Ways To Read The Bible
“Every time that we decide to come to scripture with a willingness to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn something new, to be open to what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us, that’s how the word of God stays alive and active. It becomes a fossil - an artifact - an object, the moment we come to the text believing that there’s no way that I could possibly be wrong.”
Rev. Paul-Anthony Turner
Many people were taught one primary way of reading the Bible: a literal, plain-sense reading that assumes the meaning of a passage is obvious, universal, and timeless. For some, even introducing alternative frameworks can feel destabilizing. We want to introduce to you some additional frameworks of reading scripture that seek not to replace your or anyone else’s theology, but to gently widen your lens. Below are four key concepts that can help us expand how we read the Bible. We encourage you to connect with others to discuss these concepts, either in your local community or by joining a QCF Community Group.
1. Contextual Reading
Definition: Contextual reading means understanding a passage of Scripture within its literary, historical, and cultural setting before applying it to modern life.
For example: We do not read the Psalms (poetry) the same way we read Levitical law. We do not read parables the same way we read historical narrative.
Questions to ask:
Who wrote this?
To whom was it written?
What issue were they addressing?
What genre is this (poetry, law, narrative, parable, prophecy)?
What comes before and after this passage?
Keep in Mind:
The Bible was written for us, but it was not written directly to us. It was written to specific communities in specific times, and understanding that helps us read it more responsibly.
Contextual reading slows us down. It invites humility instead of assumption.
2. Historical-Cultural Awareness
Definition: Historical-cultural awareness means recognizing that the Bible emerged from ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman cultures, which operated with social norms, gender roles, and scientific understandings very different from our own.
For example:
Marriage in the ancient world was primarily economic and patriarchal.
Concepts like sexual orientation did not exist in the same way they do today.
Ideas about gender were structured around hierarchy and inheritance, not identity and psychology.
This doesn’t mean Scripture is irrelevant. It means we must understand what a text meant in its original culture before deciding what it means in ours. This is known as exegesis, from the Greek meaning “to lead out of.” It is defined as a careful investigation of the original meaning of texts in their historical and literary contexts. Many methods are used in this investigation.
Questions to Ask:
What biblical scholars (Jewish or Christian) have engaged with this text in their study?
What forms of exegetical tools did they use to understand the historical context?
What conclusions did they draw? How does the cultural or historical context inform those conclusions?
Keep in Mind:
When we recognize cultural distance, it helps us avoid forcing ancient categories onto modern experiences. This approach protects us from reading modern debates back into ancient texts.
3. Jewish Interpretive Traditions
Many Christians were taught that there is one “correct” interpretation of Scripture.
However, Jesus and the early apostles were Jewish. They inherited a rich tradition of interpretive debate. Greco-Roman influence is also present in the text.
In Jewish interpretive practice:
Scripture was discussed within the context of community.
Multiple interpretations could coexist.
Questions were valued as much as answers.
Debate was a sign of engagement, not rebellion.
Rabbinic tradition often placed verses in conversation with one another rather than isolating them.
Questions to Ask:
Could there be more than one “right” answer to the theological questions that come from this text? If so, why?
When looking at the conclusions drawn by biblical scholars about this text, what variance exists between their conclusions?
Keep in Mind:
The idea that faithful people wrestle with Scripture is not a modern compromise—it is an ancient practice. When Jesus reinterprets laws around Sabbath or purity, he is participating in that interpretive tradition. This reminds us that wrestling with Scripture can be an act of devotion.
4. Generosity Toward Disagreement
Within QCF and within Christianity more broadly, faithful believers hold differing convictions about sexuality and gender. Sometimes these differing convictions are very far apart from each other. That wide gap can be a source of tension or conflict.
Generosity toward disagreement means:
Assuming good faith in others.
Refusing to turn opposing views into a caricature.
Prioritizing the relationship over “winning” (remember, “losing” does not mean sacrificing your beliefs and values).
Recognizing that most theology develops over time.
Questions to Ask:
How does my interpretation impact real people?
Does my theology reflect the fruit of the Spirit?
Does it lead toward love, justice, and humility?
In difficult conversations, you can model language like:
“I may not fully agree with that interpretation, but I respect that you are trying to be faithful.”
“We may not resolve this right now, and that’s okay.”
“I appreciate your deep care about your faith and I am grateful that you’re willing to have this conversation with me.”
Keep in Mind:
Generosity does not mean abandoning conviction. It means refusing to weaponize conviction.
Would you like to go deeper in this topic? Click the button below to watch a recent Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion learning gathering where we explored how we interpret scripture!
