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Knowing Scripture
R. C. Sproul helps us dig out the meaning of Scripture for ourselves. He lays the groundwork by discussing why we should study the Bible and how our own personal study relates to interpretation. Then he presents in simple, basic terms the science of interpretation and gives practical guidelines for applying this science. Here is a basic book for both beginning Bible readers and those who have been at it for a long time. Features & Benefits * presents an introduction to the science of Bible interpretation * equips readers to become more skilled at interpreting the scriptures * examines the role culture plays in forming our interpretation of the Bible * includes practical advice and tools for studying the Bible
127 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
406 people are currently reading
3810 people want to read
About the author
R.C. Sproul
658 books1,932 followersDr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.
Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.
Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.
He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.
Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
March 21, 2023
A wonderful book with great insights on interpreting Scripture.
September 28, 2021
R.C. Sproul has easily become one of my fave authors this month. This book was truly a gem and will definitely be one that I draw from repeatedly.
April 7, 2018
A useful guide to studying the Bible, providing rules of interpretation and study tools. I've learned much from Sproul over the years, so I enjoyed hearing how he studied the Bible.
Sproul says,
Hermeneutics: The Science of Interpretation
2nd rule of hermeneutics: Bible should be interpreted according to its literal sense. To interpret literally is to pay attention to letters and words; to follow natural meaning based on normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax, context. Literal sense is grammatical-historical sense; meaning which writer expressed.
To accuse Bible of error when it's clearly using hyperbole is failure of literary analysis.
Only after determining type of literature can we determine what Bible is communicating as history.
Although each passage has only 1 meaning, it can have many applications.
Literal sense isn't meant to force entire Bible into historical narrative; it's a safeguard against that, and against redefining Bible by imposing figurative meaning on passages not meant to be so.
Knowing who wrote a book, to whom, under what circumstances, when in history helps us understand book.
Mark was 1st gospel written, and Matthew and Luke had Mark's gospel in front of them as they wrote. This sheds light on relationships between gospels. Luke and Matthew include info not included in Mark, so it seems they had a source that Mark didn't have (or chose not to use). Some info in Matthew isn't in Mark or Luke, and some info in Luke is unique to it. Analyzing what they contain gives insight into their priorities and concerns.
Matthew wrote to Jews. They had legal questions about Jesus' claim to be Messiah. Luke wrote to wider audience (Gentile world) and stresses universality of Gospel.
NT contains grammatical "errors," especially in Revelation. But principles of inerrancy and inspiration allow for grammatical errors, because Holy Spirit didn't dictate words and style; authors weren't automatons. Inerrancy refers to truth, not grammatical correctness.
3 principles of interpretation
1. Analogy of faith keeps entire Bible in view, so we don't exaggerate one part to exclusion of others.
2. Literal sense prevents us from fanciful interpretation, and involves examining literary forms of Scripture.
3. Grammatical-historical method focuses attention on original meaning of text, so we don't read into it our own ideas from present day.
Practical Rules for Biblical Interpretation
Rule 1: Read Bible like any other book
Words are still words (verbs are verbs, nouns are nouns, etc.). Read them that way.
Rule 2: Read Bible Existentially
Put yourself in life situation of characters; see from their perspective to increase understanding. (This doesn't mean use existential method of interpretation.)
Rule 3: Interpret Historical Narratives by Didactic
Gospels are about events; epistles are about interpreting those events. Generally, epistles should interpret gospels.
Epistles tell us ways we should imitate Christ, because we aren't called to imitate Him in all ways (we're not Messiah). Epistles tell us what's permissible versus obligatory.
Bible often speaks from human perspective rather than scientific perspective, just as we speak of "sunrise" which describes human perspective rather than reality.
Rule 4: Interpret Implicit by Explicit
Bible says whoever believes will be saved, which seems to imply that anyone can be saved, but these implications are restricted by explicit teaching that God elects certain people. Verses that seem to imply that anyone can be saved explicitly state that all believers (Category A) will have eternal life (Category B). These statements don't say who will be in Category A (who will or won't believe). Other explicit passages state that only those God chooses will come to Christ (e.g., John 6:65).
Correlate: Interpret Obscure in Light of Clear.
Rule 5: Determine Carefully Meaning of Words
Thoughts are expressed through relationships of words; each word contributes to whole context.
Only context can determine particular meaning of a word.
Bible uses "will of God" in at least 6 ways (His precepts; His efficacious, sovereign action; what He desires, delights in). This helps us interpret passages such as 2 Pet 3:9 (which means God isn't pleased when people perish).
Rom 3:28 says a man is justified by faith apart from works. Jam 2:24 says a man is justified by works, not by faith alone. Reason is "justify" can mean 1) to restore to a state of reconciliation with God, or 2) to demonstrate or vindicate. Rom 3:28 speaks of ultimate theological sense; Jam 2:24 says true faith brings forth works (Jam 2:14).
Words "save" and "salvation" can refer to deliverance from any trouble; doesn't always refer to ultimate spiritual salvation. "Sanctify" means simply "to set apart or be consecrated" and doesn't always refer to redemption. 1 Tim 2:15 and 1 Cor 7:14 don't refer to ultimate spiritual salvation.
Rule 6: Note Presence of Parallelisms
Noticing antithetic parallelism in Is 45:7 shows that "calamity" (opposite of peace) is better translation than "evil."
Noticing synonymous parallelism in Matt 6:13 shows that "temptation" here refers to external testing (such as of Abraham, Jesus), not to internal evil inclination. This also shows that "deliver us from the evil one" is better translation than "deliver us from evil."
Rule 7: Note Difference between Proverb and Law
Don't give proverbial sayings weight of moral absolutes.
Apodictic laws express absolutes ("you shall," "you shall not"). Casuistic laws (case laws) use "if, then" form to give principle by example.
Rule 8: Observe Difference between Spirit and Letter of Law
2 types of legalism: 1) making human rules as authoritative as God's, 2) obeying letter of law while violating spirit.
Jesus point in Matt 5:27–28 is that law has wider application than letter (murder violates letter, but hating violates spirit). He doesn't equate the sins or punishment they deserve; He just says they're both sins worthy of Hell.
Rom 2:5; Luke 12:47-48 warn against storing up wrath, implying that there are degrees of punishment in Hell.
Rule 9: Be Careful with Parables
Safest way to treat parables is to look for 1 basic central point, unless more points are obvious. Don't allegorize unless allegory is clearly indicated.
Reference several commentaries.
Rule 10: Be Careful with Predictive Prophecy
Sometimes NT appeals to fulfillment of letter of OT prophecy (e.g., Messiah's birth in Bethlehem); other times fulfillment is broader (e.g., return of Elijah in Mal 4:5-6, which refers to John the Baptist).
Most images in Rev are found elsewhere in Bible, typically OT.
Rule 11: Interpret Bible with Spirit of Humility
Culture and the Bible
Practical guidelines
1. Examine Bible for apparent areas of custom. Some OT principles restated in NT; others abrogated. What cultural modes of expression are capable of re-acculturation? Language, dress, currency may change from culture to culture; certain institutions, such as marriage, government, are present in all cultures.
2. Allow for Christian distinctives in 1st century. NT isn't merely echo of 1st century culture; it also contains Christian principles that transcend time and culture.
3. Creation ordinances are indicators of trans-cultural principle. They are normative unless explicitly modified by later biblical revelation.
4. In areas of uncertainty, use principle of humility. It's better to treat custom as principle than principle as custom.
In 1 Cor 11:1-16, Paul's reason for head coverings is creation, not local culture.
Practical Tools for Bible Study
KJV is less accurate than original writings than most modern translations, because it uses Textus Receptus, which is inferior to more modern reconstructed Greek texts. KJV contains textual errors that have been eliminated in modern translations. Manuscripts found since KJV have enriched knowledge of original texts.
When choosing a whole-Bible commentary, choose one written by a team, not an individual. Sproul likes New Bible Commentary by Intervarsity Press.
Commentary series: Elementary: Expositor's Bible, Tyndale Old Testament and New Testament, Bible Speaks Today. More advanced: New International (most conservative), Anchor Bible, Word Biblical, New International Greek Text.
Better than a series is a collection of commentaries written by individuals, because all series have weak volumes. See New Testament Commentary Survey by D.A. Carson, Old Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman.
Interlinear translations provide Greek text of NT parallel to English translation.
Mescher's Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek catalogs all words that appear in NT more than 10 times.
Greek grammar: New Testament Greek for Beginners by J. Gresham Machen, Basics of Biblical Greek by Bill Mounce, Greek Tutor software by Parsons Technology.
Greek lexicons: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Walter Bauer, Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
To make it easier to read entire Bible, read in this order: Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Ezra, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Psalms, Proverbs, remaining OT books, Luke, Acts, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, Hebrews, Romans, remaining NT books.
Sproul says,
My prime motivation is to offer basic, “common sense” guidelines to help serious readers study sacred Scripture profitably. … the book seeks to emphasize the divine origin and authority of Scripture. Because of this, I have attempted to provide rules of interpretation that will serve as a check and balance for our all-too-common tendency to interpret the Bible according to our own prejudices. The book closes with a survey of various tools that are available to help either beginners or more advanced students of the Bible.
I believe that a crucial key for church renewal is to be found in adult education. I dream of a multitude of articulate and knowledgeable Christians making a new impact on our society. That dream cannot be realized unless we know and use the tools of intelligent Bible study.Notes
Hermeneutics: The Science of Interpretation
2nd rule of hermeneutics: Bible should be interpreted according to its literal sense. To interpret literally is to pay attention to letters and words; to follow natural meaning based on normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax, context. Literal sense is grammatical-historical sense; meaning which writer expressed.
To accuse Bible of error when it's clearly using hyperbole is failure of literary analysis.
Only after determining type of literature can we determine what Bible is communicating as history.
Although each passage has only 1 meaning, it can have many applications.
Literal sense isn't meant to force entire Bible into historical narrative; it's a safeguard against that, and against redefining Bible by imposing figurative meaning on passages not meant to be so.
Knowing who wrote a book, to whom, under what circumstances, when in history helps us understand book.
Mark was 1st gospel written, and Matthew and Luke had Mark's gospel in front of them as they wrote. This sheds light on relationships between gospels. Luke and Matthew include info not included in Mark, so it seems they had a source that Mark didn't have (or chose not to use). Some info in Matthew isn't in Mark or Luke, and some info in Luke is unique to it. Analyzing what they contain gives insight into their priorities and concerns.
Matthew wrote to Jews. They had legal questions about Jesus' claim to be Messiah. Luke wrote to wider audience (Gentile world) and stresses universality of Gospel.
NT contains grammatical "errors," especially in Revelation. But principles of inerrancy and inspiration allow for grammatical errors, because Holy Spirit didn't dictate words and style; authors weren't automatons. Inerrancy refers to truth, not grammatical correctness.
3 principles of interpretation
1. Analogy of faith keeps entire Bible in view, so we don't exaggerate one part to exclusion of others.
2. Literal sense prevents us from fanciful interpretation, and involves examining literary forms of Scripture.
3. Grammatical-historical method focuses attention on original meaning of text, so we don't read into it our own ideas from present day.
Practical Rules for Biblical Interpretation
Rule 1: Read Bible like any other book
Words are still words (verbs are verbs, nouns are nouns, etc.). Read them that way.
Rule 2: Read Bible Existentially
Put yourself in life situation of characters; see from their perspective to increase understanding. (This doesn't mean use existential method of interpretation.)
Rule 3: Interpret Historical Narratives by Didactic
Gospels are about events; epistles are about interpreting those events. Generally, epistles should interpret gospels.
Epistles tell us ways we should imitate Christ, because we aren't called to imitate Him in all ways (we're not Messiah). Epistles tell us what's permissible versus obligatory.
Bible often speaks from human perspective rather than scientific perspective, just as we speak of "sunrise" which describes human perspective rather than reality.
Rule 4: Interpret Implicit by Explicit
Bible says whoever believes will be saved, which seems to imply that anyone can be saved, but these implications are restricted by explicit teaching that God elects certain people. Verses that seem to imply that anyone can be saved explicitly state that all believers (Category A) will have eternal life (Category B). These statements don't say who will be in Category A (who will or won't believe). Other explicit passages state that only those God chooses will come to Christ (e.g., John 6:65).
Correlate: Interpret Obscure in Light of Clear.
Rule 5: Determine Carefully Meaning of Words
Thoughts are expressed through relationships of words; each word contributes to whole context.
Only context can determine particular meaning of a word.
Bible uses "will of God" in at least 6 ways (His precepts; His efficacious, sovereign action; what He desires, delights in). This helps us interpret passages such as 2 Pet 3:9 (which means God isn't pleased when people perish).
Rom 3:28 says a man is justified by faith apart from works. Jam 2:24 says a man is justified by works, not by faith alone. Reason is "justify" can mean 1) to restore to a state of reconciliation with God, or 2) to demonstrate or vindicate. Rom 3:28 speaks of ultimate theological sense; Jam 2:24 says true faith brings forth works (Jam 2:14).
Words "save" and "salvation" can refer to deliverance from any trouble; doesn't always refer to ultimate spiritual salvation. "Sanctify" means simply "to set apart or be consecrated" and doesn't always refer to redemption. 1 Tim 2:15 and 1 Cor 7:14 don't refer to ultimate spiritual salvation.
Rule 6: Note Presence of Parallelisms
Noticing antithetic parallelism in Is 45:7 shows that "calamity" (opposite of peace) is better translation than "evil."
Noticing synonymous parallelism in Matt 6:13 shows that "temptation" here refers to external testing (such as of Abraham, Jesus), not to internal evil inclination. This also shows that "deliver us from the evil one" is better translation than "deliver us from evil."
Rule 7: Note Difference between Proverb and Law
Don't give proverbial sayings weight of moral absolutes.
Apodictic laws express absolutes ("you shall," "you shall not"). Casuistic laws (case laws) use "if, then" form to give principle by example.
Rule 8: Observe Difference between Spirit and Letter of Law
2 types of legalism: 1) making human rules as authoritative as God's, 2) obeying letter of law while violating spirit.
Jesus point in Matt 5:27–28 is that law has wider application than letter (murder violates letter, but hating violates spirit). He doesn't equate the sins or punishment they deserve; He just says they're both sins worthy of Hell.
Rom 2:5; Luke 12:47-48 warn against storing up wrath, implying that there are degrees of punishment in Hell.
Rule 9: Be Careful with Parables
Safest way to treat parables is to look for 1 basic central point, unless more points are obvious. Don't allegorize unless allegory is clearly indicated.
Reference several commentaries.
Rule 10: Be Careful with Predictive Prophecy
Sometimes NT appeals to fulfillment of letter of OT prophecy (e.g., Messiah's birth in Bethlehem); other times fulfillment is broader (e.g., return of Elijah in Mal 4:5-6, which refers to John the Baptist).
Most images in Rev are found elsewhere in Bible, typically OT.
Rule 11: Interpret Bible with Spirit of Humility
Culture and the Bible
Practical guidelines
1. Examine Bible for apparent areas of custom. Some OT principles restated in NT; others abrogated. What cultural modes of expression are capable of re-acculturation? Language, dress, currency may change from culture to culture; certain institutions, such as marriage, government, are present in all cultures.
2. Allow for Christian distinctives in 1st century. NT isn't merely echo of 1st century culture; it also contains Christian principles that transcend time and culture.
3. Creation ordinances are indicators of trans-cultural principle. They are normative unless explicitly modified by later biblical revelation.
4. In areas of uncertainty, use principle of humility. It's better to treat custom as principle than principle as custom.
In 1 Cor 11:1-16, Paul's reason for head coverings is creation, not local culture.
Practical Tools for Bible Study
KJV is less accurate than original writings than most modern translations, because it uses Textus Receptus, which is inferior to more modern reconstructed Greek texts. KJV contains textual errors that have been eliminated in modern translations. Manuscripts found since KJV have enriched knowledge of original texts.
When choosing a whole-Bible commentary, choose one written by a team, not an individual. Sproul likes New Bible Commentary by Intervarsity Press.
Commentary series: Elementary: Expositor's Bible, Tyndale Old Testament and New Testament, Bible Speaks Today. More advanced: New International (most conservative), Anchor Bible, Word Biblical, New International Greek Text.
Better than a series is a collection of commentaries written by individuals, because all series have weak volumes. See New Testament Commentary Survey by D.A. Carson, Old Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman.
Interlinear translations provide Greek text of NT parallel to English translation.
Mescher's Lexical Aids for Students of New Testament Greek catalogs all words that appear in NT more than 10 times.
Greek grammar: New Testament Greek for Beginners by J. Gresham Machen, Basics of Biblical Greek by Bill Mounce, Greek Tutor software by Parsons Technology.
Greek lexicons: A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Walter Bauer, Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
To make it easier to read entire Bible, read in this order: Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Ezra, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Psalms, Proverbs, remaining OT books, Luke, Acts, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, Hebrews, Romans, remaining NT books.
January 22, 2024
Excelente libro para quien quiere aprender a estudiar e interpretar la Biblia, muy claro y fácil de comprender, lo recomiendo
December 22, 2024
”The Christian who is not diligently involved in a serious study of Scripture is simply inadequate as a disciple of Christ.”
I believe parked next to every Bible on one’s nightstand, one should find within reach a copy of R.C. Sproul’s Knowing Scripture. This was a beautiful articulation of the essential nature of studying Scripture to the Christian faith, and a defence on why studying the Bible is not only profitable but also our mandate.
***
You’ll find within its pages answers to the following questions (backed up richly by Scriptural examples):
- Why should one read and study the Bible?
- How should one interpret the Bible? (Here Sproul discusses various methods, including the analogy of faith, sensus literalis, and the grammatical-historical method)
- If the Bible contains grammatical errors, does that invalidate its inerrancy? What limitations does the human language have on the authority and divine origin of Scripture, if any?
- How much of the Bible should we take literally versus figuratively? Likewise, how much of the Bible is no longer applicable in our modern era?
- If Jesus does something, does that mean it’s a mandate, or simply permissible?
- How should one interpret passages of Scripture that are obscure and difficult to understand?
- What is the significance of repetition and parallelism of the Hebrew language?
- What Bible translation should one use? What resources or tools should one make use of?
What I found pleasantly surprising were all the interesting tidbits on early church fathers (like Augustine), the Reformation and the Diet of Worms, and Greek syntax. I truly believe any Christian new to or young in the faith would benefit immensely from reading this book.
Simply put, Sproul asks us to examine Scripture with the right heart, the right mind, and above all, with absolute care. Scripture is not always easy to read, nor easy to understand, but it remains imperative - and our responsibility - that we make every effort to do it correctly and with a spirit of humility. Sproul will remain forever a true gem, an excellent resource, and a treasured defender of sound exegesis.
***
Will take a moment to digress by sharing Sproul’s writings on the “sensuous Christian” - a bad doctrine I myself was the product of and a witness to. I will leave much of what he wrote in its unabridged form here:
”Many of us have become sensuous Christians, living by our feelings rather than through our understanding of the Word of God. Sensuous Christians cannot be moved to service, prayer or study unless they “feel like it.” Their Christian life is only as effective as the intensity of present feelings. When they experience spiritual euphoria, they are a whirlwind of godly activity; when they are depressed, they are a spiritual incompetent. They constantly seek new and fresh spiritual experiences, and use them to determine the Word of God. Their “inner feelings” become the ultimate test of truth.”
“Sensuous Christians don’t need to study the Word of God because they already know the will of God by their feelings. They don’t want to know God; they want to experience him. Sensuous Christians equate “childlike faith” with ignorance. They think that when the Bible calls us to childlike faith, it means a faith without content, a faith without understanding. They don’t know that the Bible says, “In evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor 14:20).”
“Sensuous Christians go their merry way until they encounter the pain of life that is not so merry—and they fold. They usually end up embracing a kind of “relational theology” (a curse on modern Christianity) where personal relationships and experience take precedence over the Word of God. […] The highest law of sensuous Christians is that bad feelings must be avoided at all cost.”
Other highlighted quotes (for which I highlighted many):
”When people say the Bible is dull, it makes me wonder why. Biblical characters are full of life. There is a unique quality of passion about them. Their lives reveal drama, pathos, lust, crime, devotion and every conceivable aspect of human existence. There is rebuke, remorse, contrition, consolation, practical wisdom, philosophical reflection and, most of all, truth.”
“Biblical Christianity is not an esoteric religion. Its content is not concealed in vague symbols that require some sort of special “insight” to grasp. There is no special intellectual prowess or spiritual gift that is necessary to understand the basic message of Scripture.”
“Here then is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work.”
“The problem of slothfulness has been with us since the curse of the Fall. Our labor is now mixed with sweat. Weeds are easier to grow than grass. Newspapers are easier to read than the Bible is to study. The curse of labor is not magically removed simply because our task is the study of Scripture.”
“If you have read the whole Bible, you are in a small minority of Christian people. If you have studied the Bible, you are in an even smaller minority. Isn’t it amazing that almost everyone living in the West has an opinion to offer about the Bible, and yet so few have really studied it?”
“Biblical illiteracy among the clergy has become so prevalent that I often find pastors getting annoyed and angry when their parishioners ask them to teach them the Bible. In many cases pastors live in mortal fear that their ignorance will be exposed by being thrust into a situation where they are expected to teach the Bible.”
“Scripture is profitable for teaching (v. 16). One of the most important priorities Paul mentions is the preeminent way in which the Bible profits us. The first and indeed foremost profit is the profit of teaching or instruction. We may pick up the Bible and be “inspired” or moved to tears or other poignant emotions. But our greatest profit is in being instructed.”
“Countless times I have heard Christians say, “Why do I need to study doctrine or theology when all I need to know is Jesus?” My immediate reply is, “Who is Jesus?” As soon as we begin to answer this question, we are involved in doctrine and theology.”
“The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians.”
“We cannot learn competency by osmosis. Biblically illiterate Christians are not only inadequate but unequipped.”
“The advantage of the equipment provided by Scripture is that knowledge is made available to us that can be learned from no other source.”
“People who despise theory and call themselves practical are not wise.”
“As in the case of the Christian who wants Christ without theology, so the person who wants practice without theory will usually wind up with bad theories that lead to bad practice.”
“The Bible is addressed primarily, though not exclusively, to our understanding. That means the mind. This is difficult to communicate to modern Christians who are living in what may be the most anti-intellectual period of Western civilization. Notice, I did not say anti-academic or anti-technological or anti-scholarly. I said anti-intellectual. There is a strong current of antipathy to the function of the mind in the Christian life.”
“In many cases there is the fear that faith will not hold up under intellectual scrutiny, so the defense becomes the denigration of the human mind. We turn to feelings rather than to our minds to establish and preserve our faith. This is a very serious problem we face in the twenty-first-century church.”
“We live as human beings under an obligation by divine mandate to study diligently God’s Word. He is our Sovereign, it is his Word, and he commands that we study it. A duty is not an option. If you have not yet begun to respond to that duty, then you need to ask God to forgive you and to resolve to do your duty from this day forth.”
“I know of one very competent Bible scholar who rejects the notion of the inerrancy of the Bible because Jesus made a mistake when he said the mustard seed was the smallest of seeds. Since we know that there are seeds smaller than the mustard seed, we see that Jesus and the New Testament erred by saying it was the smallest. But to accuse Jesus or the Scripture of error when hyperbole is clearly in use is a failure of proper literary analysis.”
“Grammatical structure determines whether words are to be taken as questions (interrogative), commands (imperative) or declarative (indicative). For example, when Jesus says, “You shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8), is he making a prediction of future performance or issuing a sovereign mandate? Though the English form is unclear, the Greek structure of the words makes it perfectly clear that Jesus is not indulging in future prediction but is issuing a command.”
“But mystical flashes are usually not very helpful in the basic work of exegesis. Even worse is the so-called spiritual method of luckydipping. Luckydipping refers to the method of Bible study in which a person prays for divine guidance and then lets the Bible fall open to wherever it happens to open. Then with eyes shut the person “dips” a finger to the page and gets an answer from God wherever the finger lands on the page.”
“Many Protestants have forgotten what they are protesting and have come full circle to the point of elevating the present decisions of the church over the authority of the apostles. When that happens, we have an upside-down Christianity.”
“Skepticism has sometimes reached the point of declaring that all human language is inadequate to express God’s truth. Such skepticism is unwarranted at best and cynical at worst. Our language may not be perfect, but it is adequate.”
“Closely related to the rule of interpreting the implicit by the explicit is the correlate rule to interpret the obscure in the light of the clear. If we interpret the clear in the light of the obscure, we drift into a kind of esoteric interpretation that is inevitably cultic. The basic rule is that of care: careful reading of what the text is actually saying will save us from much confusion and distortion.”
“Whatever else the Bible is, it’s a book which communicates information verbally. This means that it is filled with words. Thoughts are expressed through the relationship of those words. Each individual word contributes something to the whole of the content expressed. The better we understand the individual words used in biblical statements, the better we will be able to understand the total message of Scripture.”
“Handling predictive prophecy is one of the most abused forms of biblical interpretation. Interpretations range from the skeptical, naturalistic method, which virtually eliminates predictive prophecy, to the wild, bizarre method that sees in every contemporary event a “clear” fulfillment of a biblical prophecy.”
“Again, the general emphasis is on care. We must approach prophecy very carefully with a sober attitude. If we do so, the results of studying the prophetic books are rewarding.”
“This does not mean that we are constantly in doubt regarding our interpretation of Scripture, holding our views tentatively. On the contrary, if we have done our homework by carefully following the basic hermeneutical principles outlined in this book, we have every right to be fully confident in our views. However, if we encounter new information that possibly reframes our understanding of a passage of Scripture, we must not dismiss it without first carefully examining all of the pertinent facts.”
“One burning issue in the Christian world rages over the question of the sense and degree to which the Bible is conditioned by culture. Was the Bible written for first-century Christians only? Or was it written for people of all eras? We might be quick to answer according to the latter, but can we say that without reservation? Is there any part of Scripture that is bound by its cultural setting and thus limited in its application to its own cultural setting?”
“In order to produce an accurate exegesis of a biblical text and understand what was said and what was meant, a student must be involved with questions of language (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic), style, syntax, historical and geographical context, author, destination and literary genre (see chap. 3). This kind of analysis is necessary for interpreting any body of literature—even contemporary literature.”
“What if, after careful consideration of a biblical mandate, we remain uncertain as to its character as principle or custom? If we must decide to treat it one way or the other but have no conclusive means to make the decision, what can we do? Here the biblical principle of humility can be helpful. The issue is simple. Would it be better to treat a possible custom as a principle and be guilty of being overscrupulous in our design to obey God? Or would it be better to treat a possible principle as a custom and be guilty of being unscrupulous in demoting a transcendent requirement of God to the level of a mere human convention?”
March 18, 2022
Was a good little book, only 125 pages long but had a great amount of content. This book showed first of all the importance of studying God's Word and then gave practical rules to use while doing so. Chapter 4 alone is worth reading this book!
Will probably have to go back to this on occasion to implement the techniques given and use it as a safe guard and a check on my own study. Would highly recommend to any believer who wants to truly understand God's Word (which should be every believer).
Will probably have to go back to this on occasion to implement the techniques given and use it as a safe guard and a check on my own study. Would highly recommend to any believer who wants to truly understand God's Word (which should be every believer).
January 13, 2025
This book is about basic Biblical hermaneutics principles and related topics. It made the topic of hermaneutics accessible to people like me who are not Bible scholars, but who still want to learn what's involved with interpreting the Bible.
Ideally the Bible wouldn't need interpretation but you know how people are - they come up with a lot of crazy ideas about what the Bible says and what it means in our lives. Some ideas are wrong, and some are right, and we need to discern the difference. It is disturbing to know that churches split and new sects are formed all over differences in hermaneutics.
This book covers topics like personal Bible study, private interpretation of the scriptures, the analogy of faith, genre analysis, metaphors, source criticism, and grammatical errors. It also offers 11 practical rules for Bible interpretation, ending with perhaps the most important rule, to maintain humility.
I'm glad I read this book and am grateful it was written for an average layperson who is not necessarily enrolled in Bible college classes.
Ideally the Bible wouldn't need interpretation but you know how people are - they come up with a lot of crazy ideas about what the Bible says and what it means in our lives. Some ideas are wrong, and some are right, and we need to discern the difference. It is disturbing to know that churches split and new sects are formed all over differences in hermaneutics.
This book covers topics like personal Bible study, private interpretation of the scriptures, the analogy of faith, genre analysis, metaphors, source criticism, and grammatical errors. It also offers 11 practical rules for Bible interpretation, ending with perhaps the most important rule, to maintain humility.
I'm glad I read this book and am grateful it was written for an average layperson who is not necessarily enrolled in Bible college classes.
March 22, 2025
Sproul offers an excellent and accessible book that lays out the principles of studying Scripture. Sproul has a gift for clearly and succinctly explaining deep topics without being too scholarly, while utilizing great stories to illustrate his point. The one weakness of the book is that after finishing I realized that while I had been given some great guidelines to keep in mind, I wasn’t actually told WHAT to do when studying the Bible. For example, in his discussion on interpreting narrative, Sproul warns that we must be careful to distinguish between description and prescription by allowing the didactic to interpret the narrative. While this is 100% true, it doesn’t tell me how to actually interpret narrative passages (I.e. pay attention to setting, plot, and characters). I would recommend a more practical book like Knowable Word to supplement this book.
October 31, 2024
Sproul’s resources are always excellent. This book offers a good foundation for how to study and interpret the Bible for either a new reader of Scripture or a long time believer. I most appreciated Chapter 3 on hermeneutics and Chapter 4 on practical rules of biblical interpretation.
November 4, 2014
Despite only giving it four stars, I think this book is important and should be read by anyone seeking to understand the Bible. Sproul gives priceless guidelines to reading which could preclude a great deal of doctrinal confusion for many readers. My reservation is due to the brevity of the treatment of some things such as his take on various bible translations. He mentions that some are "liberal" for instance, without a clue as to what the term means to him. Does he mean liberal in the way they translate certain words, certain doctrines, or liberal in their commentary? We are left to guess. (I suppose his many students over the years would understand what he means by the word, but most readers will not.) There was quite a bit of similar short treatments which left much to be desired. Nevertheless, what he does explain with more detail, he explains extraordinarily well. I highly recommend this book to any serious student of Scripture, both Old and New Testament. I'll be reading it again to make sure I've "got" the good parts down for my own Bible reading.
July 28, 2012
wow! wait did i say...WOW! the cover should read super concentrated sheer awesomeness. this thin book isn't shallow. this is going on my small stack of books to read over and over. the stack includes the bible(duh), the pursuit of godliness/practice of holiness, daws, the lost art of disciple making, spiritual disciplines of christian living, desiring god, and the legacy of sovereign joy, and the gospel primer oh and slave. ok, so the stack isn't that small and its getting bigger all the time but you should see the, that was nice pass it on pile. i try to leave the, oh...i just wasted my time books unread by me. must read!
May 9, 2015
This is like a cross between How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth and Exegetical Fallacies by Carson. Very sound teaching on what the Bible is and how to understand it, along with mistakes to avoid.
He bungled the translations portion by calling the NRSV a Functional Equivalent type and the NLT a paraphrase. At least he was honest about the NASB and NKJV being a little awkward because of how much they try to stick to the grammar of the original languages. That's very minor though and just a very short section of the book. He recommends another book for looking into that further.
Highly recommended unless you already have a very good handle on hermeneutics.
He bungled the translations portion by calling the NRSV a Functional Equivalent type and the NLT a paraphrase. At least he was honest about the NASB and NKJV being a little awkward because of how much they try to stick to the grammar of the original languages. That's very minor though and just a very short section of the book. He recommends another book for looking into that further.
Highly recommended unless you already have a very good handle on hermeneutics.
April 22, 2015
Summary:
From the back cover of the book, "The theme of this book is not how to read the Bible but how to study the Bible."
The later part of the quote is probably the most ignored.
Christians who do read the Bible are not aware of how to really study the Bible.
R. C. Sproul takes both points and teaches the how and why of reading and studying the Bible.
My Thoughts:
Knowing Scripture is written for a new Christian or for a person who is not a solid reader and student of Scripture.
Consider this a primary book for Bible reading.
Some of the topics discussed are:
"Why study the Bible?"
What is exegesis?
Hermeneutics.
Criticism.
The culture of Bible times.
Tools for study.
From the back cover of the book, "The theme of this book is not how to read the Bible but how to study the Bible."
The later part of the quote is probably the most ignored.
Christians who do read the Bible are not aware of how to really study the Bible.
R. C. Sproul takes both points and teaches the how and why of reading and studying the Bible.
My Thoughts:
Knowing Scripture is written for a new Christian or for a person who is not a solid reader and student of Scripture.
Consider this a primary book for Bible reading.
Some of the topics discussed are:
"Why study the Bible?"
What is exegesis?
Hermeneutics.
Criticism.
The culture of Bible times.
Tools for study.
January 31, 2016
Excellent, excellent book. Sproul's defense for why you should study the Bible and seek to uphold correct doctrine was excellent, his hermeneutical guidelines were really well laid-out, and his section on to what extent cultural context should play into our interpretation of the Bible was also really well-done. I was familiar with most of the hermeneutical principles before reading this book, but had never thought of them in a systematized, orderly fashion. Combine that with a really robust defense of the importance of good theology to the average Christian, and this was a really enjoyable and profitable book to read.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Excellent).
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Excellent).
January 22, 2024
Recomendado totalmente, debido a lo urgente de una correcta interpretación de La Biblia en un mundo lleno de subjetivismo y escepticismo. Lenguaje no técnico, accesible para todo cristiano que quiere conocer mejor la Palabra de su Señor.
Me alegra que R.C. Sproul no defienda el modo reformado interpretativo. Sigue siendo un método de interpretación, del cuál,creo yo, es el más recomendado para todo amante de La Palabra de Dios.
Me alegra que R.C. Sproul no defienda el modo reformado interpretativo. Sigue siendo un método de interpretación, del cuál,creo yo, es el más recomendado para todo amante de La Palabra de Dios.
March 31, 2019
This is a short book but full of good guidance. We read this book with our ABF class and it prompted much helpful discussion. I recommend it.
May 3, 2021
An excellent overview of the principles and tools for personal Bible study. I only wish I had read this years ago.
December 11, 2020
An excellent little book by Sproul introducing the reader to easy and effective strategies on how to read and interpret the Bible. Sproul begins with a quick lesson on the importance behind personal reading and interpretation of the Bible and how that was a foundational tenant of the Reformation. Next he goes through the science of hermeneutics along with several practical rules for biblical interpretation. Finally, Sproul discusses how culture can effect how we read the Bible and how important it is to educate ourselves about how culture, both past and present, can effect how we understand the Bible. Then he provides several helpful resources to help both the novice and experienced Bible reader expand their study of God's Word. Very easy to read and recommended for all.
May 8, 2024
Very good overview of the different categories of things to think about when interpreting the Bible. It's meant to be an intro guide, so I don't mean this as a criticism, but each of the 2-3 page chapters could (and I'm sure do) have whole books written about them. So this is a good book to get different things to think about when interpreting, and then the language to research more in the categories where you want to go deeper.
This is the first book I've read by RC Sproul, and I really like his clear, effective writing style.
This is the first book I've read by RC Sproul, and I really like his clear, effective writing style.
October 10, 2019
Excellent! I should have read many years ago a book like this. (Expanded Edition)
March 10, 2020
This book is a great help in a foundational and basic understanding of reading and knowing Scripture.
March 21, 2022
A quick read that outlines some helpful tips for better understanding the Bible.
In true Sproul fashion, he makes the complex world of apologetics very accessible.
In true Sproul fashion, he makes the complex world of apologetics very accessible.
October 29, 2022
An excellent and easy read about studying the Bible, I really liked Chapter 3 (Hermeneutics) and Chapter 4 (Practical Rules for Bible Interpretation). Highly recommend.
February 25, 2024
R. C. Sproul provides an excellent resource for Biblical study for new and learned Biblical scholars. It is easy to read and abundant in practical tools for literary analysis. As always, Dr. Sproul gives a wonderful book for all Christians.
June 14, 2024
Finally finished this book after a couple of reading, pausing and reread. Great book and has so many practical tips! Very useful for individuals and churches.
January 18, 2024
Another example of RC Sproul making complicated ideas/debates easy to understand and accessible to the layman. Very helpful.
August 27, 2018
From the foreword: IF I were the devil (please, no comment), one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible.
From chapter one: Why study the Bible? It may seem odd and foolish to raise this question since you probably would not be reading this book unless you were already convinced that Bible study is necessary.
Knowing Scripture is a practical how-to-STUDY-the Bible book by R.C. Sproul first published in 1977. (It has been republished, but I haven't bought an updated edition. I'm not sure if Sproul has added extra content.)
In the first chapter, Sproul addresses two myths concerning the Bible. The first myth being, "the Bible is SO difficult that only highly skilled theologians with technical training can deal with the Scriptures." The second being, "the Bible is boring." He argues that the Bible is not difficult to read--for the most part. Does it contain a few difficult passages that require study and unpacking? Yes. But. For the most part, the basic, essential message of the Bible is straight-forward and clear. Sproul does not quote Mark Twain here, but I will!
“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scriptures they don’t understand, but for me I have always noticed that the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” ~ Mark Twain
He also argues that the Bible is NOT dull or boring. (Though he adds that *if* it were the world's most boring book, it would still be our duty to read it because we're commanded to know the Book.)
The preponderance of boredom that people experience with the Bible came home to me several years ago when I was hired to teach the Scriptures in required Bible courses at a Christian college. The president of the institution phoned me and said, "We need someone young and exciting, someone with a dynamic method who will be able to 'make the Bible come alive.'" I had to force myself to swallow my words. I wanted to say, "You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn't know that it had died. In fact, I never even heard that it was ill. Who was the attending physician at the Bible's demise?" No, I can't make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It makes me come alive. (14)
He concludes that the reason people don't study the Bible has nothing to do with either myth. Not really.
We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy. (15)
He includes this startling fact: If you have read the whole Bible, you are in a small minority of Christian people. If you have studied the Bible, you are in an even smaller minority. (18) Sproul isn't saying that only Christian laypeople are lazy when it comes to reading or studying the Bible, the whole Bible. He's also saying that it's a problem among the clergy as well.
Countless times I have heard Christians say, "Why do I need to study doctrine or theology when all I need to know is Jesus?" My immediate reply is this: "Who is Jesus?" As soon as we begin to answer that question, we are involved in doctrine and theology. No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones. A good theologian is one who is instructed by God. (22)
He includes many reasons WHY Christians should study the Bible. One of my favorite quotes is, "But what happens when there is a conflict between what God says and what I feel? We must do what God says, like it or not. That is what Christianity is all about." That is Sproul telling it like it is. Not tickling anybody's ears, for sure. There is a follow-your-heart, follow-your-conscience, define-your-own-truth mentality that has even found its way into modern pulpits.
We were not created to be happy. Let me clarify. We were not created to pursue our own version of happy. Our version of happy is far removed from what we were created for because of the fall, because of our inborn sin nature. We were created to glorify God; we were created to enjoy HIM forever. When God is at the center of our happy, when God is our 'one thing' then we are fulfilling his design for us. We are in God's will and not outside of it.
Knowledge of God's Word does not guarantee that we will do what it says, but at least we will know what we are supposed to be doing in our quest for human fulfillment. The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in. (30)
In chapter two, Sproul discusses personal Bible study and private interpretation. He argues that it is important to balance private interpretation with the church's teaching. The text has a definite meaning. A text can have more than one application, but it can only have one meaning. We're not free to read MEANING into a text and build our theology around a misinterpreted passage. Free perhaps being the wrong word. We are of course free to be bad theologians. But TRUTH should matter to us. And we should care more about what the scripture actually means than what we want it to mean. Should.
In this second chapter, Sproul talks about objectivity and subjectivity. He defines the terms EXEGESIS and EISOGESIS. At the heart of every bad sermon is eisogesis.
Exegesis means to explain what the Scripture says. The word comes from the Greek word meaning, "to guide out of." The key to exegesis is found in the prefix ex which means "from" or "out of." To exegete Scripture is to get out of the words the meaning that is there, no more and no less. (39)
Eisogesis has the same room but a different prefix. The prefix his, also coming from the Greek, means "into." Thus, eisogesis involves reading into the text something that isn't there at all. Exegesis is an objective enterprise. Eisogesis involves an exercise in subjectivism. (40)
Subjectivism takes place when the truth of a statement is not merely expanded or applied to the subject, but when it is absolutely determined by the subject. "That's your interpretation, and that's fine for you. I don't agree with it, but my interpretation is equally valid. Though our interpretations are contrary and contradictory, they can both be true. Whatever you like is true for you and whatever I like is true for me." (39, 40)
In the third chapter, Sproul introduces hermeneutics, "the science of interpretation." What should be the means of interpretation? How should the Bible be interpreted? The Reformers argued--stood for and in some cases died for--the notion that Scripture should interpret Scripture. That the Bible was all one needed. He writes, "No part of Scripture can be interpreted in such a way as to render it in conflict with what is clearly taught elsewhere in Scripture." (40)
He spends a good deal of time in this chapter discussing the importance of reading the Bible literally.
The term literal comes from the Latin litera meaning letter. To interpret something literally is to pay attention to the litera or to the letters and words which are being used. To interpret the Bible literally is to interpret it as literature. That is, the natural meaning of a passage is to be interpreted according to the normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax, and context. The Bible may be a very special book, being uniquely inspired by the Holy Ghost, but that inspiration does not transform the letters of the words or the sentences of the passages into magical phrases. Under inspiration a noun remains a noun and a verb remains a verb. Questions do not become exclamations, and historical narratives do not become allegories. (49)
To be accurate interpreters of the Bible we need to know the rules of grammar; and above all, we must be carefully involved in what is called genre analysis. The term genre means simply "kind," "sort," or "species." Genre analysis involves the study of such things as literary forms, figures of speech, and style. (49)
The third way of interpreting the Bible--which he addresses in this chapter--is the grammatico-historical method. Here is where context and original meaning come into play.
The fourth chapter is the PRACTICAL chapter. He includes rules for biblical interpretations:
Rule 1: The Bible is to be read like any other book.
Rule 2: Read the Bible existentially. [He adds a disclaimer here, "What I mean is that as we read the Bible, we ought to get passionately and personal involved in what we read. I advocate this not only for the purpose of personal application of the text but for understanding as well. What I am calling for is a kind of empathy by which we try to "crawl into the skin" of the characters we are reading about." (66)]
Rule 3: Historical Narratives are to be interpreted by the didactic.
Rule 4: The implicit is to be interpreted by the explicit. [Not only do we have problems when we draw too many implications from the Scripture, but we also face the problem of squaring implications with what is explicitly taught. When an implication is drawn that is contradictory to what is explicitly stated, the implication must be rejected. (77)]
Rule 5: Determine carefully the meaning of words.
Rule 6: Note the presence of parallelism in the Bible. (There are three basic types of parallelism: synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic.)
Rule 7: Note the difference between proverb and law.
Rule 8: Observe the difference between the Spirit and the Letter of the Law.
Rule 9: Be careful with parables.
Rule 10: Be careful with predictive prophecy.
The fifth chapter is all about culture. Not only should we be mindful of the original cultures--of the Old and New Testaments--but we should be--must be--mindful of our own culture. Difficulties can arise when we ignore our own culture and bring our own cultural bias or understanding into Scripture. He writes,
"We need to become aware that the perspective we bring to the Word may well be a distortion of truth. I am convinced that the problem of the influence of the twentieth-century secular mindset is a far more formidable obstacle to accurate biblical interpretation that is the problem of the conditioning of ancient culture." (105)
The sixth chapter is about Bible study tools. This chapter is without a doubt the most dated section of the book. In a way. Commentaries are still commentaries. Atlases are still atlases. Dictionaries are still dictionaries. But. This is the chapter where he analyzes various translations and gives recommendations.
So many BIG translations were not published yet in 1977. For example, New King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible Update, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible and Christian Standard Bible. He would later go on to publish study Bibles in the New King James Version and the English Standard Version so one can only assume that he approved those translations!
This section also includes a Bible Reading Program for Beginners.
Why have Christians been so derelict when it comes to biblical study? Is it merely a lack of discipline or devotion? That may be part of the problem and consequently produces much guilt among Christians for leaving undone those things that should have been done. I think, however, that more than a problem of discipline, it is a problem of method. We begin our Bible reading in a spirit of grim determination and diligently read the book of Genesis. Genesis provides important information about the foundations of biblical history and moves smoothly through the narrative history of the patriarchs. So far so good. Exodus is full of drama with the exploits of Moses and the liberation of Israel from the tyranny of the Egyptians. Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston have given millions of us a sense of familiarity with these events. Then comes Leviticus. Here the attrition rate of interested readers begins to accelerate. Many of us who wade through Leviticus are finished off by Numbers. A few die-hards make it through Deuteronomy, and even a persevering few make it through the whole New Testament. Actually I have discovered that the majority of people who read the first five books of the Old Testament will make it through the whole Bible. Most people fail to read the Old Testament by getting bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers. The reasons are obvious. These books deal with detailed matters of the organization of Israel including lengthy lists of case law. So much of the material is foreign to us and makes difficult reading.Yet, the information contained in these books is of crucial importance for understanding the scope of redemptive history. An accurate understanding of the New Testament depends on an understanding of these books. In fact, once a person acquires a general understanding of the whole scope of Scripture, he usually discovers that Leviticus and Numbers are fascinating and delightfully interesting. But without the general understanding the details seem somewhat unrelated. To overcome the problems so many people have with reading the Bible I suggest an alternate route to our goal. Read the biblical books in the following order:
Genesis
Exodus
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
Ezra
Nehemiah
Amos
Hosea
Jeremiah
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
Psalms and Proverbs.
This list of readings gives an overview of the Old Testament and provides the framework for understanding it. (121-22)
From chapter one: Why study the Bible? It may seem odd and foolish to raise this question since you probably would not be reading this book unless you were already convinced that Bible study is necessary.
Knowing Scripture is a practical how-to-STUDY-the Bible book by R.C. Sproul first published in 1977. (It has been republished, but I haven't bought an updated edition. I'm not sure if Sproul has added extra content.)
In the first chapter, Sproul addresses two myths concerning the Bible. The first myth being, "the Bible is SO difficult that only highly skilled theologians with technical training can deal with the Scriptures." The second being, "the Bible is boring." He argues that the Bible is not difficult to read--for the most part. Does it contain a few difficult passages that require study and unpacking? Yes. But. For the most part, the basic, essential message of the Bible is straight-forward and clear. Sproul does not quote Mark Twain here, but I will!
“Most people are bothered by those passages of Scriptures they don’t understand, but for me I have always noticed that the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” ~ Mark Twain
He also argues that the Bible is NOT dull or boring. (Though he adds that *if* it were the world's most boring book, it would still be our duty to read it because we're commanded to know the Book.)
The preponderance of boredom that people experience with the Bible came home to me several years ago when I was hired to teach the Scriptures in required Bible courses at a Christian college. The president of the institution phoned me and said, "We need someone young and exciting, someone with a dynamic method who will be able to 'make the Bible come alive.'" I had to force myself to swallow my words. I wanted to say, "You want me to make the Bible come alive? I didn't know that it had died. In fact, I never even heard that it was ill. Who was the attending physician at the Bible's demise?" No, I can't make the Bible come alive for anyone. The Bible is already alive. It makes me come alive. (14)
He concludes that the reason people don't study the Bible has nothing to do with either myth. Not really.
We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy. (15)
He includes this startling fact: If you have read the whole Bible, you are in a small minority of Christian people. If you have studied the Bible, you are in an even smaller minority. (18) Sproul isn't saying that only Christian laypeople are lazy when it comes to reading or studying the Bible, the whole Bible. He's also saying that it's a problem among the clergy as well.
Countless times I have heard Christians say, "Why do I need to study doctrine or theology when all I need to know is Jesus?" My immediate reply is this: "Who is Jesus?" As soon as we begin to answer that question, we are involved in doctrine and theology. No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones. A good theologian is one who is instructed by God. (22)
He includes many reasons WHY Christians should study the Bible. One of my favorite quotes is, "But what happens when there is a conflict between what God says and what I feel? We must do what God says, like it or not. That is what Christianity is all about." That is Sproul telling it like it is. Not tickling anybody's ears, for sure. There is a follow-your-heart, follow-your-conscience, define-your-own-truth mentality that has even found its way into modern pulpits.
We were not created to be happy. Let me clarify. We were not created to pursue our own version of happy. Our version of happy is far removed from what we were created for because of the fall, because of our inborn sin nature. We were created to glorify God; we were created to enjoy HIM forever. When God is at the center of our happy, when God is our 'one thing' then we are fulfilling his design for us. We are in God's will and not outside of it.
Knowledge of God's Word does not guarantee that we will do what it says, but at least we will know what we are supposed to be doing in our quest for human fulfillment. The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in. (30)
In chapter two, Sproul discusses personal Bible study and private interpretation. He argues that it is important to balance private interpretation with the church's teaching. The text has a definite meaning. A text can have more than one application, but it can only have one meaning. We're not free to read MEANING into a text and build our theology around a misinterpreted passage. Free perhaps being the wrong word. We are of course free to be bad theologians. But TRUTH should matter to us. And we should care more about what the scripture actually means than what we want it to mean. Should.
In this second chapter, Sproul talks about objectivity and subjectivity. He defines the terms EXEGESIS and EISOGESIS. At the heart of every bad sermon is eisogesis.
Exegesis means to explain what the Scripture says. The word comes from the Greek word meaning, "to guide out of." The key to exegesis is found in the prefix ex which means "from" or "out of." To exegete Scripture is to get out of the words the meaning that is there, no more and no less. (39)
Eisogesis has the same room but a different prefix. The prefix his, also coming from the Greek, means "into." Thus, eisogesis involves reading into the text something that isn't there at all. Exegesis is an objective enterprise. Eisogesis involves an exercise in subjectivism. (40)
Subjectivism takes place when the truth of a statement is not merely expanded or applied to the subject, but when it is absolutely determined by the subject. "That's your interpretation, and that's fine for you. I don't agree with it, but my interpretation is equally valid. Though our interpretations are contrary and contradictory, they can both be true. Whatever you like is true for you and whatever I like is true for me." (39, 40)
In the third chapter, Sproul introduces hermeneutics, "the science of interpretation." What should be the means of interpretation? How should the Bible be interpreted? The Reformers argued--stood for and in some cases died for--the notion that Scripture should interpret Scripture. That the Bible was all one needed. He writes, "No part of Scripture can be interpreted in such a way as to render it in conflict with what is clearly taught elsewhere in Scripture." (40)
He spends a good deal of time in this chapter discussing the importance of reading the Bible literally.
The term literal comes from the Latin litera meaning letter. To interpret something literally is to pay attention to the litera or to the letters and words which are being used. To interpret the Bible literally is to interpret it as literature. That is, the natural meaning of a passage is to be interpreted according to the normal rules of grammar, speech, syntax, and context. The Bible may be a very special book, being uniquely inspired by the Holy Ghost, but that inspiration does not transform the letters of the words or the sentences of the passages into magical phrases. Under inspiration a noun remains a noun and a verb remains a verb. Questions do not become exclamations, and historical narratives do not become allegories. (49)
To be accurate interpreters of the Bible we need to know the rules of grammar; and above all, we must be carefully involved in what is called genre analysis. The term genre means simply "kind," "sort," or "species." Genre analysis involves the study of such things as literary forms, figures of speech, and style. (49)
The third way of interpreting the Bible--which he addresses in this chapter--is the grammatico-historical method. Here is where context and original meaning come into play.
The fourth chapter is the PRACTICAL chapter. He includes rules for biblical interpretations:
Rule 1: The Bible is to be read like any other book.
Rule 2: Read the Bible existentially. [He adds a disclaimer here, "What I mean is that as we read the Bible, we ought to get passionately and personal involved in what we read. I advocate this not only for the purpose of personal application of the text but for understanding as well. What I am calling for is a kind of empathy by which we try to "crawl into the skin" of the characters we are reading about." (66)]
Rule 3: Historical Narratives are to be interpreted by the didactic.
Rule 4: The implicit is to be interpreted by the explicit. [Not only do we have problems when we draw too many implications from the Scripture, but we also face the problem of squaring implications with what is explicitly taught. When an implication is drawn that is contradictory to what is explicitly stated, the implication must be rejected. (77)]
Rule 5: Determine carefully the meaning of words.
Rule 6: Note the presence of parallelism in the Bible. (There are three basic types of parallelism: synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic.)
Rule 7: Note the difference between proverb and law.
Rule 8: Observe the difference between the Spirit and the Letter of the Law.
Rule 9: Be careful with parables.
Rule 10: Be careful with predictive prophecy.
The fifth chapter is all about culture. Not only should we be mindful of the original cultures--of the Old and New Testaments--but we should be--must be--mindful of our own culture. Difficulties can arise when we ignore our own culture and bring our own cultural bias or understanding into Scripture. He writes,
"We need to become aware that the perspective we bring to the Word may well be a distortion of truth. I am convinced that the problem of the influence of the twentieth-century secular mindset is a far more formidable obstacle to accurate biblical interpretation that is the problem of the conditioning of ancient culture." (105)
The sixth chapter is about Bible study tools. This chapter is without a doubt the most dated section of the book. In a way. Commentaries are still commentaries. Atlases are still atlases. Dictionaries are still dictionaries. But. This is the chapter where he analyzes various translations and gives recommendations.
So many BIG translations were not published yet in 1977. For example, New King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible Update, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible and Christian Standard Bible. He would later go on to publish study Bibles in the New King James Version and the English Standard Version so one can only assume that he approved those translations!
This section also includes a Bible Reading Program for Beginners.
Why have Christians been so derelict when it comes to biblical study? Is it merely a lack of discipline or devotion? That may be part of the problem and consequently produces much guilt among Christians for leaving undone those things that should have been done. I think, however, that more than a problem of discipline, it is a problem of method. We begin our Bible reading in a spirit of grim determination and diligently read the book of Genesis. Genesis provides important information about the foundations of biblical history and moves smoothly through the narrative history of the patriarchs. So far so good. Exodus is full of drama with the exploits of Moses and the liberation of Israel from the tyranny of the Egyptians. Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston have given millions of us a sense of familiarity with these events. Then comes Leviticus. Here the attrition rate of interested readers begins to accelerate. Many of us who wade through Leviticus are finished off by Numbers. A few die-hards make it through Deuteronomy, and even a persevering few make it through the whole New Testament. Actually I have discovered that the majority of people who read the first five books of the Old Testament will make it through the whole Bible. Most people fail to read the Old Testament by getting bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers. The reasons are obvious. These books deal with detailed matters of the organization of Israel including lengthy lists of case law. So much of the material is foreign to us and makes difficult reading.Yet, the information contained in these books is of crucial importance for understanding the scope of redemptive history. An accurate understanding of the New Testament depends on an understanding of these books. In fact, once a person acquires a general understanding of the whole scope of Scripture, he usually discovers that Leviticus and Numbers are fascinating and delightfully interesting. But without the general understanding the details seem somewhat unrelated. To overcome the problems so many people have with reading the Bible I suggest an alternate route to our goal. Read the biblical books in the following order:
Genesis
Exodus
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
Ezra
Nehemiah
Amos
Hosea
Jeremiah
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
Psalms and Proverbs.
This list of readings gives an overview of the Old Testament and provides the framework for understanding it. (121-22)
November 27, 2023
Incredible book! Indeed, a must read!
June 20, 2012
RC Sproul has a passion for the word of God and I will always enjoy reading his book with the expectation of having a hunger for the word of God. The importance of the word in my daily life and the application to the word. I like that we are always learning truth and we may stray from what God is revealing to us, however, God is faithful to lead to the truth. Being our sinful nature, we can intrepret the word to fit the culture. Marriage is the hot topic of such intrepretation however, even Jesus refers us to the begininng of what marriage should be. He even gives us a warning about our hearts which is a key to reading the word. I appreciate the warning of sensuous christians that live by their feelings and have not a need to study the word of God. My favorite quote is the issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in. We have the word for that very reason. It is not a easy thing to be in the word daily with a devoted heart. A prayer of mine that it will become the air I breathe.
June 25, 2022
R.C gives a phenomenal guide to Bible reading, and Bible study. Overall, he gives a clear walkthrough of the different types of literary styles, grammatical structures, and contexts of the Bible, offering helpful instruction about how Christian’s (and non Christian’s) should dive into scripture.
I can say for myself, I have greatly benefited from this book in my day to day study of the word of God. It has also triggered my mind to look for specific things in each biblical text. R.C focuses on being as practical as possible, which he accomplished.
The book offers a priceless skill: the ability to learn accurately from scripture. Highly recommend!
I can say for myself, I have greatly benefited from this book in my day to day study of the word of God. It has also triggered my mind to look for specific things in each biblical text. R.C focuses on being as practical as possible, which he accomplished.
The book offers a priceless skill: the ability to learn accurately from scripture. Highly recommend!
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