What does this MEAN?!?!

I came across an article recently that I honestly think every Christian should read. It's short and not too difficult, but it addresses an all-too-common failure that is evident in many churches and in the lives of many believers. The failure is this: reading a Bible verse.

Let me explain: it's not that people fail to read the Bible, although that is a problem as well. This problem is at the root of the common lament of struggle to understand what one is reading in Scripture, especially in the Old Testament. Too often, we read the Bible in individual segments, leading to a myriad of questions. Why is this here? What significance does this seemingly boring passage have? What does this mean for me?

But there's a key, one that almost universally unlocks the most confusing and difficult passages in the New Testament: context. Here's the article:

Never Read a Bible Verse
By Gregory Koukl

If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart, one useful tip I could leave that would serve you well the rest of your life, what would it be? What is the single most important practical skill I've ever learned as a Christian?

Here it is: Never read a Bible verse. That's right, never read a Bible verse. Instead, always read a paragraph at least...read the entire article here.

Scripture memorization is a very valuable thing, but too often the one or two verses that are memorized, whether it be as a child in Sunday School or during personal study as an adult, foster within us the idea that verses and stories are divorced and divided from one another. This couldn't be further from the truth! Not only do verses have immediate context (the paragraph and idea that surrounds them) but they have context within the book, within the writer's corpus, within the history of God's interaction with his people, and this is merely the beginning of the contextual issues.

Now it seems overwhelming...how is one person supposed to remember and account for all of those things? Well, relax...and just read. Pay attention to what you just read. Think about what's happening in the story or letter. Ask yourself why something just happened, and what it means. If you walked outside one morning and were surprised by tomato plant growing in your garden, context would govern how you understood that event. Did you plant it a few weeks earlier? Did you just buy the house without knowing it was planted by the previous owners? Is your spouse gardening and not telling you? Answers to all of these contextual questions help you understand why the tomato plant is there, and give you an idea of what could be coming next.

Scripture is a marvelous tapestry of interwoven events, themes and ideas. When you find yourself struggling to understand a verse, read the context and apply it to what you are studying. It will give you a refreshing understanding of how the whole of the Bible fits together, and ultimately will help you better apply the Word of God to your own life.

A few excellent resources for growing in the way you understand the Bible:

ESV Study Bible (by far the best study Bible on the market today)

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart

A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible by Robert Stein (more technical, but still an excellent resource)