Reading the Bible

College Church is doing a summer series at the evening service on the Word of God. One sermon in particular has stuck in my mind over the last month. Ministry Resident (and now Pastor) Andrew Fulton taught on the perspicuity of Scripture.

Perspicuity is somewhat of an ironic word. It's an uncommon word whose meaning is unknown to many that means that Scripture's meaning is commonly available. The core of the message of perspicuity is that the essentials of faith are understandable to all in Scripture. While there are many things that are difficult issues of interpretation, the core message of salvation is consistently clear throughout Scripture.

Fulton discussed how group Bible Studies often progress. There are the intellectuals, who can make others think that you have to have an MA to read the Bible. And there are the argumentative types, who tend to focus in on every controversy possible. Of course, at the other end of the spectrum are those who read the Bible with so little nuance that they never feel the deep tensions that God uses to grow our roots deeper.

But the general negative tendency of Bible Studies as a whole is to focus so much on the difficulties of Scripture that we never affirm and internalize that which is perfectly clear. Yes, we need to work on the difficult portions of Scripture. And we need to have answers for the difficult questions of life. But many Bible Studies digress to only talking about the difficult sections. When people walk away from such a study, they are usually discouraged, lacking confidence that God's Word is perspicuous, and lacking the impetus to internalize anything. After all, they don't even know what the text is even saying.

This needs to shape how we lead Bible Studies, but also how we behave as participants. Participants that seek intellectual quarry will find just that in Scripture. But those who seek the clear Word of God, the message of salvation, will find the Gospel in its simplicity, but also in its depth that reaches and changes every aspect of life.