full  As the Spirit gives life. Scripture Union notes (or any consecutive reading plan) Sensible apps: eg, Dallas Willard Lectio divina reading method:

Find the excellent Wikipedia entry for Lectio Divina

Confusion now diminished! Q1 An encyclopedia or car headlights? Q2 God’s books: one, two or three? Q3 We’re moving on! M1 Genre, genre, genre! M2 God or the locusts? M3 Bible: human or divine or both? M4 A Pope in every pulpit? The whole point of Scripture is ultimately  All about Jesus Christ  All about our one-but-three God  Both ppts from