Summary
“How to read the Bible for what it’s worth”1 written by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stewart is a modern-day revolutionary text that goes into depth describing various aspects of the Holy Bible including the text, its meaning and application in the modern age.
The book covers the different chapters of the bible, their meanings, interpretations as well as their application in our day-to-day lives. The authors go through the history and science of the Holy Bible and with that they derive the main meaning of the book and its impact in the past and its present relevance, challenging the reader to think critically about religion and life.
Ranging from the science of hermeneutics to the art of literature, spirituality to theology, creation to consummation and from history to the present and future, the authors of the book aims to bridge the gap that is thought to have emerged between the reading of the scriptures and the understanding and rightful interpretation of the same.
The main topics discussed by the authors include:
- Hermeneutics clearly defines the science and art of interpreting the various books of the Bible.
- Canonical structure of the Bible.
- The appropriate reading of the various books of the Bible.
- The stages in biblical history – Creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
- Different mindsets in the reading of the Bible e.g. analytical versus poetic mindsets in reading.
- Metaphors, symbolism, and different writing skills are used in the Bible.
- Prophecies in the Old and New Testaments.
Analysis
Throughout the book, the authors employ different methods to convey their message. Some parts of the book are open-ended and are intended for the reader to make of it what and how they think it affects them while other parts go straight to the point, for example, when explaining the various rules in the books of the Bible and how contemporary lifestyles should not change that.
When describing creation, for example, the authors write on creation as the poesis of God, using cosmic symbolism when stating that “The world reveals God”2. This acts as an example of implicit writing that takes more than just the mere meaning of the statement to understand it.
When writing on the rules of the Torah, for example, the authors employ explicit writing by clearly stating the rules that were laid down and their implications in modern-day Christianity. This acts as a guideline and teaching to those familiar and unfamiliar with the teachings of the books of the Bible to understand the rules at the core of the Old and New Testaments. Combining implicit and explicit teachings can be encompassed in the following illustration from the book: “Even though the Old Testament narratives do not necessarily teach directly, they often illustrate what is taught explicitly and categorically elsewhere. This represents an implicit kind of teaching by illustrating the corresponding explicit teachings of Scripture.”
The authors have a vast array of knowledge on the books of the Bible so they offer many interpretive tips and discuss many common interpretive misconceptions in a down-to-earth, straightforward way. This enables the reader to understand many complex issues in a simplified manner and also acts as an overlap between the art of reading and the science of understanding the Bible.
Among many other positives in the book, Fee’s discussion on the book of Revelation was interesting3. He seems to take some sort of a partial-preterist view of the book of Revelation, which is quite refreshing because you hardly ever hear a partial-preterist view of the book of Revelation, much less with exegetical insight and eloquence.4
Especially good was the following quote: “Apocalypses in general and the Revelation in particular, seldom intend to give a detailed chronological account of the future. Their message tends to transcend this kind of concern. John’s larger concern is that, despite present appearances, God is in control of history and the church. And even though the church will experience suffering and death, it will be triumphant in Christ, who will judge his enemies and save his people. All the visions must be seen in terms of this greater concern.”4
Different versions of the Holy Bible have different histories and origins, and the authors clearly point that out that the New International Version is easier to memorize and understand compared to the King James Bible. This is good for those interested in memorizing the holy book but also acts as a potential conflict of interest on the author’s part.
Giving preference to a particular version of the book may not go down well with the readers especially those who are familiar with the King James Version and occasionally read it in their churches and homes. Other sources that disagree with this notion are of the idea that the King James Version is based on manuscripts found in the second century and on 95% of all the manuscripts found. Notable examples of supporting sources include: “The Case for the King James Bible” by Rev. D.A. Waite, “The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospel”, “The Causes of Corruption of the Traditional Text”, “Vindication of the Last Twelve Verses of Mark” and “The Revision Revised”.5
The authors also aim to disentangle the stories of the Old Testament from the happenings of today’s world because of the many application-based abuses the Old Testament has come under. In the book Douglas Stewart writes: “Individual Old Testament narratives are not intended to teach moral lessons. The purpose of the various individual narratives is to tell what God did in the history of Israel, not to offer moral examples of right or wrong behavior.”6
The Old Testament has a lot of teachings that can be valuable to the modern-day setup because the vices that took place then are almost the same if not worse in our day and age. The authors reporting that the verses and narratives of the Old Testament were not to teach moral lessons would be contradictory to the main aim of the whole book which is to bring the people back to the culture of reading and understanding the bible.
With no lessons to take from whatever chapter of the Bible one is reading, it would defeat the purpose of reading the Bible in the first place. The Old Testament is full of lessons and though implicit at first sight, all good virtues to be followed and sinful behaviors to be abhorred can be found within the narratives of the Old Testament. One may not be shocked to hear of modern-day adages referring to Job’s patience or Solomon’s wisdom, which capture the moral lessons found in the narratives of the Old Testament.
Overall, the book offers more than the sum of its parts. The authors offer in-depth analysis of all the books of the Bible and the understanding and application that goes hand in hand with reading.
Conclusion
The book is particularly useful due to the unmatched content found in it. The authors bridge the gap between the reading and the concise understanding of the text in the Bible. It acts as an interpretation of the Bible, and it doesn’t get simpler than that. The knowledge and experience the authors bring to the table coupled with the simplicity with which they portray their message make “How to Read the Bible for What It’s Worth” worth it in every sense of the word.
The book would be ideal for all Christians regardless of their education as far as religion is concerned. It can also be useful to students who study theology and sociology because it acts as a link between what is in the scriptures and what is happening in the world now, putting forward the importance of the Bible in shaping not only the present lives of Christians but the future of mankind.
Bibliography
David, Jones. “Reviews: How to Read The Bible For What It’s Worth”. Web.
Rogers, Jimmy. “Book Review: How to Read The Bible For What It’s Worth”. Web.
Stewart Douglas, and Fee Gordon. How To Read The Bible For What It’s Worth, (Zondervan; 2nd edition (1993).
Footnotes
- Douglas Stewart and Gordon D. Fee, How To Read The Bible For What It’s Worth. (Zondervan; 2nd edition (May 8, 1993)
- Ibid, chapter 12.
- Douglas Stewart and Gordon D. Fee, How To Read The Bible For What It’s Worth. (Zondervan; 2nd edition (May 8, 1993), pg 249-264.
- Web.
- Web.
- Douglas Stewart and Gordon D. Fee, How To Read The Bible For What It’s Worth. (Zondervan; 2nd edition (May 8, 1993)