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3 Tips for Healthy Correlation, Part 2

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Yesterday, I gave the first tip for healthy correlation. Here are the last two.

2. Don’t just harmonize; rather illuminateilluminate

In former generations, it was all the rage in Bible circles to harmonize parallel passages. A teacher would take a story like the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6, and he’d “re-write” the story using details from all four accounts. Then he’d preach or comment on the harmonized text, and not on any one of the original texts.

If you like old commentaries, you know what I mean. John Calvin didn’t write any commentaries on Matthew, Mark, or Luke. He just wrote one commentary on the “Harmony of the Gospels” and another one on John.

Unfortunately, this approach misses the fact that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all had different points to make, even when recounting the same event. This goes for Samuel, Kings and Chronicles as well. And Kings and Isaiah. And Leviticus and Deuteronomy, for that matter (with respect to laws, not events).

Here’s what’s good, though: sometimes other passages can help to illuminate the passage under study. For example, Genesis 15:7-21 doesn’t make a lot of sense to modern readers without help from Jeremiah 34:18-20. Ancient readers were familiar with the ritual; we are not.

3. Don’t connect words; connect ideas

Word studies are even more popular than donuts and coffee when it comes to Bible study. With the advent of internet search engines it’s easier than ever to look up every instance of a particular word or phrase and string them together.

The problem is that a word’s meaning isn’t in the word itself but in its use in the sentence. For example, what does the word “mean” mean? Does it have to do with defining something? Or is it a person with a bad temper? Or is it the average of a set of numbers? Or a lack of some sort? Or is it just hip slang for “great,” as in “she cooks a mean casserole.”

We can know the answer only when we see the word in context.

I just Googled the phrase “run for the border.” In the top 7 hits I got a seedy hotel, a marathon, a 3.5-mile race, a “Mexican” fast-food restaurant, a hedgehog in a sweater, a country music album, and a book about immigration control. Now if I did a “word study” that combined all these uses into one unified meaning, I could probably make some big bucks off it.

Word-connections can be very helpful when it comes to people or place names (for example, if you’re reading Philippians, you might search for “Philippi” to get more background on it from Acts). But for general vocabulary? Not so good.

Here’s a better way forward. Study each passage in context and grasp its main point. Then look for other passages that address a similar topic or idea. Then connect them to get a full picture of the idea.

As you correlate, correlate well. And build your understanding of God’s Knowable Word. As you do, you’ll grow closer to the Lord himself, day after day after day, world without end, amen.

3 Tips for Healthy Correlation, Part 1

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Correlation is the process of connecting Bible passages into a systematic theology or worldview.  Correlation could also be described as topical (some might say “deductive”) Bible study.

surfingCorrelation is not the same thing as cross-referencing.  Cross-referencing is what we do when we surf the Bible as though it were YouTube.  We read one passage, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, world without end, amen.

Unfortunately, cross-referencing rarely produces much insight into any of the texts.  It certainly takes a lot of time, which produces some satisfaction.  But it doesn’t help us to know God.  It’s like speed-dating, giving the impression of activity without much intimacy.

How do we correlate effectively while avoiding the dangers of unhelpful cross-referencing?

1.  Don’t correlate too soon; understand each passage first

When I study the Bible, and I feel stuck (the meaning isn’t coming to me as quickly or intuitively as I’d prefer), it’s easy to stare at that center column in my Bible and start flipping.  But I’m in danger of making an unhelpful connection.

When I feel stuck, the answer is usually to go back and observe better.  Or to think of a few more questions.  By all means, I should have a guess at the main point before I attempt any connections to other passages.

For example, one of my study Bibles has a cross-reference on Luke 2:1 that takes me to Matthew 24:14.  So there’s a connection between “the entire Roman world” in Luke 2:1, NIV and “this gospel will be preached in the whole world” in Matt 24:14, NIV.  Perhaps that means that Matthew is talking only of Rome?  Or is Luke showing us how Jesus paves the way for the kingdom to expand?

None of these questions are necessarily bad or incorrect, but they will take us away from what Matthew and Luke want to communicate.  Let’s not get distracted.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the other two tips.

Correlation: Understanding the Whole Bible

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The Bible consists of 66 different books, written by dozens of people across millennia.

The Bible is one book, written by one author (God the Holy Spirit), conceived in eternity and executed in history.

Both statements are true.  In the Bible, unity and diversity co-exist, just like in the Trinity and in the Church.  So we must be fair to both.

When we talk about OIA Bible study (Observation, Interpretation, Application), we focus primarily on the diversity of Scripture.  Each author of each passage has a unique point to make.  We read each text in its context to figure out its main point, connect it to Jesus, and draw applications for today.  We’ll get something different out of each passage.  Different cultures and different generations will draw different applications from the same main points.  That’s okay; in fact it’s beautiful when we see God’s Knowable Word connecting with any person in any culture at any time.

putting_it_all_togetherIt’s important, however, not to neglect the unity of the Scripture.  God the Holy Spirit spoke through each of those different authors.  He strategically unravelled the stories and the laws and the poems and the letters in just the right way to reveal the Lord Jesus to the world.

After studying a passage of Scripture, it’s important that we connect what we learned to the rest of Scripture.  We call this process Correlation.

For example, Luke 2 teaches about God’s plan to rescue the lowly and rule them graciously through the birth of his Son.  But it’s not the only passage that speaks of his rescue or rule.  It’s not the only passage that speaks of Jesus’ humanity.  In fact, if we treat Luke 2 as though it has the whole truth about Jesus’ embodiment, we’ll come away with a pretty thin perspective.

We’d miss the fact that God wants to be with us (Matt 1:21-23).  We’d miss out on the beautiful imagery of God’s residence in the temple: God’s altar, light, water, bread, incense, and private chamber (Exodus 25-40).  We’d miss the point that Jesus’ humble birth prepares him for his gruesome death (John 12:27).  We’d think that imaging him simply means going to be where people are; we’d miss the corresponding need to call them away from what they’re doing (Mark 1:16-20).

Stephen understood Correlation when he spoke to the Jewish rulers in Acts 7.  He didn’t focus on a single Bible passage, but he connected them all together to show how the religious have always rejected the godly.

The author of Hebrews understood Correlation when he wrote of the intricate connections between priest, temple, and sacrifice – and how the whole system finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

John understood Correlation when he wrote his climactic book of signs (we call it Revelation).  He pulled together all the imagery of the Bible into one dense letter written to encourage persecuted believers in the Roman province of Asia.  John was so skilled at smooth Correlation that many people miss it today.  We tend to read Revelation with internet newspapers as our reference guides, and not in light of the other 65 books of the Bible, as John intended (Rev 1:1-3).

In short, Correlation is the process of constructing a systematic theology from the Scripture.  We shouldn’t pit one passage against another.  Rather, we work to understand how they fit together.  As we do so, we get to know the Lord who made himself known in the Scripture.

My Application

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"Making Pottery" by Lennart Tange (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Lennart Tange (2012), Creative Commons

Bible study profits you nothing unless it changes your life by pointing you to Jesus and conforming you to his image.  On this blog, we seek to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible.  We want you to be like Jesus and to love him more.

To that end, here’s one final post on the topic of application.  I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned through my study of Luke 2.  I don’t do this to communicate that my applications are in any way perfect.  I do this merely to give you an example of what it looks like to “fill in the boxes” of application.  You may want to consult the worksheet as you read this post to help you see what it could look like to fill it in.

Peter Krol’s application of LUKE 2:1-21

Main Point: God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.

Inward Application: The general idea is that I’m struggling to spend time with my children these days.  God has put a lot on my plate, and I’m tempted to let family time be the first thing to fall off my plate.  But they are some of the “lowly ones” in my life whom I’m called to care for.

  1. HEAD: I must reject the lie that I have better things to do than play catch, practice memory verses, or wipe little butts.  Jesus stooped down to rescue me; he wants me to do the same for the lowly ones in my family.
  2. HANDS: I will block out my daily schedule from 5-7pm for family time.  I won’t expect to have any “personal time” until the children are in bed.  In the next week, I will ask them to do stuff with me more times than they ask me to do stuff with them.
  3. HEART: I will put off selfishness and put on humility.  I will think of my children more than myself.  When a child asks me to play a game, I will think about how the Lord Jesus responds to my requests (HINT: he doesn’t make excuses to avoid having to answer me).  I will ask the Lord for help to be cheerful when my plan doesn’t work out.  I’ll exercise self-control when I feel disappointed or tired.

Outward Application:  There’s a guy I disciple who struggles with putting himself in other people’s shoes (in contrast to Jesus, who took on our nature so he could save us).  He gets stuck in his own perspective, and he loses influence with people when they feel misunderstood or ignored.  This passage can help me to help him.

  1. HEAD: I can point out specific situations where I see people either gaining or losing trust with this person (usually I’m too lazy to take note of specific instances).  I can help him to connect the dots between his actions and the consequences of those actions (increased or decreased trust).  We can celebrate the victories, and look to Jesus in the failures.
  2. HANDS: As we discuss specific situations, I can ask “what went well, and what could you have done differently?”  We can practice listening and conversation skills to help them become more natural.
  3. HEART: Next time we meet, I’ll ask him to label the issues with biblical terms (learning to be quick to listen and slow to speak, learning kindness and tenderheartedness, not thinking of himself too highly).  As the issues come to light, we’ll consider how Jesus lowered himself for our sake, and I’ll ask what desires keep him from doing the same.  In other words, why does he love his own perspective so much?  What does it give him that makes it so hard to give it up?

What do you think?  Was I specific enough?  Did I remember Jesus?

Be Specific in Your Application

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hidingBible study is perfect for people like me who fear exposure.  We who love to mince words and divert attention feel right at home in some churches because it’s easy to deceive spiritual people with high-minded platitudes.

“How are you today?”  “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”

“What did you think of the sermon?”  “It was pretty good.  I like the pastor.  He’s easy to listen to.”

“How would you like to grow this year?”  “I don’t pray enough.  I need to pray more.”

“I need to love my family.”

“I’d like to be a witness to my coworkers.”

And on and on and on.

We hear God’s Word all the time, but we often respond so generally that we rarely change.  But God wants to change specific people in specific ways.  So we must be specific in our application.

The Apostle John wrote a letter to churches infiltrated by false teachers.  These teachers were slick.  They were full of vague platitudes like “We know God” and “We love God’s people,” but something was seriously wrong beneath the surface.  True believers were second-guessing themselves and their assurance of eternal life because these teachers claimed to have critical inside knowledge unavailable to the masses.

John tackles the issue head-on at the beginning of the letter:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8, ESV).

In other words, anyone who refuses to acknowledge that he is a sinner is utterly deceived.  There is no fast-track with God that can eliminate sin this side of glory.  Anyone who claims otherwise does not live in reality.

But notice which error John exposes next:

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10).

In other words, when confronted with a specific sin, anyone who covers it up, shifts the blame, or denies it calls God a liar.  This person does not understand God’s Word.

What is the point?

John says that those who understand God’s Knowable Word will acknowledge two things:

  1. They have sin (as a general fact)
  2. They have sinned (in specific instances)

It’s not enough to trust in Christ to forgive your sin, if you are not willing to ‘fess up to the details.

This means that our application of Scripture must be specific.  Platitudes aren’t enough.  General principles will go only so far.

Skull detailsWhat does it mean to apply the Bible specifically?

  1. Point your finger at yourself before you point it at anybody else.  You’re not qualified to help others grow in Christ unless you are growing in Christ yourself.
  2. Focus on your heart more than on your behavior.  Don’t apply the Bible shallowly.  Figure out what you desire or believe, and work to change those desires and beliefs.  Don’t worry, your behavior will follow.
  3. Know your next steps.  Don’t be satisfied with your application until you’ve identified specific steps you can take to address the issue.  When you close the Bible and walk away, what will you do to put the application into practice?  How will you remember these lessons in the midst of temptation?
  4. Make progress measurable.  How will you know if you did the application or not?  “Pray more” is not measurable.  Next week, can I ask you if you prayed more?  Prayed more than what?  How?  When?
  5. Put off and put on.  Think of application as a process of stopping certain things and starting other things.  Put off the old self and put on the new self.  Don’t focus on stopping sin without actually replacing it with godliness.
  6. Don’t be lame.  It’s easy for application to become mechanical or to miss the point (“tomorrow I’ll set my alarm 10 minutes early and pray…”).  Ask others who know you, “what do you think I most need to grow in?”  Target those areas.  Don’t miss the point of what God wants to do in your life by focusing on irrelevant minutiae.

God’s Knowable Word is a piercing Word.  It rips us apart and puts us back together.  It identifies exactly what is wrong with the world: me and you.  It shows us the solution: Jesus.  It gives us hope that we can break the patterns of brokenness and replace them with more life-giving options.  Let it speak to the details of your life (Heb 4:12-13).

How to Apply the Bible: Summary

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A few weeks ago I promised that anyone could learn how to apply the Bible to life.  Since then, I’ve given a several categories to help flex your application muscles.  Today I’d like to pull it all together.

We can apply the Bible in 2 directions and to 3 spheres.  Think of these things as a matrix, with the spheres (head, heart, hands) down the left side and the directions (inward, outward) across the top.  Here’s a worksheet to help you visualize it.

When you sit down to study the Bible, and you feel stuck in application, use this worksheet to help.  Just write a few ideas in each box, and see if you can fill all six.

Here are some tips to help you do so:

  1. Don’t fall into the trap of too much self-centered living.  Push your application outward, and consider how you can be more effective at influencing others to know Christ.
  2. Don’t fall into the trap of overly theological application (too much focus on your head).  God cares about what you think and believe, but he also cares about your character and obedience.
  3. Don’t fall into the trap of overly ethical application (too much focus on your hands).  God cares about what you do, but he also cares about your thinking and character.
  4. Don’t fall into the trap of overly pietistic application (too much focus on your heart).  God cares about who you are, but it should flow out to your thinking and obedience as well.

Finally, here are some positive suggestions:

  1. Remember Jesus Christ,risen from the dead (2 Tim 2:8).  Your application will fall to pieces if it’s about you and your strength to produce change.  Only the resurrection power of Jesus, put within you by his Holy Spirit, can make any difference in your life.
  2. Get specific.  Your application will flutter about in the wind of life if you don’t nail down details.  Don’t settle for broad principles; make concrete action steps.

I’ll expand on these last two tips in the next few weeks.

Apply the Bible to Your Heart

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"Lego Hearts" by Bill Ward (2009), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Bill Ward (2009), Creative Commons

It’s possible to apply the Bible vigorously to your head and hands and still not end up in the right place.  Just look at how many (ungodly) theologians and legalists abound in our day, and you’ll see what I mean.

So we must not miss the third sphere of application: the Heart.

In calling us to change, God’s ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29).  That’s a fancy way of saying he wants us to be like him.

It’s not enough to believe the truth.  Unless you put it into practice, you remain only “not far from [but not yet in] the Kingdom of God” (Mark 12:32-34, ESV).

It’s not enough to do good things.  Unless you become a new person, your obedience remains filthy and worthless.  “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal 6:15).

Therefore, as you seek to apply the Bible to your life, you ought always ask the question: “what kind of person does God want me to be?”

You can tackle this question in a few different ways:

  1. What do you desire or value, and what should you desire or value instead?
  2. What ungodly character traits should you turn from, and what Christ-like character traits can you imitate instead?
  3. How might you be relying on your performance, and how can you rely more on Christ’s performance?
  4. What are your greatest hopes?  Is your bucket list too small compared to the Lord’s bucket list for you?
  5. Are the kind of person others should imitate?  Why or why not, and what will you do about it?

Let’s practice once again with Luke 2:21.  We’ve stated the main point as: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”  In light of that point, what sort of people ought we, who have hoped in Christ, to be?

Some inward Heart applications might be:

  • I ought to live more for the God’s glory than my glory.
  • I don’t need to get defensive about… (whatever someone tried to confront me on).  It’s okay if my weakness is exposed.  I need to grow at being more approachable.
  • I can be honest about my struggles with my friends, spouse, church family and children.
  • I must not look down on others for any reason.  If God can save me, he can save anybody.
  • I should love non-Christians and desire their salvation.  Why do I struggle with this?

Some outward Heart applications might be:

  • I should speak of God’s glory often, and call others to do the same.
  • I’ll figure out why I’m ashamed to speak of Jesus in public.  What do I value more than his glory?
  • As I mentor younger Christians, I need to ask better questions to uncover what they value and desire in their sin struggles.  Then I can help point them to the cross so they can repent and be made new.
  • My children have a greater need to learn teachability than to learn any particular skill or behavior.  Am I modeling such teachability as a parent and calling the children to imitate me?
  • Since Jesus didn’t hide from his conflict with me, I will not run away from conflict with others.  I will pursue it with grace, intending real reconciliation.

What other Heart applications from Luke 2 can you think of?

Apply the Bible to Your Hands

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"Hands" by John Lambert Pearson (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

John Lambert Pearson (2007), Creative Commons

Christians should be at the top of every field.  They should be the best performers in the workplace.  They should be the most productive citizens.  They should be the most delightful neighbors and the most trustworthy companions.

But so often they’re not.  Outsiders often see them as lazy, condescending, irritable, and ignorant.

Why?  We’ve been bought with a price, and now get to honor God with our bodies (1 Cor 6:20).  We have a new Master, and we work for him – not for any human supervisors (Col 3:23-24).  Jesus plans to make all things new (Rev 21:5); surely this includes not only spiritual improvement but also technology, culture, the arts, and education.

Here’s the thing, though.  People don’t become Christians because they’re particularly useful to God or exemplary in some skill.  They’re not the sharpest knives in the drawer, nor the tops of their classes.  They’re not the most beautiful, engaging, or selfless people on the planet.  That’s why Christ died for them (1 Cor 1:26-30).

So there’s a reason Christians will never naturally gravitate to the upper levels of society in any generation.

But Jesus is in the business of making the unlovely lovely.  He takes the weak and infuses them with his strength.  He makes the poor rich in him, and he makes the ignorant wise in him.

In short, Jesus is taking over the world.  If you follow him, he’ll shape you into something useful.  He guarantees you a part in the drama.  You’re an executive in his company.

This means that your application of the Bible must hit your hands.  It must equip you in skills you didn’t think you could acquire.  The Bible will instruct you and train you in fresh ways, so you can become a skilled laborer for the kingdom of God.  This is the second sphere of application.

What does it look like to apply the Bible to your hands?  How does one develop new skills?

Let’s practice by using the main point of Luke 2:1-21: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”

Some inward Hand applications might be:

  • I should freely acknowledge those areas of life where I am weak and unskilled (lowly).
  • I can speak about these issues often, requesting advice so I can improve.
  • I should praise God explicitly when I succeed.
  • I should praise God explicitly when I fail.
  • I ought to think and speak about Jesus, his saving work, and his gracious rule constantly.
  • I can learn to work Jesus into any conversation, without any hint of arrogance or condescension.  (This is not a matter of gifting.  God commands every Christian to learn this skill.  See Col 4:5-6.)
  • I can hear others out and seek to understand them, even if they don’t hear me out.

Some outward Hand applications might be:

  • I can train younger believers (including my children) in any of the items listed above.
  • I can encourage any and all progress I see.
  • I should graciously rebuke those who follow Christ, but who aren’t making any improvements in their lives (those who aren’t submitting to his gracious rule).
  • Whenever I learn a new skill, I should look for someone else to teach it to so God’s glory can keep spreading virally.

As you apply the Bible to your life, don’t stop with thinking true thoughts.  Make sure you continue to apply the Gospel by doing good things (Gal 6:9-10).

What other Hand applications from Luke 2 can you think of?

Apply the Bible to Your Head

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"Head" by Tinou Bao (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Tinou Bao (2006), Creative Commons

Gobs of Christians – myself included – do dumb things.  We say dumb things and execute dumb decisions.

Every time I talk to someone who was offended by a hurtful, idiotic comment delivered in the name of Jesus, I feel like writing an official instruction manual for Christian growth.  It would go something like this:

Take Bible.  Read it; study it.  Apply with force to head.

The first sphere of application is the Head.  It’s critical in our day that we get this.  Knowing God through his Word will change your thinking.

Consider 1 Timothy 4:16, where Paul urged Timothy to keep a close watch on himself and on his teaching, for by so doing he would save both himself and his hearers.

Consider Ephesians 4:22-24, where Paul describes Christian growth as a 3-step process:

  1. Put off your old self.
  2. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
  3. Put on your new self.

Consider Romans 12:2, where transformation takes place when a Christian renews his mind.

Consider Matthew 22:46, where Jesus was so freaking smart that his opponents couldn’t muster the courage to ask any more sneaky questions.

But how, you ask, does one do this?

In our sin, we replace the truth of God with a lie (Rom 1:25).  Therefore, repentance involves doing the opposite.

Therefore, three steps will enable you to apply the Bible to your thinking.

  1. First, identify what you think.
  2. Second, identify what God wants you to think instead.
  3. Third, begin thinking the new thoughts.

For example, how might you apply the main point of Luke 2:1-21 (“God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”) to your head?

  • I usually think I have to perform adequately before Jesus will take notice of me.  I ought to think more of his glorious rescue than my performance.
  • I usually think that it’s a bad thing for my weakness to be exposed.  Actually, it can be a very good thing.
  • I usually think I must have my act together in order to lead others.  It’s more important for them to see me trusting Jesus and giving him glory.

And don’t forget to take your application outward as well:

  • Do I express favor or disappointment toward others based only on their performance?  Or do I believe that, although God requires perfection, he provided it in Christ?
  • There are people in my life that I believe deep down are beyond salvation.  I must repent of such unbelief and act toward them out of a true faith in God’s mighty working through the lowly.
  • I generally think of myself as “not a people person,” “not gifted at evangelism,” or “witnessing to Christ through my example.”  Really, I am in love with my comfort and reputation.  I must learn to think of myself as “ambassador,” “witness,” or “mouthpiece” of the Lord Jesus.

What other Head applications can you think of from Luke 2?