HOW T O R E A D
TH E BIBLE .
LIKE A
,
SEMINARY PROFESSOR A P R A C T I C A L and E E N T E R T A I N I N G EX PLORATION OF THE W O R L D ’ S M O S T F A M O US US B O O K
M A R K M . Y A R B RO RO U G H
New York York · Boston · Nashvi lle
INTRODUCTION
“Shelleyy, I have a question “Shelle q uestion for you . . .”
OK. Here’s a frequent occurrence in Bible studies everywhere. You Y ou’v ’vee likely been been there. You may may have been the leader leader.. After Af ter the opening prayer prayer,, the study leader leader,, Bill, says, “W “Wee are going to pick up where where we left off last la st week. I believe we almost a lmost made it to the end of chapter 5. Let’s wrap up this chapter and then we’ll be ready for the start of chapter 6. We only have two verses today. Look at Romans 5:20– 5:20–21 21 and let’s let’s read it before we talk ta lk about ab out it”: it”: The law was brought so that the trespass might increase. increa se. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then Bill says, “Shelley “Shelley,, what does that mean mea n to you?” you? ” Stop. Have you been in a study like this? Have you led one in this way? If you haven haven’’t, you you’’re one of the few few,, because what I just described occurs all too frequently in churches of every Christian denomination. And we are in troubl trouble. e. Giant, garga gargantuan ntuan trouble. trouble. In recent recent years,
INTRODUCTION
this method of “study” has crept into the classrooms of the Christian church and diluted our once-strong once- strong orthodoxy. It has led us down a path of spiritual relativity— where relativity— where the Bibl Biblee means whatever you think it means—and means— and disconnects interpretation from the authority of the biblical text. Instead, the focus of Bible study becomes the “experience” of the reader. you? ” Listen to it it again: again : “Shelley, “Shelley, what does that mean to you? ” Bill’s question sounds so inviting and harmless. It is a personal question. It asks for a response from an individual based upon his or her understanding and conviction. On the surface it it sounds like a skillful question. But what is it really communicating? Does this approach approa ch to Bibl Biblee study encourage counterproductive counterproductive reasoning? reasoning ? Here are some of the responses I encounter when discussing Bibl Biblee interpretation: • Meaning registers differently based upon the unique unique circumstances of the hearer, right? Interpr Interpretations etations do vary var y, don’t don’t they? they ? • The reality of the text, especially the biblical biblical text, will mean something differen dif ferentt to each one of us because we are all al l differ dif fer-ent, right? • God has created us with differing perspectives and convictions; so we will wi ll think thin k differen dif ferently tly about the text, won’ won’tt we? You may have guessed by now that I’ You I’m m not at all comfortable with these responses or with this Bibl Biblee study scene in general. In fact, I am a m deeply troubled troubled by what I perceive as a dangerous da ngerous trend. Perhaps Pe rhaps you’re you’re wondering, “What’ “W hat’ss the t he big deal dea l with aski asking ng what something means to someone?” Here’s why this issue is so critical: If the biblical text can mean whatever we want it to mean . . . then the text has no meaning at all. If the message of Scripture can mean xii
INTRODUCTION
anything to anyone simply based upon his or her subjective experience, there is no meaning to discover or interpret. interpret. Reading the Bible becomes no different than looking for shapes in the clouds. One person’’s imagination person ima gination is no less valid va lid than tha n another a nother’’s. How many times have you sat through a Bible study in which everyone put forward an opinion on a particular text, sipped coffee, nibbled doughnuts, doughnuts, and then returned home just as poorly informed in formed as when they arrived? a rrived? Bible study? Hardly Hard ly.. In a what-doeswhat-does-thisthis-mean-to-you mean-to-you kind of discussion, each person’s interpretation is relative to to his or her life experience. At best, the Bible study is a social club; at worst, it’s a breeding ground for heresy. Someone’s localized perspective is presented as gospel truth, and unsuspecting learners lear ners embrace embrace doctrinal error as the meaning of the text. Understanding Unde rstanding how to interpret interpret Scripture is critical. cr itical. The process is foundational to the Christian faith; it is the bedrock of all that we believe as a s Christ follow followers, ers, and it upholds every everything thing we do in response to those beliefs. bel iefs. Bible interpretation interpretation begins by acknowledging the biblical text as the written expression of an authority, and that we must submit to this authority. In other words, we are sub ject to the text, not the other way around. Imagine you were to pick pick up a history book and read the line “Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, and became the sixteenth president of the United States.” It’s unlikely you asked yourself the question, question, “What does this mean to me?” me? ” Interpretation Interpretat ion isn’t isn’t open to subjective experience. exper ience. Our experiences exper iences don’t change the information presented by the author. Interpretation is the process of understanding what an author has stated. In this respect, we read the Bible the same way we read other books. Our opinions do not shape the meaning of the text; the text tells xiii
INTRODUCTION
us how we are to think and behave. That’s how seminary professors approach it. Seminaryy prof Seminar professors essors?? Yes, I know . . . I’ I’m m sure an image just popped into your head. You probably see a nerdy scholar surrounded by towers of ancient a ncient--langua language ge books. He’s He’s boring and drab, except when he’s rambling on about the most recent archaeological dig or theological debate. I’d like to dispel that myth. (Most of it, anyway.) Most seminary professors are normal people who have families and hobbies just like anyone else. When it comes to the Bible, we have areas of sacred Scripture that we love more than others, just like you—and you— and there’s there’s nothing wrong with w ith that. Life experiences draw dr aw us to certain certai n portions of the Bible and have molded molded us in unique ways. But . . . When it comes to the interpr interpretation etation of Scripture, a seminar seminaryy professor absolutely believes that personal passions and individual proclivities must be set aside in favor of dependable rules of interpretation. And the first rule of biblical interpretation the seminary professor accepts is based upon what the Bible testifies about itself: It is the God-breathed, God-breathed, inerrant, inspired, authoritative Word that has been recorded and preserved for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training tra ining in righteo rig hteousness usness so that we will be equipped for for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). It is God’s Word, recorded through human writers as they were guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20– 1:20–21). 21). Consequently, the seminary professor’s personal ethics must submit to the teaching of Scripture; he or she does not interpret the text to justif justifyy his or her personal opinions. Put simply, the Bible is God’s gig, not ours. He has spoken, and we are responsibl responsiblee for knowing what He has said. So we cannot allow our personal biases biase s to get in the t he way. way. x i v
INTRODUCTION
Other rules of interpretation are foundational, but not theological per se. These linguistic guardrails help us understand any written document: the Bible, Homer’s Iliad , Shakespeare’s Hamlet , or the New York Times . These rules are based on the conviction that regardless of the literature, words have meaning and sentences have structure. Interpretation, Interpretation, then, is the process of understanding understandi ng what the author intends for us to understand. There’s nothing mystical about interpretation. As one Bible teacher said, “If the plain sense makes good sense, don’t look for any other sense lest you wind up with nonsense. nonsense.”” Perhaps you’re thinking that “rules of interpretation” will turn Biblee reading into a boring exercise in decoding. Bibl decod ing. Let me reassure rea ssure you that this commitment to follow dependable rules of interpretation helps the reader connect with the writers of the biblical text, and ultimately with its divine Author. And there’s nothing more exciting than tha n that! Consequen Consequently tly,, seminary seminar y professors are both enamored with and intrigued by Scripture. We We long long to satisf satisfyy our own own inquisitiveness, keenly aware that we, too, are changed by this th is living Word. Word. As my longtime ment mentor or and teacher teacher,, the late Prof Prof.. Howard Hendricks, was w as fond of saying, “The Bible Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity—it curiosity— it was written w ritten to change your life.” life.” The rules for studying Scripture will make Bible reading more exciting, not less. The rules are numerous, and some are more detailed than others. Many are engaging and enlightening, and we will wil l talk tal k about these in the pages ahead. For now, now, let’s let’s return to the question Bill put to Shelley in his Bible study: “What does this mean to you? you?”” No matter how well intended, the question is dangerous simply because it ignores the basic rules of interpretation we naturally follow when reading other kinds of literature. literature. Here are some examples: x v
INTRODUCTION
• Words have have meaning, and there are boundaries to what words words can mean. • The author author wrote the words in real-life real-life context. • The author author existed at a real point in time and wrote wrote those words for for a reason. • The original audience audience received received those real words words written by a real author author in a real context, context, and they received those words in a particular manner. To be sure, Shelley does have something to say. In fact, she has something to say that seminary professors and other Bible teachers need to hear. Just as there are rules to which professors subscribe, Shelley has rules r ules of her own, and some of them are helpful. The nonformal reader approaches the biblical text in a unique manner that is definitely needed. There are at at least three primary primar y rules that t hat guide Shelley’s approach to understanding the Bible: face-value face- value reading, experience, and passion. Shelley approaches approaches the text with a simple, face-value face-value reading. And this is so refreshing! Sometimes professors get so “gooped up” with technical evaluations that they get lost in theory. But not Shelley. She sees things as they are a re and simply simply calls call s it like it it is. She also interprets the text through a lens of experience. This, too, can be refreshing. ref reshing. Shelley isn’t isn’t trained trai ned to go back in time, evaluate words, spend time in the context, and assess the argument of a book. Even so, she draws conclusions from her focused evaluation. Her approach can be helpful as long as boundaries exist to steer the discussion discus sion back to the intended meaning of the original origina l author, author, who was guided by God, the ultimate Author of the text. While Whi le Shelley seeks from the text a faceface-value value reading that is interpreted through experience, rest assured that she is passionate xvi
INTRODUCTION
about connecting the text to life. As a committed Christ follower, she’ss begging she’ begg ing for a reality rea lity check. Shelley appreciates appreciates academic evalueva luations, word studies, and detailed “classroom” explanations. She really wants to know how it it works. She craves application of the text. While Wh ile our first obligation is to know what God said, Shelley reminds us that t hat we must move beyond beyond theory and a nd apply it it to life. She needs the text to be real. In a world that is falling fal ling apart, apar t, she’s she’s longing for stability. stability. Biblical answers bring much-needed much-needed light to a dark culture devoid of hope. Shelley Shelley longs to grab hol hold d of a safety sa fety cord, and a nd she’s looking to the Scriptures to provide it. Aren’tt you? Aren’ you? Aren’t Aren’t we all all?? The hope we seek in the pages of the Bible must be hope that comes from God, not interpretations conjured from a fertile imagination. We can’t rely upon meanings we desire to find in the text— or even what we casually suppose it means. False hope is mistaken hope, and it has led many down the wrong path. The meaning of the text must derive from the text itself; itself; only then will w ill we grasp gra sp what God is saying to His children. I hope to do in the coming pages what I do in my class: to lead you on a journey of how to read the Bible. We will peek into the seminary classroom together and listen in on the discussion. But I want us to gain more than than academic skills. I want us to become better informed about what to do with this ancient document written by God. Why? Because the Bible—unlike Bible—unlike any other document— contains words of life. God has spoken! spoken ! As a colleague of mine often repeats, “God has spoken, and He has not stuttered.” stuttered.” And if ever ever we needed to to know the truth of of what the Bible Bible says, it is today in a culture that rejects truth, denies absolutes, and ignores our transcenden tran scendentt God. We need to know what the Bible says and— more important— we need the personal personal change that it can produce. xvii
INTRODUCTION
The circle is full of people—coffee people— coffee in hand—sharing hand—sharing what the them. My prayer is that when we get to the end of this Biblee means to them. Bibl book, you will be equipped to discover what the author intends the text to mean. You will know the rules that guide our interpretation and can ca n help others to see the autho author’ r’ss meaning. meanin g. I pray my students will be able to read and interpret the Bible without my help help.. With some help helpful ful instruction, a little patience, and a lot of practice, practice, I know k now they can. And A nd so can you.
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H OW T O R E A D TH E BIBL E LI K E A SEMINARY PROFESSOR
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BASIC THINGS
Don on’’t forget two basic things. thi ngs.”” That’s That’s all al l they said. When I was twelve years old, I had an oppo opportunit rtunityy to work on an authentic, dust-infested, dust-infested, boot-scootin’ boot-scootin’ ranch in South Central Texas. It was 3,200 acres of cow pasture in the middle of nowhere, but for this twelvet welve-yearyear-old old boy it was a taste t aste of heaven. Other ranchhands-forhandsfor-rent rent worked worked there from time to time. ti me. As I interacted with them, I was convinced that the Lord had called me to be a cowboy. I looked forward to the day the older cowboys would invite me to come and work cattle with them. They were eighteen. (Hey, when you are twelve, t welve, eighteen eighteen is old .) .) To To me, they were mature. They had experience. They had stories ! The invitation invitation finally final ly came when I turned fourteen. They needed my help help to work the cattle! cattle ! They assigned me the t he task of “chalk “chalk boy boy..” When the cows had been given their worming medicine, my job was to put a chalk cha lk mark ma rk on their backs to identify which cows had received their medication. They said, “Mark, we’ll pick you up in the morning. Don’t forget two basic things: Wear your steel-toed steel-toed boots, and whatever wh atever happens, don’t don’t get stuck st uck in the corner of the t he pen.” pen.” The next morning I put on my hat and my overalls— without a T-shirt. I looked so good. In my mind, I projected John Wayne or 1
HOW TO READ THE BIBLE LIKE A SEMINARY PROFESSOR
Clint Eastwood. I was tough. I was raw. I even tossed my steel-toed steel- toed boots aside because they were too clunky. A “professional” cowboy like me needed no such props. Minutes later they came, I jumped into the back of the truck, and off we went. Friends, Friends, you should have seen me work. There T here had never been a better chalk chal k boy on the face of the planet. Then, without warning, warni ng, chaos. ch aos. To To this thi s day, I don’ don’tt know what happened happ ened or even how it happened. Somehow there was a shifting in the herd, and that whole group of cows began to back up. All the other cowboys were on on the other other side side of of the pen and I was stuck—in stuck—in the corner! Suddenly I felt a hoof mashing my left foot. If you recall, I was too tough for steel-toed steel-toed boots. Ouch! I did everything within the abilities of my fourteen-yearfourteen- year-old old frame to move that beast, but to no avail. I stretched out my right leg in an attempt to pull myself away—only away— only to have the hoof of a different animal pin down my foot. I was playing Twister with Beefy the Bovine and her brother, and I was losing! I could literally feel my toes crackle and pop. (I ended up with several broken toes.) And in my moment of panic, all I could remember were those prophetic words: “Don’t forget two basic things. thi ngs.”” It was a bad moment, and it was about to get a whole lot worse. Just then, then, one cow began to back up. up. Beep. Beep. Beep. The Beep. The animal’s rear end pressed against my face. I was stuck with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Then, the worst thing ever happened. happened. That cow let loose. Let me rephrase: rephrase : She unloaded . I might add that it had clearly been a green-grass green- grass day on the ranch. It was horrible. We’re talking gallons of cow pucky shooting everywhere. I was wearing overalls with no shirt, so it poured down the inside of my front bib and came out the bottom of my pant legs.
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BASIC THINGS
It made me sick—literally sick—literally.. In fact, I passed out. As I was falling, fal ling, I hit my head against the t he metal pen and opened a gash in my scalp. sca lp. It It was ugly in every sense of the word. When I came to, to, I saw six young young men men hovering hovering over me, laughing their heads off. Of course, I didn’t didn’t think thin k it was very funny funny.. Pause the story. Have you been there? I don’t mean in the cow pen sharing my cattle tragedy. I wouldn’t wish that t hat on my worst enemy. enemy. I mean, mea n, have you ever simply simply forgotforgotten the basics? basics ? Have you ever been there ? Of course you have. We’ve all forgotten the basics. And at times we have paid a dear price for our foolishness. I want wa nt to suggest that th at many of us forget—or forget— or have never been provided provided with—the with— the basics of how to read and study the Bible . If you want to read the Bible like a seminary semina ry prof professor, essor, you you need to establish a basic method for studying our sacred text. A sound approach will keep you out of the corner and—by and— by the grace of God—keep God— keep you from being covered in heretical hooey hooey.. The model we will walk through in this book, and the model I teach in seminary courses, is simple: Know it, work it, and live it. •
Know It
Understand the structure, story, and substance of Scripture. Identif Iden tifyy how the Bible is packaged and a nd presented. presented. •
Work W ork It
Learn the rules for studying Scripture. See with your eyes and think with w ith your head. head. •
Live It
Use the instruction from Scripture for everyday life. Embrace what the Bible says and put it into into practice.
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HOW TO READ THE BIBLE LIKE A SEMINARY PROFESSOR
This succinct model gives a basic ba sic approach approach to studying Scripture, and it will provide a grid to follow as the chapters unfold. Repeat it out loud and let it stick: Know it; work it; live it. As we discuss d iscuss what we must know in in the next few chapters, keep my cow story in mind, and “don’t “don’t forget two basic things. thin gs.”” First, it is very important to understand the basic structure of the Bible . This will help get your arms around the text as a whole and give you confidence in working with it. Our English Bible is put together in a certain way, so it will help to identify how the Bible is organized. This will not only assist you in navigating through the various books, it will prevent you from feeling lost when someone says, “Turn “Turn to Habakku Haba kkuk. k.”” Second, understand the story and substance of the Bible . By that I mean it is critical to know the basic content (message) and convictions (beliefs) taught from Scripture. Obviously, I’m not talking about having a mastery of the details. I’m talking about having a framework of the Bibl Bible’ e’ss overall narrative— narrative—the the Bible’s big picture— and the core beliefs held by those who embrace it. This big-picture big- picture perspective will help us discover what God God is saying and why He He is saying it. If you’re already starting to feel overwhelmed, don’t worry. Be patient with yourself; we’ll get there together. Like Home Depot says:: “You can do it. We can help. says help.”” Let me begin with some affirmations. af firmations. I applaud you for desiring to study the Bible. If you’ve invested funds in the purchase of this book, you undoubtedly long to have a better approach to studying Scripture. Good for you! Maybe you’re taking a class at church or reading this book on a recommendation. Great! Or maybe you’re a student reading this as a required text for
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BASIC THINGS
a course. It means you you’’re in a degree program that t hat has Bible study as part of the curriculum. Excellent! In any case, you’re investing in something and you’re looking for a return on your investment. Just don’t forget, any worthwhile investment in learning begins with the basics. And that is where we will begin. After all, if we fail to know the basic things, we we could could end end up hobbling hobbling around a round on broken broken toes and covered c overed in cow manure—at manure— at least theologically theologically.. And you don don’’t want that. It stink stinks. s.
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