Just curious.
I’ve read about and heard about a lot of different techniques and strategies. I’ve seen a lot of resources and reference materials.
What do you do? Which do you prefer?
I’m not talking about casual reading. I mean, when you really set out to learn something from the Bible – what does that look like for you?
Now to be clear, we are talking about studding scripture not just gain the quick…oh that is a cool verse to quote around the following week? If that be the case then there are a few different ways that I study scripture but they aim for the same result, that is a complete holistic view of Scripture and an understanding of how are triune God acts, communicates, and what His nature is like. Now when studding scripture you have to also be part Historian it just comes with the job no excuses or ways around it. The first thing when you look at a book like…1 Peter is who is the author, what do we know about him, his view of God, and why’s he writing, and who is he writing to. Then who are the people he is writing to, what is their background, their view of God. Then you have to take into consideration the message that he is sending to these people, how would the original audience take the words that were spoken to them, what did they mean to them there in their language. Next how does what is said here go along with the rest of scripture, are there contradictions in the view of God or any of the main theology of what the bible address about God. What are the main points of the book and how can I bring them into my life to let scripture shape my life.
For example, in 1 Peter at the very beginning of his greeting he mentions a town called Bithynia. Now if you would just read over that it would mean nothing to you, an old town around when Peter lived what has that have to do with me? Yes, very good question! There was a leader in Bithynia called Pliny the younger who had several disagreements with Christians, and wrote to leader of Rome at the time and told him about a group of people who wouldn’t bow to Ceasars image and so he would interrogate them and even place them to death. He further said that He thinks with enough force he could wipe out Christianity from his city. So know after knowing this we know that Christianity was hard for the believers of Bithynia and so the message of enduring in your faith is far more important than to a place with no persecution.
“… you have to also be part Historian …”
So true, and I love it.
Where do you get your historical info? Any specific sources you like/recommend?
Well most people start with Study Bibles and they are good and quite helpful, but serious study of the bible requires deeper commentaries, linguistic books of the Greek, and going to the library to check out the a book about biblical culture and background. A couple good books worth checking out, for commentaries I would highly recommend ‘The New Interpreters bible’ it is actually a ‘newer’ commentary written I think in 02′ with some of the greatest theologians of our time. Each writing in their specific field. To note to that if you are going to get into it, it leans towards free will and not Calvinism for any of you Calvinist out there simply pick up Calvin’s commentary on the bible and you will enjoy it a lot. Linguistic book for the OT… haven’t found one yet still looking. But for the NT there is an amazing work that took decades of research and time to put together a strong Greek linguistic book of the bible and that is called “The new Linguistic and exegetical key to the Greek New Testament’ and it is amazing. And those that aren’t afraid of a slight dryish history book pick up “ivp bible background Commentary-NT” Written to show the history, society, culture, and everyday life of the people living during the time of the apostles.
Awesome! Thanks for the resources. 🙂
“Linguistic book for the OT… haven’t found one yet still looking.”
The best one I’ve found is “Commentary on the Old Testament,” Keil and Delitzsch, William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprinted 1978, translated from the German. Originally published in Germany in the 1860s and 1870s. Translated into English shortly after.
The entire series can be downloaded in pdf files here:
http://www.archive.org/details/BiblicalCommentaryOldTestament.KeilAndDelitzsch.6
You can let Jacob know.
John
Thanks for the resource and link, John! I especially love free PDFs. 🙂