How to Read the Bible with Understanding

Book excerpt: From the Introduction: Sometimes we hear people say that one person's interpretation is just as good as another's, or that any individual's understanding of a Bible passage is valid for that person. Our own experience should tell us that this is not true. When we write a letter to someone, we have a purpose in writing and want our reader to understand what we say. We write as clearly as possible, choosing the right words for our purpose, so that our reader doesn't misunderstand us. God does the same thing with the Bible. Over a period of many centuries, through a variety of human authors, God has communicated His message. He wants us to understand both the facts of the story and His purpose in writing. (See John 20:30-31.) Reading the Bible with understanding means that we do not merely seek to understand the history of God's people or the story line of great literature. We read the Bible to understand what God says to us. With a pastoral heart, Dr. Lane A. Burgland will lead you to a deeper understanding of God's life-giving Word. The book includes the following: Seven enduring principles on how to interpret different kinds of Scripture, Chapters on how to interpret different kinds of Scripture, The story of how we got the Bible, Counsel on how to teach a Bible study and a checklist to help you prepare, A biblical chronology and a history of biblical interpretation Book jacket.