The Bible is a small library of books. It was also written by multiple authors over many generations and in a variety of literary styles. Have you ever thought about the way we read it? Have you ever wondered how to read the Bible well?
That’s what this series from the Bible Project is all about and we’ll be working through this series together with a series of reflections that I hope will help deepen your understanding and depth of insight.
You can watch Episode 1 by clicking HERE. Come back after the video and continue reading.
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Here are some of the takeaways I’d like you to think about now that you’ve seen the first video
When we read the Old Testament, we need to remember that it is a collection of books written in a variety of literary styles, some of which are extremely unique. These books were written by the Jews to record God’s involvement in their story as His chosen people.
Likewise, when we read the New Testament, we need to remember that it is also a collection of books written in a variety of literary styles, some of which are also extremely unique. These books were written by the members of God’s new chosen community in order to communicate how God has ‘fulfilled’ the Jewish story and made that story ours through Jesus.
In both cases, the Bible is primarily telling us about God and what God is doing for His creation through His people.
Side Note…
This is also why the second temple writings are not universally accepted as part of the Bible. If we can generally describe the Old Testament books as having been written by Jews, for Jews, about God’s activity then the second temple writings might better be described as having been written by Jews, for Jews, about the activities of the Jewish people. The distinction is subtle but important.