2. Reading The Bible
• Ways to Read
1. Reading/Studying For Information
2. Reading/Studying For Teaching and
Preaching
3. Public Reading in Congregations
4. Reading for Personal Formation
• Personal/Private Reading
• Group Reading/Study
3. Key Question
Not “what” but “how” is the key question
Question: “How, then, are we to live out the Bible
today?” (McKnight, The Blue Parakeet)
We all “Pick and Choose”
Ask: Do you observe the biblical “Sabbath,” wash
feet, sell all your possessions, believe homosexuals
should be executed, require women to have long
hair?
All those things are in the Bible you read!
4. Three Ways
• Reading to Retrieve
1. Retrieving Biblical Ideas and Practices
2. They were Timely and Spirit-Inspired
3. They were NOT permanent and timeless
4. Key: Those Days in Those ways
• Reading Through Tradition
1. Calvin, Luther, and others promoted
2. Read Bible for yourself
3. Know basic theology first
4. Problem: Traditionalism – Don’t question!
5. Result: Bible cannot correct our tradition/s
• Reading With Tradition
1. Must be able to move forward in our day
2. Bible must be free to renew us today
3. Hearing the Word in our day in our way
4. Tradition guides but we can differ from it
• How Do We See the Bible?
5. How Shall We Read?
The Bible is a
Story with wiki
stories
The Bible is
where we listen
for God to speak
The Bible
requires us to
discern the Word
for our day
6. Reading for Formation
Reading regularly
Read/Hear in Context: Our
questions, problems,
situations, testimonies
Hear prayerfully and
worshipfully: Come under…
Hear in community — others
and tradition
Yield to the Spirit’s
leadership and call
Respond in life and action
7. Conclusion
Reading for formation …
HOW you read the Bible
SEEING the Bible as STORY
LISTENING for God to speak
DISCERNING the Word WITH tradition/others
RESPONDING in LIFE by the SPIRIT
