Book of Faith—Open Scripture; Join the Conversation

The Book of Faith is an initiative of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It invites the whole church to become more fluent in the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we might live into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened, empowered and sent by the Word.

Dennis and Alyce Gross returned from the Rocky Mt. Synod Assembly with some bookmarks that explore

“Four Ways to Approach the Bible.” Denny challenges us to randomly select any chapter of the Bible, to read it and answer the questions which follow. “Anybody can do it,” he says, “and you will learn something about the writing which you did not know before.”

Four Ways to Approach the Bible

Devotional Reading:

What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?

What delights me in this text?

What stories or memories does this text stir in me?

What is God up to in this text?

Historical Reading:

Who wrote this passage?

Why was this text written?

Where was this text written, and what do we know about that part of the ancient world?

When was this text written and what do we know about that time in history?

Literary Reading:

What is the plot?

Who are the characters?

What is the theme of this passage?

What is the setting for this passage?

Lutheran Theological Reading:

In what ways does this text point to or lead us to Christ?

Can other passages in the Bible help us understand or interpret this passage?

What is the plain meaning of this text?

Is the interpretation we are commending accessible to everyone?