How To Read Scripture, Part 17

It has been said, and rightly so, that the greatest commentary on the Word of God is the Word itself. I had a wonderful professor in Bible college who said, “It’s amazing how much light the Bible sheds on all those commentaries.” Perhaps the most succinct statement about the Scriptures within the domain of Scripture is Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This wonderful revelation tells us what the Word is and what it does. It is alive and it does pierce. It is powerful and it does divide. It is sharp and it does discern. This verse must be squeezed in order to extract every bit of its spiritual nourishment. Let’s address what the Word is:

· It is alive. Unlike Shakespeare or great poetry that stirs the heart and warms the soul, the Word of God imparts life: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (I Peter 1:23). The Word takes us into the spiritual arena by giving us new birth as we understand and accept the gospel. We are made right with God. The Lord can now communicate with His people through the Scriptures by His Spirit, who illuminates our minds.

· It is powerful. It gives spiritual energy to the believer who needs to feed daily upon it because our pilgrimage is difficult. We need the exhortation to keep on persevering through the trials of life.

· It is sharp. Here we have the illustration of being able to cut and divide. This is necessary because life is filled with hazy issues that leave us perplexed and confused. How often do we hear the question, “Where do you draw the line?” Though Scripture may not give us an exact answer to every issue, it serves as a guide to help us navigate the narrow channels of decision making.

Now let’s consider what the Word does:

· It pierces. This is the penetrating character of the Word. It penetrates into hidden areas of the mind. It searches out the secret places without a warrant. It plays no games as it brings the soul under conviction.

· It divides. Its razor-like quality is like the precise scalpel of the surgeon, whereas human reason is like a machete being wielded by a wild man. The Word can actually tell us what thoughts or actions emanate from the soul (the immaterial part of man that relates to the world) and the spirit (the immaterial part of man that relates to God). “…Lord, I believe [spirit]; help thou mine unbelief [soul]” Mark 9: 24.

· It discerns. Because of its living quality, the Word can discern between the thoughts and intents of the heart. This is why Hebrews 5:14 tells us that a mature believer in the Word can discern between good and evil. Many believers today are handicapped in this area of discernment. Once the Word sinks deeply into our spirit, we become sensitive to evil and are able to avoid it.

That’s the way I see things.