From Doy Moyer, Facebook, Feb. 22, 2020
When we don’t read the Scriptures holistically, but only see the bits and segments, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Reading only in part, failing to make broader connections throughout the whole of Scripture, invariably leads to misunderstandings that can damage our faith. We might read a little section that shows serious flaws in God’s people, or Laws that seem less than ideal if not bad, or God Himself bringing judgment when we have failed to truly grasp the problems or the movement of the text, and then conclude that the Bible, and even Christianity, is not what it’s cracked up to be.
In a world of meme-type argumentation, so much is ripped out of context and mocked. Sadly, this does not show the problems in Scripture as much as it shows the problems with those who do the mocking. It shows a lack of diligence, a lack of patience in study, a failure to connect the dots and see the story as a whole. We want it handed to us in easy fashion where we need not do the hard work, and we pay for it with failing faith.
Do not think that study consists merely of reading a text and stopping. Of course, reading and re-reading is vital, but we must move beyond the superficial level of reading (I can understand the words) to a much deeper level of overall comprehension (seeing the connections, knowing the concepts, understanding the resolutions, comparing and analyzing).
Like Charlie Brown walking up to a door and softly knocking twice only to conclude within a second that no one is home and then running away, people approach the Bible similarly. We knock only gently but are not patient enough to wait for the door to open. This tragedy is on us, not Scripture.
Dig in. It takes time and mental sweat, but it’s always worthwhile.
Berksblog 