How to Read Properly God's Word: Reading Attentive to Scripture

I have written numerous articles on, "How to Read Properly God's Word?" I find it necessary to go back to the drawing board because my my recent experience dealing with one of my student within our Bible class.  What I have learned during the course of my conversation with one of my students that "mere" casual reading of the scripture was just only the tip of the iceberg but there were other issues that were involved in the necessity of knowing how to read properly God's Word.  What I have discovered with my dialogue with one of my students by which I love dearly is being able to communicate but understanding clearly what was being asked of them to do.  Because of my students eagerness in sharing that of God's Word was very much admirable but what fall short in our conversation is to listen attentively to what is being said in the text of scripture.  People have the tendency to assume what a passage says or mean without taking into consideration the whole of the biblical text of scripture. To make an assumption based upon how a person perceive or to interpret a biblical passage of scripture without looking at previous and preceding verses or chapter will in affect distort that of its biblical meaning.  Preconceive notions, personal interpretation, and biases when it comes to reading God's Word opens the door to all kinds of gross misinterpretation of what God's Word actually teaches (2 Pet. 3:16).  The reason for the proliferation of cults and heresies is the Church's misreading and misinterpretation of God's Word (Amos 8:11-12).  

   Throughout this article I will begin to address the issues as to what goes on in "how" people within that of the church today "read" that of the Bible. People today within the church especially that of its own leadership can "read" but "misread" that of the Bible. What does it mean to read but "misread" that of God's Word? To read but to misread that of scripture is to (1) haphazardly read the Bible. (2) To ignore by overlooking what it vital to what is within the biblical text of scripture.  When it comes to the basics of Bible interpretation that many within that of the church today have not yet grasp the techniques to knowing "how" to properly read God's Word yet that of knowing "how" to properly interpret scripture. The appeal to such sanctimoniousness, quoting verbatim that of the scripture, and to "properly" teach God's Word does not make a person a student of the Bible. If anything it reveals that of the ignorance of men who desperately need to know accurately the truth of scripture. It is impossible to live a life pleasing to the Lord when there is such poor knowledge and understanding of God's Word (2 Pet. 3:18).

    My experience with one of my student in my Bible study class is that of assuming of this particular individual to do as we begin to lay out the diagram of a particular passage of scripture in 2 Peter 3:2. What I simply asked of my student to read this particular verse by beginning to break down the verse according to 2 Peter 3:2. What I asked specifically of my students within my classroom is to (1) Read the first part of this verse (v. 2a) and with roman numeral (I) write out the first part of this Bible passage and then (2) at the end of writing out this particular passage place (v. 2a) at the end. Therefore to continue in the process of doing the second part of 2 Peter 3:2 which is (v. 2b).  The aim and goal is to go back and to look at each point (I, II,) and to make subpoints of each roman numeral under study.  To also continue in the process of making subpoints into 1a, 1b, 1c.  Underneath 1a with be 1, 2, and 3 and to continue the process so as to go back over the Bible passage in 2 Peter 3:2 to incite other biblical passages that will shed light upon these subpoints.  That is the basics of Bible interpretation when it comes to "reading" properly God's Word.  The best interpretation of the Bible is the Bible itself (1 Cor. 2:13, 14).  There are some Bible passage or passages of scripture that are difficult to understand but in all honesty that are other passages of scripture that will shed light upon those presumably difficult verse.  It will be unwise to assume that what God's Word says without looking at the whole of the Bible passage both previous and preceding verses.  It is also important to know that it is required to read several chapters before coming to the main verse under study (e.g. Acts 2:4).  To build a doctrine based upon an isolated passage of scripture (i.e. Acts 2:4) is to destroy the intent of the message (Acts 1-2).  

    The question is why is it that many people within that of the church today especially that of its own leadership "improperly" misread that of God's Word?  The gravest mistake of people in the church today especially that of its own leadership is to haphazardly read the anthem of scripture. Instead of taking into consideration that of small words (i.e. "and") by which it build bridges from one thought to next that many within that of the leadership in the church today read over what is within the text of scripture. Also to add insult to injury is to overlook "key" words within the text of scripture (e.g. Acts 2:4) so as to understand biblical words (e.g. "filled") according to the standard definition of the Bible (2 Cor. 11:3).  The most powerful tools of post-cult evangelism by many cultist today is to utilize at will Christian biblical terminologies (e.g. "anointing") with radically total different meanings. Cults and sects today have in fact created a semantic "jungle" by which it boggles the minds of people who find it quite difficult to be able to break the code of the cult's theological jogging.  In order to strip the cultist of its most powerful arsenal is to insist that they define biblical terms (e.g. "Firstborn) according to the standard definition of the Bible (1 Jn. 4:1 with Acts 17:11).  There is not just cults out there in the world but there are cults inside the wall of the church that wave the flag, "Jesus is Lord" but exemplify the character of a cult as to its gross misunderstanding of the Bible through such biblical perversion (Rom. 16:17-18).  The apostle Peter call such men as "unstable and ignorant" as they distort the truth as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction (2 Pet. 3:16, 17). Whenever such cultic leadership pervert that of the truth of God's Word is that it adversely affect those who are under their influence by which they themselves will promote such biblical distortion (2 Tim. 3:13).

    This article is only the tip of the theological iceberg by which there are many of issues involved in "how" people today especially that of its own leadership read by "misreading" God's Word.  The solution to this pervasive problem that is affecting the church today is to know "how" to read properly God's Word as to the whole of its biblical message (2 Tim. 2:15).  Contemplative meditation of God's Word cannot substitute the study of God's Word. There is hard work in studying God's Word. It is hard work in thinking as well. Our thinking should reflect that of our accurate knowledge and understanding of God's Word. 

Rev. Darryl L. Miller is the president & Chairman of Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is the bestselling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation?" He is also the Podcast Host of, "ASK DARRYL" which airs 24/7 @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons. As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little Baby."