How to Read the Bible

By Dcn. Adam Salter Gosnell

If the Bible and I had a relationship status on Facebook, it would be “It’s complicated.”

Okay so, yes, on the one hand, the Bible is God’s word to us. Yes, it is a treasure that “excelleth all the riches of the earth” (from the Preface to the King James Translation). Yes, the lector finishes the reading and says, “The Word of the Lord,” and we (me included) respond, “Thanks be to God.”

But on the other hand, the Bible is a terribly frustrating book. For example, since I’ve become an Anglican I’ve been reading a lot of Psalms (because apparently Morning and Evening Prayer are a thing). And you wouldn’t believe (or maybe you would) how much of the time I read passages like this one:

I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. / I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet…. those who hated me I destroyed. / They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. / I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets” (Ps 18:37-38, 40b-42).

And my response is less like, “The Word of the Lord,” and more like, “The Word of the Lord?”

(And that’s not even all! Sometimes when I’m reading a book that quotes a big block of Scripture, I skip it. And let’s not even get into ways we’ve all see the Bible (ab)used to oppress or manipulate others.)

But this Easter season, we’re going to be talking about it, warts and all. Maybe you’re new. Maybe you’ve been around for a long time. Maybe you know a lot about reading the Bible and you just want to see how we’ll handle things. All are welcome. “Beginners and Forgetters,” as my parents say.

We’ll start at the beginning, “So… what is the Bible?” We’ll lay the ground-rules for how to read the Bible well. Maybe we’ll even have some call-and-response. It’ll be a party. Because, yes, it’s a big, old, complicated book. But it’s also the Good Book. And frankly, who doesn’t need a no-stress refresher?

This Five-Week series will meet during the Adult Formation Hour in the baptistry, starting April 30th.