Scripture

There are many ways to define and delineate the writings of Scripture from other works. Perhaps one of the simplest and most powerful is to define Scripture as the books of the Covenant and of the history of the Covenant. The books of the Covenant are generally the first five books of the Bible known as the books of Moses, the Torah, or the Pentateuch. The remaining books, showing the history of the covenant, collectively show what has happened to the Almighty's people through history as they have obeyed or disobeyed the covenant.

The Old Testament writings were made primarily in the Hebrew language on scrolls dating back to about 3,500 - 2,400 years ago. Some passages of the later books, especially around the time of the Babylonian captivity, appear to have been written in Aramaic. The Jewish Canon contains 24 books which are basically equivalent to the 39 books of the Christian Canon which are divided into smaller portions.

The Inter-Testamental writings are generally called Deutero-Canonical, or second canon, in Catholicism and Apocryphal in Protestant denominations. These terms refer to 14 books written from 2400 - 2000 years ago which roughly corresponds to the time period between Malachi and Matthew. The inspiration and value of these books has been questioned because they are not quoted much in the New Testament writings. Therefore, taken as a whole or taken by individual book, their place in the canon of Scripture is also questioned.

The New Testament writings were made in the first century AD. The existing copies of these books were written in the Greek language although there is some linguistic evidence to suggest that at least some may have originally been written in Hebrew. These were often prepared on papyrus and bound together into a codex which is similar to a book. The books included in the Greek Canon of Scripture were debated through the early centuries Ad. The Council of Carthage finalized the list of 27 books that most are familiar with today.

Pseudopigraphy, producing a work but falsely claiming it to be from a famous person, was not uncommon in the early centuries AD. Many works of 'biblical' literature, such as other gospels and apocalyptic writings, were produced in the second, third, and even fourth centuries. These were often attributed to a first century apostle or follower of the Messiah. Many things can be used as evidence that a work was produced at a later date. Most prominent are references to 3rd century debates within the church that would not have existed in first century times. Also, the Greek writing style and language changed over the centuries and, therefore, do not match first century writings known to be from the original apostles. These works should rightfully not be included in the canon of Scripture.

While believers would typically not have difficulty in understanding the Scriptures as being the word of the Almighty, the world in general asks could they be true. There is an amazing amount of evidence to show that they are indeed true and accurate. As a whole, the Scriptures were written over a 1,500 year period from about 40 authors. These accounts include many times, cultures, and events which continue to be upheld by archeologyical study. Furthermore, a unique characteristic of the Bible is predictive prophecy, foretelling what will happen in the future with many events already having been fulfilled historically.

The goal of a translation is to accurately present in one language that which was originally written in a different language. This can be a simple or complex task depending on the languages involved. In making a translation, the choice must usually be made between making something accurate or making it easier to read. Care must be taken to stay true to what the original author presented rather than making an interpretation which includes the individual comments and understandings of a particular translator or denomination.

Many translations of the Scriptures have grouped the individual books in somewhat arbitrary categories. One common form is to see the hisotrical books, prophetic books, and wisdom books grouped separately. This has a negative effect on the readability of Scripture as a continuous progression through history. Furthermore, it makes difficult the process of watching promises and prophecy come to pass in sequence. It produces a disjointed and unconnected story that does not show just how well the Almighty loves and cares for His people.

There are many English Scripture translations on the market from which to choose. Some are made for easier reading while others are more accurate and precise to the original meaning of the Hebrew and Greek languages. Many of these translations are produced by a group or denomination and the Bibles produced carry with them inherent changes to the text which might be accidental or intentional to support their particular doctrines. Since much of what we know about life and our relationship with the One Most High comes from Scripture, learning to study Scripture for ourselves and to recognize these changes becomes very important.

As believers, we want to build our relationship with the One Most High and grow closer to Him. As with any relationship, the one with the Almighty grows by spending time together and getting to know each other better. One of the best ways we have to do this is to read His words that are written to us which are recorded in Scripture. Also, there are many philosophies, cultures, and ideas that want to take our attention away from the Almighty and have us forget the truth about creation and life. Be knowing and understanding His word, we can stand strong in the truth and resist what is false. Finally, by learning about the physical and spiritual aspects of life and covenant relationship the Almighty has with mankind, one can better understand how to live in His blessing.

In the modern world, learning the skills of understanding Scripture are helpful in discerning what is true and accurate and what is not. The barriers to understanding Scripture starts with the original writings being made for a different people, in a different language, and with different customs. On top of this, the translations that we read in our own language may not accurately state what the author was writing long ago. Also, learning to study the Scriptures well takes time and practice. When studying Scripture, one must come with an open mind because a mind filled with doctrine or pre-conceived ideas will have difficulty in clearly comprehending what is contained in Scripture. Yet the rewards of being close to the Almighty and of having peace in life through the understanding of Scripture are well worth the effort.

There are many English Scripture translations on the market from which to choose. Some are made for easier reading while others are more accurate and precise to the original meaning of the Hebrew and Greek languages. When looking for a copy of the Scriptures, one is looking for a translation and not a commentary nor an interpretation. One point to be careful of is insertions. These are words that are added to the text which do not exist in the original language. The relatively harmless insertions are those that just help make the sentence structure work in English. The harmful insertions are those due to theology. These insertions show the interpretations and theology of the translators rather than staying precisely with Scripture. One of the worst changes occurring in modern Scripture translation is the deliberate removal of phrases or sentences that directly show that salvation is only through the Messiah.

The ability to review the work of those who have come before us is one of the fastest and easiest of study methods available. Also, reading commentaries is a wonderful way to gain new and different perspectives regarding passages of Scripture. One of the greatest benefits of Christian commentaries is the amount of materials that study the Messiah. Remember that these are the writings of people which make comments about Scripture and are not Scripture themselves. They can become a source of error as well as help. The best way to deal with this situation is to determine what comes from Scripture and what has been added by a person or a denomination.

Understanding the culture of those who are mentioned in Scripture can be one of the most difficult of barriers to cross. However, the barrier of culture is one that can usually be overcome with just a little research into the daily life or customs of a nation. This will help us understand topics like the challenges faced in a patriarchal society, of nations depending on a successful harvest to sustain them, or of cattle being used for money. Also, one must approach what is written in Scripture with the viewpoint of the faith the Hebrew people had in the Almighty rather than through the logic that is so common in modern society. The Greek and Roman styles of thinking will not give a proper interpretation of a middle eastern or Hebrew text. The knowledge of how people in those time periods understand ideas and concepts will allow the intended meaning of Scripture to come through.

Unless one has been in the land of Israel, or at least has traveled in various regions (including mountains, valleys, deserts, and seasonal wetlands) it can be difficult to understand how much the landscape effects the events found in the Scriptures. From north to south and from east to west the landscape features in the land of Israel vary tremendously. The geography of the area includes the locations where events happened. The geology of the area includes what type of landscape exists. These would include such details as where a city is located, if it is close to neighboring nations, if it is located on a mountain, or near a trade route. Often, this background information will add insight into events and activities.

In regards to getting an accurate understanding of Scripture, few things do better than careful analysis of the text one is reading. It is possible to tell much about a passage just by looking at the keywords, learning how to keep things in context, and understanding the type of writing the author used. Much of Scripture is written with a direct, literal, and factual meaning which is usually easy to comprehend, but there are parts of Scripture given in a figurative or symbolic wording which must be treated differently.

When following the account of the Nation of Israel, we should determine where in time they are. They started out as a nomadic people, spent time as slaves in Egypt, wandered a wilderness, lived in the promised land under the rule of judges and then under the rule of kings, eventually were taken captive by other nations, and some returned to the land under the authority of other nations. Each of these time periods has a significant impact on how the nation behaved and followed the One Most High. Also, the nation of Israel was not independant of world events. Wars, plagues, famines, and other events would directly and indirectly effect them. Being aware of this timeline often adds a proper perspective to a situation and may give clues to why a people or nation are behaving a certain way.

The Rabbinic writings have the benefit of having come from some descendants of the Israelite Nation. They do not have many of the barriers to understanding and interpreting Scripture that most peoples in the world must deal with. They are familiar with the culture of their people, they know the geology and geography of the land of Israel, they are very familiar with the history of their people, and understand the original Hebrew language well. The single greatest benefit to be found within Rabbinic commentary is they have a great interest in the promised Messiah. They search for not only the prophecies that directly point to Messiah, but also seek out the nuances and minor details in Scripture that show us an aspect of Him or His life. However, we must be extremely cautious of some interpretations because they have rejected The Messiah that has already come and therefore change the meaning of a passage.

For the average person, the most difficult barrier to understanding the Scriptures is that they were originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Learning these languages is the most time consuming method of studying Scripture, but it is also the most rewarding. Many words and concepts in one language can be very difficult to translate into another language. By learning these concepts in the original language with all of the subtle meanings attached to it, a deeper understanding can be attained within a passage.