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Do You Interpret the Bible Literally?

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When helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible, the question is inevitable:

Do you interpret the Bible literally?

This is a hard question to answer, and Justin Taylor explains why. He taps into some insight from Vern Poythress—who, coincidentally, endorsed Knowable Word—to list 5 different ways one could interpret a passage “literally.”

  1. Determining the meaning of the words in isolation.
  2. Accepting obvious and explicit figures of speech, but taking a literal meaning if possible.
  3. Discerning the meaning intended by the original author.
  4. Reading the text as if it were written directly to us.
  5. Discounting any possible figurative use of language.

It’s not easy to answer the question of whether we interpret the Bible literally without knowing what the questioner is actually asking. Because of this complexity, Justin Taylor would like to do away with the word literally in discussions about the Bible. What do you think?

Check it out!

What Did It Mean to Them?

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Last week, Tim Challies reflected on the “One Indispensable Rule” that must guide our interpretation and application of Scripture.

Proper understanding and interpretation is dependent on one indispensable rule: Before you ask, “What does it mean to us now?”, ask “What did it mean to them then?” In other words, before you attempt to apply the Bible to your life and circumstances, anchor it in the lives and circumstances of its original recipients. Application must be related to meaning.

Challies gives an example of a common error. In our efforts to get practical, we read verses apart from their context and arrive at applications the original audience never would have known. Sometimes our applications might still be good, but false teachers can use the same methodology to promote evil ends. It’s worth it to learn to read the Scriptures well!

Challies’s short article is well worth reading. Check it out!

Did Jesus Offend the Canaanite Woman?

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In Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus responds to a needy woman in a manner most of us would consider offensive. He ignores her. He calls her a dog. He denies her request for healing.

How are we to understand Jesus’ words?

At the Gospel Coalition, Jimmy Agan has an excellent article addressing this question and more. Agan models good observation of the text, tracing the flow of thought from one episode to the next, considering the context, and answering interpretive questions from the text.

Check it out!

Ask Good Interpretive Questions

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This is a guest post by Ryan Higginbottom, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA. When he’s not solving differential equations or blogging at A Small Work, he loves spending time with his wife and two daughters. He also leads a small group Bible study for his church. If you’d like to write a guest post for Knowable Word, please see the guidelines page.

But who do you say that I am? (Luke 9:20, ESV)

This piercing question follows a simple observation question (“Who do the crowds say that I am?”). Jesus requires his disciples to consider the popular answers (John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets of old) along with the witness of his teaching and life. Jesus presses them to make sense of their observations.

Eric (2005), Creative Commons

Eric (2005), Creative Commons

Interpretation questions provide an indispensable turning point for small group discussions. Though we must observe well, we must not stop there. Wise leaders challenge people to make sense of observation through vibrant interpretation. Thus, having seen how to ask good observation questions in a small group setting, we are ready to take the next step.

One key idea will help you learn to ask good interpretation questions: Work backwards. Plant your flag on the main point of the passage, review the trail you hiked to get there, and develop questions that will guide your group back to the summit.

Working Backwards

Since the chief goal of interpretation is to identify the author’s main point in the passage, we want to lead our groups to that end. Ideally, we want to be able to state the central theme in a single sentence.

Then it is time to work backwards. Which observations were most significant? Which questions directed me to the main point? Which questions were good but tangential? How does the argument of the passage flow from beginning to end? Which highlights will best serve the group?

Case Study

My small group recently studied Isaiah 25:1-12. I stated the main point of the passage this way:

Praise God, for he will swallow up death, and he gives glimpses of that future reality now.

How did I structure my questions to guide the group toward this idea?

Beginning with the first stanza, Isaiah 25:1–5, I asked observation questions that pointed the group to previous themes in the book—such as the destruction of strong cities—and to repeated words or ideas, like strength (Isaiah 25:2, 3, 4) and the “ruthless” (Isaiah 25:3, 4, 5). I also asked what this stanza teaches about God.

These conversations set us up for the following interpretive questions that led the group to the main point:

  • Why will the strong and ruthless people glorify God? How would such people glorify God? This question prods the group to see God’s victory being so complete that his enemies can do nothing but honor him for his strength. God is such a stronghold for his people that his enemies are in awe.
  • Why does Isaiah 25:5 refer to “the song of the ruthless”? Probably, the ruthless would sing when victorious; if God silences this song, it means he is weakening their military power.
  • Why do the verb tenses keep changing (past, present, future)? This question explores the relationship between what God has done and what he will yet do. Thus, arriving at the chapter’s second stanza (Isaiah 25:6–12), we’ll see the connection between God’s having defeated human enemies and God’s coming defeat of the greatest enemy, death. The “forever” tone of Isaiah 25:2 foreshadows the eradication of death prophesied in Isaiah 25:7-8.

Final Thoughts

Here are some final tips for asking good interpretive questions.

  1. Prepare, but be flexible. By all means, prepare well. Study, pray, and trust God as you prepare notes to guide your leadership of the discussion. But be flexible as well. Multiple paths of observation can lead to the same main point. Remember that you are fallible and others may correct or adjust your interpretations if they can prove it from the text. You may have even missed the passage’s main point and landed on a sub-point! Don’t dismiss unexpected responses. Push your group’s collective noses back into the text, and if they see something you didn’t, be ready to learn and rejoice. This is part of the beauty of studying the Bible in a group.
  2. Ask honest questions. This point is related to the previous one. Make sure that your questions are offered in a spirit of honest inquiry. Do you want to know how your group interprets the passage, or are you just waiting for them to catch up and agree with you? Be curious. Seek the truth. Remember that the Holy Spirit gives understanding in different measures and at different times. When you ask a “What did he mean?” question, be ready to listen for sensible interpretations, not just for confirmation of your own conclusions.
  3. Take one step at a time. Figure out the meaning of one stanza or paragraph and then move on. You don’t have to survey the entire passage before discussing the component pieces. The themes from each paragraph usually swirl together in the same current to bring the main point to shore.
  4. Avoid asking, “What does this mean to you?” Since God’s truth lies in the text and not (naturally) in our hearts, we can extinguish this tricky little flame for good.

What about you? What have you learned about asking good interpretive questions in a small group?

What Board Games Taught Me about Bible Study

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Because my wife and I just returned from our 10th wedding anniversary extravaganza, I don’t have as much time to write as I’d like. I’m just getting caught up after a 3-day celebratory getaway. But a few reflections are in order.

First, the facts. We enjoy board games, and we decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary by playing at least 10 different games (we ended up having time for 12). We took a few pleasant strolls through the woods, we squeezed in some low maintenance meals, and we had a few hours for reading. But we spent most of the time head-to-head, man vs. woman, each exercising their God-given instincts to bring order and dominion to the cosmos. The age-long battle of the sexes was at stake, and neither of us dropped our guard for even a minute.

CavernaSecond, the results. Though I found some small consolation in my closing 3-game win streak, Erin won the series 7-5. Ain’t no flies on her! May the world never accuse me of taking advantage of this extraordinarily precocious woman. I, in fact, could barely keep up.

Third, my conclusions. I must improve my observation skills—paying attention to what will get me points and not just what feels like a good move. My presumption too often hinders my interpretation—I spend too many turns trying to block my wife’s presumed strategy and not enough turns developing my own. And courageous application is sweet—games lose their luster when I spend more time thinking than acting. My chronic analysis paralysis sucks out the fun if I’m not careful.

Observe, interpret, apply: This is the essence of communication. Even board games can offer opportunities to stretch these muscles.

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For those interested in such things, here’s what we played (complete with Amazon affiliate links to help support this blog at no extra cost). If you’re in the market for buckets of fun, every one of these games is fantastic.

 

How to Read Proverbs 10-31 in Light of Proverbs 1-9

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In Proverbs 9, wisdom has built her house and invites you to her feast. Last week, I argued that the house is Proverbs 1-9 and the feast is Proverbs 10-31. In this post, I’ll show you how to read Proverbs in this way.

What to Remember from Proverbs 1-9

Debbi Long (2008), Creative Commons

Debbi Long (2008), Creative Commons

I can’t exhaust in a short list what Solomon took 9 chapters to explain. But I find a few organizing hooks helpful:

  • There are three kinds of people: wise, fool, simple.
  • The first step toward wisdom is a willingness to change, evident by listening to what God says.
  • Listening to God’s wisdom involves both passive reception and active pursuit.
  • The two primary obstacles to wisdom are easy money and easy sex; both cause us to focus on ourselves instead of the Lord.
  • God’s wisdom changes everything about us, including hopes, disappointments, relationships, and influence.
  • The Savior, the Sluggard, and the Sower of Discord deserve careful attention and avoidance.

For further explanation of any of these points, see the Proverbs table of contents page.

The Main Idea when Moving into Proverbs 10-31

The key point is this: Godly wisdom always takes place in the context of a relationship with God. Of course we see echoes of God’s wisdom when ungodly people follow his principles. But such wisdom is at best incomplete, and at worst counterfeit.

How to Read Proverbs 10-31

It will be easier for me to show you than to tell you, so let’s look at the first few verses.

Proverbs 10:1

I covered this one last week.

Proverbs 10:2

A wrong or incomplete way to read it: Conduct your business with honesty and integrity.

A better way to read it: Though easy money (unjust gain) promises security and community (Prov 1:13-14), it can’t keep those promises. God’s favor is available to those who seek his wisdom; this favor gives life beyond the grave (Prov 8:34-35).

Proverbs 10:3

A wrong reading: If I serve God, he’ll make my life prosper.

A better reading: Those who hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness will be satisfied (Prov 2:9). But life on earth often doesn’t go as we expect (Prov 3:11-12).

Proverbs 10:4

An incomplete reading: Work hard.

A better reading: This verse is pretty close to Proverbs 6:10-11. We must remember, however, that the chief “diligence” of Proverbs is to get wisdom at all costs (Prov 4:5, 7).

Proverbs 10:5

An incomplete reading: Make your parents proud by working hard in the right seasons.

A better reading: We honor our parents when we honor the Lord (Prov 2:1-6), though sometimes parents forget this fact. The Lord’s wisdom gives us a long view that enables us to be self-motivated and seasonally productive (Prov 6:7-8)

———————–

Now I’ll choose a few more verses with a random number generator just to show this way of reading isn’t limited to chapter 10…

Proverbs 22:7

An incomplete reading: With wealth comes power. Debt is always a bad idea.

A better reading: Easy money attracts by making possible power over others. It makes sense that those who focus on themselves more than on the Lord would be drawn to both money and power. But there is one Savior for both rich and poor (Prov 6:1-5, 8:32-36).

Proverbs 24:13-14

An incomplete reading: Wisdom in general is good for us. Learning and education make our lives better.

A better reading: Wisdom comes from the Lord (Prov 2:6). Knowing him is good for us and will make our lives better.

Proverbs 20:16

An incomplete reading: We should counsel people to make good financial decisions, and we should hold them accountable for poor ones.

A better reading: If someone tries to be the kind of savior that only the Lord can be, we should be careful not to increase his credit limit. Your trust in the Lord may sometimes decrease your trust in those who promise too much.

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In most cases, the “incomplete” reading is not necessarily wrong, just…incomplete. Be careful not to use Proverbs as though God himself is irrelevant. Always remember the context of chapters 1-9.

What is Wisdom’s Feast?

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Discussions of Proverbs 9 often settle on a list of contrasts between the feasts of Wisdom and Folly, and I couldn’t resist beginning my study there. But observing contrasts merely gets us started. Interpretation compels us to ask a “What” question and a “Why” question:

  • What is Wisdom’s feast?
  • Why does Wisdom invite us to this feast?

The second question is pretty easy, and we’ve covered it many times: Wisdom offers life (Prov 9:6), while Folly offers death (Prov 9:18). Wisdom seeks our good; Folly seeks no good.

Ron Cogswell (2012), Creative Commons

Ron Cogswell (2012), Creative Commons

That answer does us no good, however, unless we have a clear answer to the first question. If Wisdom provides life through her feast, how do we get that life? What is the feast, and when can we start eating? If we get this wrong, we’ll waste our time. We’ll fill up on salad and have no room left for dessert.

One Tempting Answer

We could answer the question by saying, “Wisdom is the feast.” We could support our answer by references to poetry, figurative language, and devices like personification. We’d be careful not to push the imagery too far, and we’d come away believing that wisdom is the feast. Wisdom (poetically personified) invites us to come and partake of (God’s spiritual) wisdom.

And while I’m sure there’s some truth here, I’m unsatisfied by this answer. I find it so abstract and mystical that I’m left feeling hopeless. How do I know if I’m drawing on wisdom’s well deeply enough? How do I know whether it’s changing me? How do I know whether I’m consuming the right supply of nourishment?

And how do I get it? Must I listen to the voices inside my head? Will I feel a peace about it? Will God confirm my choices by making circumstances line up just right?

Observe the Passage

A better way forward is to observe the passage at hand. We can answer our interpretive questions from the text.

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.” (Prov 9:1-6, ESV)

Notice especially how the text gives more space to the feast’s preparation than to the feast itself:

  • she built her house
  • she hewed out seven pillars
  • she slaughtered beasts
  • she mixed wine
  • she set her table
  • she sent out young women with invitations

Much work is done before a single simpleton grabs a knife and fork. And I shouldn’t say the work “is” done. Better to say it “has been” done. The verb tenses are no accident.

Observe the Context

Let’s zoom out and remember what’s going on. Proverbs 1-9 serves as a long introduction to the book of Proverbs. And chapter 9 is the last section of that long introduction. Reading Proverbs from the beginning, we haven’t yet gotten to any of the book’s meat. Everything so far has been a framing of ideas and a creating of categories. Solomon has been building a foundation upon which the details of chapters 10-31 will make sense.

For example, Proverbs 10:1 (“A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother”) isn’t merely about good relationships that keep one’s parents happy. Solomon plants a single seed in the soil of wisdom’s field, and the soil’s fertility comes from what he’s already said about categories of people, appeals to listen, the blessings of godliness, and the fear of the Lord.

In fact, every verse in Proverbs 10-31 should be read in light of the context established by Proverbs 1-9. I recently saw a review for a book about Proverbs that said:

Although drawn from the Biblical book of Proverbs, it is not a preachy book. Truth is truth, no matter what the source, and you can benefit from this book whether you are “religious” or not.

But this misses the point, does it not? Any advice on money, relationships, business, or leadership drawn from Proverbs must be read in light of wisdom’s beginning: the fear of the Lord. Without a relationship with God, there is no wisdom (Prov 2:6-8)! Any non-religious attempt to apply principles from Proverbs is a counterfeit; it is stolen water and secret bread (Prov 9:17).

My point is this: Wisdom’s feast is the book of Proverbs, especially chapters 10-31. The “house” is Proverbs 1-9. Chapter 9 is the pivot. The house has been built, and you’re invited to the feast. You’re almost ready to dig in.

Though stating the matter tentatively, Bruce Waltke provides no alternatives to this interpretation:

The representation of Wisdom as having built her house and prepared her banquet may represent figuratively the prologue [chapters 1-9] and the Collections [chapters 10-31] respectively. The house (i.e., the introductory prologue) is now finished, and the banquet (i.e., the proverbs of Solomon) is about to begin. Her messengers (i.e., the parents) have been sent to invite the uncommitted and dull youth to eat and drink her sumptuous fare. Their sons are already waiting for Wisdom to open her doors. (The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15, p. 431)

Proverbs 8 and Jesus

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Last week, I drew these four “credentials” for wisdom from Proverbs 8:22-31:

  1. Seeking wisdom is seeking the Lord.
  2. Life without wisdom isn’t truly life.
  3. The way of wisdom is tried and true. God’s wisdom makes the most sense of how the world works.
  4. Wisdom gives you eyes to see who alone can make you happy.

In this chapter, Solomon praises God’s wisdom to motivate us to pursue it. Since wisdom can deliver what it promises, we’d be foolish not to chase it.

Before I move into more specific application from these points, I’d like to reflect on the connection between this wisdom and the Lord Jesus. This case presents a helpful example of how to see Jesus in any passage.

A Little History

Proverbs 8 provides a mine field for Christ-centered interpretation because it’s been so often misused. Because of the potential for misuse, many interpreters try to distance Jesus from this passage altogether.

"Baptistery.Arians06" by Georges Jansoone

“Baptistery.Arians06” by Georges Jansoone

Here’s the problem: In the third century, a heretic named Arius came to prominence with his teaching that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not always exist. According to Arius, Jesus was subordinate to God the Father because God had created him. Arius and his followers put much stock in verses like “The Father is greater than I” (John 14:28) and in biblical phrases like “the only begotten Son” (John 3:16) or “the firstborn of all creation” (Col 1:15). If he was begotten—the thinking goes—there must have been a time before he was begotten.

Arianism saw clear parallels between Jesus and Proverbs 8, since “all things were made through him” (John 1:3) and “when he established the heavens I was there” (Prov 8:27). If God created everything by his Word, and the Word is Jesus, and Jesus made everything—then Solomon’s declarations about wisdom’s creative work in Proverbs 8 must be about Jesus.

And so Prov 8:22 became a key verse for the Arian cause: “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work.” Some early Bible manuscripts use a word for possessed that could be translated as created, and the Arians had a field day with it. Proverbs 8 is about Jesus→Proverbs 8 says wisdom was created→Jesus must have been created. The links in the chain appear to hold tight.

Ramifications for Today

Far from being an obscure 3rd century problem, Arianism remains alive and well. Some of its most populous adherents include many Unitarians and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). Leland Ryken also cites a tract from the Jehovah’s Witnesses that make this very argument from Proverbs 8.

Thus Christian interpreters, careful to guard against the dangers of Arianism, sometimes hesitate to acknowledge any connection between Proverbs 8 and Jesus. Proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom→The New Testament speaks of Jesus→Reading Jesus back into Proverbs 8 does violence to the text. By separating the person of Jesus from the personification of wisdom, they avoid the potential Arian problem.

How to See Jesus

However, there is a problem with making too sharp of a distinction between Proverbs and Jesus: We can’t deny that Jesus believed all the Old Testament was about him (Luke 24:44-46). Paul considered Jesus our wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:30). And, well, Jesus was present at the creation as a master workman, just like wisdom (John 1:1-3).

In addition, if you review the four conclusions with which I began this post, connections to Jesus should pop out.

  1. Seeking Jesus is seeking the Lord (John 14:9).
  2. Life without Jesus isn’t truly life (1 John 5:11-13).
  3. The way of Jesus is tried and true. Knowing Jesus makes the most sense of how the world works (Acts 17:22-31).
  4. Jesus gives you eyes to see who alone can make you happy (Mark 8:22-9:1).

We could support all four of these statements from the New Testament. That doesn’t mean, however, that we must say Jesus was created (Prov 8:22 – even if “created” is the best translation).

My point is this: Proverbs 8 doesn’t have to be an exact, direct prediction about Jesus in order for it to be about Jesus. If you want to see Jesus in the Old Testament, first discover the author’s main point (in this case, wisdom’s four credentials). Then connect the main point to Jesus. It’s okay if not all the details match up exactly.

How Jesus Read the Old Testament

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Jesus read and studied the Bible, just as you and I do. He observed, interpreted, and applied the main points of each passage, just as you and I work to do.

One difference between Jesus and us, however, is that Jesus knew the entire Old Testament was written both to him and about him.

Nick Batzig, writing at the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, lists 10 implications of this fact in his recent article “How Did Jesus Read the Old Testament?” Batzig admits these are not the only 10 implications, but they get us started.

  1. Jesus understood that the entire Old Testament revealed that He would be the law-keeping Redeemer of His people.
  2. Jesus understood that all the promises of God were made to Him–first and foremost–as the Son of Abraham and Son of David.
  3. Jesus understood that the Old Testament spoke preeminently of His own sufferings and glories (1 Peter 1:10-12), as revealed by His Spirit through the prophets.
  4. Jesus understood that the Old Testament saints were not–first and foremost–examples of moral uprightness for fallen sinners to emulate, but were themselves sinners who were looking forward to Him by faith (Heb. 11).
  5. Jesus understood that all the Old Testament types, shadows and symbols pointed to some aspect of His saving work or benefits.
  6. Jesus understood that every prophecy was about Him.
  7. Jesus understood that He was the True Israel, who came to recapitulate Israel’s history for the redemption of His people.
  8. Jesus understood that His ministry was to be one of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the Good News of redemption to hopeless and helpless sinners.
  9. Jesus understood that all the festivals and feasts in the Old Testament were pointing forward to what He would accomplish in the work of redemption.
  10. Jesus understood that marriage was ordained at creation in order for Him to have a spiritual bride in the church that He would redeem.

This man, Jesus, understood the fulness of God’s revelation, and he bore the weight of fulfilling it. He did it so we might know him and have eternal life.

Batzig’s article explains each point in further detail. I commend it to you that you might grow in amazement and thanks for your marvelous Redeemer and King.

Check it out!

What Frozen Taught Me about Bible Study

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FrozenI’ve seen this movie a million times. Not this exact film, of course, but many like it. O Disney, how you love your clichés; let me count the ways:

  • Cutting edge, beautiful animation? Check.
  • Pleasantly catchy tunes? Check.
  • Adventurous young princess pushing boundaries? Check.
  • Handsome young feller rolling over for his sweet crush? Check.
  • Skin-deep, feelings-driven love at first sight? Check.
  • Confusing this love with “true love”? Check.
  • Promises of gooey sentimentality? Check.
  • Look inside, find yourself, break free, follow your heart, “Let It Go”? Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.

The movie’s action turns on the declaration that “only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.” Upon hearing such drivel, I begin preparing an agenda for discussion. I think, My daughter—mesmerized by her first theatrical experience—must learn to see through these lies. I’m glad we came, for it will be a good exercise in discernment.

However, something shifted. I need to see the movie again to remember exactly when and how it shifted, but the shift was clear. The seeds of drivel sown throughout the movie never bore fruit. In fact, those seeds were trampled on, dug up, and burned in the fire (or should I say frostbitten and discarded?).

Everything got turned on its head and flipped around, such that infatuation proved unsatisfying, self-indulgence had to cease, and true love required personal sacrifice.

Now here is something to celebrate.

What did this movie teach me about Bible study?

I could write about the Bible’s message of true love—the sacrifice of the only innocent one, who thaws our frozen hearts and restores us into God’s royal family—but I don’t want to give away any detailed plot spoilers from the movie. (I recommend this excellent reflection on Frozen by my friend Sarah Monticue.)

I could write about the bankruptcy of self-actualization, but it’s way too easy a target.

Instead, I’ll write about how Frozen reminded me not to presume an interpretation simply because I’ve observed something familiar.

The clichés were familiar. The message was familiar. The cinematic devices were familiar. The movie’s direction seemed familiar.

This familiarity led me to presume the movie’s main point. I was preparing to rebut the message of inward sovereignty and misdirected authenticity. But if I had stopped watching and hearing, I could have missed the film’s true intention.

So it is with the Bible. The more we read and study, the more likely we are to find ourselves in familiar territory.

And such familiarity comes at great risk. We presume to know what we’re reading. “I know that story,” “I’ll skim the part I’ve been through before,” and “I understand this; it’s time to move on” all put us in danger of missing the point. And since the point is to know Jesus better, I presume we won’t want to miss the point.

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Heb 2:1, ESV).

How can we become better observers?

I notice this danger when I read emails or blogs or books that quote Scripture. I often skip the quotation (since I’m familiar with the Bible already) and dedicate my attention to what’s new (what this person wrote about the quote). The more I notice myself doing it, the more I realize the frequency with which I do it.

And I’ve realized that I do it in my Bible reading as well. As soon as I hit the familiar parts, I fly through them to get to something more innovative and exciting.

We must be aware of this tendency so we can resist it. Let’s master observation so we can perpetually build on what we know, but without presuming that there’s nothing more to learn. Let’s learn not only to see but to observe.

One thing that helps me to fight deadening familiarity is to read a different translation each year. Also, I like switching Bibles from time to time, so a familiar text isn’t on the same part of the page. But not everyone is like me. What do you find helpful in resisting familiarity and presumption in Bible study?

Perhaps you find my advice a bit cold, as though I would prefer unfamiliarity over familiarity. Please know that I’m arguing not for ignorance but for careful observation.

And, well, the cold never bothered me anyway.