I have a question. Now, be careful before you answer. It’s sort of a trick question. Was the Bible written to us, today? The answer is no. It’s proper to say that the Bible was written FOR us, but it was written TO the original, ancient audience.

That’s not to say that the Holy Spirit cannot give us individual insight into a passage. We count on that. But, we must not forget that Scripture was first written to those early recipients. It may sound like I’m nit-picking, but it’s actually an important point. When we study a passage of Scripture and try to understand what the writer is saying, we must first ask: “How did the original readers understand this passage?”

You’ve heard the phrase “He can’t see the forest for the trees.” I’m afraid that when it comes to Bible study, that may describe many believers today. Too often we approach Scripture that way. We use the Bible like TV news sound-bytes, one or two verses at a time to prove our point. God’s Word is not just a collection of verses. It’s a unified story of God’s amazing love and redemption of His rebellious people.