Divinity School Blog #4: 01-21-2025

Part of being a divinity school student is to do investigative work. Really? Yes! When a person delves into the Bible, there are many ways to look at it, and all of these views require keen observation and the spirit of a detective. 

• If you see it as a historian, you may study the events and cultural times where the events took place – referred to as Ancient Near East Parallels
• If you see it as a social scientist, you may study the migration of people and the anthropological artifacts that were uncovered during those times
• If you see it as a literary critic, you may want to study the organization (Inclusio or Chiastic form, anyone?) themes, motifs and symbolism
• If you see it as an artist, you may want to study the visualization of it, ranging from original scrolls to the St. John’s Bible complete with images of Hebrew music scores and gold-leaf lettering! 

One of the ways that the Bible becomes more interesting to us is to study it with all of these lenses and more. You might also study it in different languages, including Hebrew or Greek, where translations might provide precious insights into the way the original authors, scribes or prophets carried out their messages. You might also refer to Biblical Studies Commentaries, or companion texts that groups of authors create to more deeply analyze and discern Scripture. All of this is in service of seeing God’s Word come alive for you, so that even millennia later, we can see Scripture as it was and always is: a love letter from God to His people. 

Is there a Biblical book that is particularly meaningful for you? Have you thought about why that is? Is it because you see that a person or people wrestled with the same issues that you do and the Bible shows you that you’re not alone? Is there a passage that is particularly joyful for you? Have you taken the time to read other’s perspectives on those verses and gain fresh new insights on that beloved piece? The joy of the Bible is in living with it, and discussing it with others, and finding that it offers beautiful prose, poetry and rhetoric that can inspire us when we’re down, and set our heart aglow when we have a new appreciation for God’s goodness. 

May this be the month that you read a passage with a friend, neighbor, family or congregational member and share your passion for His Word. Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). Let it be so and let their warmth in your hearts and homes as you go deeper in the Word. 

In Christ, Kathleen