How do I know that the Bible is accurate? What difference does it make? Where can I find all the answers? How to avoid four flawed approaches to studying Scripture

We evangelicals have always had a very high view of biblical authority, seeking to base everything we believe and do on the witness of Scripture. And rightly so. The Bible is the authoritative Word of God. However, there are a lot of different ideas about just how we should interpret the Bible, and popular approaches to biblical interpretation are not necessarily the most faithful to Scripture itself.
Hebrews says that God’s Word is “sharper than any double-edged sword” (4:12) and a sword is dangerous if not handled with care! We must think carefully then about the assumptions we make when reading and interpreting the biblical story. The following are four faulty ways of understanding the Bible that are prevalent in popular Christian culture.

1. The Bible as Dictionary
Like many evangelical Christians, I grew up thinking of the Bible as a reference book made up of a series of propositional truth statements. To answer any given question, all I needed to do was look up such and such a verse, and I would find the solution laid out for me in plain logic.

The reality is that the Bible is not nearly that simple. It is a complex collection of literature comprising several different genres, including poetry, legal codes, prophecy, letters, prayers, proverbs and apocalyptic literature. Interpreting it well requires attention to context, literary form and, most importantly, the unifying shape of the biblical story as a whole. The Bible gives us a storyline that stretches from God’s creation in Genesis to his re-creation in Revelation. Attention to the larger biblical framework is key to understanding the particulars of Scripture.

In a dictionary, every definition has equal weight. But Bible verses do not all carry the same weight. 2 Kings 2:24 is not as important as John 3:16. We can’t simply open the Bible to any verse and interpret it outside of its context. As with any story, there are certain events and people in the Bible that are more crucial than others. We need to always keep the important events-such as the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension-in view when we approach Scripture. Reading a biblical passage with an awareness of its place in the larger story helps us to be faithful interpreters.

2. The Bible as Textbook
As evangelicals, we have been so focused on establishing the accuracy of the Bible that we have often treated it as a history or science textbook. We read the Gospels as if they were simply a set of sterile facts about what Jesus said and did. Likewise, we often treat the creation accounts literally, as a scientific record of the beginning of the world, because we are so intent on establishing the reliability of the Bible in response to the challenge of evolutionary theory.

However, when we read the Bible with this mindset we are likely to miss the literary nuances that give Scripture its rich quality. People in biblical times didn’t write history the way we write history today. Historical accounts didn’t need to stick to the “bare facts” in order to be “true.” Biblical writers made abundant use of literary devices such as symbolism, metaphor, irony and allusion.

This is not to say the Bible is not historically true, but rather that the Bible gives us an inspired interpretation of history-a Spirit-infused perspective on the meaning of the historical events in which God has chosen to reveal himself to humanity. The literary qualities of the Bible are part and parcel of that inspiration.

3. The Bible as Personal Property
Many Christians treat the Bible as their own personal possession-something they read at home, in private, and that God uses to speak to them personally by his Spirit. The assumption is that we don’t need to worry about what the Bible says to other people, just how it applies to our own lives. When we read Scripture, we tend to look for the part that is “about us,” that applies to us on an individual level.

The Bible, however, is no one’s property.It is a public book, given by inspiration of God for the whole people of God, so that we can bring the gospel to the world. We must listen to Scripture together in order to hear God speaking to his Church. Not every passage needs to be interpreted through the lens of our personal experience.

When we read the Bible, we don’t read it alone. We read it alongside other Christians in the body of Christ-biblical commentators, pastors, friends or witnesses from the past such as St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Wesley or Catherine Booth. These “voices” can assist us as we struggle with the more difficult verses. We don’t need to try to figure out everything about the Bible on our own. People have been asking the same tough questions for thousands of years.

4. The Bible as Answer Book
Sometimes we assume that the Bible should tell us everything we need to know. We think we don’t need any other books or learning, because the Bible has it all. History, science, psychology … no matter what our question, we assume the Bible has a pat answer. Of course, the reality is that the Bible is silent on many subjects, but that does not diminish its value.

In their 39 Articles of Religion (1562), Anglicans refer to “the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for salvation.” If we understand the Bible as “sufficient” for salvation, we emphasize that Scripture was given for a purpose-not to answer every question, not to address every field of inquiry, but to enable us to come to know the true God and experience his salvation.

Rather than becoming waylaid by speculative questions that are irrelevant to the gospel story, we should recognize that even the Bible has its limits. Although God has chosen to reveal himself to us through his Word, our limited human understanding is not able to fully grasp him. Only when Christ returns will we know him in all his glory. In the meantime, we can trust that what the Bible tells us about God is sufficient to guide us into the life abundant.

To be faithful interpreters of Scripture, we mustn’t allow popular trends to dictate our approach to biblical interpretation. The Bible is not a dictionary, textbook, personal possession or answer book. It is the unique, sufficient and authoritative witness to God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ. This grand story of salvation has been passed down to us as a gift. If are wise, we will learn to read more deeply and listen more fully to what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

by James Pedlar, Community Ministries Director, Quinte Region CFS, Ont.

Reprinted from Salvationist, September, 2007