The Bible Book

The Bible has been

the Magna Carta of the

poor and oppressed.

The human race is not

in a position to

dispense with it.

Thomas Huxley

spoke of Christ. Many tools used

by these scholars are still popular

today. They included examinations

of grammar and analysis of word

choice, such as the links between

the words “Passover” and “passion.”

Some, such as Clement (c.150–

CE) and Augustine (354–430 CE),

adapted pagan philosophy to aid

their reading of scripture.

Christian scholars tended to see

difficulties and differences within

scripture as fruitful sources of

knowledge for those with enough

faith to ponder them deeply. In

the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, such

scholars struggled to understand

how there could be only one God,

while the Father, Son, and Holy

Spirit are each fully God, yet also

distinct. The 200-year debate,

which took account of the full range

of biblical statements on these

points, without undercutting any,

eventually led to the Christian

doctrine of the Trinity.

Modern perspectives

Modern-day biblical scholars utilize

many of the same tools as their

ancient counterparts, analyzing, for

example, the range of meaning in

agape (love) across the Bible and

contemporary Greek literature.

Some scholars affirm the ancient

Christian conclusions about

scripture, while others operate with

a skeptical mindset and rely on

external confirmation—physical

evidence or historical records—

before accepting biblical accounts

of events. For example, some

scholars rejected the biblical

account of David as the founder

of a royal dynasty until the

discovery of the Tel Dan stele in

northern Israel in 1993–1994. This

battle monument, raised about

200 years after David would have

lived, tells of an Aramean king

celebrating a victory over “the

house of David.” In cases such

as this, some Christian scholars,

through their employment of

skepticism and the scientific

method, use historical evidence to

inform their theology, and in order

to develop conclusions as to the

legitimacy of biblical scripture.

Those who possess a naturalistic

worldview (insisting that things

are the result of natural causes)

generally reject claims of divine

intervention in history. As a result,

skeptical modern scholarship

often employs an archaeological

approach to the Bible, in which

perceived errors must first be

sorted through in order to expose

underlying truths.

Lay study

Study of the Bible is not the sole

domain of scholars and clerics,

but their work can enlighten the

understanding of the average

reader. Today, a number of readable

Bible translations place the sacred

books of Judaism and Christianity

into the hands of any interested

reader. While certain books are

more difficult to read than others,

and history and the Gospels are

more engaging than the lineages

and law codes, those who

read carefully can find wisdom,

inspiration, and hope in its pages.

The Bible Book is intended to help

readers to understand more of this

most significant of books. ■

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