Go Deep

Things are not always as they seem. One of the reasons I love studying the Bible is that each time I take on a new Bible book or class, I discover new insight into the encounter the first century apostles, disciples, and writers had with the risen Jesus.

The more one studies Greek, for instance, the greater awareness one has of stylistic nuances a NT writer used to communicate a transforming idea. You can study rhetoric and see precisely how the "books" of the NT were written to be heard as powerful oral messages or even "sermons." Studying history helps one to understand the complex political and social backdrop against which the lives of the early Christians were lived. Each layer of understanding opens up scripture's beauty and depth as well as the writers' receptivity to God's revelation. It also reveals their skillfulness in communicating well the "good news" about Jesus.

Becoming more knowledgeable on topics like these can only open up the word of God and increase our ability to see how God moved in people's lives back then and how He might move in people's lives today!

Here are three really helpful resources that can serve as an entry point to a deeper appreciation of scripture..

Virtual Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. You can find a completely FREE course on the New Testament (and many other topics) on Itunes (www.apple.com/itunes).

Ben Witherington has a wonderful little book called What's in a Word which is a look at how we can understand certain New Testament passages by better understanding how people in the past constructed speeches on important topics (known as the study of rhetoric)! (available HERE)

For a good historical overview of the New Testament period you can read Witherington's New Testament History, found HERE.

If you want to go deeper in your understanding of what's taking place in the New Testament, check these out. They are really wonderful places to start for learning more about the words that give us hope and life!!