I was reminded of this by two events during the last week. First, the arrival of copies of my new book with co-author Rev. Geoffrey Lentz. One of the things we emphasize in that book is hearing what the text is actually saying before trying to explain it. This is a difficult task, probably impossible to get completely correct, but often discussions of Bible texts are carried on with very little reference to the actual texts. Someone reads it, and then discussion goes on without anyone looking back at the text and asking, “But does it actually say that?”
The second was my Sunday School class. Now please don’t get me wrong here. My current Sunday School class is one of the best I’ve been in, but at the same time, we often attempt to discuss questions that are quite broad. The topic this past Sunday was how a God of love could slaughter millions of people. (Pesky detail: was it actually millions?) I was asked to comment on a number of issues in the Hebrew scriptures, and we were perhaps half way through when someone pointed out to me that I wasn’t answering the question.
Indeed I was not answering the question. I was laying groundwork. But a deadline of 45 minutes worth of discussion time can make one impatient with laying groundwork and getting down to details. Yet if you don’t do the necessary groundwork your answer may have very little to do with the text.
Of course, simply discovering what the text actually says and does not say is just a starting point. Seeing that text in its proper contexts is also important. But even that doesn’t get us where most of us want to go. We want some sort of relevant application. And that takes even more time.
When I teach classes on Bible study I usually start by asking if anyone is looking for a five minute a day study method, and suggesting they’ve come to the wrong class. I firmly believe people without seminary training can and should study the Bible. But there is no shortcut to actually learning and living scripture. It’s hard work.
One of the protections against superficial Bible study is sharing, entering into dialogue about the text as you understand it. Now if you just share with other people who think as you do, or others who are not experts, you can end up pooling your ignorance. Part of this dialogue must be with the experts using commentaries, Bible handbooks, Bible dictionaries, and the notes in quality study Bibles. If you have locally available experts, take advantage of their teaching.
This doesn’t mean you have to slavishly accept what the experts say. But if you read their views, always asking why they have come to the conclusions they have presented, you will find places where your study may have fallen short. You will hear ideas that didn’t occur to you. Listening to experts does not mean giving up your own judgment. It does mean letting your judgment be tested against worthy dialogue partners.
Finally, while it may be painful for some, treating all ideas as equal won’t build understanding. You need to examine not only what people believe but why, using their “why” to challenge your “why.”
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