Understanding Scripture: An Overview of the Bible’s Origin, Reliability, and Meaning
Overview
Why is the Bible trustworthy? Does archaeology confirm what the Bible says? How do I interpret the Bible? The Bible is the most important book in the world. But questions like these puzzle believers and unbelievers alike. Editors and scholars Wayne Grudem, C. John Collins, and Thomas Schreiner recognize the challenge we all face and offer this volume to help us properly understand the Bible. Covering a diverse range of essential subjects, including how to read the Bible well and why it is reliable, these 18 essays delve into specific topics such as world religions, canon, and archaeology. Pastors, lay leaders, students, and other Christians engaged in studying God’s Word will benefit from this collection, written by notable contributors, including J. I. Packer, John Piper, Daniel B. Wallace, and Vern Poythress. Useful as both a general overview of the Bible and as a tool for more specific reference and training, this book will help you grow in your understanding of Scripture and your ability to apply the Bible to life.
Top Highlights
“It is a truism that one must read the Bible in context, but the truism hides a distinction. ‘Context’ can refer to the historical or the literary context. The literary context includes the words, sentences, and paragraphs preceding and following a passage. The literary context locates a passage within the larger purposes of a book. Readers should ask why a particular passage is here and not elsewhere, how it builds upon prior passages, and how it prepares for the next.” (Page 13)
“Interpretation is also an art, mastered not by rigid adherence to procedures but by long practice conducted under tutors. Interpretation is also a spiritual task. To read the Bible is not to dissect a lifeless text that only contains marks on a page. As people read Scripture, Scripture reads them, questions them, reveals their thoughts (Heb. 4:12)—and it leads to a Person, not just truths. All Scripture points to Jesus’s death and resurrection, to forgiveness, and to personal knowledge of God through him.” (Page 12)
“Third, in the passage being read, what is shown to guide one’s living, this day and every day?” (Page 35)
“First, in the passage being read, what is shown about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?” (Page 35)
“In its deliberations about the particular books that make up the canon of Scripture, the church did not sovereignly ‘determine’ or ‘choose’ the books it most preferred—whether for catechetical, polemical, liturgical, or edificatory purposes. Rather, the church saw itself as empowered only to receive and recognize what God had provided in books handed down from the apostles and their immediate companions.” (Pages 83–84)
Reviews
1 rating
NB.Mick
2/2/2020
This resource says about itself: "The text and charts in this book are adapted from the ESV Study Bible." (this is from the front matter as shown in the look-into above). So if you own https://www.logos.com/product/5255 you'll not get anything new by buying this. Thanks DAL from the Logos forums for pointing this out here: https://community.logos.com/forums/p/188095/1086577.aspx#1086577
Peter Chen
1/3/2020
This is a fantastic book with a good collection of articles. This collection is very informative and I hope others would make good use of this book to have a better understanding of the history of the Bible.
