Invented in 1840, 3-D glasses seemingly give life and depth to a flat, lifeless image. For many, the Bible seems to be a flat and lifeless book, without relevance or necessity. There are three “D’s,” that when applied, give that same life and depth to our understanding of the Bible.

The first “D” recognizes the importance of a book or passage historical impact. We must remember that the Bible was written to others before it came to us, and those people lived real lives, with real language, real beliefs, real struggles, and inside a real world vastly different from ours.

So the first dimension of our 3-D reading is: What Did It Mean? How would the Corinthians have read the words that Paul sent them? What was the cultural nuance of Jesus’ command to give a Roman soldier not just your cloak, but your tunic as well?

In 1902, Rudyard Kipling (yes, the Jungle Book guy, and yes, I went there) wrote a poem that went along with his “The Elephant’s Child” story. It read (in part):

I Keep six honest serving-men:
(They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Where and When
And How and Why and Who.

Six questions begin every journey ever taken. As we seek to discover the the depth and meaning the Bible contains, these six questions provide focus and direction for our pursuit. We will introduce them (in a slight different order) this time, and then unpack them over the next several weeks.

1. Who? – Who wrote what you are reading? How can we know it is who the Bible says it is?
2. What? – What kind of document is it? This will deal with the crucial issue of genre in Scripture.
3. When? – At what point in history was the book written? The setting of a book weighs heavily in its interpretation.
4. Why? – What was the occasion of the document? What was happening in their world that required a divine word?
5. Where? – The location of both the author and the audience can provide cultural clues to interpretation and study.
6. How? – I’m not talking about typewriters versus laptops. A vital teaching to understanding Scripture is the manner in which the message came to the authors.

These six questions provide clarity and focus every time we come to Scripture.

Pick your favorite passage and using jsut the internet to find the answers,  apply these questions to it and see what you come up with.

(This is the first in a series of blogs entitles “Reading the Bible In 3-D.)

For many believers, reading the Bible is seen as both intimidating and mysterious. Our desire to be a “Good Christian” often falls into conflict with our inability to understand and apply the truths contained in Scripture.  Our hearts are pointed in the right direction, but our feet can’t always seem to follow.

Why is reading the Bible so difficult? Think of the difference between running a race as a sprint, and running a race through hurdles. Anyone can sprint, if even for a short distance. When hurdles are added, that same distance can seem insurmountable.  There are four distinct hurdles one faces when trying to discover the Bible.

1.    The Language Hurdle – In its original documents (called autographs) the Bible was written in one of three languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Although the English translations we have are incredibly reliable, understanding the grammar, syntax, and logic flows can be difficult. The arguments, stories, and poetry of Scripture have a particular style. In order for us to gain the most from our study, that style must be effectively navigated.
2.    The Distance Hurdle – To put it simply, Jesus did not live in Washington. Comprehending the distance between Gaza and Damascus leaves many readers without reference or appreciation for the journeys, geography, and context of the Bible stories they love.
3.    The Time Hurdle – A lot has happened in 6000 years. The final words of the Book of Revelation were penned around 90 AD. The world that these books, songs, and letters were written to is long gone, and the world in which we live would be unfathomable to the authors of Scripture.
4.    The Culture Hurdle – The customs, behaviors, traditions, and morays are vastly different form our life today. Views on leadership, economics, science, and other key issues are addressed with a dissimilar perspective, and in some issues, aren’t addressed at all.

Knowing these hurdles, how can we overcome them? Invented in 1840, 3-D glasses seemingly give life and depth to a flat, lifeless image. There are three “D’s,” that when applied, give that same life and depth to our understanding of the Bible.

1.    What Did it mean?
2.    What Does it mean to me?
3.    What Do I do now?

In the next several weeks, I will address each of these in a separate blog posting.