Knowing Scripture

Toward the beginning of college I was seeking guidance on how to approach studying Scripture. How should I approach some of those weird, highly imaginative passages in Ezekiel, Daniel or Revelation? Or what do I do about apparent contradictions in the Bible? Better yet, I wanted to know what I believe, why I believe it so that I might be able to defend my hope in our Lord Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). Which, by the way, I believe one of the biggest and most troubling deficits in the church right now is our lack of knowledge of Scripture and being able to back up what we believe with God’s Word. Thoughts like these were buzzing through my mind, and I needed some mature, wise counsel to approach my personal study of Scripture. So I started searching around online for a book to help guide me in this, and I came across a highly rated and quite popular book titled Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul. This book has been in publication since 1977, and it apparently is still selling, a lot. After reading it, I realized why. This was my very first book by my now favorite author (and I’ll be honest, role model), R.C. Sproul. I was struck by how lucid and yet penetrating his writing was, since after all, he is one of the most prolific and renown theologians of our time. He has such a gift of presenting biblical ideas in extraordinarily clear language. This is a huge hallmark of this book. One massive issue today in Christian circles is how frequently people find themselves disagreeing about what Scripture says or means or even how we should apply it to our lives. And as Sproul so incisively points out, “the Bible remains an enigma capable of vastly different interpretations.” “Is there any way to escape this confusion?” is one of the foundational questions he lays in writing this book. He also strives to provide guidance when approaching these conflicting viewpoints. These, however, are by no means the only issues this book deals with. For the book doesn’t mainly deal with key issues, but it is a launching-tool, if you will, for serious students of God’s word. Sproul offers tremendous guidance on the science of interpretation, or what is often called, hermeneutics. A faithful, God-fearing approach to Scripture is an absolute requisite for anyone studying God’s word. He expounds on and also appeals many problems we face today, and offers solutions to them, like the ones I mentioned in the first paragraph. One of the most helpful tools, I found, was the analogy of faith. This is pretty much the corner stone of post-Reformation bible study. This rule is the vanguard of hermeneutics, or interpretation. The analogy of faith means, simply put, that Scripture is to interpret Scripture. “These means, quite simply, that no part of Scripture can be interpreted in such a way as to render it in conflict with what is clearly taught elsewhere in Scripture,” writes Sproul. This concept is rooted in the confidence of the inspiration of Scripture, it being the inerrant, infallible Word of God. Sproul has a cogent and faithful assertion about this: “Since it is assumed that God would never contradict himself, it is thought slanderous to the Holy Spirit to choose an alternate interpretation that unnecessarily brings the Bible in conflict with itself.” He goes into some detail in how to deal with passages that seem contradictory but are actually paradoxical. Sproul offers more insight and guidance on private interpretation. He goes on to explain how to approach the Bible literally, that is, how it was written, i.e. as a poem, narrative, analogy, symbol, type, etc. He also shows the biblical critique of the Medieval Quadriga, but expounds on the singular meaning of a passage of scripture, but explains how it can have a sundry of applications. He dedicates an entire part of the book full of listed rules on how to read and interpret the Bible. Any good student of Scripture would find this tremendously helpful. This small, 145 page book is a great book to pick up if you crave to learn more about Scripture, if you need guidance in how to interpret certain passage, or if you aren’t entirely sure how to sit down and study the Bible and have a fruitful devotional time. I highly recommend this book. I hope you will contemplate buying this book, because I have recognized the import of studying God’s word so that we might not only glorify God in it, or worship him, and become more satisfied in him. But that we might “honor Christ the Lord…being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you [and to] do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

I bought this book as it was on the syllabus for a class I'm taking on hermeneutics. Sproul has a way of explaining topics in a way that is understandable for the average person, and that is so important when studying biblical interpretation, or matters of faith in general. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn how to approach Scripture in an informed way.

Both comprehensive and concise, an amazingly useful and non-biased guide to the subject of knowing Scripture. I got plenty of new insights even though I've been studying Scripture for more than 15 years, yet the material is presented so well that I also got a copy as a gift for a friend who will be reading the Bible for the first time. This updated second edition (2009) contains tons of relevant information not available in the first edition (1977); it seems more of a total rewrite than merely an updated edition. The editor in me flinches when I see errors (a couple of uses of "insure" when the correct word would be "ensure," as on p. 129, and the use of "addition" instead of "edition" on p. 137), but I'm not to cast the first stone when it comes to homophones problems. And there are times it seems Sprouls could make his point more clearly. But overall this is more knowledge presented more accessibly than one could image could be packed into 152 pages.

Wanted some additional materials from Sproul.

Dear Friends, In the (65) plus years that I have lived. I have attended many church services and not all at the same church. Something unnamed has always been amiss. Using simple words this book tells the reader how to please God and be happy. God designed man and God knows the key to his/her happiness. This book draws a line between pleasure in this world and happiness that can be now and forever. -I now understand how people can have everything pleasurable on earth and be unhappy unto death. This book did not tell me anything that I did not know, but it sets words and facts in order allowing me to understand my knowledge. -It is like the difference between noise and music!!! Warmest regards to all, Dwight Woodruff

Once again author R. C. Sproul comes through with an easy to read and easy to understand instruction in to understanding and interpreting your Bible so that one can pull out of it the truths needed for everyday life. He clarifies the difference between meaning and application. He examines the major ways our society has looked at interpretation and some of the flaws that can happen if it handled incorrectly. It's a great tool for the ordinary man who is looking to get more from God's written word.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the timeless advice given for developing a lifestyle of reading and interpreting the Bible correctly. This book isn't just for scholars, but anyone wanting to dig deeper into the word of God to gain a better understanding. I like the clear definitions of the different ways of interpretation. The examples in the book were also great in helping to understand the various methods. I would definitely recommend.

It is a good introduction to basic principles of Bible interpretation. But if you are looking for a how to type book you should look elsewhere.

Great book! His writing is clear and easy to follow.