Toolbox

“Storing Up”

It’s my typical practice whenever we have a trip down to Guatemala, to brush up a little on my Spanish. About a week before the trip, I open up Duolingo (a language learning app) and start cramming. Want to guess how effective that is? I’ll give you a hint – nada. I can’t expect to fluently communicate in a language that I barely learned over 30 years ago and never speak or rarely even think about. It takes focus, intention and lots and lots of repetitive practice.  

Similarly, the Bible is our language for life. It is our resource for understanding God’s character and involvement with His creation. It’s how we understand that we are lost without Him, and provides the roadmap to redemption through Him. We find our value, place and purpose through the scriptures as well. Knowing God’s word helps shape our perspective and guard our hearts. When Jesus faced temptation from Satan in the wilderness, he responded with scripture that he had memorized. 

It’s so important to read God’s word on a regular basis. It provides a foundation and a filter for our decisions. Reading is important, but it’s also important to let scripture permeate into our core through meditation and memorization. 

Consider the following verses: 

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

Through church and school growing up, I was expected to memorize large amounts of scripture. I wasn’t a huge fan at the time, but looking back I see how scripture memory helped shape my faith, my morality and my perspective in life. 

As you read the verses through the week, think about taking one or two that really speak to you and set about memorizing them for the week. Make a list of the verses that you are committing to memory and go over them frequently. Choose verses that encourage you, remind you of who you are in Christ, or what we’re called to do. If you have a problem with fear, memorize verses that speak to that. If you have a problem with anger, or laziness, or lust – there are passages that can help you and will be at your beck and call when you need them. You might have a friend or two join you in memorizing some agreed upon verses. I used to memorize verses with my son and we would go over them on Friday mornings at Waffle House. 

I’ve included a list of suggested verses for memory – you can change them to whatever translation you prefer. These are in ESV, I memorized the bulk of them in the NIV (1984). I’ve also provided the link to a great app that I use with my phone. The app allows you to create lists of verses by topic and share them with a group of friends. It also has a fun way of helping you memorize. There’s even a kid version of the app! 

Jon Price

The Bible Memory App

100 verses to memorize!

 

 

 

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“Context is King” Part 2

In understanding God’s word fully and accurately, it is important to understand it in the correct context. Today we’ll discuss different forms of literary context. 
 
Just as in any literature, there are different genres and devices used to convey the message of the author. And they should be understood in light of them. We don’t read prose the same way we would read poetry and when metaphors are used, the reader is expected to look beyond the image to see the intended idea. Sometimes these genres and devices are easy to identify, and sometimes not. 
 
When we read in Song of Solomon 4 the words of the man to the woman:
“How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, you are beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are like doves.
    Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.
Your teeth are white like newly sheared sheep
    just coming from their bath.
Each one has a twin,
    and none of them is missing.”
 
…we’re pretty sure he’s speaking poetically, using simile. This passage isn’t meant to be understood literally or at face value. Understanding that the author is using certain devices allows us to appreciate the message as intended. 
 
The Bible contains several different literary genres: 
  • Historical narrative – the author tells what actually happened, play by play (Jesus heals the blind man) 
  • Parable – an earthly story conveying a spiritual meaning (the sower and the seed)
  • Wisdom literature – wise sayings, and principles (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)
  • Apocalyptic – writing to reveal hidden truths about God, the spiritual realm and the future (Daniel and Revelation)
Many of these genres use distinguishing literary devices as well, for instance: 
  • Historical narrative might include related historical events such as Luke’s account of Christ’s birth, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Luke 2:1-2
  • Wisdom literature might use poetry, or alliteration. For instance, Psalm 119 is an acrostic, where every 8 verses begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 
  • Apocalyptic literature uses symbolism, and numerology throughout giving meaning to those to whom the message was intended but seeming mysterious and puzzling to those unfamiliar with the allusions.  
In the coming weeks we’ll look a little deeper at these types of contexts and their accompanying devices. But for today celebrate the fact that God’s word is deep and rich not only in it’s meaning but in it’s varied and beautiful delivery. 
 
Jon Price
Pinterest

 

*extra credit question: who said the quote in the meme above? 
 

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“Context is King” Part 1

Knowing the context to any conversation or message can help us avoid misunderstandings and potentially huge mistakes. How many times have you heard half of a conversation and your assumptions to fill in the gaps led you down the wrong path? Knowing who said what to whom and for what reason can help us appreciate the true intent and meaning of what is said. 
 
It’s the same when we read scripture. Knowing who wrote the text, to whom it was written and the circumstances behind it are a great place to start in understanding a passage. Many a high school football player has stepped onto the field claiming, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) And half as many have walked off the field at the end of the night wondering why God lied to them. But author and audience are only a couple examples of context. 
 
Looking at the cultural context will give us a completely different understanding of a text at times. When we read Romans 12:20-21 through our own filter, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head,” those of us with a more vindictive nature might see it as license to give our enemies what they truly deserve. But the cultural context is far different. One of the important responsibilities of the woman of the house was to keep an eye on the fire. The fire was used not only to cook but to provide light and heat during the night. To let it go out was a dereliction of duty and it was a humiliating admission for the woman to have to go to a neighbor asking for coals to start it back up. Paul was encouraging believers from an earlier proverb to be generous and restore the dignity (save face) of even their enemies. What a beautiful (and vastly different) message when we understand the cultural context. 
 
For a further look on context (physical, digital or audio), I recommend Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, by Richards and O’Brien as an introduction. 
For an oldie but a goodie, check out the ever hilarious “Wayside Chapel” context mixup.
 

 

 

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My Toolbox – Study Bibles

“Some people are troubled by the things in the Bible they can’t understand. The things that trouble me are the things I can understand.” – Mark Twain
 
The Bible is a huge collection of 66 books – written by 40 authors over 1500 years, written in 3 different languages, using half a dozen literary genres, and dealing with the biggest issues in life. So have at it!
 
Honestly, anyone who isn’t a little intimidated to crack open the pages of the Bible simply doesn’t appreciate how foreign it can be, and how much can be missed or misunderstood simply reading it at face value.* It’s for this reason, many people never even try and leave understanding the Bible to the “professionals.” But the Bible is God’s love letter and it is written to and for all of us. So one of the most important things you can do is to jump in. At the same time, it’s good to have a little background. 
 
Fortunately there are a ton of tools to help us understand God’s word and get the most out of it. From time to time we will suggest some tools to add to your toolbox. One such tool is the study Bible. A study Bible is one of the more accessible tools as it typically contains verse by verse commentary, word studies, cross referencing, book summaries, timelines, maps and other helpful resources all in one publication. Some study Bibles have so many resources that they usually stay on your desk or coffee table at home where you do your studying and accompany your “normal” Bible that’s a little easier to tote around. Of course, now in the digital age, many of these study Bibles are available on your computer, tablet or smartphone as well. 
 
In looking for a good study Bible here are some things to consider. 
  • Translation – a good balance of form and function (accurate to the original language while being easy to understand in the english) article: “A Brief Description of Popular Bible Translations” 
  • Theological leaning – The commentary for the passages (usually at the bottom of each page) reflects the theology of the individual or team that provides the content. There are some very respected scholars that bear reading, but a team of scholars can typically provide a more balanced and well rounded approach. For instance, the English Standard Version Study Bible (ESV) used a team of 95 theologians. 
  • Thematic leaning – There are a large selection of study Bibles for men, women, teens, new believers and more. 
The Bible is in most places, pretty easy to read and understand. With a little direction, you can begin reading God’s word and gather tools as you go. Although the words “below the line” (commentary) are not inspired scripture themselves, a good study Bible will help answer many of your questions and give context revealing the power and depth a word or phrase contains.   
 

If you want a good review of some of the more popular study Bibles check out the article, “Study Bibles: the epic list (and how to choose one)”

 
Do you have a favorite translation or study Bible you recommend? 
 
Today’s post is by Jon Price, Associate Pastor
 

 

 

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