Rejecting Faith

We've all heard of the person who was studying the Bible and found themselves suddenly agnostic. That whatever they had been studying in the scriptures didn't sit well with them and suddenly they could no longer believe in God. Struggles with faith are nothing new; in fact history is wrought with stories of these struggles.

But why does this happen? If we take the rejection of faith at face value, how does this happen? Do people really read the Bible and then reject what scripture says? I think yes, because they look at the Bible through modern eyes, and when they see something they don't agree with they immediately start thinking that everything we believe is incorrect. 

I was recently reading a book and the following stuck out to me "Context is the most important hermeneutical principle."(1) That is one thing that is missing from our study of scripture: Context. In that we forget context, we start missing that there are gaps in the way we think and what scripture says. There are several gaps, 1) The Language Gap: The Bible was written originally in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Biblical interpretation is like appreciating a Monet painting. At first, everything is a bit blurry, but once you stand farther back, you see how all the blurry shapes fit together into something beautiful. In this regard, there is absolutely no substitute for reading all of the Bible and reading it regularly; the more parts of the Bible that are in your head, the more the Bible will make sense. The Scriptures illuminate one another. (2) There is also a culture gap. The cultural setting in which each part of the Bible was written is very different from our twentieth-century western culture. To interpret each part properly, one must understand the culture of its time. The geographical gap. Understanding the geography of Bible lands is sometimes essential in unlocking the meaning of a passage. In 1 Thess. 1:8, for example, Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth.” The historical gap. Knowing the historical setting of a passage often helps immeasurably to understand its meaning. A major effort of research to develop the historical background of a passage often is the major key to its interpretation.(1)

So what is the best way to study scripture? Is there a best way to study scripture? Yes, there is. We must study all of scripture to understand it. R.A. Torrey says "You never rightly understand any one of the sixty-six books of the Bible until you study it in its relation to the other sixty-five. You never rightly understand any subject in the Bible until you understand it in its relation to other subjects in the Bible."(3)

First off we should be studying the Bible, the Bible itself. Act 17:11 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.(ESV) Notice please that it says they “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” They did not search the “Talmud” nor the “Targums,” the commentaries on the scriptures, they went right to the scriptures themselves. They left the muddy streams of man’s interpretations of the scriptures and went to the pure, crystal spring, the scriptures themselves. (3)

Now this isn't to say that commentaries, the Talmud and other resources aren't good and full of wisdom and understanding; and I personally own 3 or 4 sets of commentary, but I don't place them or their authors above that of God. "Every child of God should dig into the Bible itself entirely independently of all commentaries or all lesson helps."(3)

The other thing I believe that we do wrong when we study the bible is that we do so in order to find out what we want the Bible to teach. Not what God intended for the Bible to teach. Do not study the Bible to find out what you can make it mean, but to find out what God evidently intended to teach. Men go to the Book not to find out what God has to say and what He really means to teach, but to find something that will corroborate their own view, or something that they can somehow twist into agreement with their own pre-conceived opinions. (3)

Really studying the Bible is quite easy. There should only 4 steps to studying the Bible: 

1.Pray: Pray before and throughout your study of the Bible.

2.Say: What does the text say?

3.Mean: What does the text mean in its context?

4.Apply: How will I apply this text to my life today?

The Bible says we should study God’s Word correctly and avoid wrong teachings (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:1–17; 4:1–4). So we need to teach people an easy way to study the Bible that will lead to a correct understanding of Bible texts. I encourage you to memorize the four words, “pray,” “say,” “mean,” and “apply.” Then use these four steps to study the Bible. (4)

Bibliography
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(1) James F. Stitzinger, “Study Tools for Expository Preaching,” in Rediscovering Expository Preaching (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), 216- 219."

(2)  John D. Barry et al., eds., DIY Bible Study (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014). 

(3) Torrey, R. A. The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study How Properly to Study and Interpret the Bible. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1921.

(4) French, Robert A. Diving for Pearls in God’s Treasure Chest: An Easy Way to Study the Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1999.