Understanding the Bible

Ryan and I were talking about the meaning of a word in Genesis this afternoon. I love discussions like this! We were looking at the Hebrew word and the English translations. It was interesting to see how it was translated in different places. It didn't impact the meaning if you looked at how the words were used throughout the Bible, but it might if you only saw it used in the one place.

That got us talking about the plain meaning of the Bible. In other words, what would the original hearer have understood the passage to mean. If it was originally intended for them, don't you think that the author would have written in a way that they would have understood? Word pictures, symbolism, idioms, etc. are culturally specific.

With that in mind, here are two important points to remember when you are studying the Bible:

1. What a word means in one place, it may mean something different in another. This can happen even within the same country and language. Take the word "cool" in English for example. To some it means somewhat cold, while to others it refers to a person's persona.

The Bible is no different. Before we dive into the theological discussions that often divide people, we need to ask what the writer's audience would have understood. From that we should derive the meaning of the passage. It usually means that we need to come back to a simpler reading of the text. Always look for the simpler meaning before looking for the complex. Most of the time you will be correct in your understanding.

2. We also need to look at the type of literature we are reading. For example, you wouldn't read the comics that same way that you would read the business section would you? Of course not. You shouldn't read poetry in the Bible the same way that you read history or prophecy either.

Anyway, that's a couple of tips to make your Bible study simpler. More than anything, just spend time regularly in God's Word!