Kyle's Rules of Bible Study #2 - Rely Upon the Author

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Over the years I have developed my own set of "rules" for studying and teaching the Word of God. They are not meant as substitutes for established sound exegetical guidelines, but are my own personal addendum that help guide my studies.

   Rule #2: Rely Upon the Author.

    The best person to tell you the meaning of any work, whether it be stories, books, works of art, songs, or poetry is the author himself. In the mid 1980s a song entitled, "Born in the USA" hit the airways. Since then this song has been a patriotic staple,  now for nearly 40 years. When most of us hear that song is prompts patriotic thoughts, but that is not the intention of the song.  "This is one of the most misinterpreted songs ever. Most people thought it was a patriotic song about American pride, when it actually cast a shameful eye on how America treated its Vietnam veterans."* Wow! That stops me in my tracks, and it probably does to you. I dare say that now that you have heard that important truth from it's author, you will never hear the song the same way again.

   The Bible is more than just "one song", but is a collection of writings over thousands of years. So, it is no wonder that the Bible is the most understood book of all time, lending itself to endless translations, interpretations, and applications. However, what would happen if we relied upon the Holy Spirit to understand this one-of-a-kind book. Paul tells us that all Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16, NASB) and Peter informs us that prophecy in Scripture is the result of men being "moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Pet. 1:20-12, NASB) Paul also wrote, "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe." (1 Thess 2:13, NASB) These verses individually, and taken together, inform us that the real author behind the scenes is the Spirit of God Himself. He inspired or directed the Old Testament and New Testament authors communicate what we know today as the Word of God. So, if the Holy Spirit is the author of the book does is not stand to reason that He should be consulted as to it's understanding and application?

   As a pastor and teacher I appreciate and possess numerous commentaries and dictionaries, both physical and digital, study books, language helps, and other types of Bible study resources, and I am thankful for the preachers, teachers, and professors that help me understand the Bible better. However, the most powerful resource at my disposal to understand the Bible is the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told the apostles that He was going to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would guide them "into all truth". (Jn. 16:25, NASB). Just as the Holy Spirit guided the apostles, He will guide you and I if we allow Him. Teachers and preachers, commentaries and study Bibles all have their necessary place, but they should be consulted later in the process. Unfortunately,  we usually rely upon someone else to tell us what the Bible says, while we ignore what the Author is trying to point out to us. Why do we do this? Maybe it's too difficult, perhaps we are too lazy, or maybe we do not like what we see and we want someone to tell us something different. Either way we rob ourselves of the wonderful opportunity to hear the Spirit speak directly to us.

  There are some things in the Bible that sincere believers will be divided over, primarily because no one has all the answers except Jesus alone. But, I am convinced that most of the radical misunderstandings we see today pertaining to the Word of God is the result of either a blind ignorance or a willful disregarding of the Spirit's guidance. Much like the song above, we often misinterpret the message because we see and hear what we want to see and hear, often missing the "real message" that is intended.  As long as we take that approach, we will simply never understand the Bible. Before running to your favorite commentary or study Bible, or asking your favorite teacher, why not ask the Holy Spirit for help? You will find that He is more than willing to instruct you in His book.


   

 *http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1014
**pic borrowed from http://www.codeaffine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/rule.png

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