Have you read scholarly books about interpreting the Bible? If this course is different, the reasons are two-fold.
- In the world’s population, relatively few have access to scholarly works and language tools. We are grateful for those blessed with higher education. They bring valuable gifts to the body of Christ, including the translations we read. Yet most of us are more like the Ethiopian and the Bereans—ordinary people who are searching at a basic level.
When [Paul and Silas] arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed… .(Acts 17:10-12)
The Bereans did not have the research tools of modern universities. But they did have the Scriptures available at that time.
- The Bereans examined God’s word itself. It provides its own tools for clearer understanding. Certainly, there are nuances and details that escape ordinary readers. Do what you can to learn more about the geography and cultures of Bible lands. When you can, dive into further insights from the original languages. As you go deeper, remember the sound principles you first learned from the Bible itself.
By now, you have noticed a continuing study of baptism. The Bible has many important subjects, any one of which could serve as a sample for analysis, a kind of laboratory for closer examination. We have chosen the baptism of Matthew 28 and Acts 8 to demonstrate how the Bible is its own best commentary. Baptism also happens to be one of Christianity’s most misunderstood matters, making it worthy of careful consideration.