You See Dry Bones

Why do YOU read the Bible?

I have written many, many posts on how to read the Bible.  Most of these express how to interpret Scripture (hermeneutics) and how to make sure we do not read into Scripture (exegesis). And these are all good things. What I have not really told anyone about is the “why” of reading Scripture. How do we answer that one question, “why study the Bible?”

There are a lot of good answers:

Some read the Bible so they can:

• learn how to pray
• learn about history
• understand complex theologies and doctrines
• learn moral guidelines
• memorize Scripture
• win their churches Bible quiz contest

None of these are inherently “wrong” reasons, just not really the best reasons. I would argue all of them are incomplete.

My biggest mistake

I write a lot about my issues of taking what I learn and moving it from my head down to my heart. Meaning, I learn a lot of stuff, but I rarely let it change me. It is easy for me to grasp many concepts and store them away for a really long time. I often grasp many concepts when reading the Bible. I often approach my study of the Scriptures as an effort to add to my storehouse of information. My reason for reading Scripture falls somewhere between “understanding complex theologies and doctrines” and “winning my local Bible quiz.”

Then I started to read a book by Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Vanhoozer wrote Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey. I selected this book as part of my seminary studies because of its study of each Old Testament book. Last week, while waiting for a car repair, I read through the introduction. To be honest, I NEVER read book introductions. Outside of Forwards, they tend to be the most boring parts of books. This one rocked me. The best reason to read the Bible is, are you ready for it?

To learn about God and His nature.
I know. You would think a guy who has his degree in Biblical studies would know this, right? I mean, the study of theology is the study of God. Vanhoozer states there is an:

…’ugly ditch’ in modern biblical interpretation: between exegesis and theology…For some two hundred years now, Christan faith has not been thought to be either necessary or relevant in the attempt to discover ‘what it meant.’ Theology thus came to be of only marginal importance for biblical studies as practiced in university and divinity school settings. Indeed modern biblical studies has become a virtual ‘theology-free zone.’

This should come as a relief to all of us who have Bible degrees. We are not alone. The first thing to keep in mind while studying the Old Testament, we are studying the very words of God so we can learn about God and enjoy the deepest relationship with God.

That is why we study the Bible.

-Don-