<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Last week, we looked at the way some people treat the Bible as mere human words (although of more value than much else that has been written). This week, we look to find better ways to search the Scriptures. It isn't wrong to look at the Bible with a "critical" eye. Just be mindful of what sort of criticism you are practicing. When you prepare to study the Word, what do you believe it to be? Is it a collection of moral teachings? Is it a guidebook for life's difficulties? Is it *God's Not-so- little Instruction Book*? When Jesus was challenged in John 5, he said, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.... (vv. 5-6)" These were the words of what we call the Old Testament. Jesus told his listeners that everything from Moses and the prophets had its ultimate expression in himself. The Bereans viewed the Word this way. When Paul told them how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled God's promise of a Savior, they "received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)" While the Old Testament points toward the coming Messiah, the New Testament tells about him, what he has done, and how he has brought salvation to all who believe. We don't have a complete record of all that he or his followers said or did, but we have enough to be saved. John 20:30-31 states: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs ... which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his Name." Paul was determined to know nothing among the people of Corinth "except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)" Paul knew the Scriptures extremely well, and could find no higher purpose. This isn't to say that Jesus Christ and justification by grace through faith are all that the Bible has to offer. But if you have eternal life with him, all else becomes secondary. Indeed, the other teachings of Scripture all orbit this central purpose, either pointing to it or flowing from it. The Law's commands remind us that we have not obeyed God in all things and that we are not yet perfect. To the sinner who is not sorry, the Law becomes a crushing weight, a whip, a barrier. It is designed to create despair and dismay, so the sinner is ready to receive the forgiveness won by Jesus. Similarly, believers who fall into sin are hounded by God's relentless demands for perfection so they might seek the solace of the Gospel's forgiveness. Once we acknowledge our sins and possess assurance of our forgiveness, the Law serves as a guide to living as God intended his people to always live. Here, books such as Proverbs have special benefit. We can see them not as a series of promises that if we do something, God will do something else. Instead, here is how God intended everything to operate in a sinless world; now that our sins are forgiven, we read to see how God's children act. Paul lumps together all the divine purposes of the Word in his second letter to Pastor Timothy: "[F]rom infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)" Being "wise for salvation" prepares you to understand how Bible teachings on prayer, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, forgiveness, the Christian life, and all else flow from a Christ-based center. As you search the Scriptures, read them through the "corrective lenses" of Jesus Christ. Pray for guidance and increased faith from the Holy Spirit. Learn more about the people who lived during the time of each book's composition. Understand how words and concepts were used by the inspired writers of the Bible. Understand also your own language as well as possible, so you get the full impact of the words. Don't "read into" the Bible, read out of it. These ideas will help you to know better why things were said and done. They'll help to convince you even more that salvation through God's Son Christ Jesus is the center of Scripture and Christian Theology. God bless your study. Until next time, remember to "Ask the Pastor" your questions at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.