Many Christians today know they should read the Bible, but don’t. One of the reasons most often given is that they find the Bible boring. Another reason given is that they don’t see how it applies to our lives today, since it was written so long ago by people from a different culture.
In this revised edition of Knowing Scripture, R. C. Sproul lays out basic guidelines for interpreting and applying the Bible, including:
- discovering the meanings of biblical words
- understanding Hebrew poetry, proverbs and parables
- approaching historical and didactic passages
- being careful with predictive prophecy
- discerning how culture conditions the Bible
- choosing and using Bible translations, commentaries, Bible software and other helps
I read this book while taking the Principles of Biblical Interpretation course at Ligonier Connect. This is a service provided by Ligonier Ministries which offers unlimited access to Biblical classes for just $9 a month.
The book is very easy to read and detailed in its explanations when needed. It is a great supplement to the class, though the class is not needed to understand the book. The class does, however, offer a study guide/course outline and a self-assessment quiz to test what you’ve learned.
I highly recommend the book (5 out of 5), and also Ligonier Connect. I’ll be taking more courses.
Jess Boudreaux 