Some people argue like this: You do not have to be a scholar to benefit from reading the Bible. "Simple," even illiterate, people can experience the power of the Word. True enough. Somehow, the same Spirit that inspired the authors also inspires those who read and/or hear the Word. He does so in ways that are beyond our understanding. But that does not mean there is no spiritual benefit to a lifelong, intensive study of the Word. After all, we are not to serve the Lord only with all our heart and soul, but also with our mind.

Studying about the Bible vs. Studying the Bible

Unfortunately, many people mainly study about the Bible, rather than the Bible itself. In Adventist circles, we tend to emphasize studying the Bible, rather than simply reading the Bible. That difference is, in itself, quite significant—and unfortunate.

Study about the Bible is not only legitimate, but necessary. In a community that claims to base its teachings and lifestyle on the Bible, there ought to be plenty of expertise to gain the fullest possible understanding of what the inspired text actually says. There ought to be widespread knowledge of the relevant ancient languages, of ancient history, and of biblical, systematic, historical theology, and so forth.

But this kind of study should not take the place of a study of the Bible itself, as so often happens to a significant degree.

I would suggest two things that are important if we want to experience the power of the Word. Firstly, those who study extensively in the various theological and auxiliary disciplines should decide to spend at least as much time with the study of the text itself. And, secondly, we would do well to spend as much time simply reading the Bible and meditating on it, rather than studying the Bible. Nothing can replace a quiet, regular exposure of our soul to what God wants to tell us, today, through his Word. That does not happen when we jump from one proof text to the next, but when we read entire sections—even entire Bible books—in one session.

Accept the Word as a Miracle

How words of men become the Word of God is a miracle, just as astounding as the Incarnation, when the Living Word became flesh some two thousand years ago. Studying the topic of inspiration is useful, and theologians will inevitably come up with their theories of inspiration. But when everything is said and done, we cannot exactly define where the human element begins and ends, and the same is true for the divine element. We just know that the danger of verbal inspiration theories lurk when we underestimate the role humans were allowed to play. And the risk of utter relativism looms large when a downplay of the divine element in the inspiration process is allowed to undermine the authority (and thereby the power) of the Word.

It is important to have a solid system of hermeneutics. It is imperative to study underlying structures and understand the specifics the different literary genres represented in the Bible. The insights of form critcism and of the historical-critical method, if carefully applied, are helpful. It is also good to be aware of some of the problems that surround the transmission and translation of the text. And we should not close our eyes to inconsistencies in the biblical text.

Twenty to thirty years ago, I was at times deeply troubled over such questions as whether it was God or the Satan who sent the evil spirit to Saul, or whether the giant that David killed was called Goliath or Elhanan. In these and other instances, the information provided in different Bible books is contradictory. But then I read a small book by German theologian Gerhard Bergmann, who suggests that, when faced with such problems, we should adopt an attitude of "ein frohliches Unbekummert-sein" (a joyful lack of concern).

I have tried this approach and have found it helpful. In final analysis, experiencing the power of the Word does not depend on us being sure how many letters Paul wrote to the Corinthians (two, three, or more?) or on clearly distinguishing between the contributions of a Deutero-Isiah and a Trito-Isaiah, but on our openness to the voice of God, who somehow miraculously speaks through the words of the men and women who were "God-breathed."

So we must come to the Word itself and immerse ourselves in it if we are to experience its true and immense power. Karl Barth was right when he said that the Bible only becomes the Word of God to us when we allow it to speak to us through the words of the inspired writers. John Calvin spoke of the Testimonium Spiriti Sancti—the witness of the Holy Spirit, who makes the Word effective in us and ensures that reading the Bible becomes radically unlike reading any other text.

Expect the Spirit to Say New Things

Studying the Bible can be a highly spiritual experience, but also one that is purely secular experience. It can earn you a respectable academic degree, but that does not mean it will automatically become the Word of God to you. Experiencing the power of the Word demands not only (not even primarily) a fair degree of intellectual astuteness, but also an assent of faith—a deep inner commitment to whatever God wishes to say.

We often miss what God wants to say because we come to the Word with our biases and our own preconceptions. We expect to get certain answers and are continuously looking for confirmation of what we believe the Scriptures should tell us. Adventists are prone to read the Bible to find confirmation for the 28 Fundamental Beliefs, or to discover how the inspired Word agrees with the inspired words of Adventism’s principal author, Ellen G. White.

Unless we open ourselves to what the Spirit says; unless we listen to what Gods says rather than to an echo of what we ourselves think, we will not receive the power of the Word and we will never experience how "his mercies begin afresh each day" (Lam. 3:23 NLT).

One of the theological fashions of our time is interest in narrative theology. There may be valid objections against overemphasis on this approach, but its basic claim is right: The Bible story must become my story. It must be internalized if it is to have power.

I value the fact that I can read the story of God’s involvement with his people in the Hebrew and Greek languages (even though some of my ability has become rustier than I often care to admit). I believe that I have fair knowledge of the historical background and Sitz im Leben of most of what I read, and that I have valuable experience in explaining the essentials of what I read to others. But unless the story of the Bible becomes my story, the story will not have the power to change me.

Missing this point is so easy. Eugene Peterson, in his much-appreciated paraphrase, renders Psalm 73 in a majestic way. The words hit me as the text had never before done.

No doubt about it! God is good—
Good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it,
Missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way.

Make sure to tap into the power of the Word. It is there. But it is so easy to miss.

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