How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Fee and Stuart

“How many of you believe that the Bible contains the very words of God?” This is the opening question in Bart Erhman’s New Testament class at the University of North Carolina. A vast majority of students boldly raise their hands, but Erhman is not taking a survey. They keep their hand raised until his second question: “Since most of you think this is God’s word to you, how many of you have read the whole thing?” As the hands fall, the seed of doubt is firmly planted. The two questions are his attempt to rattle the cages of naïve undergraduates who thoughtlessly cling to an evangelical faith. Do they really believe? Is this book really special?

Left on the shelf, the word of God does seem ordinary, if not out of date. But for those who have opened it, for those who have drunk deeply from it, they know with the writer to the Hebrews that the “word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” Or, with Apostle John, they have discovered that these are the very words that can produce life. The word of God is a powder keg; when read or heard its explosive force changes lives and transforms society.

The weakness of our faith does not nullify the power and effectiveness of God’s word, yet Erhman’s question is an important one. Why do we neglect God’s word?

For many of us, the Bible is difficult to understand. Meaning can seem locked away. We can get lost in strange imagery or unfamiliar historical events. It is much longer than other books we read, yet we aren’t always sure where to begin or how much to read at a time. To compound the problem, skeptics and contrarians carelessly assert that the Bible contains errors or contradictions.

This fall CPC wants to unlock and unleash the word in your life. One vital resource is Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart’s helpful book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. No other book better equips the reader to come to the Bible and find clarity and meaning.

This book begins by tackling the challenging interpretation and application questions we all have. The bulk of the book, however, orients the reader to each genre found in the scripture. As those who have struggled to read Revelation or follow Jesus’ parables have found that you cannot approach every book in the same way. Knowing the genres is essential for rightly grasping the biblical author’s intention, and Fee and Stuart do a masterful job succinctly guiding the reader through each genre.

As we begin a Wednesday Study Center class on interpreting the Bible, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth will be a welcome companion.