Series Synopsis: How do we read Scripture in the age of scrolling and skimming? The library we call “the Bible” can connect us to God and change who we are, but distraction, hurry, and confusion can hinder our experience with these ancient texts. Rediscover how to engage Scripture as an apprentice to Jesus.
Martyrs’ Cross:
Plaque:
William Tyndale:
“Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!” —William Tyndale
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” —Tertullian
“The post-Bible Christian”
Rabbi – Aramaic word meaning “teacher”
“Scripture cannot be broken.” —John 10.35, English Standard Version
“David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared…” —Mark 12.36
“Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” —Mark 12.24
“Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” —Luke 24.32
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” —Jesus, Matthew 5.17
The Law (Torah)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
The Prophets
καταλῦσαι
Abolish
Verb – to disobey or dismiss the Bible.
Fulfill - πληροῦσαι - Plerosia
Verb – a prophecy from the Hebrew Scriptures coming to pass in Jesus.
“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” —Jesus, Matthew 5.18
Yod
Kahf vs. Resh:
“Not one dot of an i, not one cross of a t will drop out of the law.” —Dale Bruner
“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” —Jesus, Matthew 5.19
“Ultimately…our trust in the Bible stems from our trust in Jesus Christ…I don’t trust in Jesus because I trust the Bible; I trust the Bible because I trust in Jesus. I love Him, and I’ve decided to follow Him, so if He talks and acts as if the Bible is trustworthy, authoritative, good, helpful, and powerful, I will too…even if some of my questions remain unanswered, or my answers remain unpopular.” —Andrew Wilson, Unbreakable: What the Son of God Said About the Word of God
Three Goals of an Apprenctice of Jesus
with Jesus.
like Jesus.
as Jesus does.
“We come to Scripture as a part of a conscious strategy to cooperate with God for the full redemption of our life.” —Dallas Willard
We have to learn how to read Scripture, not just for
Hermeneutics: the art and science of Biblical interpretation.
Skills for Reading Scripture
- Biblical interpretation
- Spiritual reading
The first step is just to begin reading Scripture daily as an apprentice of Jesus.
Practice
Practicing the Way Scripture Companion Guide – Available in The Way’s App or at practicingtheway.org
Exercise: The daily reading of Scripture.
- Find a good place that is quiet and distraction-free.
- Find a good time.
- Make a plan for what to read:
a. Lectio Divina.
b. Lectionary.
c. Read through the Bible.
d. Hearing Scripture read out loud in one sitting. - Begin by settling your body in God’s presence.
- Pray, “As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to re-center my scattered senses upon the presence of God.”
- Read.
Reach Exercise: Read an entire Biblical book in one sitting, alone or with members from your community.
Your Rabbi, the author Himself, is in the room with you.
“Come to your chosen passage as to a place where you will have a holy meeting with God.” —Dallas Willard
Reading the Bible as a spiritual discipline is more about posture than technique.
“Every day I go to these words and I ask them: ‘Have you seen Him whom my soul loves?’ And the words take me by the hand and lead me beyond the words to Him who is the Word.” —E. Stanley Jones
Today’s Songs:
- I Saw The Light
- New Thing
- Called Me Higher
- We Believe (Steve Curtis Chapman)
- Made For More