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4 Mistakes When Using Commentaries

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Image-CommentaryWhenever I teach people how to study the Bible (this OIA stuff), the question usually arises: What about using commentaries or study Bibles?

It’s a great question, because we’re surrounded by great resources.  But every blessing can become a curse when we rely on the blessing and not on the Lord, so here are some common mistakes regarding commentary usage.

Mistake #1: Ignore what others have said

We need to learn in community with others, and Study Bibles and commentaries (at least good ones) represent the best Christian thinking over thousands of years.  We need to learn from the wisdom of others.

Mistake #2: Allow commentaries to do your Bible study for you

It’s tempting to read a portion of Scripture and then go right to the study notes or commentary.  Once we’ve seen what the experts have said, we think we understand the passage.

This practice is not much different from what the Jewish rabbis used to do.  They’d debate interpretation by quoting different schools of thought, referring to the relevant commentaries to support their position.  When Jesus came along, he astonished his generation because he refused to teach this way (Matt 7:28-29).  He went right back to the Scripture itself, and he observed, interpreted, and applied it for the people (Matt 21:16, 42; Mark 2:25).

Jesus passed his authority on to his followers, so they could interpret his Word for succeeding generations (Matt 28:18, 20; John 14:12, 25-26; 2 Cor 5:20).  With the help of Jesus’ Spirit, you, too, can read and understand God’s knowable Word.

Mistake #3: Go to commentaries too quickly

When the meaning of a passage isn’t intuitively obvious, it’s tempting to grab a commentary right away.  But I recommend that you carefully observe the Scripture and work to interpret it on your own.  Spend time thinking about it.  Learn how to ask questions and then answer them.  Try to determine the author’s main point.

Then read some study notes or commentaries to “check your work.”  See if others have already come to similar conclusions from the text.  If they have, terrific.  If they haven’t, then you may want to reconsider your own conclusions.  Either way, you’ll get the help you need without short-circuiting the process of learning how to handle the Scripture yourself (2 Tim 2:15).

Mistake #4: Believe everything you read

Remember that paper doesn’t say “no” to ink.  Cyberspace excludes no fools.  Just because something has been published doesn’t mean it’s true.

The point of the OIA method of Bible study is to teach you how to think and how to draw near to the Lord.  As you compare your study of Scripture to that of the experts, be humble but also be wise.  Always ask if what you’re reading in the commentary is faithful to the text or not.

May we always let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, that we might teach and admonish one another in all wisdom (Col 3:16).

How to See Jesus in Any Bible Passage

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Jesus is the main point of the entire Bible.  He said so himself (John 5:39, Luke 24:44-48).  Philip saw it (John 1:45).  Peter recognized it (1 Pet 1:10-12).  Paul knew it (2 Cor 1:20).

Do you?

Now, in seminary I was told that we have to be very careful here.  Apparently, some ancient Christian interpreters thought they saw Jesus in every detail of the Old Testament.  So Rahab’s red cord (Josh 2:18) was treated as a prophecy of the flowing blood of Christ that would save her and her family.  Or, Abraham’s servant’s 10 camels (Gen 24:10) were understood as the 10 commandments which would be fulfilled in Christ.

Not every passage of the Old Testament is a direct prediction of the life or death of Jesus Christ.  Some passages tell stories of what happened long before Jesus’ birth.  Other passages contain songs or prayers or rebukes or instruction.

So what did Jesus mean when he said that all the Scriptures were about him?

Luke 24:46-47 provides a helpful template.  Every passage of Scripture reveals Jesus by explaining at least one of the following truths:

  1. The Messiah would suffer (die).
  2. The Messiah would rise from the dead.
  3. We must repent of our sin and be forgiven.
  4. This message (that the Messiah’s death and resurrection make forgiveness possible) must be preached to all nations.

Here’s the key point: we must first understand the main point of an Old Testament passage before we can connect it to Jesus.

We shouldn’t look for Jesus in every detail.  Jesus isn’t necessarily in every detail.  But his message is there.  The message of the whole Bible is a unified message that boils down to those 4 points from Luke 24:46-47.

For example, the call of Abram in Genesis 12:1-9 is about how God chose one man to be the focal point of blessing the whole world.  What’s the connection to Jesus?  His message is for every nation.

Here’s another example: when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son (Gen 22), he was showing Abraham (and us) how the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead.

When innocent Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den and came out unharmed (Daniel 6), he demonstrated the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

When Moses and Solomon wrote Laws and Proverbs, God was showing us how high his standards really are.  He had to expose our inability to perform so we might learn to repent of our sin and be forgiven.

Please try this at home.  When you read the Bible (especially the Old Testament), always ask which of Jesus’ 4 points is being addressed.  Decent interpretation depends upon it.

The Importance of Context, Part 2

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Yesterday, we saw how easy it is to take verses out of context, sort of like how Pinky takes Brain’s “Are you pondering” questions out of context.  Today, I’d like to show you how context makes interpretation come alive.

Consider this set of glorious truths:

  • Rejoice in the Lord always.
  • Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
  • The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  • Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

All of these verses come from Philippians 4.  Look at the context: “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.  Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women” (Phil 4:2-3).

The Philippian church was doing well overall, but a controversy between two prominent women was threatening to rip it apart.  The conflict was so severe that other people had to get involved (sort of like in Matt 18:20!) to help resolve it.  Paul gave those helpers specific instructions to help with conflict resolution:

  1. Rejoice in the Lord (not in other people liking you) – verse 4.
  2. Keep your cool – verse 5a.
  3. Remember that God sees everything and that Jesus is coming back – verse 5b.
  4. Don’t get stressed out by the awkward tension.  Ask God to bring peace – verse 6.
  5. God will bring peace, even when, from a worldly perspective, there should be no peace – verse 7.
  6. Make sure to find something, anything, good about the other person.  Think about those good things, and not about all the things they did that hurt you – verse 8.
  7. Follow Paul’s example in these matters – verse 9.

Context matters.  Read books of the Bible as books, and not as collections of spiritual truisms.  As you do so, and think over what I say, the Lord will give you understanding in everything (2 Tim 2:7), since you know everything (1 John 2:20) and have no need for anyone to teach you (1 John 2:27).

Now, were those last few verses used in context?

The Importance of Context, Part 1

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“Pinky, are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

“I think so, Brain, but Lederhosen won’t stretch that far.”

The cartoon Animaniacs got a lot of mileage out of this joke.  The two mice would find themselves in a pickle of one sort or another.  Brain, the genius, would intuit a solution and ask his famous question.  Pinky, the dolt, would take him out of context and say something so ridiculous that the joke never got old.

The joke isn’t funny, though, when Christians live it out in their Bible study.

Do you know what Jesus was talking about when he said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them” (Matt 18:20, ESV)?  Hint: it wasn’t about prayer groups.  If you pray alone, Jesus is still with you (Matt 6:6, 28:20).  Observe the context in Matt 18:15-20.

Who was God assuring when he said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11)?  Hint: it wasn’t Christians who were struggling with a big decision.  Observe the context in Jer 29:1-3.

What did Paul intend by his infamous “Love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13?  Hint: it was a rebuke, not a Hallmark card.  Observe the context in 1 Cor 11:17; 12:31b; 14:20, 40.

Every Bible passage has a context.  If we lift individual verses from their context, we endanger interpretation.  At best, we might still hit on biblical truth; we just look foolish to the watching world when they see that a passage doesn’t mean what we think it means.  At worst, we run into error, heresy, or unbelief, or we lead others into those things.  Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons use the Bible to support their doctrines, too.

Bored with the Bible?

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The Resurgence just posted some piercing quotes from Christians of ages past to help those of us who struggle with being bored with the Bible.

My favorite one is from Spurgeon: “There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write ‘damnation’ with your fingers.”

Check it out!

The Difference between a Main Point and a Summary

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A main point is not the same thing as a summary.

In Bible study, it’s important to find the author’s main point.  If you miss the main point, you’ve missed the main point.  You’ll get caught up in secondary issues, questionable interpretations, or divisive doctrines.

One of the most difficult struggles for people in learning to study the Bible is to figure out the author’s main point.  It requires them to learn how to think.  They must learn how to ask good questions, and how to get the answers they need.

In addition, it requires them to learn how to figure out why the passage is there.

The most common counterfeit of the main point is the summary.  It’s not all that difficult to read a passage and summarize it.  We do it all the time.  We summarize news articles, blog posts, novels, and movies.

Note, however, that a summary is not a main point.

A summary may be the climax of observation, but it is not the same as interpretation.

A summary captures what was said, but not why it was said.

A summary restates a passage; a main point explains the passage.

Let me give an example.

In Hebrews 7:1-28, the author writes a profound theology of Jesus’ high priesthood.  There’s your summary: “Jesus is a high priest like Melchizedek.”  He contrasts Melchizedek with Aaron.  He engages with a few obscure Old Testament texts.  He provides fodder for our debates on Bible interpretation, the relationship between old and new covenants, and the relevance of the law.

However, he is crystal clear about his main point.  Look at Heb 8:1, ESV:

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest…”

The theology serves a purpose.  It ought to inspire hope and confidence.  Those who fear God’s displeasure ought to rest assured in Christ.  Those who presume on God’s graces ought to tremble at their indifference.

The author desires to move his audience to action.  He doesn’t seek to inform their thinking (and then stop there).  He wants to inspire them to set their hope on the only one who can give what he promises.

What does he say?  Jesus is a great high priest, greater even than the Levitical priests.

Why does he say it?  So you might trust him more confidently and draw near to God through him.

Do you see the difference?  Do you see why it’s important to understand the main point (and not just the summary)?  Unless we really hit the main point in Bible study, application remains far off and obscure or disconnected from the text.

The good news is that, once you have a summary of the passage, it’s not complicated to get to the main point.  Just take your summary and ask “Why?”

R.C. Sproul’s Proverbial Peccadillo

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Thanks to Jake Swink for pointing out a helpful post by R.C. Sproul on the Proverbs.

Sproul uses Prov 26:4-5 to show how the application of a proverb often depends on the situation.  Part of wisdom is figuring out which instructions apply to different life situations!  Read Sproul’s excellent thoughts, and learn wisdom from a sage.

However, I disagree with the framing of Sproul’s chief conclusion that proverbs “reflect insights that are generally [not universally] true.”  In his book Knowing Scripture, Sproul elaborates the point: “A common mistake in biblical interpretation and application is to give a proverbial saying the weight or force of a moral absolute” (p. 89).

This approach to Proverbs is common among evangelicals.  Even the ESV Study Bible, which I really appreciate, goes in that direction.  Consider the note on Proverbs 3:9-10:

“Your barns will be filled with plenty is a generalization concerning the effect of honoring the Lord with all that one has and is.  It is not, however, more than a generalization (as Job’s comforters held), for to view this as a mechanical formula dishonors God and his inscrutable sovereign purposes.”

Sproul believes proverbs are not commands, and the ESV Study Bible claims they are not promises.

My problem here is that this approach to Proverbs fosters mistrust of the text by claiming that it doesn’t really say what it says.  So, “Honor the Lord with your wealth…then your barns will be filled with plenty” (Prov 3:9-10) applies only when you’re not in a recession.  Since proverbs are not promises, they must be only probabilities.

But I ask: Is Prov 2:1-5 not really a command with a promise?  If I seek wisdom, is it possible, but not guaranteed, that I can know God?  Can someone seek and seek and never find him?

Is Prov 3:11-12 only generally true?  If I suffer God’s discipline, is it only generally true that he loves me as a father loves his son?  Might he actually be disappointed with me, even if I’m trusting in Christ?

Is Prov 4:5 not a moral absolute?  Is it not really the case that God commands people to get wisdom and hold on to his commandments?  Perhaps not, since it might be only a generalization to think that God will give life to those who find wisdom (Prov 8:35).

No, there’s got to be a better way to read Proverbs.

As commentator Bruce Waltke states,

“The popular evangelical solution that these are not promises but probabilities, though containing an element of truth, raises theological, practical, and psychological problems by stating the matter badly…A psychologically well person could scarcely trust God with all his heart (Prov 3:5) knowing that he usually, but not always, keeps his obligations” (The Book of Proverbs, Chapters 1-15 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004), pp. 107-8).

So how would I frame the conclusion differently?  I would say that, yes, biblical proverbs (at least those with imperatives) are commandments.  Yes, proverbs (at least those that promise something) contain divine promises.  But they are commandments/promises with a context.  Each one applies (always) in its situation, but we ought not misapply it beyond the proper situation (as Sproul ably demonstrates in Prov 26:4-5).

See, I don’t really disagree with Sproul all that much.  I agree with what he gets at in Prov 26; I just disagree with how he got there.   To say that proverbs “reflect insights that are [only] generally true” is to over-generalize what proverbs intend.  Such over-generalization can be misleading.

How to Interpret: Determine the Main Point

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This week I’ll explain the third of 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step three was Determine the Author’s Main Point:

As you answer all your questions, pull them together into a big picture.  Your job is to understand the main thing the author is communicating through the passage (2 Pet 3:15-18).

Most theological disagreements among Christians take place when people focus on things other than the main points of passages.  I’m not saying that theology is bad (in fact, it’s very important).  I’m simply saying that it’s important to focus on the main points of the Bible and not on secondary, questionable, or implied points (Matt 23:23-24).

Here are a few ideas to help you get to the author’s main point:

  • Take note of the author’s flow of thought.  How did he get from the first verse to the last verse?  One way to do this is to break the chapter into paragraphs.  Then determine the main point for each paragraph.  String them together to see what might be the main point of the whole chapter.  If you’re still not sure, you could break it down further into sentences before putting it back together.
  • Outline the essential grammar.  This requires careful observation of the passage.  You can distill narratives to their basic plot structure.  You can outline instructional texts by writing out just the subjects and verbs of each sentence.  Often, noticing the shape of this skeleton helps with identifying the main point.
  • Consider what the passage says about Jesus.  We know he’s the main point of the Bible (John 5:39), so we should expect each section to say something about him.  I believe Luke 24:46-47 provides a helpful template.  Every passage of Scripture reveals Jesus by explaining at least one of the following truths:
    1. The Messiah would suffer (die).
    2. The Messiah would rise from the dead.
    3. We must repent of our sin and be forgiven.
    4. This message (that the Messiah’s death and resurrection make forgiveness possible) must be preached to all nations.
  • Always ask “Why?”  We’re after more than a summary of what the author wrote.  We want to do our best to figure out why he wrote it.

Your analysis of the main point of Luke 2:1-21 might look something like this:

  • verses 1-7: in contrast to the might of Rome, Jesus, the heir of King David, is born into great obscurity.
  • verses 8-14: heavenly soldiers herald his birth to the lowly, not the powerful.  Jesus is not presented as a conquering king, but as a savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
  • verses 15-21: the lowly serve the true King by racing, viewing, and testifying.

So far, so good.  We could summarize the passage by calling it “The Birth of Jesus Christ.”  But we must move beyond summarizing to ask why it is here.  What does Luke want to teach us?

I’d suggest something like: God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously.  This brings him highest glory.

How to Interpret: Answer Questions

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This week I’ll unpack the second of 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step two was Answer the Questions from the Text:

Once you’ve asked your questions, answer them.  There’s one critical rule, though: answer questions only if they are answered (or clearly implied) in the text (Prov 30:5-6).

Don’t go on rabbit trails.  Don’t use minor details to make the text say what you want it to say.  Don’t build a whole theology from one verse.  Instead, answer only those questions that are either assumed or addressed in the text.  Let the rest go.

Two kinds of answers are “in the text”:

  1. Some answers are assumed in the text.  The original audience would have known these answers, but they’re lost on us because of the thousands of years that separate our lifetime from theirs.  We need websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand what scholars have learned about ancient cultures. We can also reference related Scripture passages to illuminate the one at hand.
  2. Some answers are addressed in the text.  The author made these explicit for his audience.

From Luke 2:1-21, here are some examples of answers assumed in the text:

  • What was it like to experience upheaval for a census?
    • Some in Luke’s original audience may have remembered this very census that occurred during Quirinius’s governorship.  We should look it up. (On the link, scroll down to point (2) “Census of Quirinius.”)
  • What does it mean that Jesus is called “Christ”?
    • We need help from passages like Psalm 2:2 to provide the necessary background.
  • How long was Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem?  How did people view shepherds at this time?
    • Most of the original audience would understand what it was like to travel from Galilee to Judea, or to interact with shepherds.  We need tools like websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand such things.

Here’s an example of answers addressed in the text:

  • Why does Luke contrast Jesus’ glory with that of the Roman rulers?
    • Because God deserves the highest glory (Luke 2:14).  He is saving the world through Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
  • So what does Luke want us to do about Jesus?
    • In contrast to the Might of Rome (Luke 2:1-2), Mary treasured up these things (Luke 2:19), and the shepherds gave God highest praise & glory (Luke 2:20).  Luke implies that we should have similar responses to Jesus.

Finally, here are some possible questions not assumed or addressed in the text.  We ought to let them go (at least for now):

  • Did Mary walk or ride on a donkey?
  • Was Jesus born in a stable or a cave?
  • Do angels have wings?
  • Who are those “with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14), and what does this tell us about predestination?

What other answers to your questions can you find in the passage?

How to Interpret: Ask Questions

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Last week I introduced 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step one was Ask Questions of Your Observations:

Take your observations and ask questions of them.  Lots of questions.  Tackle those observations from every direction.

Be as inquisitive as possible.  Get better at asking questions, and you’ll get better at interpreting the Bible.

Note that your questions should be about your observations of the text.  Don’t ask just any old questions.  Don’t feel the need to be particularly clever.  Your job is not to innovate, but to uncover.  (Note how the disciples didn’t observe well, and so asked the wrong questions in John 21:22-23.)

The main questions to ask are What? Why? and So What?

  • What? questions define the terms.  (“What did he mean?”)
  • Why? questions uncover the author’s purpose.  (“Why did he say that?”)
  • So What? questions draw out the implications.  (“So what does he want me to do about it?”)

For example, let’s say you’re studying Luke 2:1-21.  You just observed that there’s a repeated idea of power and authority.  You saw lots of words like, “Lord,” “governor,” “decree,” “Caesar,” and “glory.”  Now it’s time to ask questions:

  • What kind of authority is Luke concerned with?  What was a “governor” in Ancient Rome?  What was the extent of Caesar’s power?  What will Jesus do that’s different?  What are angels?
    • How questions often fit into this category as well: How long was the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem?  How did people view shepherds at this time?
  • Why is Luke so concerned with power?  Why did Caesar make this decree?  Why does the author contrast baby Jesus’ glory with the Roman leaders’ authority?  Why were the shepherds filled with fear at the sight of an angel?
  • So what does this mean about where true authority lies?  So what should we believe about Jesus?  So what should we expect when Jesus comes into conflict with the world?

What other questions can you think of from your observation of Luke 2:1-21?  See if you can identify whether your question is a What? Why? or So What? question.