“Consider what it means to read Scripture as a divine book— from God to us!
If God wrote every word, sentence, paragraph, chapter and book, then the Bible is unified. The Bible’s sixty-six books really form one book from one Author.
It’s also coherent. If we’re confuses about the meaning of a certain text, we may assume that we’re the ones confused, not God. The Bible coheres with itself and with the world in which its readers live.
It’s complete— the Bible is what God wanted us to have. If it raises questions that it doesn’t completely answer, then that must be on purpose.
And not only is it complete, but it’s also sufficient for what we need.
The Bible is perfect. There’s nothing wrong with it. Every word is good and true.
The Bible is also urgent. If God has spoken to us, then nothing is more important than for us to listen to its message.
All of these truths about Scripture have major implications for how we interpret the Bible.
We should read it with creaturely humility because these words are from our Creator and Lord.
We are to read with expectation. If we look forward to the release of a new novel by a favorite author, how much more should we look forward to reading God’s Word!
We should also read with caution, recognizing that we are inclined to misunderstand what God has written, given our finitude and sinfulness.
That means we should read the Bible patiently to accurately discern what God has said. We cannot assume that what first comes into our minds matches what’s in God’s mind.
We read and we reflect, and once we settle on an interpretation that is faithful to the text and aligned with previous interpretations, we submit to God’s Word.
If we disagree with something the Bible teaches, we assume that our thinking must change, not God’s. We don’t stand over Scripture; we stand under it in submission to God (Isa. 66:1-2).
We are aware of the Bible’s divine authorship, and we are aware of our creaturely position as readers.”
–Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum, Christ From Beginning to End (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 44-45.
