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HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE 

In the Introduction to the Bible we saw that the Bible is not just one book but a library, a collection of books. Each book of the bible has its own literary form, and its own history as to how it was developed and preserved.

WHAT IS A LITERARY FORM?

A "literary form" is a way of writing. We take these different forms of expression for granted and realize that a note to a friend on a postcard is a different form of writing than a novel. When we read the headlines of a newspaper we understand that this is a different form of writing than the editorials, classified ads, or comic strips of the same journal.

When we read the Bible we also realize that there are different forms of expressing truth. The Biblical authors were not so concerned about history itself, but "salvation history," how the events of the past could be understood in relation to their faith. Salvation history deals with God's love for us, first shown to the Chosen People, and then fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Bible is not a science book either. In the book of Genesis, the story of creation in seven days is not meant to be scientific truth. The author is communicating the truth that God creates in a orderly manner. In pagan myths of the time creation was a violent battle of the gods. The God of Genesis creates effortlessly by the spoken word. Whereas the material universe is often exploited and devalued, God sees it as "good," a word repeated seven times in Genesis 1:1-31 (See note below on meaning of "seven"). The Bible records truth about God's creation of the universe no matter what the actual scientific process might have been. Truth can be found in imaginative story telling or poetry as well as history or science. When we read the Bible we must appreciate it for what it is -- a faith record not a history or science book. Those who read with a fundamentalist approach will find this hard to accept. They will want God's word to mean exactly what it says, literally, without appreciating the literary form. The crucial question is, what does the Bible intend to tell us about God, about creation, about ourselves and our world.

NOTE: In the Bible, the number seven is a symbol for completeness or perfection. God completes the work of creation and rests on the "seventh day" (Gn. 2:2), which God declares "holy." Observing the "Seventh" or the Sabbath Day (Hebrew shabat) is one of the most important practices in Judaism.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP  OF A PASSAGE TO THE REST OF THE BIBLE?

When we read the Bible it must be read in relation to the rest of the Bible. Any text taken out of context, or even any book of the Bible taken out of context, can present a one-sided view. 

Read Mark 3:31-35
This is the passage in Mark's gospel where Mary and Jesus' family "come to take charge of him" because they think he has lost his mind . How does Jesus seem to treat his mother? If Mark was the only Gospel you had, would you think that Mary played an important role in the Bible? 

Now read Matthew 1:1-7
This is a long, and somewhat dry, genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's gospel. Mary is  listed along with four other women, all who are non-Jews. Tamar and Raheb are Canaanites; Ruth is a Moabite; Bathshebah, wife of Uriah, is a Hittite. What does this say about Mary and what does it say about Jesus' mission for all people? 

Now read the story of Jesus' birth in Matthew 1:18-25
In Matthew, Mary doesn’t speak. All the focus is around Joseph. What does Matthew say about the Messiah? Does this add anything about your understanding of Mary? Would it be helpful to read Isaiah 7:10-14 to understand the meaning of Emmanuel? (See Note below).

Now read Luke 1:26-38
This is a much longer passage regarding the annunciation of the Birth of Jesus. Luke's gospel gives us many of our traditions about Mary. Luke describes Mary as a woman of faith overshadowed by the Spirit at Jesus’ conception (Luke 1:35) and at the birth of the church at Pentecost (Acts1:14). Mary is the first to respond to the glad tidings, to hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27-28). How does Mary respond to God's message? (Luke 1:38).

Read the account of Mary's visitation with Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-56.
What happens when Mary visits Elizabeth?
What does Elizabeth say about Mary?
What does Mary say about God's promises?

In John portrait of Mary, she is never named except as the "mother of Jesus." She appears twice in John’s gospel, at the beginning, at Cana, and at end, at the cross. Mary embodies what it means to be a disciple of the "Word made flesh" (John 1:12-14). Read the story of the Wedding at Cana in John 2:1-12. What does Mary say to Jesus? Why do you think Jesus called his mother "woman"? (Think about Eve in the Book of Genesis 3:15,20. How might this relate to Mary?).
What did Mary say to those waiting on table? (Think how this might apply to yourself).

Now read another passage in John 19:25-27
Mary stands at the foot of the cross. 
What is her relationship to John (the "Beloved Disciple")? 
What is John's relationship to Mary?
Does this say anything about our relationship with Mary?

Having read accounts of Mary in all four Gospels, do you have a fuller understanding of her role in the Bible? Do you have a better appreciation of Mary's role in your life?

NOTE: The word "Immanuel" means "God who is with us." The prophet Isaiah probably had in mind a future king who would rescue Judah in the midst of a national crisis. This was in fulfillment of God's promise that David's kingdom would remain forever (2 Sm 7:12-16). The young woman who gave birth to Hezekiah, the promised king, was at the time an unmarried woman (Hebrew, almah). The Church, following Matthew's reference to the "virgin" (Greek: parthenos) interprets this as the Blessed Virgin Mother of Jesus. Jesus is Emmanuel who will save his people from their sins, the fulfillment of God's plan for salvation. Jesus' kingdom endures forever! (See footnotes to this passage in your Bible.)

S - Is there a Sin that God wants me to confess?
P - Is there a Prayer that God wants me to pray?
A - Is there an Action that God wants me to take?
C - Is there some Change that God wants me to make in my life?
E - Is there an Experience of someone or something in the text that I can relate to as my own?

Have you made SPACE in your heart for God's Word today?

"All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching--for reproof, correction, an training in holiness" 2 Timothy 3:16.

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