In my previous post I talked about how I have been diving into greater depths in my Bible study. Sometimes I have a really hard time following a set “plan”. However, I have one that I follow that is rich and there are TONS of resources and it’s been a very welcome help. If you are interested, drop me a line and I will share the info with you.
So, this month I have been having a more self-led approach. I started with a verse-by-verse study of Jude. (Fascinating stuff, by the way). I read it all the way through, which was very easy because it is one chapter!!! Then I did some research on who wrote it, when and for whom. This is a great approach that I have learned from theologians like Kristie Anyabwile, Phylicia Masonheimer, Amy Gannett and so many more (I am trying in my own way to elevate the voices of female theologians 😊). Answering the questions of who, what, why, and where offer the exegetical studier a great backbone for gleaning the meaning of teaching as it was written and intended. Context is everything.
I am still learning how to do this. Our nature causes us to be pendulums, swinging from one extreme to the next. Going from “THE BIBLE IS ABOUT ME!!” to “The Bible cannot help me because it is God’s story!”
There is middle ground. Knowing our Father and Creator through His words helps us know the product of His hands and heart better. Then, we can also know His plan to save us from ourselves. But we can’t know The Plan if we never bother to compehend the The Planner.
Okay, that was a bit of a tangent.
Back to Jude. This book was most likely written by a man named Judah, Jesus’s brother. The writer never tells us this about himself which shows his better character than mine. I would find a way to work it into regular conversations. “Hey, is there a place around here that a brother of Jesus, like me, can get a good burger?” Like I said, better than me.
Jude’s letter was likely written to Messianic Jews because of the references of OT stories and characters referenced throughout. These stories would have been familiar to the intended reader.
Knowing this, I know that I am going to be referring to my Old Testament several times through my study. Having my laptop nearby helps. Note taking will help as well to organize what I am learning.
The letter talks about the ongoing corruption and immorality of people within the church at that time. Judah thinks it is more important to discuss this rather than his ORIGINAL intent of writing about their shared salvation (Jude 1:3).
As I go through the book and carefully study the verses, I am struck by how it is imperative to read the Bible with the focus on understanding God’s character. When we read with knowing Him in mind, we can trust our hearts not to lead us astray much like the corrupted people mentioned in the letter. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our heart is deceitful. It cannot be trusted.
The study of the Bible is meant to transform our hearts, not for our hearts to transform scripture.
This isn’t to say that we cannot engage wholly in our studies. It is just to say that understanding God, makes you a hard target for heretical, corrupted, and immoral teachers. You’ll be able to determine the presence of God by how well the teacher/pastor/reverend portrays His character. Not exemplifies because no one is perfect. How do they portray God and His lovingkindness? How do they portray God and His justice? How do they portray God and His generosity? How do they portray God and His LOVE?
When you KNOW God, you will RECOGNIZE these traits. With sure quickness you will be able to determine the soundness of the teaching that won’t take a ton of prayer! It is another tool in your arsenal to make you a better Christ follower. I don’t know about you but I need ALLLLLL the tools I can get my hands on.
Friends, have a great week and get to know God better today.