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The New-Bible Fallacy

January 4, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

If I buy new running shoes, I’ll become a dedicated runner. If I subscribe to a language-training app, I’ll be fluent in a snap. If I purchase an expensive notebook, I’m sure to be a poet.

It’s easy to spot the flaws in this thinking, and our experiences confirm it. New equipment, by itself, won’t produce lasting change.

Though this error is obvious, this thinking still creeps in, even into our spiritual lives. In particular, many people act like getting a new Bible is the key to reading the Bible more.

It’s not.

The Effect of a New Bible

I’ve gotten a few new Bibles in my life, and the first few weeks unfold in a predictable way.

Week 1 — I love using my new Bible and I’m reading it more than ever. The feel, the smell, the experience of holding it in my hands—I enjoy all of it!
Week 2 — I’m still excited to read my new Bible, but my schedule is getting busy. For some reason, I don’t seem to have as much time or desire to read the Bible as last week.
Week 3 — I recognize all the benefits of having this great new Bible, but I’m not reading it nearly as much as I’d like.
Week 4 — I don’t read my new Bible any more or less than I was reading the Bible a few weeks ago.

I’m guessing you can relate. When we recognize that we don’t read the Bible as much as we’d like, we long for an easy fix. A new physical Bible seems like just the thing! Yet that new book doesn’t produce long-term change.

Producing Real Change

New possessions—in fact, most changes to our environment—won’t make us different people. They don’t have the power to remake us.

And yet, people can change for the better! We can change! Children of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can resist temptation, grow in obedience, and put the deeds of the body to death (see Romans 8:9–13).

So, how do we change our Bible reading behavior for the better? How do we read the Bible more consistently, more deeply, and with greater anticipation?

Real change begins on the inside. In other words, if our hearts and minds are transformed, it’s easier for our behavior to follow. Repentance means putting off our old selves and putting on the new. (See Ephesians 4:17–24.)

Renewed hearts and minds emerge when God gives us new affections. And proper affections are born of truth.

With that said, here are some foundational truths about the Bible. We need to absorb these truths deep in our bones if we want to change.

The Bible is God’s word. It is unlike any other writing or book. (See 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21.)
The Bible contains the most important story and the most important truths we will ever encounter. Understanding and remembering these truths are a matter of life and death for our souls. (See Psalm 19:7–11.)
The Bible is knowable. God has inspired the Bible so that we might know him through his Son, Jesus. (See John 5:39.)
Reading the Bible is essential for faith—both for our conversion and for our ongoing transformation. (See Romans 12:1–2.)
Because of sin, the human heart is both stubborn and forgetful. We need the Holy Spirit to help us read, understand, and remember the Bible. (See John 14:26.)
Because Christians are adopted children of God, our Bible reading cannot earn or lose us any favor with God. We don’t read to be loved; we read because we are loved already.

If God changes our hearts so that we believe these truths, we will be much more likely to live by them. This change of heart will be ongoing and will last a lifetime.

A New Bible

In the West, there’s rarely a need for a new physical Bible. God has blessed us with an abundance of digital resources for reading his word, and we can start any time we wish.

However, let’s not scoff at the purchase (or gift) of a new Bible. This too can be a great blessing.

A new physical Bible will not bring about an immediate, magical devotion to God. But God himself can change our hearts and make more regular reading a reality.

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What makes the Bible different – According to the Bible

January 1, 2021 By Tom Hallman

Like many Christians, I have a lot of Bibles. Most of them sit on my bookshelf next to all kinds of other books. However, the Bible could not be more different than those other books. Here are several reasons why, according to the Bible itself:

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17 ESV)

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63b ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Let’s observe several things about those texts. The Bible is…

Truth: Not just true, but truth. Many books on my shelf may be true, but the Bible alone is truth.
Spirit: There are powerful things happening in the spiritual realm that we usually can’t see, and that is where God’s Word resides. The fact that the Bible exists in the physical realm at all is a great grace to all God’s people.
Living: Most of my books are made from dead trees. While the Bible may also be printed on paper, it is just as alive, if not more so, than you and I are. I don’t claim to fully understand that, but I do marvel greatly at it!
Active: When I read the Bible, it is not full of passive words on a page. Unlike my other books, the burden of changing my life when reading the text does not rest on me, but on the Scriptures themselves.

The next time you hold your Bible and open it, take a moment to thank God for the very nature of His Word. It is truth, spirit, living and active – terms that do not apply to any other words that have been or ever will be written. This is why we not only do observation and interpretation of Scripture, but we seek to faithfully apply it as well!

May our response be like Simon Peter’s, who saw Jesus’ words for what they truly are:

After this many of [Jesus’] disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:66-68 ESV, emphasis mine)

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You Already Know How to Read the Bible

December 30, 2020 By Peter Krol

Alan Shlemon makes a great point in this article: Reading the Bible requires rules we already know. Though the OIA method, for example, may seem like something new to learn, with a whole set of rules to follow—it is actually something you already do instinctively with many things you read on a daily basis.

Shlemon highlights three fundamental principles:

What is the author talking about in the surrounding text (context)?
What is the historical occasion for why the author wrote (history)?
What literary style is the passage written in (genre)?

He gives examples of how we do these things already, instinctively, such as:

If a sports headline reads, “Cowboys Shoot Down Eagles,” everyone knows that men with revolvers didn’t shoot any birds. We all recognize that sports news is written in a particular literary style, where teams are often named after people (e.g. Cowboys, 49ers, etc.) and animals (e.g. eagles, dolphins etc.). No one is confused. For some reason, however, the same people who understand that news headlines are written in different literary styles, ignore the different literary styles of Scripture.

Check it out!

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10. How to Recognize Sowers of Discord

Moving down from the #5 slot last year, this post outlines from Proverbs 6:12-15 a few signs to help recognize divisive people. This post comes from my 2013 series of studies through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs.

9. Context Matters: You Have Heard That it was Said…But I Say to You

This year-and-a-half-old post makes its first appearance on any of our top 10 lists. It examines the series of contrasts in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to determine, from the context, what Jesus was arguing against. Hint: It wasn’t the Old Testament Law.

8. 4 Bible Studies for Advent

This post is up slightly from #9 last year, a companion piece to Ryan’s 4 Bible studies for Lent. Advent is a great time to study the Bible, and here are four 4-week studies you could consider for that season. Be forewarned, however: These are not your typical you-can-only-trust-the-experts, fill-in-blank sort of Bible studies some people are used to.

7. Details of the OIA Method

This post serves as a table of contents to my series on how to study the Bible. It pretty much explains why this blog exists, so we’re glad it gets a lot of pageviews, even though it’s down from #4 on this list last year.

6. Top 10 OT Books Quoted in NT

This post was also in the #6 slot last year. Even though my series analyzes not only books but also chapters and verses, this list of most-quoted books always seems to be the most popular.

5. Summary of the OIA Method

See post #7, unless you want less of a detailed explanation and more of a summary. Then see this post instead. This is down from #3 last year.

4. Context Matters: A Bruised Reed

This used to be the most-viewed “context matters” post on the blog, until it was surpassed by #2 below. But it’s still being viewed more than it used to be, since it is up from #7 on last year’s list. This is one of my most controversial posts, as I challenge an interpretation as common as oxygen. Yet it is incredibly difficult to find an argument for the traditional interpretation. Instead it is universally assumed and asserted. Check it out, and study the text for yourself.

3. 10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality

This was the most-viewed post in 2014, but then it dropped off the list until resurfacing as #8 in 2017 and #2 in 2018 and 2019. I’m delighted to see a continued interest in such an important topic. Find whatever motivates you to avoid sexual immorality, and glum onto God’s grace in providing that motivation!

2. Context Matters: God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart

A year ago, this was the second-most viewed “context matters” post (and #10 on last year’s top 10 list). But this year, it had about one-third more views than the one about the “bruised reed” (#4 on this list), and more than twice as many views as the “you have heard that it was said” post (#9 on this list). In this post, Ryan takes a close look at what Psalm 34 really means by this clause, which unsurprisingly is not that a person can get whatever he or she wants.

1. Why Elihu is So Mysterious

The popularity of this 2015 post continues to surprise us. We really cannot explain why it has been so popular, but if you haven’t read it, you must really be missing out! Elihu is that mysterious 4th friend in the book of Job. If you even knew he existed, chances are you’ve skipped his speeches entirely. This post is my attempt to explain Elihu’s role in the drama of the play of Job. This post was #3 in 2017, but it has now held the #1 slot for three years running. And the competition is not even close. The #2 post was viewed about 25,000 times this year, and this one was viewed more than 32,000 times.

Previous years’ lists: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

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10. The Complexity of Applying the Speeches of Job’s Friends

It is somewhat common to consider the three friends of Job to be categorically wrong, and their speeches to be discarded. But the Apostle Paul never got that memo. The truth is far more complex and nuanced.

9. The Reckoning of the Minas

Because context matters, we must be careful not to hastily harmonize parallel passages. One key example of this is the parable of the ten minas in Luke 10. It sounds very similar to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, but it is not the same, nor was it spoken in the same circumstances. This post, that had the eighth highest number of views this year, was simply a set up for the following post where I dove further into the details.

8. The Dangerous Consequences of Ignoring Context

Just as the title says, ignoring context has dangerous consequences. We miss the truth. We disrespect God. We mislead our neighbors. It’s just not worth it.

7. Quoting Scripture Contrary to Its Purpose is Devilish

This companion piece to the previous one reveals the staggering truth that those who ignore context are reading the Bible more like Satan than like Jesus. Let’s not do that.

6. Context Matters: Leave the Dead to Bury Their Own Dead

The first of many “context matters” posts to show up on both this week’s list and next week’s, this post examines Jesus’ cryptic statement in Luke 9:60. With help from the context, the instruction doesn’t need to be as cryptic as many typically presume.

5. Context Matters: Always Prepared to Make a Defense

1 Peter 3:15 this time. Though it can apply to apologetics (reasoned defenses for Christianity), that is not the only, nor even the main, thing Peter had in mind. Not all Christians can succeed at philosophical argumentation. But all must succeed at living righteous and respectful lives, thereby generating opportunities to bear witness to the suffering and kingship of the Lord Jesus.

4. Context Matters: The Weaker Vessel

Just a few verses before the previous one, 1 Peter provides one of the most uncomfortable, politically incorrect statements in the Bible. But it ought to be proclaimed in skywriting over every wedding and every marriage. You, husband, can win your wife to the glory of God by understanding her. By showing her the same honor you would show an empress. By praying together with her.

3. Why We Should be More Familiar with OT Sacrifices

We move on (momentarily) from an example of why context matters to an example of how drastically the early parts of the Bible inform the later parts of the Bible. The sacrificial system, and especially the burnt offering, is everywhere. Whenever you lay hands on someone, wash with water, speak of atonement, or offer acceptable worship, you call upon these ancient rituals. Are you aware of how they were done or what they meant at the time?

2. Why You Can Trust the Bible

The most important reason is simply that Jesus trusted it. This post shows him in action.

1. Context Matters: Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing

In our most-read post, from those written this year, Ryan dives into John 15-4-5 to show that the popular understanding of this phrase is not necessarily incorrect, but is much enriched by a grasp of Jesus’ argument in the context.

Previous years’ top tens: 2019, 2018, 2017

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Our Experience Fills in a Context Vacuum

December 16, 2020 By Peter Krol

Alan Shlemon writes about “How Creating a Context Vacuum Sucks Us into Overwriting God’s Word.”

What happens, then, when you read a Bible verse but don’t read the context? Two unfortunate consequences occur. First, you ignore the words the Holy Spirit provided to help you understand the meaning of the verse. You may miss out on what God is trying to communicate. Second, you create what I call a context vacuum. When there’s no context, your mind instantly fills the void with something from your experience. It’s an automatic process.

Shlemon gives a number of examples to illustrate the process. And he’s exactly right. We ignore the context to our peril. When we read or memorize isolated verses, our personal experience will become the filter through which we view and interpret those verses. Thus we fail to hear God’s voice in the Scripture.

I’m especially struck by the example of the woman who heard the command to “put on the new man” (Eph 4:24) as God’s guidance to divorce her husband and run off with another lover. Let us help others to avoid such tragic and reckless abuse of God’s word.

Check it out!

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How Structure Communicates Meaning in Acts 2

December 11, 2020 By Peter Krol

I’ve written before about how to observe structure and how structure conveys meaning. In this post, I’d like to give a practical example, in Acts 2.

Resist Familiarity

Familiarity is the greatest enemy of observation. When we presume to already know a text, we tend to stop listening to it. In the case of Acts 2, our familiarity may perhaps blind us with the dramatic theological import of what takes place. The Day of Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit. The new creation, heaven on earth, God dwelling with men. Absolutely, these matters are weighty and earth-shattering, and they deserve intense reflection.

But the student of Scripture who wishes to observe the text and hear God’s voice clearly in it will ask: What is the narrator’s chief message here? And a cursory look reveals only four verses dedicated to describing the phenomenon of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Most of the narrative takes us elsewhere. In narrative terms, the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2:1-4 basically provides the setting for the discussion that follows. (I do not intend to minimize the theological importance of what happens in Acts 2:1-4; I’m only observing the literary shape of the text.)

Basic Structure

After the narrative introduction of Acts 2:1-4, the rest of the chapter describes the fallout. And the narrator structures that fallout around two main questions:

Men from “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5-11) ask: What does this mean (Acts 2:12-13)?
- Peter answers this question at length (Acts 2:14-36).
The foreigners follow up with a second question (Acts 2:37): What shall we do?
- Peter answers this question briefly, at least as far as the narrative is concerned (Acts 2:38-40). At the time, this answer was also lengthy (Acts 2:40).

After this two-part Q&A, there is a narrative conclusion (Acts 2:41-47).

So a broad outline of the chapter would look like this:

A The descending Spirit
B What does this mean?
B’ What shall we do?
A’ The resulting community

A Closer Look

A closer look at these sections shows the first Q&A getting the most space, by far (32 verses). The narrator has done us a service by breaking this section down into subunits for us.

Verses 5-13 list the nations in attendance and lead to the big question itself: What does this mean (Acts 2:12)?

Peter’s speech divides into three units, each marked by a direct address: “Men of Judea” (Acts 2:14), “Men of Israel” (Acts 2:22), and “Brothers” (Acts 2:29). In each of the three sections, following the direct address, Peter makes a clear point and then supports that point with an Old Testament quotation.

Men of Judea – Acts 2:14
- This is what Joel predicted – Acts 2:14-16
  - Quote from Joel 2 – Acts 2:17-21
Men of Israel – Acts 2:22
- The crucified Jesus has been raised – Acts 2:22-24
  - Quote from Psalm 16 – Acts 2:25-28
Brothers – Acts 2:29
- The risen Jesus is on his throne – Acts 2:29-34
  - Quote from Psalm 110 – Acts 2:34-35

The only part of the speech that falls outside the pattern is the last verse, which highlights this sentence as perhaps the most prominent part of the speech. Here is the conclusion Peter’s three points are driving toward:

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.
Acts 2:36

Because this concluding sentence stands outside the threefold pattern of the rest of the speech, it is given such prominence as to almost be a distinct unit itself. And in light of the entire chapter, we see the author’s main idea right here, at the center of the structure:

A The descending Spirit
B What does this mean?
C God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ
B’ What shall we do?
A’ The resulting community

Peter’s Argument

Follow Peter’s argument in his first, lengthy speech. You have heard us speaking in your native tongues, right? That means God’s Spirit has been poured out on us, like Joel said. That means the Messiah has poured the Spirit out on us. That means the Messiah was given the Spirit by the Father. That means the Messiah is seated at the Father’s right hand. That means he ascended into heaven. That means he’s not dead, but was raised by God. That is the same JESUS you killed by enlisting pagans who don’t care about the law of Moses. We saw him ourselves and testify to these things. Stop doing what you’re doing (repent) and publicly pledge allegiance to him as Lord and Christ (be baptized).

Conclusion

The structure of this chapter suggests a few things about Luke’s intentions in this narrative:

His intention for Theophilus is not as much to teach about the coming of the Spirit, in itself, but to communicate the meaning of his coming and the response of individuals and communities.
The meaning of the Spirit’s coming is not primarily about the ability of a believing individual to commune directly with God (though that is certainly a result of the Spirit’s coming, unpacked in other passages), but more so about the testimony to Jesus as both Lord and Christ.
The proper response to the Spirit’s coming is not primarily to seek particular ecstatic manifestations of his presence, but to call on Jesus to be saved (Acts 2:21), to repent and be baptized to pledge allegiance to his new kingdom community (Acts 2:38), and to submit every aspect of the Christian community to Jesus’ true lordship (Acts 2:41-47).

There is much theology we can develop from Acts 2, but let’s allow the narrator’s own structure and argument to guide our interpretation of the text, showing us where he wants us to focus our interpretive efforts.

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The Bereans Had No Bibles

December 9, 2020 By Peter Krol

In response to a common appeal for Christians to search their Bibles and “be like Bereans,” Griffin Gulledge has a provocative piece entitled “The Bereans Had No Bibles.” In it, he makes some important points worth your consideration:

Bereans receive the truth.
Bereans learn in the context of the gathered church.
Bereans believe the Christian faith from the Old Testament.

Gulledge concludes:

Being a Berean is a lost label for Christians. These days, most of the people who appeal to the term are bloggers on the internet, mostly engaged in heated polemics at best or vicious attacks on those they disagree with at worst. What we see here instead is that Bereans are those who receive the truth in the context of the church, and thereby together prove Christ is both Savior and Lord from the Scriptures. What is the end of all of this? It’s not to win debates or to fill our heads with knowledge for its own sake. The passage tells us: many believe.
The goal of emulating the Bereans is to bring about and strengthen faith. It is Christ’s work and who he is, preached from the Scriptures, that saves and sanctifies. The Bereans had no Bibles. But they did have Christ. We have the Bible. And together, we should seek to find Christ there, and thereby be transformed into his image (2 Cor 3:17-18)

Check it out!

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4 Bible Studies for the New Year

December 7, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

As we approach the end of one year, we plan for the next. For many Christians, the start of the year offers a chance to assess their devotional habits and commit to new practices.

Lots of believers begin read-through-the-Bible plans in January, and this is a good thing! (Here at Knowable Word, we have our own 2021 Bible reading challenge!) Surveying the totality of God’s word is good for our souls.

But a careful study of the Bible is essential for our spiritual lives as well. If you’d like some structure to help you study the Bible in 2021, this article is for you.

What We Mean by “Bible Study”

In some circles, an article touting Bible studies for the new year would give recommendations of resources to peruse or purchase. It’s not too hard to find devotional works that guide believers through sections or books of Scripture.

That’s not what I’m advocating here. Though devotionals have their place, we want you to hear directly from God.

You might think you don’t have the time, ability, or intellect, but you’d be wrong—you can study the Bible yourself. That’s the very reason this website exists! God’s word is a knowable word, and he wants you to know him through his word.

Toward that end, we have many resources and articles to help you get started. Studying the Bible begins with reading and rereading the passage at hand. You’ll want to observe what the author wrote and use those observations to ask interpretive questions. As you answer those questions, seek out the author’s main point in writing. As you grow in your understanding, apply the passage to your life and your spheres of influence.

While you can and should study the Bible on your own, it’s healthy to talk about what you’re learning with others. As you consider the Bible study plans below, consider recruiting some friends from your local church to travel this path with you. A check-in meeting every week might be a helpful practice to begin the year.

Four Plans to Study the Bible

As with my previous articles on Bible studies for Advent and Lent, there isn’t anything revolutionary in these Bible study plans. Instead, I’ve provided sections of Scripture that can be studied over four weeks, broken down by week.

The studies below relate to the theme of newness. So, at the beginning of the new year you can study portions of the Bible in which you will encounter other beginnings.

A Study in Genesis

Genesis is the ultimate book of beginnings, and its opening chapters are foundational to the rest of Scripture.

Week 1 (January 3–9): Genesis 1:1–31
Week 2 (January 10–16): Genesis 2:1–25
Week 3 (January 17–23): Genesis 3:1–24
Week 4 (January 24–30): Genesis 4:1–26

A Study in Joshua

After Moses dies, the people of Israel get a new leader (Joshua). They cross the Jordan into the Promised Land and begin their new mission.

Week 1 (January 3–9): Joshua 1:1–18
Week 2 (January 10–16): Joshua 2:1–24
Week 3 (January 17–23): Joshua 3:1–17
Week 4 (January 24–30): Joshua 4:1–24

A Study in John

The beginning of John’s Gospel connects the beginning of Jesus’s ministry with the beginning of creation.

Week 1 (January 3–9): John 1:1–18
Week 2 (January 10–16): John 1:19–51
Week 3 (January 17–23): John 2:1–25
Week 4 (January 24–30): John 3:1–36

A Study in Acts

The first chapters of Acts describe the beginning of the gathered and scattered church.

Week 1 (January 3–9): Acts 1:1–26
Week 2 (January 10–16): Acts 2:1–36
Week 3 (January 17–23): Acts 2:37–3:26
Week 4 (January 24–30): Acts 4:1–37

The Best Way to Start a Year

Whether you adopt one of these study plans or not, there’s no better way to begin 2021 than to draw closer to God through his word. May your year be full of joyful understanding of the truth of Scripture and the glad fruit of a changed heart and life.

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Literary Markers in Acts

December 4, 2020 By Peter Krol

I’m beginning to study the book of Acts (following upon my study of Luke over the last year), and I’m struck by a great insight into the book’s structure. This insight was not my own, but was something I read in works by both William Taylor (affiliate link) and Daniel Wallace.

That insight is that the book of Acts has exactly seven narrative summary statements regarding the growth of the church: Acts 2:47, 6:7, 9:31, 12:24, 16:5, 19:20, 28:30-31. And these statements are not simply throwaway transitional statements, but they appear to be concluding statements to mark the main divisions of the book.

Check it out for yourself and consider these statements and the alleged divisions they mark. The material they conclude (for example, 1:1-2:47, 3:1-6:7, 6:8-9:31, etc.) does generally appear to hang together thematically.

I should say that Daniel Wallace is clear that this is only one way the narrator structures the book of Acts. It also could be structured geographically, in expanding circles from Jerusalem and then by Paul’s missionary journeys.

But I must say, this seven-fold structure to Acts helps me to make sense of some strange results of a purely geographical way of outlining the book. For example, the narrative moves seamlessly from the end of Paul’s second journey and into his third (Acts 18:22-23). It just doesn’t seem reasonable to proclaim a major division in the book between those verses. The demarcation is much clearer between Acts 19:20 and Acts 19:21 (that latter verse introduces, for the first time, Paul’s commitment to go to Rome, which carries him through the rest of the book).

Have you noticed this sevenfold structure to Acts? Do you think a different set of literary markers suggests a different structure for the book? Structure is one of the most important tools to help us grasp the overall message and argument of a book, so it’s worth it to observe it closely!

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