Digging Deeper, Book #3 (It's Okay to be a Christian and Think): Taking a Closer Look at Traditional Thinking

Unless bible students are faithful to use the hermeneutical principles needed to interpret Scripture, their conclusions will be misguided. Being wrong at one point of doctrine is like the foundation of a house that isn’t level. It affects every other area and causes the entire structure to be off. This is exactly why it’s important that each believer take seriously their responsibility to study the Bible to the best of their ability and then discuss their findings with those they trust. Again, the author of Proverbs writes, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14. No one gets it right all the time, but hopefully the truth will emerge by having an open, honest discussion with other believers. That being said, let’s take a look at the subject matter within each of these three books. The first book, “The Bible, Its Author, and the People Within,” will challenge you to take a good hard look at your long-held traditions and presuppositions. It then focuses on the reliability of Scripture, touching on things such as the importance of italicized words, the problems with chapter and verse divisions, and how to read the Bible. You’re then introduced to the God of Scripture through an examination of His divine attributes, including His love, wrath, omnipotence, and holiness. And finally, this book addresses the everyday life of an Israelite, discussing various topics such as the religious life of a Jew, marriage and divorce, the bearing, rearing, and education of children, the various occupations of the day, and the hereafter. The second book in this series, “Building a Framework,” will afford you the opportunity to gather up all the sermons, Sunday school lessons, and bible studies accumulated throughout your Christian experience and plug them into a biblical framework. This book covers various topics such as the establishment of Yahweh’s divine council, the identity of the garden serpent, the spawning of the Nephilim, the disinheriting of the nations at the Tower of Babel, and the history of national Israel from the planting of their heaven and earth to their dissolution at the time of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem along with Herod’s temple at the end of the Mosaic Age by Titus and his Roman armies in AD 70. And then finally, “Digging Deeper,” the third book in this series, will highlight some of the more basic hermeneutical principles needed to accurately interpret the Word of God, including the use of idioms, the concept of remez, defining carefully the meaning of words, audience relevance, and context. These interpretive principles are the tools necessary to dig out the meaning of a given passage and are crucial when attempting to plumb the depths of God’s Word. The subject matter in these books may be things you’ve never heard, but again, my hope is that you take what I’ve found, thoroughly examine it, and then build on it. It’s not my intention to try to manipulate you into believing what I believe, but to challenge what you read and then engage those with whom you fellowship on a weekly basis in vigorous debate. The passages used in this series are taken from several versions of the Bible and are written out for the reader’s convenience. Few things are more aggravating than to take the time to read a series of books such as this only to have to look up a biblical citation every other sentence. Most people won’t do that. As a result, the point is either skimmed over and unchecked, or worse yet, assumed to be true. This, however, doesn’t mean that the scriptural citations shouldn’t be referenced and read in context for a fuller understanding of the subject matter under discussion. Although reading these books in their chronological order is not necessary, doing so will prove to be the most profitable for the serious student of God’s Word. Read more