Reading the Bible Changes the Way We Read the Bible Changes the Way We Read…

I used to believe that if I devoted myself to it diligently enough, if I read enough books from the best, most intelligent and most devout scholars, I would eventually understand the Bible.  That is, I would know the answer.  It thought of it as a puzzle and every new concept, every new fact was a piece of that puzzle being put into its proper place. I expected that eventually all the pieces would be put in place and that I would be able to comprehend the completed whole.

But I have become convinced that this is wrong.

Reading, and studying, and interpreting the Bible is not a static once done forever completed task; it is a lifelong (even lifes-long) journey along “the Way,” following as the Spirit guides us into truth.  Reading the Bible changes the way that we read the Bible, which changes the way we read the Bible, which…

For example:

Portions of the bible clearly condone (if not actually extol) slavery.  And for a long time this was used as justification for some to keep others in bondage - it was scriptural, after all...  However, other parts of the bible were understood as extolling human freedom and liberation.  Reading those parts of the Bible convinced people that human slavery was an evil thing. 

Reading the Bible changes the way that we read the Bible which changes the way we read the Bible which changes the way….