129 of 136 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, November 22, 2004
This review is from: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Paperback)
Numbers don't tell the whole story, but the fact that _How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ has sold more than half a million copies and is now in its third edition should say something about its utility to neophyte Bible students. I sure could have used this book five years ago when I first began reading the Bible in order to understand it. No use crying over spilt milk though. A late arrival is better than a no-show!
The significance of co-authorship on this book is simply due to the fact that Drs. Douglas Stuart (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Gordon Fee (Regent College) specialize in Old and New Testament studies respectively. If the label evangelical has any meaning left today, then Stuart and Fee fall under that rubric. This is implicitly evident from their stance on the nature of Scripture (2003, pp. 21-3), which they affirm as God's word spoken through human words in history.
The title of the book leaves little ambiguity as to what it is; it's a how-to book on understanding the Bible. Surely anyone with an inkling of interest in the Bible has experienced the inherent difficulty in understanding the Bible. Stuart and Fee work to minimize this - both the experience and the associated frustration.
_How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ is written with the layperson in mind. At every turn, Stuart and Fee make sure and define their terms, thus making for an informative yet pleasurable read. They deal with every major section of Scripture such as the Pentateuch, the Prophets, the Wisdom Literature, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Revelation. The approach taken to each section is more or less the same. The focus is first on exegesis and then on hermeneutics. Exegesis has to do with the "then and there," of the Bible's content. Hermeneutics, as Stuart and Fee use the term, has to do with the "here and now," of the Bible's message. Stuart and Fee explain their dual approach at the outset:
...we have two tasks: First, our task is to find out what the text originally meant; this is called exegesis. Second, we must learn to hear that same meaning in the variety of new or different context of our own day; we call this second task hermeneutics. In its classical usage, the term "hermeneutics" covers both tasks, but in this book we consistently use it only in this narrower sense. (2003, p. 15)
One of the keywords in _How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth_ is guidelines. In their book, Stuart and Fee are not setting out to promulgate a partisan approach to understanding the Bible that requires specialized assumptions within evangelicalism. Instead, they come across as having a genuine concern for the beginning Bible student and seek to point him or her in the right direction with general guidelines. They freely admit on more than one occasion that they do not expect every reader to agree with their particular take on a given point.
As someone with a couple years of serious Bible study under my belt, I think it is worth pointing out a couple of chapters, which I found immensely helpful: (1) Acts: The Question of Historical Precedent, (2) The Parables: Do You Get the Point?, and (3) The Law(s): Covenant Stipulations for Israel. The chapter on historical precedent put into words something that I have been ruminating over for some time now, that is, the caveat that a practice as described in a narrative is not ipso facto normative and, therefore, binding. The chapter on parables forever settled an issue that I was confused about, namely, the nature of Jesus' parables. They may be semi-allegorical at times, but never pure allegory. Lastly, the chapter on the Law is so informative! Stuart gives the big picture of the Old Testament in such a helpful way.
I'm sure there are many helpful books out there on how to read the Bible in a fruitful way. All I will say here is that, provided you are a conservative Christians, you won't go wrong with this book. (I consider that an understatement, by the way.) There is a lot of content to be digested, however. Commit yourself to read this book a few times over.
PS: If you haven't a clue what commentary to purchase when studying one of the books of the Bible, you'll find the appendix handy. A list of recommended commentaries is offered on every single book of the Bible.
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best introductory texts available, March 28, 2004
This review is from: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Paperback)
This is the foundational understanding that everyone should know before studying the Bible. Although it is written in an easy to understand style it is still full of very valuable information. For example, people often ask why there are so many different translations of the Bible. The authors do an excellent job of showing the complications and difficulties of translating and how different versions of a verse could each be just as viable as an accurate translation.
The authors also deal with the problems of interpretation, exegesis, historical and cultural context and literary conventions of the time. They look at the narrative style of the Old Testament and its function as well as Acts, the various parables, prophets, psalms, wisdom literature, and the revelation. You may not agree with every aspect of their treatment of the various books and literary styles, but this is the best treatment of the problems of translation and interpretation that I have come across to date. "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" is highly recommend for anyone interested in Bible translation or interpretation.
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109 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hermeneutically and exegetically sound, January 3, 2002
If you wondered what the words in the title mean, they are longer words to say "proper interpretation." Of course, you can interpret things any way you want, especially in this Post-Modern day and age. However, not every interpretation is valid and true, as Fee and Stuart point out in their book. Out of the 3 or 4 books that I have read on "biblical interpretation," this by far is my favorite. It lays down the rules (laws) of proper interpretation by going through the different genres of scripture, with plenty of good advice in how to best exegete each one. So many errors can be avoided if the reader would follow the points made in this book. Sometimes I make the same mistakes that they laid out in their writing, and I found myself a number of times looking up the passages to check their reasoning.
It's interesting how so many intelligent people can make the same mistakes (i.e. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" to be misinterpreted because the context is avoided). We Christians need to be better than that, and that's why I want to continue honing my skills in this area. My copy is marked with yellow highlighter marks, and so will yours if you read it with attention. I think every Christian--both young and old--ought to read "How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth"--it's required reading, everyone!--to keep up with the proper usage of handling God's message to His people.
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