How do you approach the Bible when you read it? – by Jesse Fuqua

I was thinking back recently to the time when I was a young believer, recalling how I approached the Scriptures when I would read them on my own.  I had many preconceived notions and ideas that were ingrained in my mind from how I was taught to approach the scriptures by pastors and Sunday school teachers. My frame of reference was simply that the whole bible was about me. Wherever I opened up the Bible and began reading I would ask, How is God speaking to me? or What is God trying to say to me?   Much of the time I disregarded the context of the passage or book.  I was ignorant of when it was written, who wrote it, and to whom it was written to. I had a very simple yet wrong understanding of the synthesis of the Bible.

I can remember reading through portions of Old Testament Scripture and searching for a passage I could claim as a ‘word’ from God for my life that day. When in reality, that passage had nothing to do with me or how God is operating with mankind today. Where did I learn such an approach to understanding Scripture or how God operates? For me, it was how I was taught, and that’s how those who taught me handled scripture. Looking back I don’t think those who taught me fully understood the context of the passage themselves many times. Maybe it was easier to just make some sort of personal application, or it was more exciting to just spiritualize a passage for the congregation, rather than study the true context of the passage and what God was doing in time past.  Let’s be honest, how many church goers are going to stay alert and be stirred up emotionally listening to that? How would pastors be able to build large congregations teaching their audience about the exile and dispersion of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament prophetic program? No, it’s much easier to build large congregations by ripping those passages kicking and screaming out of their context and make them apply to you personally, or even more exciting, the USA as a nation today!

Just take the ever popular verse in Jeremiah 29 (especially in the newer translations), they sound so promising and amazing to claim for your life, and for our nation today!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV84)

But, when you look at the context of this passage, even just the immediate surrounding verses, it’s not that hard to see this passage isn’t talking about me or the USA at all!

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Some would argue, “Doesn’t the bible say ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction in righteousness…?” To which I would agree, all scripture is for those things.  But, I would remind you of what Paul told Timothy in the chapter before this:

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.“

2 Timothy 2:15

As His workman, this is how we can get the most out of God’s word today, by rightly dividing it. All Scripture is for us, but not all Scripture is about us, nor is it all to us in this dispensation of Grace today. For example: I can get a letter in the mail that is addressed to me directly and the message is going to be direct information applicable to me. This is different than a letter that is written to one of my friends from one of their friends. My friend may let me read the letter to share the news about his friend, but I’m not going to read it the same as if it were my mail, written to me. It’s for me to understand more about his message to my friend, but the letter is not written to me or about me.

We will find the Word of truth becomes much more clear when we study it rightly divided. We will see the distinctions between God’s plan for the Earth (Matt. 5:5; 6:10) and Heavenly places (Eph. 1:3; Phil. 3:20); distinctions in God’s plan for Israel (John 4:22) and the Body of Christ (Eph. 3:6); the differences between God’s Prophetic plan (that which was made known since the world began, Acts 3:21) and His Mystery plan (that which was kept secret since the world began, Rom.16:25); and distinctions between Law (Deut.6:24; Matt.5:19) and Grace (Rom 6:14).

When we study the Bible rightly divided it clears up much of the confusion that is taught in religious circles today and many of the supposed contradictions in Scripture disappear.

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope”

Romans 15:4