Customer Reviews

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

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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.

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.

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.

Some people will get very upset with the title, because after all, for the true believer, all you need is the Bible itself, right?

Well, no. For one thing the Bible itself tells you that you need the Holy Spirit to help understand, so there is that.

But you also need to study to show yourself approved, meditate and approach it in a humble matter. The Bible was written over 2,000 years ago and in some portions even far longer. It is possible, just possible mind you, that there have been changes in language and culture that require some work on the reader's part to understand what is being said the same way a hearer of that message would have understood it in their day.

That is where this book comes into play. This is both a good introductory text for the student who wants to enter into the realms of textual, historical, redactive, literary etc criticism. It is also written to be at the level of the average layman who wants to understand more for their own study and growth.

Evangelical Christians often get very nervous about this type of book. They see much that has served to diminish the Bible over the years as coming from the "liberal" religious, academic camps as seeking to diminish what the Bible plainly says.

As delicately as I can state it ...... Evangelicals need to get over it and enter the field themselves. If the Bible is true, it must be true enough to stand tough scrutiny. The opinion of this reviewer is that it does stand that scrutiny, but as a student of the Bible you must expect over time that your understanding will change and grow. That is called discipleship and growth. It's a good thing!

This book, better than most, comes to the Bible and maintains an attitude of respect toward the text itself consistent with what Evangelicals believe with regard to inspiration while introducing the student or curious Christian as to how to study the Bible and get more out of it that you ever did before.

Where great commentaries give you fish, this book teaches you how to fish and feed yourself intellectually and spiritually from the Bible.

Don't be threatened by it. It is a good thing!

This is very worthwhile book for those who see the Bible as spiritually unique and also helpful for the student who simply wants to know how to understand it better.

This is a book on interpreting the Bible and applying it to your life. My seven-member Bible study group (from an Evangelical Free church) did a 13-week study/discussion of this book. Thirteen weeks may sound like a long time, but it worked well for us for two reasons: First, the book is not light reading. You need time to read, struggle, re-read, and come to grips with each chapter. Second, the authors often ask the reader to read large portions of scripture as part of studying a particular chapter in their book. In their chapter on the epistles, for example, the authors ask the reader to read through all of I Corinthians in one sitting, then study it *again* using techniques that they teach in the book.

We believe that this book is not a "basic primer"--it is not a book for beginning students of the Bible. For new Christians, let me suggest a book recommended by the authors themselves: "Knowing Scripture," by R. C. Sproul.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK: 1) The book is written by two seminary professors who tell us, in the book's preface, that they are "believers, who think we should obey the biblical texts, not merely read or study them." 2) The emphasis of the book is on helping readers struggle with the questions of applying the Bible to their own lives. 3) The book eases the reader into the subject matter by giving some general principles of interpretation and by discussing the relative strengths of different Bible translations. 4) The book then divides the Bible into different types of literature (e.g., parables, law, epistles, prophets, and so forth); this approach helps to clarify the "rules of the road" in interpretation. As one example, the authors lay down some rules for understanding proverbial wisdom, and from these rules, we understand that Proverbs are not legal guarantees from God.

OUR NOT-SO-FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE BOOK: 1) Even in the most recently printed version, there are some curious typographical errors. 2) A couple of members of our Bible study felt the book was "difficult reading" in some places. 3) If you want exposure to *several* viewpoints about how Old Testament Law does or does not apply (or applies in part) to New Testament Christians, you'll need to look elsewhere.

FINAL THOUGHT: If you are looking for more than a basic primer on reading and applying the Bible to your life, we commend this book to you. This book changed the way we study scripture--for the better. All members of my Bible study group rated the book at 4.5 stars or higher.

I was introduced to this book in my first seminary biblical exegesis class. My opening thought was "with its title this the book is going to be a joke." Boy was I wrong. First off, nothing by Gordan Fee is a joke. Second, this small book is one of the best sources on biblical interpretation in the world right now. Third, it is an easy to understand book, yet it does not skimp on the details of biblical exegesis. After my first time through "How to Read the Bible ..." I realized that this was a book that I could recommend to anyone wanting to know more about how to read the Bible and understand every word. The book is not condescending to scholars but is still understandable to those that do not have a theological background. I was a "title snob" and this book proved me wrong.

I have just purchased ten copies of this book to give as gifts to friends in my Bible Study group. It has absolutely made a difference in my level of understanding of the Bible and its literary forms, the need for Biblical interpretation and the differences between translations. Now instead of eagerly awaiting a few minutes to read a magazine or surf the net, I can hardly wait for a few minutes to curl up with scripture! This book was an answer to a prayer for me. A word of caution: this book requires lots of thinking and interacting. This is not a quick read, but it is a profitable one.

Although a lot of individuals may feel they do not require any hermeneutical training, I think a cursory read of a book like this should be a requisite for all Christians serious about studying Scripture. I think the rules and guidelines established in this book are excellent and are some of the best developed for the purpose of understanding and interpreting Scripture.

Epistles: When it comes to New Testament Epistles I think Fee gives some excellent advice when he says these books should be treated like letters. That means an individual should read through the text several times as they would any letter from a friend or correspondance and then begin breaking it down to understand it. Moreover, the concept that these texts could not mean something they did not mean to their original audience is crucial to grasp. A reader cannot be overly subjective and begin applying various Scripture passages to his or her life, when a particular passage does not mean what they think it means.

Historical books: I think Fee and Stuart make some great points when it comes to understanding the historical books of the Old and New Testaments. First, they argue that we should read these books to see God's activities in the affairs of Israel and His Church. Therefore, these texts are better understood when broken up into smaller sections and read as a progressive accout of salvation history. In addition, the authors warn against decontextualizing and allegorizing passages which is always a temptation when reading a historial narrative that doesn't seem to have much theological or spiritual significance.

The Gospels: Fee makes some great points when it comes to understanding the gospels. First, he argues that familiarity with the historical context is crucial and vitally important. If one is not remotely familiar with 1st century Mediterranean culture then they are at a disadvantage. Second, reading similar gospel accounts side by side and analyzing the minor differences can also shed light on which audience the gospel was intended and what message the author is attempting to convey in that instance. Also, established as a rule throughout is that one should read and think in paragraphs as a helpful guide to understanding these books.

The Laws: I like Stuart's treatement of the Hebrew legal books. First, he argues that these laws were given to Israel to benefit them and therefore must be understood as applying to the kingdom of Israel and not us, since we are not Israel. Although, this is a valid point I think the argument that unless a specific teaching of the law wasn't reiterated in the New Testament, then it isn't binding on us today is not a good argument. What about the laws condemning bestiality, homosexuality, incest, and rape? None of these were specifically mentioned by Jesus, but I don't think anyone would argue that they are no longer binding upon us today.

The books closes by dealing with the Psalms, Wisdom literature, and Revelation. Again, nothing new or groudbreaking here, just solid and sound advice with a few minor points of contention. Although, not as good as it could be, I think this book is the best out there as a guide to reading and understanding Scripture.

Fee is a New Testament scholar and Stuart is an Old Testament scholar. But they write in plain English. They explain how to read God's Word for information and for transformation. And they use specific Scripture passages as examples of how to interpret chapters and stories from the Bible. They also recommend purchasing dictionaries and concordances and several translations of the Bible as aids to study. And at the end of the book, they recommend good Bible commentaries to purchase for further study. It is a very satisfying and helpful volume from two seasoned, reliable Bible scholars.

I've only begun to use this book, but it has already proved to be a solid guide into right interpretation of Biblical texts. Stuart and Fee provide necessary rules for exegesis (drawing out the original meaning) rooted in the author's and audience's context and, more uniquely, the literary style (e.g. narrative, poetry, epistle, gospel, etc.).

My cons: (1) Fee and Stuart strongly endorse the TNIV and NIV as their top translations, with the NRSV and NASB next. While the NIV and and TNIV are more readable and tend to bridge contexts well, they don't allow as much access to the original text as does the NASB, ESV, or even the NRSV. The authors even endorse the NAB and GNT, the latter of which is heavily paraphrased to near uselessness for any serious Bible student. I wonder if this may be because Zondervan (who owns the rights to the NIV and TNIV) also publishes this book. (2) No other how-to's of exegesis are given, such as how to trace the author's flow of thought or how to gain some access the original languages in interpretation. For information on these, please check out John Piper's pamphlet on "Biblical Exegesis" and Kay Arthur's "How to Study Your Bible".