"Start with the Bible, Not a Commentary"

"Start with the Bible, not a commentary". This was the mantra of Dr. Jay Sklar's Old Testament Hebrew class during my time at Covenant Theological Seminary. Each class we would take our seats, greet one another, and then begin our class time. Prayer would launch our gathering, and the refrain "Start with the Bible, not a commentary" became a part of our ethos as a group. I can only imagine what previous experiences had prompted Dr. Sklar to initiate this chant. While I learned much about Old Testament language through quizzes, exercises, memorization, and lecture, the thing that has stuck with me the most has been this ethic: start with the Bible, not a commentary. 

As constructed, this foundation is a strong one for any servant in ministry. This precept pushes back against the instinct of the academy. Rather than encouraging a wide variety of reading as a basis for interpreting the Bible, this axiom demands that the interpreter begin with the text itself rather than secondary voices speaking about the text. I believe this is a teaching that we all can learn from in life. This rule can be condensed into something that can guide us into all of life. "Start with the Bible, not..." ought to be our foundation for a great many things. 

For many, we start with anything other than the Bible. We start our days with news, facebook, email, text messages, and other means of "catching up" on the latest events. On the most mundane of days, in the midst of the throws normalcy, we start with current events, and are swept up in the current of those events, rather than starting with the Bible. 

When catastrophic events take place we watch, read, and listen in horror. We then turn to our most trusted sources for commentary, explanation, and projections. When it comes time to evaluate the past, as a culture in the United States we look to politics, ethnicity, economics, and any other semi-relevant categories.  We look to the answers the specialists of humanity can provide. We often start with anything other than the Bible. 

For unbelievers, they do not have the benefit of God's Word as a starting point. Unbelievers must settle for something else as a starting point. It's no wonder that the starting point is politics, ethnicity, economics, psychology, or spiritualism! 

For believers, we do have the benefit of God's Word as our starting point. We do not have to settle for the wisdom of humanity to begin understanding. When observing, learning, or experiencing anything life brings our way, the believer who starts with the bible has a basis for understanding. 

To start with the Bible is a daily habit. Yes, this does mean personal, individual time in God's Word. Yes, this does mean that when events occur in our lives, we look to God's Word for answers. The Bible is not an academic book, to be studied in ivory towers by balding men with lengthy beards. The Bible is not a mystery to be unlocked, decoded, or deciphered like a sealed message. The Bible is God's revealed word. God's desire to be known by the humanity he created is contained on the pages, in the words, and with every God inspired meaning of the text. 

It's a tragedy of lamentable proportions that we today have such an access, such an overflow of availability, and such little demand for God's Word. You may push back on that and say "But Jacob! There is a demand! See how many churches there are, how many bible studies, youth groups, para-church ministry, and various types of Christian groups exist! Surely this is a massive overreaction to lament that we don't start with the Bible more often?!" 

To this critique I will respond with a simple question. How many of these gatherings, groups, and movements, are centered on the Word of God? The french poet and aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry is credited to have said "It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove.". If you remove the Word of God from a great many churches, studies, youth groups, para-church ministries, and various types of Christian groups, there is no discernible difference because the Word of God was not already the foundation of such things. The extended passage of scripture is rare in contemporary christian worship. 

Christian organizations use bible verses as slogans, mottos, and headers. Christian churches site quotations from the bible throughout their various worship programs. Youth groups occasionally read a verse here or there between field trips, service trips, missions trips, retreats, ice breaker games, and life lesson talks. Yet if all was stripped away except teaching, learning, and discussing God's Word from these organizations, worship programs, and gatherings, how much would be left? 

I've spoken to five individuals this week about the idea of reading extended passages of scripture during a special time of gathering. This would be something akin to a prayer conference, or a fasting challenge. It would be a time where different people from a given church/para-church could get together, and read the word of God. 

One person responded "No one will come if you are just reading the Bible".

Another person responded "People don't need help reading, they need help understanding. If no one will teach or explain what is read, no one will have interest".

Another exclaimed "The Bible doesn't draw people, charismatic and gifted Bible teachers are what draw people". 

Still another asked "How would this be different from any small group prayer gathering? A few very committed, and otherwise free people might come, but the vast majority of a church would be bored" 

The fifth person said "Good luck". 

This is just a small anecdote, but I do find it telling that so much of the "draw" of coming together to study the Word is to be taught about the Word, to hear what other people have to say, to learn from the commentary on the Word, rather than the Word. I'm lamenting my own lack of starting with the Bible, and too often relying on commentary in my own life. 

God, grant me your wisdom today to start with your Word. Instill in me a discipline that seeks to start with the Bible, not a commentary.