Understanding scripture is so much more than just reading.

Reading scripture is only one part to properly understand scripture; before this semester’s class, I wouldn’t have known the difference. If you ask believers what it means to “Understand” or “interpret” scripture, nine times out of ten, I believe people would answer the same as I did, by “reading the bible.” As it turns out, there is a lot more to it, and a lot that we take for granted. Most of it is obvious, but it goes overlooked; we just accept it as how things have always been. People drive on roads every day, but unless you work to build those roads, you don’t appreciate their existence or purpose until you need to get from one point to another. Very few people know civil engineering, planning, designing, or taking part in the laborious construction that creates our highways, yet everyone uses them every day. What it takes to effectively understand scripture involves a lot more than most believers realize.

This semester’s textbook, Understanding Scripture,[i] has made me appreciate all the efforts from all the unnamed Christ followers who have paved the way (pun intended) for all that gives scripture its life. Without them, we would be reading just another mythological story, and God would be talking to himself.

Reading the Bible

When I began this semester’s course, I thought that understanding scripture simply meant sitting down and reading it. As I learned that there are different aspects to reading the Bible, I slowly became aware that there was far more to understanding the scripture before me, but this is where we will begin, since reading scripture is literally what we all do.

Reading the Bible in prayer and communion with God

This is what every believer does every day of his life, just like driving on that highway. We wake up, pray, and begin reading the Word of God to enter into communion with him. This is our road, our highway…our path to Christ, but Jesus doesn’t want us to drive down a path without purpose and misery mindlessly; He wants to take the wheel or, at the very least, go on a road trip with us every day. He doesn’t want us to be miserable driving a lonely road to Him; he wants to jump in the car, hit the highway, crank the radio, and sing Living on a Prayer at the top of our lungs, with him. “Whoaaaaaaaaa, we’re halfway theeeeeeereeee! WhoooOOOOAAA, LIVING ON A PRAYER!”

Reading the Bible Theologically and for Personal Application

Reading the bible Theologically is like attending a class on how to drive. You learn the rules and how to navigate the road, if the signs mean to stop, go, or yield. You learn how to read the lines on the road, what they are telling you, and how to stay in your lane. Choosing what translation of the bible you read from is like choosing your car. Does it feel right? Can you navigate the path better with it? Does it get in where you need to go? Does it seem to have too many blind spots?

Reading the Bible for personal Application is like the practical part of a driving class. Now you are learning to apply the classroom lessons, operating your vehicle upon the path that God has before you. Theology is put into practice once we get out of the classroom (Church) and begin driving that path. (Life) To become an excellent driver, you must spend time in your car (Bible) driving that path. Once you start driving your car with Jesus, you will be able to navigate any rocky road or survive any crazy highway traffic.

So much more to Understanding

Now that I have metaphorically explained how reading the Bible fits into understanding scripture, let me bring this paper full circle back to my point. There is so much to understanding scripture that we take for granted daily, yet if it did not happen or exist, there would be a large amount of chaos. Have you ever been in traffic in Tijuana, Mexico? People are driving any which way they see fit with no rules or order. It’s like a scene from a Mad Max movie!

The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts and Languages

People have dedicated their lives to the research of historical biblical documents to preserve their nature and authenticity. While the Old Testament (the Torah) has been well preserved, the authenticity of the New Testament has a sordid history. Daniel B. Wallace is the Executive Director of The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts at Dallas Theological Seminary. he has authored numerous books, as well as a couple of syntaxes.[ii] His dedication to the authentication of historical manuscripts and the translations of the many languages reminds me of the Mechanical and Civil engineers who design and refine the process of our highways and roads. Remember, we are still on a road trip with Jesus! They are dedicated to ensuring that the path we are on is safe, efficient, and accurate.

New believers are naïve to the historical documentation and authenticity of the manuscripts from which we get our current printed bible. This is like student drivers who are so focused on learning their driving skills, they don’t have the extra time to think about all that went into the current roads we drive upon daily, and rightfully so! Keeping a new driver, or believer, “In their lane” is only beneficial. This should never be confused with keeping them ignorant of the truth. Just like dad when he took you out to learn to drive, it should just be thoughtful oversight.

Jesus is our great shepherd, as we commit our lives to shepherd his lost sheep to hear His voice, and ultimately back to Him, we essentially teach them to avoid certain behaviors that will lead to a head-on collision. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing that desire to lure His sheep away from the flock and back to their pack, waiting to devour them. The old way of life is calling out to new believers to always come back; the enemy’s temptation is not to merely create a fender bender, but to create a 50-car pile-up with fatalities.

Previously, I compared which translation of the Bible you prefer to the car you drive along the path; for simplicity, I’ll compare the Septuagint to the Model-T Ford. The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the ancient Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Centuries later, the Holy Roman Empire began to assemble the Great Uncial codices, assembling the Greek translation of the Old Testament with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. With the addition of some of Paul’s letters and the account of Acts, early versions of the New Testament began to take form. Think makes me think of the 1950s Lead Sleds, big Buicks, Lincolns, and Oldsmobiles. (Those were real cars!!!) Around this time, St. Jerome’s Vulgate became the standard for Latin translations of the ancient manuscripts. For fun, we can say this is like the first Ferrari!  

More than A millennium later, archaeologists found buried manuscripts that are known today as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.” These became significant because over time, they authenticated the Septuagint translation of scriptures, verses corrupted translations that had been intentionally misquoted. One such text is called the Masoretic texts; it is believed that the scribes and Pharisees had intentionally corrupted the translation to discredit Jesus as the Christ.

We believers take this history for granted sometimes and just immerse ourselves in the word of God. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just getting on the road and going for a drive, but my point is, there is so much more to it than most people never realize. A lot of time and effort have gone into the translation we currently prefer, just like teams of mechanical engineers have worked countless hours to create the vehicle you prefer to drive.

Canon

Canon is the agreed-upon standard of the accepted books that have been assembled to comprise what we know as the Holy Bible. The Old Testament is made up of what is widely known as the Tanakh, the assembled Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings. The New Testament was assembled and canonized over time; authentication did not happen overnight. Comparatively, the rules that apply to driving down the street were figured out over time. From red lights to speed limits, even the right of way, the standard with which we now drive took time to agree upon, and laws have to be shaped that meet safety expectations. Drivers usually complain about traffic more than they appreciate the safety that has been put in place for our benefit.

The Early councils of the church were intended to collectively determine what is and is not what we consider the word of God; they were like the Department of Transportation determining what laws apply to the highways and traffic. The Seven Ecumenical councils agreed upon the Canon, or standard, to measure what is considered authentic. [iii] In 367 CE, Athanasius of Alexandria is credited with providing us with the 27 books of the New Testament, and it was the Council of Hippo, along with the Council of Carthage, that ultimately affirmed them. This is like a meeting of Civil engineers designing which way a road is going to go, how to make the traffic flow, and basic rules to follow.

The United States Highway System had early discussions and planning before 1944, when President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act into law.[iv] The Federal Road Aid Act of 1916 and the 1956 Highway & Defense Act were like the early councils of the Holy Roman Empire determining how everything was going to work; the standards they determined are canonized as rules that apply to our highways and roads. (Obviously, the bills were more about spending, but I hope you get the picture.)

Understanding scripture has had a lot happen for us to be confident in what we now digest as the Word of God. Similarly, there is a far greater deal more involved with the drive, for us to feel safe about going anywhere than we sometimes think about. How do you know the Bible you read is the WORD of GOD? Because someone told you to put 20$ in the plate and “take a leap of faith.” Does it turn some hope into faith when you learn about the history of the development and authentication of what you put your faith in? As a believer who is willing to put blind faith in the Holy Bible as the word of God, you deserve some reassurance that it has not been for nothing. Historians and archaeologists have done everything they can to authenticate and catalog over millennia what we have in our hands today. Our Bible has been attacked and mistranslated over centuries, it has been banned and burned, all because the enemy wants to prevent you from understanding scripture.

If there is anything you need to understand about Scripture, it’s that the enemy fears it. I pray you have a nice drive 😉

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[i] (Gruden 2012)

[ii] (Wallace 2000)

[iii] (Davis 1982)

[iv] (Zug 2024)