Reading God's Word (Part 3 of 3)

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:3–8, ESV)

You can read the first post here and the second post here.

A Quick Recap

This is a short series of posts looking at ways to overcome on particular difficulty when reading God’s Word. That difficulty is our own sin and blindness. Our sin blinds us from the truth and prevents us from seeing and acknowledging the plain truths of scripture. So, how can we overcome this struggle? How can we truly understand God’s Word rightly?

In the last two posts, we’ve covered three basic steps. First, you need to repent of sin in your life so that it does not blind you. Second, you need to pray for the Spirit to lead you into all truth and remove your blinders. Third, you need to read, read, and re-read the Bible so that you know what it says from beginning to end, allowing scripture to interpret scripture. In this last post, we’ll be looking at the concept of reading God’s Word in Community. 

Not the Brightest Bulb

There are many clever ways to tell someone they’re not very smart: they’re not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree; they’re not the sharpest tool in the shed; etc. When we giggle at these sayings, we better make sure we’re giggling about our own shortcomings. None of us are as smart as we think we are…really. We’re not as sharp and bright as we imagine, and we need a continual reminder of this. 

This is why Paul says in Romans 12:3 “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” Don’t think you’re a bigger deal than you are. Think about yourself with sober judgment—which will ultimately force you to look at yourself in humility.

Blind Spots and Misunderstandings

When we look at ourselves with sober judgment, we recognize that we have our own blind spots and misunderstandings. There are certain things we miss when we read scripture and there are certain things we cannot understand on our own. We need help. 

This is why Paul continues the passage by describing the Body of Christ. He reminds us that “the members do not all have the same function” and they each have “gifts that differ.” To say this a different way, each member has different blind spots and misunderstanding. 

Reading Scripture in Community

This is why it’s so important for us to read God’s Word IN community. Since each member has different blind spots and misunderstandings, we can help each other see things clearly. We can cover for each other’s blind spots. We can help each other with their misunderstandings. We NEED each other if we’re going to understand God’s Word rightly. 

Not Reading in a Closet

This is an ESSENTIAL aspect of understanding God’s Word. Of course, personal devotions are an important aspect of the Christian life. We must regularly read God’s Word by ourselves, allowing it to penetrate our hearts and souls. 

However, there has to be more. If we ONLY read the Bible by ourselves, we are limiting our understanding of God’s Word to our own weaknesses and blind spots. Once we read God’s Word with other people, they correct some of our misunderstandings and clear up our blind spots. 

The Historical Community

There’s one final point I need to make on the topic of community. The Body of Christ is much bigger than the Christians currently living on earth. The Body of Christ extends back throughout the millennia, and there’s a TON of insight and understanding from God’s people throughout history. We must not neglect these members of the Body of Christ either. 

Besides, cultures can have their own blind spots and misunderstandings. We can be surrounded by a community of people who are blinded by the same things—misunderstanding the same things. Yet, when we read the writings of Christians from 200 or 300 years ago, their blind spots are different and they can help clear up our blind spots and misunderstandings. 

So, we must never neglect the historical church. We must continue to read the Creeds and Confessions of history. I also encourage people to read some old sermons by pastors throughout history. Read some sermons by Charles Spurgeon. Read some sermons by John Calvin or Martin Luther. Read some sermons by Saint Augustine or John Chrysostom. They may be hard to read, but they will help you understand God’s Word more fully. 

Wrap Up and Repeat

Since this is the end of the series, I wanted to end by placing the steps in short form and give a final exhortation. 

Step One: Repent of your sin. 

Step Two: Pray for the Spirit to open your eyes and lead you to truth. 

Step Three: Read, Read, and Re-Read God’s Word and interpret Scripture with Scripture.

Step Four: Read God’s Word in Community—BOTH the current and historical community of God.

Then you do it all over again. None of these steps are meant to be “one-time-only.” They are steps we will take over and over and over again. We need to be continually repenting of our sin. We need to be continually praying for the Spirit’s leading. We need to be continually reading God’s Word. We need to be continually talking about God’s Word with other people—including those throughout history.

As we do these things continually, we continually grow in our understanding of God’s Word. As we grow in our understanding of God’s Word, we will grow in our understanding of God himself. As we grow in our understanding of God, we will grow in our love of God. As we grow in our love of God, we will grow in our love of other people. This is called the process of sanctification. This is what the Apostle Paul is talking about when he says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV).