Archive for June, 2010

Original Post from Josh Harris

I’m very excited about a new book written by Nigel Beynon and Andrew Sach called Dig Deeper: Tools for Understanding God’s Word. Dig Deeper offers sixteen “tools” readers can use to get to the bottom of any Bible passage and discover its intended meaning. Nigel was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book.

Give me the 30-second “elevator description” of your book.
In any relationship communication is key. Faulty communication–misunderstandings–means an unhealthy relationship. Clear communication, good listening and understanding–that is the basis of a good and growing relationship.

The same goes for our relationship with God. He communicates to us through the Bible, and so understanding the Bible properly means nothing less than hearing God speak clearly, truly and powerfully. And that is absolutely key if our relationship is going to be good and growing.

That is what this book is about. It’s a series of tools to help us hear God speak more clearly and so know him more powerfully and truly in our lives.

Is this just for pastors or people who teach the Bible?
No! Obviously those who teach the Bible in some capacity, whether pastors or small group leaders, will naturally have an interest in this, but we intended it to have a wider reach than that. When writing it Andrew and I were aware that there are more complicated books on this subject around. But we felt that there wasn’t an ‘entry’ level book. So that is what we tried to write – an accessible introduction to understanding the Bible. In the book the language isn’t technical, there are lots of worked examples so what is being talked about is very grounded and well illustrated. I hope any Christian could pick this book up and find it helps them know God better through his word.

The book shares 16 different “tools” for studying the Bible. Could you briefly describe one of these tools and what practical difference it makes for students of God’s word?
One of the tools we talk about is the Context Tool. It’s very simply explained by thinking about the difference between reading an encyclopedia and a novel. With the encyclopedia you simply turn to the entry you are interested in, read it, and you’re done. The entry that came before and after the one you read are irrelevant. But imagine reading a novel like that. You can try it if you like! Open a novel in the middle, choose a
sentence at random and read it. I can guarantee it will make little sense! You don’t know who the characters are or what the plot is so you can’t evaluate what is happening. That is because we are reading it out of context. To read it properly, in context, means we read in the light of the rest of the story.

Now forgive me, I know that is rather obvious! But we can sometimes use the encyclopedia method when we read the Bible. For instance take Psalm 46v10, “Be still and know that I am God.” It’s a classic verse that gets the encyclopedia treatment. Have you seen the calendars and posters with those words set against a waterfall, or mellow sunset? It conjures up ideas of solitary contemplation, finding God in the silence, and coming to a quiet assurance.

But when you read the rest of Psalm 46 you find a very different context. Instead of waterfalls and sunsets, the context is global conflict, threatening enemies and a world being turned upside down. But in the midst of this uproar we are assured, God is a safe fortress, God will defeat his enemies, God will be seen to be God as he is acknowledged by the nations. Read the psalm and see I mean.

And when take that context into account then “be still and know that I am God” has a rather different feel.

It’s not really a matter of finding God in the silence. Rather it’s about knowing God is in charge even in the middle of global conflict.

And it’s not really about solitary contemplation. It’s corporate for a start, and it’s about remembering God’s devastating works rather than finding him inside our heads.

It is about peaceful assurance, but a far deeper and more powerful assurance that the idea of a waterfall or sunset. It’s the assurance that in the middle of a world that is being turned upside down, God is God, and he will be victorious and glorified. And so you’ve found in him an immovable fortress.

But that came very simply from reading the verse in context.

Who are the authors and teachers that inspired you to want to “dig deeper” and when did that happen in your own life?

I first had experience of studying and teaching the Bible as a student, when I was involved in Christian groups at college and helping on children’s summer camps. I still remember a comment a leader made when I chose a song for a group to sing, that had some lines in it that just weren’t Biblical. When he pointed that out to me I was brought up short. I was a young Christian and probably thought teaching the Bible was about having something interesting or cool to say. At this point I started realizing being faithful really mattered.

At the same time I started reading and hearing people like Don Carson, Jim Packer, John Stott, Dick Lucas and many others. They have both shown me both huge depths and riches in the Bible as well as helped me do my own digging.