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How Structure Conveys Meaning

November 30, 2018 By Peter Krol

What is the difference between the following statements?

Because the Bible is the authoritative word of God, I must submit every area of life to its instruction.
God doesn’t just want me to work on the Bible; he wants the Bible to work on me.

The first statement is obviously more precise. But I bet most would consider the second statement more inspirational. More memorable.

And why is this? Because structure conveys meaning. In this case, the structure of the sentence itself packs a persuasive punch. The sentence makes use of a “concentric pattern” or “chiasm” to drive its point:

Me … work … Bible

Bible … work … me

The symmetry of the phrases catches your attention. You can feel the hinge in the middle that unwinds until the tension finally lands with force on the final “me.” The very structure of the sentence conveys additional inspirational or persuasive meaning that goes beyond what the first, more precise, statement could ever communicate.

Biblical authors do this very thing, when they embed their primary emphases, their authorial intentions, within the very structure of the texts they compose.

Observe the Structure

Before we can talk about interpretation, we must first develop the skills to observe the structure. I wrote on this topic a few weeks ago, so I just want to underscore the need to do this well.

Get your chapter and verse divisions out of the way. Drop the extra headings that most Bibles put in. Get a reader’s version, use software such as Logos, or print a numberless manuscript from Bible Gateway. Get yourself looking at the naked text so you can actually observe the literary signposts the author drops in like paint blazes on a wilderness trail.

Identify the constituent units. Then take note of how those units are arranged. If your structural observation is poor, your interpretation won’t be any better.

But once you’ve discovered the units, and you’ve mapped their arrangement (typically parallel, symmetric, or linear—again see the previous post for explanation), you are ready to consider what this structure communicates about the author’s intended meaning.

But how do you do that? David Dorsey (chapter 4) explains 3 main ways that structure conveys meaning.

George Pankewytch (2014), Creative Commons

Overall Structure

Sometimes historical narratives follow a linear pattern to simply communicate the progress of time. But at other times, they follow a cyclical pattern to communicate, through the structure itself, the spiraling up or spiraling down of the protagonists’ fate. For example, Judges gives us 7 cycles of Judges, following the pattern established in Judg 2:11-19, which clearly spiral downward into greater fallenness. But the book of 1-2 Samuel gives us 3 main overlapping narrative arcs: Samuel’s, Saul’s, and David’s. Those three arcs advance from one degree of glory to another, yet all three are ultimately tragic in their shape (narrating a rise, a peak, and then a fall).

Another example of the overall structure conveying meaning is the book of Lamentations. Hebrew poetry often works in parallel lines with parallel stresses (A-B-C/A-B-C). For example, “Serve (A) the LORD (B), with gladness (C)/Come (A) into his presence (B) with singing (C)” (Psalm 100:2). But scholars of ancient literature have pointed out that laments cut this pattern short. The second line loses one of the stresses, yielding a 3-2, or something like an A-B-C/B-C pattern. For example: “O my God (A), I cry by day (B), but you do not answer (C)/and by night (B), but I find no rest (C)” (Psalm 22:2).

Lamentations takes this pattern of laments and drops it into the book’s overall structure. Not only do we see a 3-2 pattern in almost every verse (for example: “She (A) weeps bitterly (B) in the night (C)/with tears (B) on her cheeks (C)” (Lam 1:2a). But we also see this pattern across the chapters.

Chapter 1: long acrostic with 66 lines

Chapter 2: long acrostic with 66 lines

Chapter 3: long acrostic with 66 lines

Chapter 4: shorter acrostic with 44 lines

Chapter 5: even shorter acrostic with 22 lines

The whole book takes on the 3-2 shape of lament that visually and audibly peters out by the end, leaving the sadness hanging heavily.

Structured Repetition

When you observe matching units in parallel or chiastic structures, you should investigate why and how they match. Do they present a comparison or contrast? Is a promise in the first section fulfilled in the second? Does one section better explain the other? Is some sort of reversal taking place?

The Gospel of Mark divides into two main divisions: 1:1-8:30 and 8:31-16:8. The first verse outlines the structure: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The first half of the book concludes with Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). The second half concludes with the centurion’s confession that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 15:39). By comparing the closing sections of each half of the book, we see that Peter gets part of Jesus’ identity (chapter 8), but he doesn’t understand all of it (chapter 14-15). By the end, Peter is denying that he even knows this man (Mark 14:71), while a Gentile military officer grasps something remarkable about the nature of Jesus’ suffering. “When the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said…” (Mark 15:39).

The parallel between Jonah’s prayer in chapter 2 and his prayer in chapter 4 leads us to question the sincerity of his repentance in the belly of the fish.

When you observe these repetitions, these matching units, you are well prepared to ask “Why” and better uncover the author’s intentions.

Positions of Prominence

The final way structure conveys meaning is through positions of prominence.

This is neither mechanical nor foolproof, but often the most prominent part of a parallel structure is the end. And the most prominent part of a chiasm is the center.

Don’t apply that principle woodenly, but you should at least investigate the matter.

For example, Mark 6-8 follows a parallel structure, surrounded by an inclusio (bookends):

Intro: When Jesus sends out the twelve, Herod fears John the Baptist has risen from the dead. But others think he’s Elijah or one of the prophets (Mark 6:7-29).

A. Feeding a multitude (Mark 6:30-44)

B. Crossing the sea (Mark 6:45-56)

C. Disputing with the Pharisees (Mark 7:1-23)

D. Discussing bread with a follower (Mark 7:24-30)

E. Healing a malfunctioning sense—deafness (Mark 7:31-37)

A. Feeding a multitude (Mark 8:1-9)

B. Crossing the sea (Mark 8:10)

C. Disputing the Pharisees (Mark 8:11-13)

D. Discussing bread with followers (Mark 8:14-21)

E. Healing a malfunctioning sense—blindness (Mark 8:22-26)

Conclusion: When Jesus questions the twelve, they claim people think he’s John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the prophets. But Peter (who used to be deaf and blind—Mark 8:18) now sees clearly enough to know “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29).

What is Mark’s point here in chapters 6 through 8? Jesus is healing his disciples’ own deafness and blindness so they can hear and see who he is.

And what is my point with this little exercise? If you find yourself fretting over why Jesus would call someone a dog (Mark 7:27), what the disciples failed to understand regarding the number of baskets of leftovers (Mark 8:19-21), or why it took Jesus two tries to heal the guy’s blindness (Mark 8:23-25), you need only take yourself to the position of prominence. In this case, the end of the parallel sequence gives us the author’s emphasis and intention: to help Jesus’ disciples perceive who he really is. When we get this, the rest will make more sense.

Conclusion

Observing structure is hard work. But it bears fruit thirty-, sixty-, and a hundred-fold when it comes time to interpret the author’s meaning.

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How to Observe Structure

November 2, 2018 By Peter Krol

Perhaps you’re persuaded that structure is something you ought to observe in a Bible passage. And perhaps you believe in the value of observing structure. But you’re just not sure how to do it. Those who can outline a passage or an argument seem to you like wizards drawing on sinister secret arts unavailable to the general populace. How do they do it?

A preliminary step is to hold only loosely to what you learned in school about outlining. Remember, the Bible is ancient literature. And the ancients may not have thought about hierarchical outlines the way we do. They weren’t writing term papers, so they may not have been automatically thinking in a format such as:

I. First main point

A. First sub-point

B. Second sub-point

II. Second main point

And so on…

Different Genres

Often we must observe the genre before we can observe the structure.

Logical literature (epistles) will be driven primarily by the argument. Once you can trace the argument (premises, conclusions, illustrations, etc.), you will have a decent outline of the passage.

Poetry is often logical as well, so tracing the argument can help. But the poet typically signals his ideas by means of metaphors. If you notice when the chief metaphor shifts, you likely can identify literary units.

Narrative is driven primarily by plot, though setting and characters can also be used as structuring devices. The main things you want to look for, though, are opening setting, conflict, rising tension, climax, resolution, and new setting. Trace this arc, and you will grasp the structure of a narrative.

Macro-Structure

Now those tips will help you on a micro level, with isolated passages or episodes. That’s often the easy part. Greater difficulty lies in identifying the structure of an entire book, or a book’s major division. But we need to interpret the passage at hand in light of the larger persuasive structure, so we must be able to discover that larger structure within which we find our text.

How do we do that?

As I’ve done before, I will rely on David Dorsey, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, for help. Dorsey has done clear and important work on this topic, which I am happy to present to you.

Primary Steps in Observing Literary Structure

Dorsey gives three main steps for grasping larger literary structures:

Identify the constituent units of a composition.
Analyze the arrangement of those units.
Consider what this structure communicates about the author’s intended meaning.

I find the first step to be the most challenging and to require the most work. And I often have to cycle through steps 1 and 2 a few times before the structure really pops, like one of those Magic Eye 3D pictures that you can’t unsee after you have seen it.

1. Identify Constituent Units

Dorsey give three sub-steps to help you identify literary units:

Beginning markers
End markers
Internal cohesion

Beginning markers are introductory phrases that signal a new section. For example, in my study of the tabernacle instructions in Exodus 25-31, I observed seven narrative statements: “Yahweh said to Moses…” The narrator uses these “markers” to structure God’s instructions into seven speeches. We see Genesis use a similar technique, dividing the book into ten sections that begin with: “These are the generations of…”

End markers are conclusive statements that signal the end of a section. For example, early in Mark’s gospel the narrator uses a general narrative summary statement to signal the end of his major sections (see Mark 3:7-12, 6:6b). The book of Psalms uses concluding doxologies to signal the ends of each of the book’s five major divisions (Ps 41:13, 72:18-20, 89:52, 106:48, 150:1-6). Job gives an end marker to signal a major shift from Job’s interactions with his 3 friends to Elihu’s interaction with Job (Job 31:40b).

Internal cohesion refers to the many techniques an author uses to signal that a passage hangs together as a single unit. Dorsey lists 14 techniques biblical authors use to create this cohesion, but his list can be boiled down to one thing: change. Changes in scene or setting, characters, topic, genre, pace of action, literary form, or grammatical forms (such as a shift from second person to third person pronouns) can all suggest the boundaries of a literary unit. As can inclusio or chiasm, keyword repetition, or recurring motif.

For example, Isaiah’s chapter divisions in English Bibles are notorious for screwing up the author’s structure. Isaiah 7:1-9:7 hangs together as one section, beginning with the promise of Immanuel and ending with the Mighty God being born among humanity as a child. Then Isaiah 9:8-10:4 is a single cohesive unit, containing four stanzas, each with an identical, repeated end marker: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still” (Is 9:12b, 9:17c, 9:21b, 10:4b). If you read just Isaiah chapter 7, then chapter 8, then chapter 9, then chapter 10 (assuming each chapter to be its own unit), you will miss Isaiah’s structure, and therefore his point.

2. Analyze the Arrangement of the Units

Once you can list, with reasonable confidence, the main units of a book, you can examine how the author has chosen to fit them together.

Sometimes he uses a linear arrangement, which is the most straightforward approach. The units have little to do with each other, except that one leads to the next. The outline looks like: A-B-C-D-E-F-G. I can’t prove this, but my hunch is that this is the least common arrangement in the Scriptures. For oral cultures, a linear arrangement is just too difficult to hear and remember. We see a linear arrangement in Proverbs 10-29, where the author wants us to stop and think after almost every verse.

Sometimes biblical authors use a parallel arrangement, which involves giving a sequence and then repeating it one or more times. The outline looks like A-B-C-D//A-B-C-D. We see this in the book of Judges, where the sequence laid out in Judges 2:11-19 repeats 7 times, before we get two closing epilogues (Judges 17-18 and 19-21) that match the book’s two prologues (Judges 1:1-2:5 and 2:6-3:6). Mark uses a parallel arrangement in Mark 6:30-8:26, where he takes his disciples through the same sequence of events (feed a multitude, cross the sea, dispute the Pharisees, discuss bread, heal someone’s malfunctioning senses) two times.

Sometimes biblical authors use a symmetric arrangement, which involves moving the action or argument forward to a hinge point, then unwinding the action or argument in reverse order. The outline looks like A-B-C-D-E-D-C-B-A. This arrangement is often called a chiasm, because the outline looks like one side of the Greek letter chi (an X). We see this in the Aramaic section of Daniel (Dan 2-7) which tells of:

a vision of 4 kingdoms (Dan 2),

a martyr/rescue story (Dan 3),

judgment on a king’s pride—restored (Dan 4),

judgment on a king’s pride—not restored (Dan 5),

a martyr/rescue story (Dan 6),

and a vision of 4 kingdoms (Dan 7).

Conclusion

I’m out of space for now and will have to return to the third main step in another post. That’s where all this work of observation starts to pay off, as we grapple with the interpretive question: “Why did the author arrange his material in this way?”

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The Value of Observing Structure

October 26, 2018 By Peter Krol

Observing structure is a lost art in much Bible study. We fixate on a few verses, and we fail to look for larger literary patterns in larger portions of text. But most Bible books would have been read orally, and authors used larger literary patterns to help people retain information. Public speakers do the same thing today when they repeat and reiterate and reinforce their points through rhythmic patterns of variation. (Just think of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech.)

In his wonderful book, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, David A. Dorsey enumerates 10 benefits gained by observing structure:

1. Appreciation of literary artistry

Les Haines (2012), Creative Commons

God’s word is not simply true; it is also beautiful, just like he is.

2. Identification of unit boundaries

Knowing the structure might help you break up the passage sensibly for your Bible study or sermon series.

3. Discovery of the rationale behind a unit’s overall layout

When you can’t figure out why events are in such a strange order, perhaps the author arranged them purposefully to make a certain point.

4. Clarification of the relationship of the parts to the whole

Tracking structure will help you to keep the smaller episodes or stanzas connected to the main point of the whole book.

5. Accounting for repetitions

For example, why does Genesis 6-9 keep repeating the names of Noah’s sons (Gen 6:10, 7:13, 9:18)? They serve as markers for the structure.

The world is bad (sons named)
- God gives Noah instructions
  - A sampling of all living things (sons named) get on the ark
    - Waters rise
      - God remembers the ark’s inhabitants
    - Waters fall
  - The living things (including the sons, unnamed this time) get off the ark
- God gives Noah instructions
The world is still bad (sons named)

6. Accounting for apparently misplaced units

Some scholars don’t know what to do with passages like Genesis 38 or Nehemiah 5 or Isaiah 36-39 that seem to be completely misplaced (way out of order) within their books. But these placements make more sense when we consider the outlines of those books.

7. Clarification of a unit by comparison with its match

For example, Jonah’s prayer in Jonah 2 appears pious and repentant until you consider the parallel prayer in chapter 4. Suddenly his repentance doesn’t look very repentant.

8. A check on redaction-critical theories

For a hundred and fifty years or so, unbelieving scholars spent their time picking apart books of the Bible and showing how all the parts couldn’t have been written by the same person. However, this approach isn’t so common anymore, as the unity and beauty (see point #1 above) of each book speaks a more compelling truth.

9. Discovery of a unit’s main point

Here is something truly worth getting pumped up for. Sometimes a passage’s main point is more implicit than explicit, and the author tucks that point right into his shaping of the composition.

10. Discovery of a composition’s theme

A theme is an idea woven into the fabric of a book. That theme might not be clear until you’ve seen it crop up in many sections. Observing structure brings themes into the foreground.

So much for the principles. To see them in action, look at how much difference structure makes in each gospel’s telling of the feeding of the 5,000. Through the context and structure of each Gospel, we see that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can use the same event for a different purpose.

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Overcome Common Excuses for Not Studying the Bible

August 6, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

Nick Youngson, Creative Commons

Because we’re human, our desires and motivations are in constant flux. Sometimes we want nothing more than to study the Bible, pray, and commune with God. Other times, we look to do anything else.

When my desires for God are weak, I make all kinds of excuses to avoid prayer and the Bible. Maybe you can relate. Last summer I tackled six major excuses we make for avoiding reading and studying the Bible.

I’m not smart enough to study the Bible. “We compare ourselves to all-stars and find ourselves lacking. How can we compete? If I can learn from experts, why should I study the Bible myself? I’ll never learn as much on my own.“
I don’t have enough time to study the Bible. “Among Christians, I suspect busyness is the top excuse for not studying the Bible. It seems we don’t have enough time for God’s word. I’ve made this excuse many times myself. But we must confront this Biblical truth: We always do what we want to do.“
The Bible is boring. “The Bible is God’s word. If God is the creator and sustainer of every atom that exists; if he is infinitely holy, good, wise, and glorious; if he is the very definition of love; then everything about him must be interesting.”
Bible study is complicated. “Studying the Bible is as straightforward as taking a walk. Lace up your shoes, step out the door, and go.”
I’d prefer to read something easier or different than the Bible. “Reading a devotional work or listening to a sermon can stimulate your spirit. But this is not the same as reading and studying the Bible for yourself. You need to hear directly from the mouth of God.”
I’m not motivated to study the Bible. “Though Christians have experienced this once-for-all change, we still drift and search after other fulfillment. We still need reminders about what is most valuable, what is most fulfilling, and what is the best use of our time and resources.”

Ultimately, we need a change of heart in order to seek God. But popping the balloons of our excuses and remembering the truth about God and the Bible can be a helpful step of obedience. As you read, I hope these help you as much as they helped me when I wrote them.

Bible Study: Fast and Slow

July 9, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

Jeremy Bishop (2017), public domain

It’s July, and we’re up to our knees in summer. The pace of this herky-jerky season always astounds me.

Some summer moments happen in a flash: the pop of fireworks, the sting of a bee, the crack and boom of a late-afternoon thunderstorm, and the cool thrill of jumping in a pool. The whole summer, in fact—I’m amazed every September at how quickly the months disappeared.

Other parts of summer seem to stretch on and on: the long hours of daylight, humidity that suffocates the region for weeks, and lightning bugs that aren’t in a hurry to be anywhere in particular.

Just like summer, studying the Bible can sometimes feel like a slip-and-slide or a long hike in the woods. Faithful students of the Bible will set their expectations and effort accordingly.

The Fast

Some aspects of Bible study happen in an instant. We sit down, read a passage, and God gives immediate insight.

We grasp part of God’s character. We are in awe of our Creator. We bend the astonished smile of our soul toward God in praise.

We see our sin. We’re exposed and guilty. We fall on our face before God in confession and repentance.

We recognize the work of Jesus. God’s mountainous mercy casts us in its deep, loving shadow. We thank God for adopting us as his children.

A promise of God lands flush between our eyes. We sense the strength of the Holy Spirit in our weakness. We bless God for the hope and encouragement he gives.

These moments happen because some portions of the Bible are straightforward. We need no advanced degrees or hours in a monastery—God has made the meaning of this text plain, he has sent his Spirit, and his word lands with power.

We should anticipate, savor, and remember these moments. I fear that older Christians are prone to forget just how radical, beautiful, and simple some aspects of following Christ can be.

The Slow

However, not every encounter with the Bible is all snaps and flashes. Sometimes we need to take the long, uphill path to the summit to see the spectacular view.

It takes time to study the Bible well. Since we are removed from the original audience by years and miles, we must put in work to understand the meaning of the text.

But the work is worth it! The understanding that comes through hours of effort is no less valuable than that which comes in a moment. In fact, we’re more likely to remember and internalize those truths we must sweat to unearth.

The Bible rewards this work. It doesn’t take superior intelligence, sophisticated tools, or months away on a retreat. There are simple steps to studying the Bible that are available to everyone.

Observe. Read the text carefully and notice what you read. Write down your observations. Every word of the Bible is inspired by God, so it is right for us to pay close attention to what is written.
Interpret. Ask questions of your observations. Interrogate the text. Track the author’s reasoning through the passage and attempt to land on the main point. How would the original readers/hearers have understood this?
Apply. Bring the biblical truth home. How should this truth affect you? How should it change your church? Your neighborhood?

Bible Study is for Plodders

Anyone that sets out to run a race must train. As a runner gradually builds technique, endurance, and grit, the miles get easier and the half marathon isn’t as intimidating. And throughout the training, she is actually running, making progress and doing good for her body.

Bible study is, in one respect, for plodders. Give yourself to the Scriptures regularly, and you’ll gradually build the skills you need to understand and apply God’s word. And as you grow in these skills, you’ll grow more and more into the person you were created to be.

Is All of God’s Word for All of God’s People All of the Time?

March 19, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

Jill Wellington (2008), public domain

While recently listening to Ezekiel 16, I was amazed at the language in the Bible. It’s scandalous! The words “whore,” “whoring,” and “prostitute” appear a combined 21 times in this one chapter.

I thought immediately of my inquisitive children. What would they ask if they were listening? Should I allow them to read or listen to Ezekiel?

Reading the Bible With Children

God has given parents the privilege of teaching their children the Bible. At times this will look like formal instruction, but much more often it will look like conversation. Around the table, in the car, while washing the dishes—God intends for us to talk about him with our children during the normal routines of life (see Deut 6:1–9).

In the Old Testament, the words of God were part of family and cultural life. Scripture was proclaimed at the three annual Jewish feasts (see Deuteronomy 16 and Leviticus 23) and it was expected that children would ask their parents about their religious practices and history (Exodus 12:24–27).

Yes, there are some topics in the Bible that may seem heady or unseemly. But parents can create a loving atmosphere in which families can discuss any matter. When children can ask their parents questions without shame or embarrassment, they are less likely to seek out immature, inaccurate, or ungodly answers from their peers.

All the Bible

Some portions of the Bible are more relevant for us at certain times. Whether we need encouragement, rebuke, instruction, or hope, we can always find what we need in God’s word.

But we are to give our attention to all of God’s word without censorship. Paul calls this the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). We can have confidence that God knows what he’s doing, and he’s set the same Scriptures before us whether we’re four or ninety-four.

So when you read the Bible with your family, don’t skip over any chapters. Read through books consecutively. Encourage your children to listen and ask questions. Plant those trees, give them water and sunlight, and prepare to see them grow.

Prepare Yourself

When talking to children about difficult parts of the Bible, we need to pay attention to the Bible’s tone. The authors of Scripture show great care and restraint when discussing delicate and private matters.

We should show this same restraint. Providing too many details or focusing too much on these topics can end up being provocative. We must handle sensitive material with wisdom and maturity.

In addition to communicating what is true, our goal is to shape our children’s hearts. We must make beautiful what the Bible says is beautiful, and we must show as ugly those things the Bible says are ugly.

An Example: Prostitution

To return to the beginning, how should we talk about prostitution with our children?

To discuss prostitution, we must discuss marriage. In particular, we must discuss the sexual relationship within marriage. The Bible describes this relationship within marriage as beautiful and glorious. Yet pursuing this relationship outside of marriage is dangerous and sinful.

So, how do we answer a child’s question about a prostitute? A prostitute is a person who will pretend to be married to you if you pay them money. Married people hug each other and kiss and touch each other in private places. This is wonderful and glorious when people do this with their wife or husband. But it is terrible and sinful when people do this outside of a marriage.

Many thanks to Peter Krol for his correspondence and help in putting this article together.

How to Give Bibles Away at Your Church

January 22, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

anonymous (2016), public domain

Bible ownership is a crucial aspect of evangelism and discipleship that we don’t often discuss in the church.

And even though the Bible is available for free in thousands of digital formats, there’s something powerful about a physical copy. It sits as a reminder on our bookshelf or table of the permanence of God’s word.

With this post I’ll explain one strategy to make sure that everyone who visits your church owns a Bible.

Why Give the Bible Away?

The Bible is God’s word. It is the authoritative, perfect source of true information about God, the world, humanity, sin, salvation, love, forgiveness, and eternity. God gives it to us to teach us, to correct us, to train us in righteousness, to encourage us, and to give us hope. There is nothing more important for us to read and study in all the world.

As we urge our friends, Christian and non-Christian alike, to draw near to God, handing out Bibles gives everyone access. We pray and depend on God to work within hearts for conversion and growth in holiness even as we distribute the tool he most often uses for these purposes.

How to Give the Bible Away

The first step—obvious, perhaps—is to buy a bunch of Bibles. Cases of pew Bibles will secure the cheapest price per book. Here’s a link to a case of ESV Pew Bibles, but other translations are easy to find.

The best time to give Bibles away is during the reading of Scripture in the worship service. It’s important that everyone who does this public reading have a similar approach. Before they read the passage, they should invite the congregation to follow along by providing the Scripture reference and the page number in the pew Bible. This is a way to show hospitality for those who aren’t familiar with the Bible.

Now you give the invitation. Try something simple like this.

If you don’t have a Bible of your own, we’d love to give you one. Please feel free to keep the one provided for you where you’re sitting.

Finally, make sure someone checks the worship area after each service and replenishes the Bibles. This way your church is ready for the following week!

How to Pay for these Gifts

Physical Bibles cost money, so if your church would like to begin this practice, you’ll need to come up with the funds. Ideally, this expense would land in the worship or outreach sections of your church’s annual budget.

However, if adding this to the budget isn’t possible, consider asking for a special donation. I’ve found many church members are eager to get behind this sort of initiative.

A People Ablaze

God works powerfully through his word. When we hand out Bibles at church, we’re distributing kindling and lighter fluid. Let’s pray that God would provide the spark to set his people ablaze.

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Now is the Time to Plan Your 2018 Reading

December 11, 2017 By Ryan Higginbottom

Laëtitia Buscaylet (2017), public domain

As we near the end of one year, it’s natural to think about our goals for the next. And whether it’s saving money, losing weight, building relationships, or learning a skill, we need plans to meet our goals.

You may not think of your reading list as goal-related. You may want planning as far away from your books as possible. But what we read has an enormous effect on our thoughts, our emotions, our worldview, and our souls.

In twelve months, you’ll be a different person than you are now. What you read between now and then will shape what kind of person you will be.

Connection to Bible Study

This might seem like a strange post to read on a blog all about Bible study. But these topics are vitally connected.

We have a finite amount of time, and without a plan we may not using our time well. When we’re tired or sad or frustrated, it’s easy to fall into bad patterns and spend time in unproductive or unrefreshing ways.

In particular, we don’t often drift into reading or studying the Bible. The Bible makes demands of us, and it’s much easier to camp out in a novel or on social media. But the word of God is our life! By it we see ourselves and everything around us accurately. We put ourselves in spiritual danger when we neglect the Bible.

Without making a plan, we won’t read much of the Bible. And planning to read the Bible means planning not to read anything else at the same time. As we set reading goals for 2018, let’s do so with the Bible as our highest priority.

Making Plans

We can break down our reading plans into at least five areas.

Plan to read and study the Bible. For Christians, this is non-negotiable. Through the Bible we hear the truth from God that we so easily forget. We hear commands, we receive encouragement, we are equipped for battle against the evil around and within us. We need this book! Plan to read the Bible. Plan to study the Bible. If you read nothing else in 2018, read the Bible.
Plan to read other Bible-based books. While the Bible is in a class by itself, there plenty of other books that teach biblical truth. Consider books in the categories of theology, biography, memoir, and Christian living, and find some trusted sources for recommendations. (Start with your pastor and elders and move on to friends and other trustworthy sources.)
Plan to read for development. Whether you want to grow personally or professionally, there’s a book for that! Plan to read books related to skills you’d like to develop or topics you’d like to learn about.
Plan to read for refreshment. God has made us to work and to rest, and we acknowledge and submit to our Creator when we plan times and activities for refreshment. If you are renewed and re-energized by reading fiction or comic books or graphic novels or humor, plan for it. We love God and our neighbors better when we have fuel in our tanks, and reading can fill us up.
Plan other media consumption. Television, movies, video games, social media, and other internet-related activities—none of these are inherently bad. But they suck us in; we blink and 45 minutes later wonder what happened. Seek out these media with intention, mindful of your weaknesses and temptations.

Why Now?

December offers down time that January does not, so if possible, it’s best to make plans for the new year now.

Take some time in December to think and pray and lay your 2018 reading before the Lord. Talk to friends about the books and priorities on your list, and commit to praying for one another and following up.

Another advantage of planning your 2018 reading in December is the abundance of “best/favorites of 2017” lists that appear. Prayerfully consider the titles on some of these lists. I suggest balancing new books with older ones, but these lists can point you toward some of the best new books to read. Life is too short and too important to read bad books.

Leave Room for the Unplanned

While I suggest you plan reading for 2018, you shouldn’t feel locked in by your list. There will be other suggestions and opportunities that come up, and these may be worth your time! I usually plan about 75% of my annual reading and count on filling in the other 25% as the year develops.

As we tumble toward January, plan to read the Bible in the new year. And plan your other reading so that it glorifies God and helps you to walk faithfully as his disciple.

One Temptation of Digital Bible Searching

October 30, 2017 By Ryan Higginbottom

Ingela Skullman (2017), public domain

The digital Bible is a game changer.

When I was in college in the late 1990s, I was thrilled to receive a NASB concordance one year for Christmas. I hit the jackpot—there was no Bible study obstacle I couldn’t overcome.

This behemoth weighed about 35 pounds and was roughly the size of a Dodge Neon.

The world of Bible lookup is drastically different now, with the landscape shifting techtonically by the widespread use of digital search.

Digital Search

It’s so easy—open up e-Sword or Logos, go to Bible Gateway, or use any one of dozens of Bible mobile apps, and you can search the Bible in seconds. We have enormous power at our fingertips, power that our spiritual ancestors of even 30 years ago couldn’t have imagined.

There are so many benefits to digital search! You can locate that passage that’s been sticking in your brain by punching in a few keywords. You can find all the occurrences of the names Gideon or Melchizedek with a click. You can jump right to the crucifixion passages.

But, like most good tools, there are misuses we must avoid. And I’ll warn you—they’re mighty tempting.

The Danger of Search

The careless “word study” is one of the most common mistakes made with a Bible search tool. If you haven’t been part of a study like this, you’ve heard about it. A leader or teacher decides to explore “the real meaning” of a single word in the Bible—like “hope,” “peace,” or “lord.” Then he dashes through the first 15 hits on Bible Gateway for that word and draws a once-for-all conclusion.

I’m not here to shoot down all word studies. I think they can be done well. But they are so, so easy to do poorly! And the results of a poor word study can be disastrous. Christians are left skimming the surface, missing out on rich, deep truths in the Bible. And even worse—those surface-level “facts” might just be wrong.

What’s the Problem?

The main problem with bad word studies is that they mishandle the Scriptures specifically and language in general.

If you’re an English speaker, consider the words “hold,” “watch,” or “run.” Each of these words can be used as multiple parts of speech and has several possible meanings in each case. You’d never take a book, collect the search hits for “run,” and claim to know the meaning of the word by this grab bag approach.

But this describes bad word studies in a nutshell.

What’s the Safeguard?

The safeguard against bad word studies is interpreting the Bible in context. Do the hard work of understanding a passage before you connect it to different chapters, books, or authors. The process of connecting disparate parts of the Bible is called correlation.

When putting different parts of the Bible together, it’s best to connect ideas instead of just words. If you know what the original author meant, you can fit that idea together with the main point from a different passage.

My advice boils down to this. Start small (understanding individual passages) and then go big instead of the other way around. Let the Bible itself—not the results from a search engine—form the basis of your small group study.

A Surprising Barrier to Personal Bible Study

October 16, 2017 By Ryan Higginbottom

Benjamin Balazs (2015), public domain

This article may be keeping you from studying the Bible. That’s not my goal, but it might be happening.

I should explain.

Like Productivity Advice

There’s a well-known paradox in the realm of organization and productivity advice. Some people spend so much time reading and thinking about productivity that they are less productive than they would have been otherwise. The very quest to be more productive has made them less so.

These folks can discuss organizational systems with anyone. They love setting up planners and talking about to-do apps. But they haven’t used the advice for its intended purpose. Productivity tips are only helpful if you eventually stop reading the suggestions and start implementing them. At some point, you need to stop fiddling and get to work.

Some people use Bible study articles the same way. Let’s face it—it’s much easier to read about Bible study than to study the Bible. Not only is Bible study a difficult mental task, but when we apply the Bible regularly, it is humbling and challenging.

Bible study articles are only useful if you turn away from the articles and spend time with your Bible.

Here at Knowable Word, we exist to teach ordinary people how to study the Bible. But we don’t want you to spend all your time on our web site. Our articles and resources are designed to be used.

How to Get Started

There are two general types of people reading this article: those who don’t know how to study the Bible, and those who do.

If you’re in that first category, we’d love to help you get started! I suggest you begin here and then here. After reading some of our foundational articles, print out some worksheets, grab your Bible, and dig in. Richness awaits.

If you already know how to study the Bible, we’re glad you’re here too. If you’ve come to our blog for a refresher, for help on a particular aspect of Bible study, or as part of your daily internet reading, welcome!

But there might be a few of you who are reading this in your devotional time. You’re putting off something difficult (prayer or Bible study) for a lighter read. This enterprise feels spiritual, because you’re learning about Bible study, but you’re just avoiding the more important task.

Please take this as a loving nudge: Turn away from your computer, tablet, or phone. Pick up your Bible. Listen to what God has to say about himself and his plan for the world. What God gives you in his word is much, much better than what we can give you here.

Go ahead, we don’t mind. Come back later. We’ll still be here.

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