The Scriptures have always been a fundamental part of my life as a follower of Christ. Even at an early age, much of my experience as a Christian was having my father gather all of the family together in the living room and reading to us out of Psalms and Proverbs. But it was not until I was in High School that I began to consider the idea of how exactly I was to interpret the words, concepts, and themes of the Bible. At some level, I grew up with the assumption that the power of the Word simply came through reading it. It was a wholly different question of what the lenses and filters through which I received the text truly were (something that I did not receive education in until my time at a Christian liberal arts college). Those elements have continually been shaped, as well as are continuing to be fashioned during my time here at Regent.
My understanding of how to read and interpret the Scriptures has been formed through my involvement in three specific contexts and experiences: growing up in a Baptist church, studying at a fundamental college, and recently serving in Youth Ministries. Each of these informs the way that I approach the biblical text as both a pastor and as a Christian in some way or fashion. My view of the Bible was primarily instilled through the teaching that I sat under up until about seven years ago, having been instructed by both pastors and professors who held to a literal interpretation for the most part. The sections of Scripture that I believed to be taken figuratively were the ones that made sense to consider as such (the visions of the Old Testament prophets, as well as the book of Revelation), but other than these parts, I have learned to take what each author has written at face value. For the majority of my life, I have considered the Scriptures to be a text that instructs us with regards to living the Christian life, done so through its fundamental commands as to what to do, as well as what not to do. It has not been until the past five years that this perspective have been personally challenged and reconstructed in my own life because of study and personal experience.
In principle, I believe that the person who desires to grow in faith and righteousness as a disciple of Christ must be consistently reading through, as well as ruminating over, the Word of God. In the same way that we cannot operate a vehicle without a manual, nor construct an object without instructions, we will never find growth as believers apart from discovering the truths of the Bible and seeking to apply them to our own lives. But in practice, it has been a struggle to habitually read the Bible for much of my life. More often then not, I have made rash commitments to reading far more of the Word than I have in the past, only to find myself failing some time soon after. This has been largely because of my attempting to remain faithful to such a task purely by means of my own "flesh", rather than depending upon the Spirit to form it as a habit within my life.
Unfortunately, the times of success (in terms of continuing to soak in the Scriptures) have been diminished in my own life by initial commitments that eventually went up in smoke. The specific strategies that have failed to keep me plugged into the Scriptures were often unsuccessful because I failed to make the connection between what I was reading at that time with my own context of living, especially in terms of my internal desires, fears, hopes, expectations, and deep questions concerning reality and purpose. Because I failed to see during those times how the Bible was shedding light on something greater than my own tinted perspective on life (colored by the accusations of the Enemy, as well as the desires of my own flesh to live apart from God having gone unchecked), I have often given up on such well-intentioned resolutions. But as I grow older, such failures are occurring less and less.
Overall, my time here at Regent College has played a fundamental role in developing a far more healthy perspective concerning how to read and interpret the Scriptures according to their God-given purpose. Having received significant instruction, it has become my conviction that the Scriptures are first and foremost a text concerning the relationship of divinity with humanity. In turn, for us to simply peruse the Word of God for tips and tidbits on how to escape hell and to appease God is to read it for less than its inherent design. The words of Scripture are in essence words that invite us into fellowship with God. They are words that shape and guide our hearts and lives, for its various narratives relate to what life was intended to be prior to the Fall of Humanity (Genesis 3). Beyond just the language of commands and warnings, the Word of God speaks to the potential of life in the Lord, one that is marked by liberation, grace, love, and divine friendship.
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