I would urge your attention to consider how a believer can study the Bible to get the message God has intended and to make appropriate personal application.

In the nearly 2,000 years since the scriptural canon was closed and the New Testament completed, there has never been greater access to the Holy Scriptures than at the present. For centuries the text was known to a literate few, and much was done in tradition. The orthodox Catholics of the pre-Reformation era disputed the access of the Scriptures to the common people for fear of misuse; even the translation of the Scriptures from Latin into common language was denied! However, God brought to the dark world of the Middle Ages the light of the printed Scriptures in the common languages. The subsequent study of the Scriptures by the public was the single most important factor in bringing about the Reformation and the evangelical movements in Europe and throughout the world1. We do recognize that God used men in this work, but the common source was the written Word of God. This background may cause us to pause and appreciate what God’s mercies are to us_that it is truly a privilege to have such access to the Word of God today.

The blessings received in past centuries were not achieved by a mystical, by-chance process, but involved much study and intelligent discernment of the Scriptures. We little appreciate the pioneers who rediscovered and proclaimed various truths which were forgotten and who often paid a price for obeying that truth.

I believe that we ought to approach the Scriptures in such a way that we appreciate truth that has been brought out by others, but more important, that we learn as they learned. We want to discover the truth afresh for ourselves.

This leaves me to comment on the present state of Christianity. I feel that much of Scripture study and commentary is little more than a surface examination and a personalized interpretation. We must guard against this if we are to understand the Scripture from a spiritual standpoint.

Bible study, for the believer, begins with a mind that has respect for the authority of Scripture. We must come as learners, coming to glean spiritual food for our souls. The theme on our hearts should be what the Holy Spirit has put there for us to glean. How, then, does one begin to study the Scriptures in order to get the point that the Holy Spirit is making?

It is best to begin the study of the text from a broad view. This is like a scientist looking through a microscope, using the widest field first before coming in for closer scrutiny. The general order would be the context of books, sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, words, and parts of words. The Latin words con (together) and textus (woven) make up the meaning of the word "context." All Scripture is woven together like a fine fabric2.

In order to present this order of observation, I would like to discuss the Book of Matthew and the portion on the Sermon on the Mount.

Book

The Book of Matthew is rather long in comparison to other New Testament books. Considering it as a whole is necessary to identifying and understanding any one of its parts. One could read the entire book in an hour; then all of the book is fresh in the mind. It is generally agreed that this book’s emphasis is the kingdom of heaven.

Section

The sectional context of the Sermon on the Mount is Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We determine this section by the common place in which it was spoken. It is fitting to imagine the Lord on the mountain speaking to the multitudes and His disciples. The statement that His hearers testified that He spoke with authority, not as the scribes (Matt. 7:29) applies to the entire section.

Paragraph

The paragraph is the framework for developing a single idea or topic. Note, for example, how the paragraphs are divided up in the last half of Matthew 5, namely, verses 17-20, 21-26, 27-32, 33-37, 38-42, and 43-48. These paragraphs are the framework for the Lord’s teaching. The first paragraph is introductory, and the next five each carry one complete thought, yet they are woven together.

Sentences

Sentences are expressions of one complete thought. Note the repetition of the same thought in each of the paragraphs of Matthew 5. After the introductory paragraph, the next five have beginning sentences and clauses such as "you have heard" followed by "but I say." The basic order of this is clear, which may serve as a guideline for teaching and instruction.

Words and Parts of Words

Finally, discussing words, consider an example in Matthew 5:13. The Greek word moraino is translated "loss of savor" (King James Version) and "tasteless" (New American Standard Bible, NASB). In another Scripture (1 Cor. 1:20) the same word is translated "foolish." Therefore, when this Greek word is used in the context of salt it means "tasteless," and in the context of men, it means "foolish." In this sense, words are known by the company they keep.

I would suggest Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words for this study. It has a listing of each Greek word, the adjective, verb, and noun forms of that word, and its Scriptural references.

Having considered the text from a broad to a more specific point of view, and understanding the importance of context, we now direct our attention to the types of writing that are found in Scripture. There are several types found in Scripture, including poetry, prose, apocalyptic, and wisdom. Generally one should adapt his outline style to the language type. I would like to discuss poetry at length and the others briefly.

About one-third of the Old Testament writing is poetry3 .We may not be aware of this if the Bible we are using is in column form. However, this should not deter the energetic student from rewriting the text in a poetical format. The most common Hebrew poetical tool is the couplet, or parallel statement4. A typical poetical outline would be Isaiah 1:3 (JND):

A
a – The ox
b – knoweth
c – his owner
A
a’ – and the ass
b’
c’ – his master’s crib.
B
a _ Israel
b _ doth not
c _ know,
B
a’ -My people
b’ _ hath no
c’ – intelligence

The capital letters identify a repeated statement. This is called parallelism. The small letters indicate words or phrases that correspond between the two statements of the couplet. A letter in parentheses indicates that the word does not appear as in its couplet.

The second statement in the couplet may be supportive as above or antithetical as illustrated by Proverbs 15:1 (JND)5

A
a – A soft answer
b _turneth away
c – fury;
A
a’ – but a grievous word
b’ _ stirreth up
c’ – anger.

The significance of parallelism is found in interpretation, in that analysis of a couplet helps us interpret a passage of some difficulty. Note, for example, Isaiah 53:1:

A
a _Who
b – hath believed
c – our report?
A
a – and to whom
b – hath been revealed
c -the arm of the Lord?

The second statement makes clear that this "report" called "our report" was the revealed arm of the Lord to them, not by them.

In the original Hebrew some of the poetical forms are seen in individual words. Consider Isaiah 28:10 and 13 in English (JND) and in Hebrew:"And the word of Jehovah was unto them

precept upon precept, A sav la-sav
precept upon precept, A sav la-sav
line upon line, B kavla-kav
line upon line, B kav la-kav
here a little, C ze-ersham
there a little.” C ze-er sham

We note first that the words of this passage are monosyllabic and repetitive. It is a simple message that children could have understood and uttered. However, they did not hear and understand. Therefore this same message is repeated in verse 13, but in the terrifying words of the enemy (Assyrian) language, as it would be perceived by an Israelite. God used the Assyrians to conquer the unfaithful Israelites.

The passage in Isaiah 28:11,12 is quoted in 1 Cor. 14:21:"It is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear Me, saith the Lord." In Isaiah’s day God used foreign tongues as a warning sign to Israel of impending judgment. In 1 Cor. 14:22 we find that tongues in New Testament times still served as a sign to unbelievers, perhaps particularly to those of Jewish background (see Acts 2:5,6). It is helpful to examine present practices of those who say they speak in tongues and compare this with the Old and New Testament scriptures referred to above.

One help to studying the poetic style of the Bible is to compare various translations. The NASB and the New International Translation are written out in the poetic style. It is interesting to check one’s own outline form from the King James or J. N. Darby versions with others.

The other types of writing are characterized by styles also. Historical narrative is a type of prose writing. Often the historical narrative is a longer section of writing. The purpose is to relate an event, and the lessons are left for us to draw out. We can put the pieces together from different sources and understand the place, time, and circumstances. This may only be the beginning in getting information. The great challenge is to bring the "then" to "now."

A definite progression of steps from the text to personal application is needed. First, the facts are gathered and an outline is formulated from the main points. Then the main points are looked at for the principles they contain. Finally personal application is made from these principles. We often take this for granted, but I press for its importance in proper personal application. Consider briefly, for example, the account of the brazen serpent. Numbers 21:9 records that the fatal bite of a snake was cured as the people looked upon the brazen serpent raised upon a standard. The main points can be listed, and met with principles of the way of salvation as shown in the Old Testament. The New Testament principle is explained in John 3:14, as it is Christ who has been "lifted up" as a sacrifice for sin. The personal application is our look of faith to Christ apart from works. Thus, we have gathered the application from the text instead of imposing one on it.

The apocalyptic style is difficult for many because it is full of spiritual terms not familiar to our natural minds. Angels, demons, prophetic visions, and tribulation judgment are characteristic. This style is similar to working with the narrative in outline form and principle.

Wisdom writing is more closely associated with poetic style. It is either a lengthy discourse, as in Job, or shorter statements, as in Proverbs. The same principles used in narrative writing apply. Other examples include Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Matthew 5-7, and James.

Our objective in doing this is to allow the Scriptures to surface with their own message. We should not push Scripture into a mold that will not fit. However, the points become clearer and easier to grasp when simplified. After this textual examination, I would like to suggest a list of questions that we may ask ourselves:

1. Who was the author? what does this mean? (Of course, we know that God is the Author and used various people at different times and in a variety of circumstances to give His Word to us. Ed.)

2. What did the author mean by what is written?

3. What were the author’s circumstances?

4. How did the author write_prose, poetry, history?

5. What did the author expect from his audience when they first heard these words?

6. What is the main point being made?

Whether we know the author’s name or not, these questions aid us in getting closer to the text. This information helps one first seek what was in the author’s mind before seeking a personal application.

Our understanding of Scripture is a dynamic process which involves growth in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. We err if we think that any "intelligent method" always leads us into the truth. Scripture study is exclusively a spiritual endeavor. We also err if our ideas and opinions are formed in concrete on our first impression. Foremost, let us allow the Scripture to speak for itself, and allow it to interpret itself. "But know this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20,21 NASB).

In conclusion, the way in which we study the Bible is very important. I submit that we can enjoy much blessing by examining the Scriptures in a manner which will open the eyes of our hearts. We need to gather the information in an orderly fashion so that we can see the context and application of a text, and then personal application.

References

1. Andrew Miller:Miller’s Church History. London, Pickering and Inglis, 1977.

2. Walter Kaiser, Jr.:Toward an Exegetical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI, Baker, 1981, p. 71.

3. Ibid., p. 92.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid., p. 221.

FRAGMENT We tend to study too much, and read the Bible too little. I always find that I have to be on my guard on this point. It is the teaching of God, and not the labor of man, that makes us enter into the thoughts of God in the Bible.

In the previous issue we considered a number of evidences of the deity of Jesus Christ, namely, that He is co-equal with God, the eternal Son of God, "the image of the invisible God," and the revealer of God. Scripture also shows us that Jesus Christ is better than the angels, is the recipient of worship, came from and returned to God, and shares divine attributes with God the Father. These further manifestations of Christ’s deity are now presented.

Came from and Returned to God

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven" (John 3:13). To the Pharisees He said, "I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me" (John 8:42). Just before His departure from the earth He sought to encourage the hearts of His disciples by telling them, "In My Father’s house are many mansions. … I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). Shortly afterward He prayed, "O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). And following His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary, "I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God" (John 20:17).

Better Than the Angels

In Hebrews 1:4,5 we read that Christ was "made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" Thus, Jesus was not the chiefest angel, as claimed by some today. He was far better and far higher than all angels, than every created being.

Received Worship

When Satan tempted Christ and sought for Christ to fall down and worship him, Jesus responded, "It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Matt. 4:10). When Cornelius fell down to worship Peter, Peter commanded, "Stand up; I myself also am a man" (Acts 10:25,26). And when the apostle John on two occasions fell down to worship the angel who showed him such wonderful things to come, the angel responded, "See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant . . . worship God" (Rev. 19:10; 22:8,9). Against this background, let us notice how Jesus felt about those who worshipped Him. Did He refuse the worship offered to Him by others, as did Peter and the angel? No. He did not rebuke Thomas for saying to Him, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). And when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord:peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy disciples. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:37-40). So here, much less than rebuke others for worshipping Him, He rebuked those who sought to prevent others from praising Him.

Some today who deny the deity of Christ say that they honor Christ to a certain extent but not as they honor God. But listen to Scripture:Jesus said, "All men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him" (John 5:23). The equality of the Father and the Son in receiving worship is clearly evidenced in Rev. 5:13:"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." The Father and the Son here are worshipped together in the same breath.

Manifested Divine Attributes

Those same attributes ascribed to Jehovah God of the Old Testament are found in Christ of the New Testament. We will briefly consider four of these attributes of Christ_His eternal existence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.

The eternal existence of Christ is declared several times in the Gospel of John. For example, "In the beginning was the Word" (1:1); "Before Abraham was, I am" (8:58). The Old Testament likewise refers to the Messiah as the "Father of Eternity" (Isa. 9:6 JND), and the one "Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

Jesus reminds us of the Almighty God of the Old Testament when He says, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18). His power was manifested prior to the Incarnation by His creation of all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16), and after the Incarnation by the many miracles He performed. Among His many works of power, perhaps the most significant to us is "that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt. 9:6).

Jesus Christ is omniscient, that is, knowing all things. His disciples testify, "Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things" (John 16:30; see also 21:17). We also read that "He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24,25; see also Mark 2:8).

One of Christ’s limitations as a man upon the earth was being confined by space and time; thus He was not omnipresent at that time. However, as He was about to leave His disciples to ascend into heaven, He said, "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20). Even though His disciples today are scattered throughout the whole world, all can claim that precious promise that Christ is with us. Thus Christ, like Jehovah of the Old Testament, is present everywhere. This is confirmed by the well-known scripture in Matt. 18:20:"Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

Our study of the person of Jesus Christ will continue in the next issue, Lord willing, with a consideration of manifestations of His perfect manhood.

Transcendent

God is above and beyond all things; He exists totally apart from the material universe; He is transcendent. God is not a slave to the laws of the universe and laws of nature of which He is author; rather He is independent of them_above them. He can override them at will, though normally He does not interfere with them. A number of instances of God’s overriding of His natural laws are given in Scripture. For example, resurrection from the dead (John 11:44; Luke 24:6), virgin birth (Matt. 1:23), water turned into wine (John 2:9), the sun standing still (Josh. 10:13).

God is not simply the highest in an ascending order of beings, but infinitely above the highest created beings. And this transcendence is not an exclusive attribute of God the Father. Concerning His Son we read, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Phil. 2:9,10). Also, "He raised [Christ] from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet" (Eph. 1:20-22).

In connection with this attribute of God’s transcendence, let us notice from Scripture the response of man in the presence of God the Father and God the Son:

"And Moses hid his face:for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exod. 3:6).

"Then said [Isaiah], Woe is me! for 1 am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips:for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:5).

"Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed hi linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of His words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision:for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me:for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength" (Dan. 10:5-8).

"When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken" (Luke 5:8,9).

"And as [Saul] journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven; and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And He trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:3-6).

What is our attitude in the presence of God during times of prayer, worship, and learning of Him through the Word? May we, like Isaiah and Peter, experience a deeper sense of our own sinfulness and failure to do His will. May the fight and willfulness go out of us so that we ask meekly_as did Saul of Tarsus, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" And may we be properly filled with awe and deep respect for Him as we consider how He, the Son of God, the creator, has come down_infinitely down_to bring us into relationship with God the Father.

Infinite

God has no limitations. He cannot be imprisoned either in space or time. His attributes cannot be measured; His holiness, power, grace, wisdom, love have no limit_are infinite. By way of contrast, I may think I love all men, until one comes along so mean to me that I find myself hating him, or certainly not loving him or desiring good for him. But God’s attributes are not affected by what He finds in His creatures. I may have a measure of physical strength or spiritual power. But it constantly needs replenishing through rest and nourishment. And what is our power compared to God’s? He is infinitely more powerful:He has moved mountains, set the planets and stars on their courses, created the universe. And there is no indication that His power was ever diminished or that He ever became weary from doing such mighty works.

Surely we can exclaim with the apostle Paul, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).

Immutable

God never differs from Himself. He is not a growing or developing God. He cannot change for the better or the worse. All His attributes are unchanging, always in perfect balance with one another. He does not change from being primarily a God of righteousness at one time or during one era to being primarily a God of love in another era. His love and His righteousness, His grace and holiness, are always present in unvarying proportions. With Him "is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

When we come to Him we don’t have to worry about what kind of mood He is in today. His love is steadfast and constant, unlike the ups and downs of human love. His holy wrath toward sin is uniform and unchanging, unlike our tendency to be angry toward any sin that harms or hurts us but tolerant of sinful activities that give us pleasure. "I am the Lord. I change not" (Mal. 3:6). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end" (Psa. 102:25-27).

Since God is perfect in all His ways, it is most comforting to know that He will always be the same, that He does not change. As for ourselves, considering what we were by nature_born in sin and shapen in iniquity_the ability to change is a treasure. A. W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy expresses it well:"For human beings the whole possibility of redemption lies in their ability to change. To move across from one sort of person to another is the essence of repentance:the liar becomes truthful, the thief honest, the lewd pure, the proud humble. The whole moral texture of the life is altered. The thoughts, the desires, the affections are transformed, and the man is no longer what he had been before. So radical is this change that the apostle calls the man that used to be ‘the old man’ and the man that now is ‘the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.’ "

There is a bit of a difficulty attached to the truth of the immutability of God. On the one hand it is said of God that He "is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent" (Num. 23:19; see also 1 Sam. 15:29). On the other hand, we read,’ ‘And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart (Gen. 6:6). Also, we hear the Lord saying unto Samuel, "It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for He is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments" (1 Sam. 15:11). And in Jonah 3:10 we read that "God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.” How is it that the unchangeable God seems to repent or change His mind about things?

The fact is that we never find Him changing in His basic attitudes and attributes. It is man that does the changing, and God may have to change His response to man_either for the better or for the worse_according to man’s behavior. When God created man He beheld that "it was very good" (Gen. 1:31). But after man fell into sin, and "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth," we find a marked change in God’s thoughts toward man and the necessity for Him to manifest to man His holy anger toward sin. His love and grace are no less evident in that He spares righteous Noah and his family from the judgment and gives mankind another chance.

The opposite occurred in Jonah’s day. Because of the great wickedness of the people of Nineveh, God announced to them by His servant Jonah that the city would be destroyed in 40 days (Jonah 1:2; 3:4). But when the Ninevites responded to the pronouncement by repenting and turning away from their evil ways, they brought themselves under God’s mercy and forgiveness instead of His wrath. God Himself had not changed.

Let us worship and adore, and have deep respect and reverence for our transcendent, infinite, unchangeable God. (To be continued).