The Bible daily becomes more and more accessible to the world through increased literacy, cheap printing methods, and online downloads…the problem, however, is that the people now reading the Word of God do not know how to find it’s true meaning.
I, myself, have struggled with this very problem for most of my own life. My affection for sermons and books comes from a dependence upon other people, whom I trust to interpret the Word of God accurately in my ignorance.
In my previous small group, it was requested that we take time apart from study guides to study a book of the Bible directly, and I specifically avoided doing so because of my fear of misinterpreting the text.
In my time here, I have spent time specifically learning how to study the Bible on an academic level, and in a small group setting, thanks both to my school and my church. I am grateful for the opportunity to sit under men who have spent time learning to facilitate group discussion. I am elated to be listening to the instruction of men who have spent their entire careers studying the Word of God and translating many of the English Bibles we use today, including the newly released Lexham English Bible.
Unfortunately, the proper tools for proper Bible interpretation are still largely inaccessible. The most used English Bible interpretations are not free electronically (NIV, NASB, NKJV, MSG, NCV, NLT) and the only commentaries and lexical aids available are those that are so old they are outside copyright protection. These commentaries, like the one by Matthew Henry, are not helpful in understanding the text, since they mainly rely upon a limited understanding of Greek and the context of first century Israel. Dictionaries and Commentaries (IVP Bible Background Commentary and the TDNT) and Lexical Aids like BDAG and HALOT are $100+ a copy, in print or electronically. Bible Software with relatively helpful and accurate commentaries cost from $200 up to $2,000.
Scholars and teachers in the Christian circles get paid poorly enough, so I do no wish to downplay what little royalties they receive, however, I dearly hope that we can make these resources cheaper and cheaper in the future. In this respect, I do recommend to the computer user, The Word Bible Software, which is available freely and includes some original language tools, and iLumina Software, which is the best commentary-type resource I can find for the price.
![iL_BtmTag[1]](http://www.journeymanproject.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/iL_BtmTag1.jpg "iL_BtmTag[1]")
I am also extremely hopeful that we can start teaching our church members, especially our small group leaders, to lead Bible studies with a accurate understanding of the text. I think the Bible is a book that needs to be experienced in a group setting apart from listening to the pastor lecture from the pulpit. I think it is powerful and life changing to discuss the text at every level, and I hope to help men and women feel more confident in leading those discussions in the future.
Let me add a little substance to my post yesterday. I have a tenancy to be cynical when it comes to languages, not because I wish to display any ability of mine, but because I’ve learned that it is VERY important to ensure you are not adding to the Words of God by promoting your own meaning with His text. In all honestly, I’m just as likely to make mistakes at this point…I haven’t learned enough Hebrew to be effective in using it yet.
What makes Hebrew or Greek difficult?
1. In order to use a language, you need to know “syntax/grammar” not just the meaning of words. Remember sentence diagramming in elementary school, where you had to show the relationship of words? Well, that matters a lot in other languages too. The Greek word for “the” has 24 different forms. Why? Because how it is used in a sentence matters.
2. No word means the same thing every time it appears in Scripture. “Son” in Hebrew is used to identify children, distant relatives, and even the nation of Israel. We’d have some really interesting stories if we translated “the Sons of Israel” as if it always mean Jacob’s 12 sons. The Hebrew word “day” can mean a physical day, or an span of time.What indicates which meaning is being used? Lots of things, in particular, the words “evening” “morning” or “first day” always specify a 24 hour period of time. Hmmm…wish a lot more scientists were aware of that.
3. Greeks and Hebrews had idioms too. Have you ever heard the expression “my dogs are barking” or “we’re cooking with gas, now”? Well, they don’t mean the way they sound…which is why non-English speakers spend time specifically learning to identify these phrases before being thrown into the language. Greek has some word combination that can’t be easily translated either. How would you know? You’ve got to know the language!
4. What time frame is it? Greek and Hebrew have very different ways of specifying past, present, and future. Completed action, action in progress, and potential action. Greek builds it all into different forms of the verb. Hebrew uses the same verbs, in a specific order with other words. Either way, there’s a big difference between the statement if you get these elements wrong. “I am my beloved’s” vs. “I was my beloved’s” vs. “I might be my beloved’s” (just a humorous joke, not a real example)
So many people think that getting a tattoo in a foreign language is cool, and many who try take their phrases from the sacred words of Scripture.
This is not unlike people who know enough Hebrew or Greek to use Strong’s Concordance, or sound out the words of a phrase Jesus spoke and conclude that the sound of the Greek “Obama” points us toward the antichrist.
Tip for the world: if you don’t know the language, don’t use the language!!!
There’s a lot more too it than the meaning of individual words, and the picture above illustrates. This poor guy tried to copy the VERY popular phrase, I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…and ended up with a broken phrase that suggests incest with his father. Even in it’s proper form, this phrase speaks of a male lover: it can only truly be taken as a female’s statement.
Think this is just a fluke?
BadHebrew.com posts another tattoo every couples of days!
I check back for a good laugh all the time.
And the poor use of language for ‘spiritual reasons’ is more common that its’ misuse on tattoos.
Continue reading about The Misuse of the Bible: This will make you laugh or cry!
After a year of intense reading, going through the pages of Scripture at a breakneck pace, I’ve decided to make sure my personal study of the Bible this coming year becomes much more thoughtful and interesting. Along those lines, I have sought out a Bible that boldly reorganizes the passages of Scripture so that I can read the different books along the lines of history.
After some initial disappointment over the lack of Chronological Bibles available, I stumbled upon a gem by Thomas Nelson. Full color pages, integrated discussions on parallel secular historical events, and beautiful illustrations drew me into the great resource, and I highly recommend that you take a moment to look at it yourself at http://www.chronologicalstudybible.com/
I also need to mention that in my opinion, Chronological Bible Reading Plans are an insufficient solution. There are a lot of them, both electronic and print, but they do not do justice to the experience I am looking for, for the following reasons:
- They do not help me understand where the events of the Bible fit into the events of the surrounding world and cultures.
- They don’t provide any commentary on how the passages they put together relate…so sometimes I do not know why I’m reading two passages on the same day.
- It’s not easy to follow reading plans…not as easy as simply picking up a single book and reading straight through it.
- A physical Bible allows me to write notes, and go back to a single book for later reference, and surf through the historical organization of the text by flipping through pages.
In the end, if you are a serious Christian looking for a great new experience in reading the Word of God, add this to your library. I plan on having it as a constant companion over the next few years, as a testimony to another read through the entire Bible, and as a reference for my library for future ministry.
Thanks Thomas Nelson Publishers! I know that this Bible project was not cheap, free from criticism, or easy. It’s a HUGE accomplishment and one that deserves a lot more appreciation than it has been given. For my part, I love it!
Buy it cheap at Christian Book.com
Continue reading about My New Bible: A Historical Journey through the Word of God
Lately I’ve gotten a few astounded remarks regarding my Bible in a Year post. People see it as such a huge accomplishment…and while I agree that it’s hard work, I think that its appropriate to put the work into perspective. It has been a humbling experience for me to realize some of the dynamics of reading below:
Everyone reads a lot more than they think they do:
Regardless of whether it is scrolling stock prices, passing billboards, online news headlines, or interesting novels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, we live in a society of readers. And most of us digest a lot more text than we think. A year ago a friend of mine posted an astounding analysis of this very phenomenon on his blog, and it seems appropriate to share the results here:
What are we feeding our minds with?
The question is not, ‘Are we reading?’ The question is, ‘Is what we read building us up, or tearing us down?’ If the principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is true, then what is our constant appetite for television shows like “Desperate Housewives” and “24″ doing to us? What is it turning us into?
Reading the Bible takes more time than reading a book:
The Bible is a book that involves deep meaning in every page. The act of reading it is an act that allows us to hear the voice of God. It should read at the speed of an academic paper…accompanied by notes, prayers, and appropriate amounts of research.
Thanks to Whitney, Dan and others for their insightful and challenging questions.
Continue reading about Bible in a Year, Follow up: It’s not that big a deal!
