Dig Deeper: Tools to Unearth the Bible’s Treasure (Nigel Beynon, Andrew Sach)

Description

A straightforward, user-friendly guide to how to read the Bible – dig deep into God’s word for yourself.

‘It’s all a matter of interpretation.’

Most conversations I’ve had with non-Christians about the Bible end up there sooner or later. It’s all a matter of interpretation. Sure, you say it means that Jesus is God and that sex outside marriage is wrong and that heaven is only for Christians, but maybe for me it means that Jesus was just a good teacher and sex with anyone is OK as long as you both want it and heaven is for everybody. It’s all just a matter of interpretation.

Actually, we’ve all been conditioned to think like that. It’s part of the whole philosophical movement called postmodernism, and over the last few decades it has infiltrated the TV shows that we watch and the classrooms that we sit in. Postmodernism teaches that when I come to a piece of literature such as the Bible, what matters is not what it means, but what it means for me. And that might be different from what it means for you. And that’s OK.

I wonder if you’ve ever been in a Bible study like this:

Leader: Does anyone have any thoughts about verse 1?

Person A: I think it’s talking about X, and . . . (blah, blah) . . .

Person B: Yes, I see what you’re saying Person A and I totally respect you. For me though it means Y, the opposite of X.

Leader: Mmmm. Thank you both. Let s move on to verse 2.

That’s postmodernism in action. The text means one thing for one person and the complete opposite for another, but both interpretations are to be respected and treated as equally valid. But the apostle Paul doesn’t see it like that. He thinks that there is a right and a wrong way to understand the Bible.

The book is based on the idea of a toolkit. Each chapter introduces you to a separate tool and explains how it works. Although there are illustrations from the Bible throughout, we’ll sometimes spend a bit longer on a Worked example to show you how that particular tool really can help us discover something exciting and relevant that the Bible is saying. Finally, the Dig deeper! boxes give you a chance to practise using the tools for yourself. At the end we’ve included a brief appendix with a suggestion of how you might use the toolkit concept in your small group.

Read Sample Chapter

Endorsements

‘A great work on knowing God better, learning his will for your life and reading your Bible.’

– Mark Dever

‘At last the book we have been waiting for: a modest-sized volume that lays out the cardinal principles of biblical exposition in clear, accessible, winsome language.’

– R Kent Hughes

‘An excellent user-friendly set of principles to help the Bible reader understand its message with increasing confidence and relevance.’

– David Jackman

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1   What the Bible Is and How We Should Approach It

2   The Author’s Purpose Tool

3   The Context Tool

4   The Structure Tool

5   The Linking Words Tool

6   The Parallels Tool

7   The Narrator’s Comment Tool

8   The Vocabulary Tool

9   The Translations Tool

10 The Tone and Feel Tool

11 The Repetition Tool

12 The Quotation/ Allusion Tool

13 The Genre Tool

14 The Copycat Tool

15 The Bible Timeline Tool

16 The ‘Who Am I?’ Tool

17 The ‘So What?’ Tool

Conclusion: Pulling It All Together

Recommended Reading

Appendix: It Really Works!

Scripture index

Product Details

Title:  Dig Deeper: Tools to Unearth the Bible’s Treasure

Author: Nigel Beynon, Andrew Sach

Publisher: Intervarsity Press

Pages: 192

Binding: Paperback

Size: 21.5 x 13.8 x 1.4 cm

ISBN: 9781844744312