On Your Mark, Get Set…
I’m not quite ready to give you the all clear to read your Bible. But we are getting much, much closer to you not becoming the next Pelagius or Arius from your personal interpretation of Scripture. We just need to cover a little more ground before I turn you loose with your Bible. And if you cheated and skipped straight to part 2, please go back and read my introduction to part 1 so that you don’t think I’m some kind of nut preventing you from reading God’s Word.
In part one, we covered a lot of ground. We started with defining God’s Word. Then, we explored the truth about God’s Word. We familiarized ourselves with the geography of Bible lands and considered the cultural characteristics that influence how God chose to communicate to us. We made deliberate efforts to gain a right understanding about how to interpret God’s Word. Finally, we considered the message of God’s Word in anticipation of actually reading God’s Word.
You did all that, right? Right?
Unless you set this book down and spent three to six months reading the ten books I recommended to you, the correct answer is “no.” And that’s perfectly OK. In fact, I think you’ll get a lot more out of this book if you read all of it first. Then, set up a study routine where you can both read your Bible (yes, I said it) AND supplement your Bible reading with the books I have recommended. I don’t want to distract you, but if you sneak a peek at the appendices of this book, you will notice two appendices named “Foundations Training” and “Ministry Training.” Not only am I recommending books, but I am also recommending an order for covering the material in those books – all the while studying your Bible!
You see, quite honestly, the task I am giving you will take years to complete – not weeks or months. You may have seen 26.2 stickers on the back of people’s cars. The 26.2 represents the number of miles in a marathon. Drivers with that sticker are shamefully boasting about their ability to complete a marathon. Those with 13.1 stickers on the backs of their cars are only half as shameful. And I’m kidding about the shameful boasting part. I just relate much better to the 0.0 sticker crowd, since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t make 0.5 without needing a doctor.
But if I take a notion to milk this book for a few extra dollars in sales, I will sell stickers so you can display your study prowess. Part one finished. Part two finished. I may even add some parts so I can make more money, err I mean provide you with more study resources. You can display them in your car alongside your Sunday School perfect attendance certificates.
On the contrary, there will be no completion stickers, and our goal is not to show our weaker brothers what slackers they are. Once I finally let you read the Bible, you will see this in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” That is, and always will be, the goal of this book.
As we jump into part two, we will take the final steps toward Bible reading with understanding and purpose. In chapter six, we will begin with an introduction to biblical theology where we will consider the Bible’s themes, patterns, and symbols in much more depth. In chapter seven, we will dive into covenant theology and learn how God relates to His people using covenants. In chapter eight, we will consider typology and better understand how Old Testament shadows point to New Testament realities. Finally, in chapters nine and ten, we will dive into the Bible itself – reading it and its biblical theology. I can’t wait! Let’s move on to chapter six!