It will greatly help you to understand scripture if you note - no only what is spoken and written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows. ~ Miles Coverdale, in his introduction to his Bible translation.
When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, "It is talking to me, and about me." ~ Soren Kierkegaard
Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart! ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart
I've talked before about "the battle over the Bible"; that ongoing tension between those who interpret the Bible literally and those who interpret the Bible more symbolically; between literalists and symbolists. It's said that we Christians waste a lot of energy arguing over whether the Bible is literally true or more symbolically true. I consider it wasted spiritual energy.
We Methodists have long believed that the issue isn't whether you take the Bible literally or not; whether you believe that the Bible is literally true or more symbolically true or a combination of both. We believe that each person can prayerfully decide for himself/herself whether you are a literalist or whether you understand the Bible to contain symbol, metaphor, parable, and even historically conditioned passages. While I am much more of a symbolist than a literalist, I would never want to tell a literalist that he or she is clearly wrong.
The real question is whether we take the Bible seriously or not. Do we take the Bible as the primary source of our values, our practices, our lifestyles, our convictions?...that's the real question; that's the question that matters! Is the Bible the Word of God for you however you interpret it? I personally never cease to be amazed at the number of Christians who get all astir about how we understand Holy Scripture but who would have to admit that they spend minimal dedicated time with it or don't use it as the primary practical, moral, and spiritual guide of their lives.
One can believe the Bible is the Word of God whether he or she is a literalist or a symbolist! That's what matters! And when we do take the Bible as the Word of God for our lives, then we make these claims:
The writers of the Bible were truly inspired by God
- The Bible contains God's principal truths
- The Bible contains our marching orders for holy living
- The Bible gives us Jesus, the incarnation of God and our Lord
- The Bible contains the plan for eternal life
So, don't get in a dizzy over translation; rather get passionately busy letting the Bible shape your life,
nourish your spirit, saturate your heart, and lead you closer to God's love and Christ's call.
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