Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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We’re Not the Only Ones

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At least once a week, we like to direct your attention to another corner of the interwebs where good Bible study is being done. We do this to show that we’re not the only ones talking about it. And we don’t think we’re the only ones who can do it well.

Case in point: Matt Smethurst writes at the Gospel Coalition about “How to Study Your Bible in 2020.” He proposes a straightforward three-step process that ought to sound familiar to readers of this blog. His summary of the method is worthy of your consideration.

I particularly appreciate his lists of concrete questions you can ask at each stage of the process. And he recommends getting help from commentaries—but only after you’ve attempted interpretation on your own. His application suggestions are especially thoughtful.

As you continue establishing habits for the coming year, I commend Smethurst’s article for your consideration.

Check it out!

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Getting the Whole Story of the Bible

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So I’ve begun my 10th annual whole-Bible read through. I began on January 1, and I’m going at a brisk pace. Last year, I completed the Bible in 27 days, so I’m aiming for 26 days this time.

I’m reading the Old Testament in the Hebrew order of books, alternating between a physical Bible and an audio Bible. When using a physical book, I’m reading Robert Alter’s translation. When doing audio, I’m using NIV Live. When I reach the New Testament, I’ll use the NIV Sola Scriptura reading order (reading Luke with Paul’s letters, then Matthew with Hebrews and James, then Mark with 1-2 Peter and Jude, then John with 1-3 John and Revelation).

One benefit of reading this much Bible is getting the big picture of the whole story in a brief period of time. So in the first eight days, I covered Genesis through 2 Kings (minus Ruth, which is part of the “Writings,” the third part of the Hebrew canon). In just about a week, I went from creation to covenant, and through kingship to exile. What a ride! While the post-exilic narratives will come later in the “Writings,” I’ve been able to make my way through almost the complete story of Israel.

The promises and curses of Deuteronomy were still fresh by the time I saw the people kicked out of the land for their idolatry. The blessing on Abraham still rings in my mind, even as the nation has now forfeited it. The time of the judges was a blur and blemish; David’s rise and fall were incredibly engaging; the Law was tough going, but the main ideas—love for God and for neighbor—remained clear.

I’m having a great time. I love setting everything else aside for these few weeks, and dedicating most of my spare moments to this immersion in God’s glorious word.

Now I’ve entered the “latter prophets” (the books we typically consider as “prophets”), and I’ll have about a week of dark polemic. But what I appreciate about the Hebrew order of books is that the prophets won’t be the last section of the Old Testament. After this, I’ll hit the “Writings,” which will be more hopeful and encouraging: the wisdom of Psalms, Proverbs, Job Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs; along with the character studies of Ruth, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles.

Finally, I’ll move into the last week or so basking in the sunrise of the New Testament, in the four tracks I mentioned above.

In a typically gloomy time of year in my part of the world, I’m having quite a trip in the story of God’s kingdom grace. It’s not too late for you. Would you like to give it a try?

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Why is Matthew’s Quotation of Micah Different from Micah?

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In the video below, John Piper offers some fascinating insight into how to think about Old Testament quotations in the New Testament. In Matthew 2, King Herod asks the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah is to be born. They respond by quoting Micah 5:2 … sort of.

Piper takes a close look at the text of Micah 5:2 and the quotation of it in Matthew 2:6. He carefully observes all the differences between the two passages, and he asks interpretive questions, such as “Why is this part different?” and “Why is that part different?”

He then proceeds to answer his interpretive questions from the literary context of the rest of Matthew’s gospel, and he comes up with a surprising answer. Piper himself acknowledges that you won’t find this answer in any commentary. But as you examine the Scripture for yourself, do you find his answer plausible?

Check it out!

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Quoting Scripture Contrary to Its Purpose is Devilish

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Temptation of Christ (1663), Philips Augustijn Immenraet, public domain

Have you ever tried to hammer a nail with a hand saw? When was the last time you flipped a pancake with a whisk?

Using tools or utensils for unintended purposes just doesn’t work.

Context Matters

When it comes to the Bible, proper usage is even more important, because we are dealing with God’s word.

We have devoted many articles on this blog to the importance of context in the Bible. We have called attention to numerous examples of the proper use of Scripture, respecting the location of phrases and verses within paragraphs, chapters, and books.

But we can learn through both positive and negative examples. So today, we’ll look at a Bible quotation used out of context. And we won’t just look at any example, we’ll look in the Bible itself at an example of the misuse of Scripture.

The Temptation of Jesus

After Jesus is baptized, he is led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Jesus rebuffs Satan’s three-part temptation by quoting the Bible at each turn. (This narrative is found in both Matthew 4:1–11 and Luke 4:1–13. I’ll use Matthew’s version.)

This section of Scripture is often used to illustrate the value of knowing the Bible. Memorizing God’s word is a mighty tool in resisting temptation. This is all very good.

But in one of Satan’s temptations, he quotes the Bible, and that is worth exploring.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”(Matthew 4:5–6)

The devil cites Psalm 91:11–12 and, taken as quoted, the verses are compelling. God seems to promise protection in angelic form, without a qualification in sight. If we stick to Satan’s words, his case is persuasive.

Exploring Psalm 91

Jesus’s reply to the devil is simple, coming straight from Deuteronomy 6:16.

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7)

How exactly is what Satan offers a test of God?

Instead of a blanket promise of safety, Psalm 91 is about God’s protection for those who seek their shelter in him. This thread runs throughout the psalm.

  • It is he who “dwells in the shelter of the Most High” that will “abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
  • The psalmist replies to this promise by calling God “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2).
  • The psalmist says that “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place,” “no evil shall be allowed to befall you” (Psalm 91:9–10, emphasis mine).
  • God says, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name” (Psalm 91:14).
  • Finally, this “holding fast” to God takes a specific form: “When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him” (Psalm 91:15).

Psalm 91 does not offer a safety net to rescue everyone from the consequences of reckless behavior. Rather, God promises his protection to those who make him their dwelling place. To those who call to him. To those who hold fast to him in love.

Consider the Text

In the title of this article, I claim that the quoting of Scripture contrary to its purpose is devilish. I mean, very simply, that this is a tactic of the devil.

Not everyone who quotes Scripture in this way is evil or is possessed by a demon. But we should be sobered as we observe this strategy. The Bible can be used as a tool to accomplish evil purposes. The words of God are not a magical incantation of righteousness.

This understanding should affect the way we listen to sermons, digest proof texts, and read theological arguments. Let’s give ourselves to a careful study of the Bible, that we might recognize and avoid this devilish error.

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Context Matters: Abstain from All Appearance of Evil

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Perhaps you’ve heard the injunction to avoid the appearance of evil. You won’t find the phrase in most modern English Bibles, as it’s a holdover from the King James translation of 1 Thessalonians 5:22. The ESV commands us to “abstain from every form of evil,” and the CSB simplifies it further to “stay away from every kind of evil” (1 Thess 5:22, CSB). This verse could be called upon to support just about any set of personal prohibitions, including interacting with someone of the opposite sex, dining at a tavern, choosing one’s friends, and forming political alliances, to name a few.

But is that what the Apostle Paul had in mind?

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled proverbial sayings—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.

A Study in Contrasts

When we read the verse in context, we ought to observe that it makes up the second half of a contrast:

“Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”

1 Thess 5:21b-22

So the staying away from every kind of evil is a companion to the holding on to what is good. The “evil” in view here is the opposite to the “good” that is likewise in view. We are to “hold on to” the one and “stay away from” the other.

What further clues can we find to help us understand precisely what sort of “good” and “evil” Paul has in mind?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

A More Foundational Contrast

Moving back just slightly farther, we find another contrast. This one is more concrete.

“Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things.”

1 Thess 5:19-21a

This one is a little more complex, but still poses no problem for the astute observer. Here we have two things not to do: Don’t stifle the Spirit or despise prophecies. And one thing to do: Test all things.

We ought to see how “stifling the Spirit” is parallel to “despising prophecies.” So the spiritual stifling Paul has in mind is the despising of prophecies. And because the entire paragraph is about church life (1 Thess 5:12-22), it doesn’t seem likely that Paul is describing enscripturated (written) prophecies, but the verbal prophecies being made in the course of ancient Thessalonian church life.

And how does Paul want people to express their dependence on the Spirit? How can they show their regard for those verbal prophecies? Is it by shutting off their minds and swallowing wholesale whatever is spoken in the name of the Spirit?

No: “Test all things,” he commands. The church will express its dependence on the Spirit of God, and its high regard for prophecies, by testing them all. By examining them in light of the enscripturated Word. By evaluating their consistency with the rest of God’s revelation. By making distinctions between true and false prophets, true and false prophecies, things to be heeded and things to be discarded.

The Punch Line

And upon such evaluation of the prophecies made in the church, the people are commanded to “hold on to what is good” and “stay away from every kind of evil.”

So the contrast between “good” and “evil” follows directly from the “testing” of the prophecy. Not every prophecy is legitimate. Not every claim to speak on behalf of God’s Spirit is to be taken seriously. Each of them must be tested.

And those that prove to be “good” are to be held on to. Those that show themselves to be any “kind of evil” are to be stayed away from.

Conclusion

Paul’s command here is similar to Jesus’ instruction to “be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit” (Matt 7:15-16a).

We’ve been given an objective set of criteria by which to distinguish between true and false prophecy. We ought to cling to the first while staying away from the second. Jesus and Paul are in harmony on this matter.

And “abstain from all appearance of evil” has very little to do with how other people perceive your behavior in any given situation. It has more to do with whom we listen to and whose instruction we choose to heed. Stay away from those prophets and prophecies who are not in line with that which is good, right, and true.

Context matters.

Thanks to Daniel Tomlinson for the idea for this post. Click here for more examples showing why context matters.

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3 Reasons to Study Bible Genealogies with Kids

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Nana Dolce makes some wonderful points about difficult parts of the Bible. If we skip these “boring” parts of the Bible, we train our children to doubt our instruction regarding inspiration, coherence, and redemption. Genealogies give us great opportunity to reinforce these things, because:

  1. Genealogies are inspired.
  2. Genealogies spotlight the big story.
  3. Genealogies showcase redemption.

Check it out!

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Top 10 Posts of 2019

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San Churchill (2007), Creative Commons

It’s hip and cool for bloggers to post their top 10 posts of the year. And we want to be hip and cool. Our hearts tell us to do it, and the Bible says to “walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes” (Eccl 11:9). So here goes.

Last week, we gave you the top 10 posts from those written in 2019. Now, we list the top 10 posts from the full KW archive. If lots of other people are reading these posts, you probably should be, too.

This year’s Top 10 has 3 new posts that haven’t been “top 10” before. Only one of those was written this year; the other two from the archive saw a surge in pageviews.

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

This post was #1 on last week’s list (most viewed posts that were published in 2019), but comes in at #10 overall. Yet it was only the second most-viewed “context matters” post (see slot #7 below).

9. 4 Bible Studies for Advent

Last year, the big hit was Ryan’s 4 Bible studies for Lent. But this year, folks seemed more interested in his Bible studies for advent. Advent is a great time to study the Bible, and here are four 4-week studies you could consider for that season.

8. 10 OT Books Never Quoted in the NT

This post was #7 on last year’s list, and #4 the year before that. It’s only one part of a six-part series analyzing every NT citation of an OT text. It’s interesting that one of the most popular posts in that series is about the OT books that never get a direct quotation.

7. Context Matters: A Bruised Reed

This was the most-viewed “context matters” post on the blog this year. It didn’t see much traffic in 2018 (it did not make the top 10 list) but seemed to pick up more interest this year. 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.

6. Top 10 OT Books Quoted in NT

This post moves up from #8 last year, but was #5 in 2017. So it’s still hovering in about the same place. 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. How to Recognize Sowers of Discord

Moving up from the #9 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.

4. Details of the OIA Method

The top 4 slots remain unchanged from last year and are still going strong. We put this one into the top menu so people could find it easily. It pretty much explains why this blog exists, so we’re glad it gets a lot of pageviews.

3. Summary of the OIA Method

See the previous post, unless you want less of a detailed explanation and more of a summary. Then see this post instead.

2. 10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality

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

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 held the #1 slot for two years running. And the competition is not even close. The #2 post was viewed about 16,000 times, and this one was viewed more than 24,000 times.

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Lessons from a Genealogy

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Merry Christmas! As you reflect on the birth of our Lord Jesus, consider what lessons Jesse Johnson would have us take from Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1:

This then is the advent hope found in a genealogy: that the savior will be born in an unusual circumstances, that he will be the savior of sinners who respond to him in faith, and that this message will go to the world.

Check it out!

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Top 10 Posts of 2019—Written in 2019

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Many bloggers take advantage of this time of the year to reflect on their most popular posts. Now we know there is a time to follow the crowd (Zech 8:23), and a time not to follow the crowd (Ex 23:2). And I believe the present time to be akin to the former and not the latter. So here we go.

This post lists the top 10 viewed posts this year, from among the posts we wrote this year. Next week, we’ll list the top 10 viewed posts from the full KW archive. May these lists enable you to be warm and well fed while you celebrate the season with joy and delight.

10. Did Jesus’ Ministry Last 3 Years?

This post asks the question posed in the title. And while Jesus’ ministry could have had a duration of 3 years, it is far from certain in light of the biblical data. “The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how many years Jesus spent with his disciples, going about doing good and healing. So we ought not to casually assert a three-year timeline as though it were self-evident.”

9. Bible Study Leaders Should Not Have All the Answers

Claiming to have (or attempting to have) all the answers is bad for both the group and the leader. Beware the guru. Resist becoming a crutch to your people. Let them learn to ride this bike of Bible study.

8. Context Matters: I Never Knew You; Depart from Me

When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of isolated quotes or arbitrary threats—we’ll find that some of our most familiar sayings have more nuance or qualification than we typically assume. This year, we sought to address many Bible verses that are often used or quoted in isolation from their context. The results of careful, contextual study often astound. See here for many more examples.

7. New and Old Garments

All three synoptic gospels mention Jesus’ parable of the new and old garments. This year was the first time, however, that I noticed that Luke’s version says something quite different than Matthew’s or Mark’s. I wrote this post to give an example of the necessity and difficulty of overcoming ignorant familiarity to really observe what’s there.

6. Three Approaches to Ecclesiastes

Just as you’d expect, this post describes three quite different approaches to the book of Ecclesiastes. Your approach might depend on how you’ve heard others teach the book. But which approach (if any) seems most likely when you observe the text itself?

5. What does “Meaningless / Vanity / Futility” Mean in Ecclesiastes?

This post followed up on #4, and ended up being viewed just a shade more times. The approach you take toward the book of Ecclesiastes is closely connected to how you understand the word translated as “meaningless,” “vanity,” or “futility.”

4. Did Jesus Walk Through Walls?

He certainly could have. But the Scripture nowhere says he did. Why does it matter? “Simply the fact that traditions snowball over time, with the end result of making void the Word of God (Mark 7:13). In this case, the tradition has led many to speculate on the physical properties of either the resurrection body or the new heavens and the new earth. This can lead many to make too sharp a division between the “natural” and the “spiritual”—and then we use those adjectives more like Plato than like Paul, which promotes unbiblical asceticism (Col 2:20-23), among other things.” You can see more on the topic, including what some ancient commentators had to say, here.

3. Why was Baby Jesus Laid in a Manger?

Though published only a week ago, this post skyrocketed to the #3 slot on this list. Maybe for some reason, people are thinking about the Christmas story this time of year? Of course, an a la carte link from Tim Challies really helps as well. Just keep in mind that the way Luke would answer this question might not be the same way you and I would want to answer it.

2. A Sermon Notes Sheet for Young Children

There is a huge jump in traffic from post #3 to this post (from about 5,000 views to 10,000 views). And for good reason. This sermon notes sheet created by my co-blogger Ryan is fantastic. My own children use it every week, to great profit. Perhaps yours would benefit from it as well. And here is Ryan’s sermon notes sheet for older children. Please take them and revise them to make them work for you and your kids! It’s a noble task to train your children to listen to the sermon.

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

And just eking past the children’s sermon notes sheet for the #1 slot is our most popular “context matters” post of the year. Yes, God promises to give you the desires of your heart. But only when your heart is delighting in Him. The promise is a promise of more of Himself. The best thing He could possibly offer.

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