Mez McConnell (pastor, Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland) asks the question, “Can we read and understand the Bible if we’re not experts?” In his first post in a series at the 20schemes blog, he writes:
“The Bible is a big book. For a lot of our people within the schemes it is a VERY big book. Within it pages we find lots of different kinds of literature: poetry, prophecy, history, narrative, letters and apocalyptic writings. It’s hardcore. Understanding it correctly is not easy but it is certainly not impossible. We don’t have to go to Bible College to open up the Bible and understand it. An open Bible, in the hands of a Spirit filled and and eager reader, is a powerful thing.
“There are a few traps and snares to avoid, however, and the following couple of posts will give us some very basic tips.”
Among these basic tips, he lists the following:
- Avoid being superficial.
- Don’t over spiritualise the Bible.
- Be careful with language.
- History.
Visit the full blog post for his explanation of each and some basic guidelines to studying God’s Word.