Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible
I appreciate Daniel Timmer’s summary of the message of Zephaniah in his piece “Why We Need Zephaniah.” He boils it down to three aspects:
This brief Old Testament book packs quite a punch, exhibiting to goods new God’s grace in vibrant color.
With its intensely practical insight, Proverbs tends to be a fan-favorite Old Testament book, included along with the Psalms in the Gideons’ infamous pocket New Testaments. Who doesn’t enjoy having a book of the Bible where they can turn to almost any page to find nuggets of advice directly applicable to nearly anyone, anywhere? But if we step back to examine the book as a whole, its overall argument may help us to read each portion of it more carefully.
Proverbs explicitly marks off its major divisions with a series of headings:
A cursory glance at each of the divisions shows that the poems in Prov 1-9 are rather lengthy, with some filling a full chapter. The “proverbs” in Prov 10-22 and Prov 25-29 are almost completely made up of pithy, one-verse sayings. The “words” and “sayings” of Prov 22:17-24:22, 24:23-34, 30:1-33, and 31:1-31 consist primarily of brief 3- or 4-verse stanzas (the chief exception being the longer poem on the excellent wife in Prov 31:10-31). These differences in poetic device suggest slightly different reading strategies for each division of the book.
Let’s walk through these divisions.
In chapters 1 through 9, wisdom builds her house (Prov 9:1). The long poems in these chapters lay the groundwork for the rest of the book by explaining what wisdom is, how to get it, what will prevent a person from getting it, and blessings and curses of finding it/not finding it. These concepts provide the structure of thought within which the rest of the book is to be interpreted.
The introductory poem (Prov 1:2-7) reveals the purpose of the book, which is to impart wisdom—defined as a journey in the right direction: toward Yahweh and away from oneself. Solomon then introduces the first archenemy of wisdom—the desire for more stuff (Prov 1:8-19) before describing the consequences of spiritual inertia (Prov 1:20-33). He explains how to become wise (Prov 2) and what to expect when wisdom invades a person’s life (Prov 3-4).
Chapter 5 begins a subsection that draws out, in great detail, the second archenemy of wisdom—the desire for more pleasure (Prov 5, 6:20-35, 7). Tucked inside all the talk about more pleasure is a reflection on three particularly dangerous kinds of fool: the savior, the sluggard, and the sower of discord (Prov 6:1-19).
The frame of wisdom’s house is completed by a celebration of wisdom’s ability to turn nobodies into somebodies (Prov 8), along with a grand opening celebration and invitation to partake of the feast (Prov 9).
The remaining chapters contain the feast of wisdom, spread for those who take up this book and allow it to overtake their thinking and behavior.
The scattershot proverbs of chapters 10-22 and 25-29 must be read within the framework erected in chapters 1-9. Though it may be easy to find practical advice for topics such as financial management, friendship, influence, leadership, and communication, we must be careful not divorce such advice from the fear of Yahweh, which must be the beginning of wisdom. In other words, all such advice is intended to help a person draw closer to Yahweh, receiving counsel from him, and rejecting the seduction of self-love and self-reliance. This advice really works only in a world where its adherents are trusting in a wisdom from above, an alien righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.
Why is the practical advice in these chapters so jumbled up, lurching from topic to topic faster than a Narnian chipmunk with ADHD? I don’t know for sure, and perhaps we’ll never know. But I have come to appreciate the educated guess of my seminary professor: Perhaps the book was arranged this way to mimic real life. When do we ever have a day when all we need to think about is money, or a day for friendship, or a day completely for labor? Each minute of our lives jumps from topic to topic, and perhaps Proverbs aims to simulate what it is like to draw near to the Lord in humility and with a teachable heart.
If Solomon was the book’s primary editor (besides Hezekiah’s men a few centuries later – Prov 25:1), he wasn’t afraid to include material that wasn’t original to him. When he found instruction consistent with Yahweh’s revelation to Israel, he was more than happy to glean from it all he could.
The “words of the wise” in Prov 22:17-24:22 appear to have particular concern for how wise people contribute to a wise society. The additional “sayings of the wise” (Prov 24:23-34) teach the leaders of God’s people how to execute their responsibilities in a way that reflects God’s character. The words of Agur (Prov 30) draw attention back to first principles, calling us to place our trust in the King of Israel and the Word of God, with full awareness and humility. And the words of King Lemuel (Prov 31) give kings their final marching orders.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This crucial principle of wisdom frames the opening division (Prov 1:7, 9:10). It also makes a return in the closing lines (Prov 31:30). Without the fear of the Lord, a person cannot be wise. And without wisdom, they forfeit all the glorious blessings of wisdom recounted in this book.
So we’d better make sure we understand what the fear of the Lord is. And you won’t understand it if all you do is look up each word in a dictionary.
In Prov 1:7, the fear of the Lord is the contrast to the despising of wisdom and instruction (the thing fools do). In Prov 1:29, the fear of the Lord is the thing fools will never choose. In Prov 8:13, the fear of the Lord is the hatred of evil, especially the rejection of pride and arrogance. In Prov 9:10, the fear of the Lord has to do with the insight one has when he knows the Holy One. In Prov 15:33, the fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom. In Prov 29:25, the fear of the Lord is equated with trust in the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is not meant to be a fuzzy or opaque concept in Proverbs. It simply describes the posture of receiving from God. It is a willful choice to turn away from listening to oneself and toward listening to the Lord. It is the act of receiving instruction from God, instead of being wise in your own eyes. The fear of the Lord is in Proverbs what justification by faith is in Paul’s epistles. This is why Christ had to become our wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:30-31).
Will the posture of your heart be one of receiving from the Lord today? Or will it be one of protecting yourself, promoting yourself, or listening to the world’s enticement to keep following your heart? Proverbs is for you. May it turn you about and set you on a journey in the right direction: away from yourself and toward your Creator, Redeemer, and King, in every area of your life.
For more interpretive walkthroughs of books of the Bible, click here.
This post was first published in 2020.
I’ve been leading my church’s preaching team through series on Jonah and Nahum over the last few months. I’m really enjoying the Lord’s messages for us in the minor prophets.
And I once considered Zechariah to be the most difficult book of the Bible to grasp. Perhaps it is, but Steven McCarthy is here to help.
McCarthy broadly walks through the book’s structure, explaining the main idea of each of the visions before covering the oracles of the book’s second half. Here is a taster:
Zechariah, along with his counterpart Haggai, speaks from this period of return from exile in Babylon and rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 5:1-2) He does so with a broad scope and a heavily symbolic style. Whereas Haggai’s burden is laser-focused on the specific priority of rebuilding God’s temple, Zechariah’s burden is more generally for the people to be spiritually and morally disposed for God’s renewal and fulfillment of his covenant relationship with them. Indeed, God’s grace trains us “to renounce ungodliness”. (Titus 2:11-14) The book of Zechariah leads us to the conclusion that only Christ’s coming itself will make God’s people into a fitting community for the LORD’s dwelling.
My only hesitation is that McCarthy is quick to suggest that the second half of Zechariah is “about” Jesus and his work. Certainly, the New Testament shows the fulfillment of Zechariah in the work of Christ. But I would prefer to first clarify what the text meant to the original audience (who did not know who Jesus was), and only then talk about the fulfillment in Christ.
But despite this minor qualification, McCarthy’s brief comments are well worth your time. He will enable you to get your bearings in this important book.
Thomas Schreiner explains three key ideas in the book of Galatians, which capture much of the book’s argument.
Ian Hamilton wants you to know 3 things about the Psalms.
In only a few minutes, his brief article will provide a wealth of guidance to help you grasp the big picture of this glorious book of poems.
The Psalms portray the life of faith with searing honesty. They poignantly remind us that the pattern of death and resurrection that was etched into the holy humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ is the pattern that the Holy Spirit seeks to replicate in the lives of all God’s children. The book of Psalms is a divinely inspired songbook that reflects the highs and lows, the triumphs and tragedies, of God’s covenant people over a millennium. John Calvin described the Psalms as “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.” Let us sing the Savior’s songbook, lest we risk impoverishing our worship and robbing ourselves of the rich spirituality contained within its songs.
Caleb Cangelosi explains three things you should know about 1 & 2 Kings.
That third thing will help with just one chapter of the book, but it’s a good reminder of how we love to give gold stars. Let’s not be so quick to condemn (or glorify) Bible characters until we’ve considered all the evidence of their nuanced portrayals!
Paul’s letter to Titus was written to help a young pastor set up churches in Crete. While many of Paul’s other epistles are rich with doctrine, this one is not. Instead, Paul writes about what sound doctrine brings: godly character and a zeal for good works.
Paul marks the sections of this letter using logical connectors and thesis statements. He begins the letter with a greeting (Titus 1:1–4) and then moves into qualifications for elders (Titus 1:5–9) and why these leaders are necessary (Titus 1:10–16). Paul then explains that Titus should teach and model the behavior that adorns sound doctrine (Titus 2:1–10) because this is what God’s grace trains us to do (Titus 2:11–15). Paul ends with an emphasis on the saving work of God leading to good works (Titus 3:1–8), instruction to avoid controversies and division (Titus 3:9–11), and final instructions (Titus 3:12–15).
(I previously looked at repetition in Titus, and while that showed me what was on Paul’s mind, by itself it didn’t provide the structure for an interpretive outline. It was an important first step, though!)
The connection between faith and behavior is evident from the very beginning of this letter.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness (Titus 1:1)
Famously, Paul lists qualifications for elders in Titus 1:6–9. However, we must not jump to those qualifications before reading why they are there. Titus must “put what remained into order” in Crete by appointing “elders in every town” (Titus 1:5). These elders will help establish order.
Elders must be “above reproach”—this requirement is repeated (verses 6 and 7), and in fact this is an umbrella requirement for all of the others involving character (not arrogant, not violent, self-controlled, etc.). The only skills that are mentioned in these qualifications come in verse 9, and it seems those skills may be acquired. Holding firm to the trustworthy word is key, because elders are needed “to give instruction in sound doctrine” and “to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9).
Paul then explains why these elders—those who will instruct and rebuke—are necessary. There are many false teachers in Crete, upsetting many people (Titus 1:10–11). These false teachers need to be rebuked for they are “devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:14). Though they claim to know God, “they deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16). Paul’s plan for appointing elders is now coming into sharper focus: he wants leaders who will help everyone be “sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13).
Paul returns to the connection between theology and character at the beginning of the second section, telling Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).
Paul mentions what should be taught to older men, older women, young women, younger men, and bondservants (Titus 2:1–6, 9–10). These teachings are almost entirely in the realm of character (self-controlled, reverent in behavior, kind, submissive, etc.), as good character will “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10). Titus himself must be a “model of good works” (Titus 2:7). Additionally, Paul knows that in his confrontations with false teachers, Titus’s uprightness will matter almost as much as his arguments—he must “show integrity, dignity, and sound speech” in his teaching so that opponents will be “put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Titus 2:7–8).
In the next paragraph, Paul connects character and behavior to the work of Jesus. God’s grace has appeared, bringing salvation and “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:12). We wait for the appearing of Jesus, the one who “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness”—we were devoted to evil works—and to secure a people “who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). God’s people gain zeal as his grace does its ongoing training work (Titus 2:12).
At the end of this section, Paul emphasizes that Titus should feel empowered to “declare these things” and to “rebuke” with all authority (Titus 2:15).
Titus must remind his people to be “ready for every good work” and all of the characteristics that implies (Titus 3:1). Paul shares that he was once not this way—embodying the very opposite of these qualities (Titus 3:2). But God saved him, not because of Paul’s works, but because of God’s mercy (Titus 3:5). The center of this section (Titus 3:4–7) is arguably one of the only portions of doctrine in this slim book, where Paul explains how merciful salvation happens and what the results are.
Paul wants Titus to “insist on these things”—this “saying” he’s just written—”so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8). On the other hand, topics that will promote controversies should be avoided (Titus 3:9). In fact, any people who stir up division should be warned and then avoided. Division and quarreling among God’s people is not a fertile environment for good works to grow.
Paul ends the letter with some personal greetings. But he returns to one of his primary themes in these final sentences.
And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:14).
For Paul, character and a zeal for good works lie downstream from sound faith. So, Titus needs to put leaders in place to help him rebuke bad teaching and provide instruction from the trustworthy word. The same grace that appeared for salvation becomes our trainer, helping us to renounce our unfruitful ways and to devote ourselves to good works.
This post is part of a series of interpretive overviews of the books of the Bible.
What a unique treasure we have in the book of Proverbs! No other book of the Bible is as intensely practical as Proverbs. No other book presents such tremendous hope in the mundane parts of life. And no other book presents its material in quite the jumbled mess Proverbs appears to be.
If you have ever tried a chapter-a-day Bible reading plan, you understand how difficult it is to read Proverbs. Nearly every verse demands a pause for reflection. And much of the book yields only tenuous logical connections between one verse and the next. The book does not tell a story like Job. It rarely presents a train of thought across an extended poem like the Psalms. It (mostly) does not make a sustained argument like Ecclesiastes.
So how should we approach this book?
Proverbs is famous because it gets so wildly practical. There is a reason the pocket Bibles produced by the Gideons consist not only of the New Testament but also the Psalms and Proverbs. This book is so practical that people love to pilfer its riches in all kinds of ways.
Take for example, this 2006 work [unabashed affiliate link!] endorsed by such luminaries as David Jeremiah, Gary Chapman, Ruth Graham, and Chuck Norris. What a promising title! The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon’s Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness. Who wouldn’t want access to such secrets?
In The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, Scott reveals Solomon’s key for winning every race, explains how to resolve conflicts and turn enemies into allies, and discloses the five qualities essential to becoming a valued and admired person at work and in your personal life. Scott illustrates each of Solomon’s insights and strategies with anecdotes about his personal successes and failures, as well as those of such extraordinary people as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Steven Spielberg.
At once inspiring and instructive, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived weaves the timeless truths of one of our greatest works of literature into a detailed roadmap for successful living today.
From the marketing copy
This sounds amazing, and the book has more than 1,600 reviews (over 1,300 of them five-star) to back it up.
Now I confess I haven’t read the entire book. I couldn’t make it past the first few chapters, where it was clear that Mr. Scott all but ignores the worldview of Prov 1-9 in favor of the practicals of Prov 10-31. And this simply will not do when we come to the book of Proverbs.
We cannot be dazzled by the book’s practicality to the point of ignoring the context established in the opening chapters.
Proverbs 10-31 present six collections of wise sayings. Most of those collected sayings are exactly one verse (two lines) long. For example, Prov 20:3 is a saying about keeping aloof from strife. Prov 20:4 is a saying about the sluggard’s time management. And Prov 20:5 is a saying about the invisible intentions and motivations in people’s hearts. We go from one. Thing. To. The. Next.
The primary exception to this scattershot approach to collecting wise sayings is the first nine chapters. Those chapters consist of many long poems making sustained arguments. That’s why those first nine chapters are the key to understanding the book. They construct a conceptual framework for wisdom, although to say it that way is far too abstract and boring. The way Solomon himself says it is that “wisdom has built her house” (Prov 9:1).
With that house built, personified Wisdom invites you to the feast of chapters 10-31. And the buffet of those collected sayings will make sense only in light of the worldview presented in chapters 1-9.
But that raises a crucial question: How do we read and understand that buffet? And more profoundly: Why did the editors collect these sayings in such an apparently random fashion?
As for the why: We may never know for sure until we can make the acquaintance of these editors in the world to come and ask them directly. The best answer I’ve heard was from my seminary professor, who postulated that the book simulates how real life works. You never have a day of your life where you think about, or have to deal with, nothing but money. And another day dealing with nothing but friendship. And another day dealing with nothing but speech. No, our lives are a jumble of topics from moment to moment. Perhaps the proverbs were collected in a jumbled way to simulate how real life is lived day after day.
As for the how: Proverbs 10-31 nearly demands that we search its treasures for topical threads. We must glut ourselves on wisdom’s feast to find all the verses about money, assembling them into a body of teaching on that topic. And we look for all the verses on friendship. And all the verses on speech.
So much, so good. We just need to make sure we don’t run with the practicals there without first interpreting them in light of the book’s worldview.
One last potential problem is worthy of consideration. Because the particular sayings of Proverbs are so utterly specific and practical, that has led many Bible teachers to develop a conventional wisdom that “proverbs aren’t promises but only probabilities.” While this conventional wisdom has some value, it can be quite misleading.
To understand why it is misleading, we need to examine how we arrived at such a principle to begin with. The reason is typically because various proverbs seem to contradict one another (such as Prov 26:4 and Prov 26:5), or because some verses are easily abused to browbeat people (Prov 22:6). So we seek to solve such errors with a sweeping principle such as “proverbs aren’t promises but only probabilities.”
But here’s the thing: The statement that “proverbs aren’t promises but only probabilities” is itself a wise saying. A summary statement. Dare I say, a proverb? And is that statement only a probability and not a certainty? Is it certain that proverbs aren’t promises? Or is it only a probability itself?
And here’s the bigger issue: The proverbs do not present themselves as probabilities. They do not talk about what might happen or what is likely to happen. No, they make legitimate observations about the way the world works. And at times, they offer clear commands and not simply suggestions (e.g. Prov 14:7, 23:23).
We can get close to solving the problem of probability when we simply bring in the matters of practicality and arrangement. The arrangement means that no single proverb tells the whole truth on a topic; that’s why many verses all speak to various aspects of the same topics! The practicality tells us that any single proverb is speaking to a very narrow, very particular situation. And in those intensely practical, extremely particular settings that the proverb speaks into, the proverb speaks truth. Not probability, but truth.
We misuse the proverb if we try to make it speak to a related but different practical situation it was not meant to speak to. (Prov 26:4-5: Don’t answer a fool in those particular settings when it is best not to answer him!) And we deeply confuse people if we teach that the proverb is not true but only likely. (Prov 18:10: Is it only likely but not certain that Lord’s name will be a strong tower to the righteous who flee to him for final refuge?)
No other book of the Bible is like Proverbs. It presents some unique problems, such as the problem of practicality, the problem of arrangement, and the problem of probability. But studying this book along its natural contours yields a wealth of results, as it leads us to Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:2-3).
We’re big fans of observing repetition in the Bible. Just like in our emails and conversations, the words, phrases, and topics we dwell on most are usually at the center of our thinking. We’ve pointed out how this helps us find the author’s main point in a passage of Scripture.
The same is also true for books of the Bible! Since books of the Bible are really just long passages, maybe this isn’t that shocking. But I was a bit surprised how easy this was in the New Testament book of Titus.
Titus is a short book, so we can read it several times without much effort and uncover the repetition. (For longer or more complicated passages, Bible study software might come in handy. We’ve pointed out the capabilities of both Logos and e-Sword to help in this regard.)
The title of God as “Savior” shows up six times in Titus. Combine that with one occurrence of “salvation” and one of “saved,” and we can see part of what occupies Paul as he writes.
The titles used to refer to anyone (especially God) are important details in a passage. So when a title is repeated this often in three little chapters, we should take note.
The other repetition that jumped out at me in Titus was the idea of works or good works. I count eight occurences.
Noticing the repetition of these two ideas is not enough to produce a main point for the book of Titus. These data points are essential, but we have merely observed so far; it takes the additional work of interpretation to take the next step.
Epistles, more than other books in the Bible, sometimes contain a purpose or summary statement. This is not true of all epistles, just like it is not true of all our conversations or emails.
There are two short sections of Titus that involve one or both of our repeated ideas and which might function as a summary of Paul’s letter.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:8)
Stayed tuned, for in a future post I plan to use the observations here to produce an interpretive overview of Titus.
Much of the time, when you read a Bible “book overview,” you’ll find all kinds of historical and cultural details. You’ll likely also get an observational outline of the book (an outline that observes what is said in each of the book’s sections). Such overviews are good and necessary resources for essential background. But when you read one of the book overviews on our site, you’ll primarily find a walkthrough and explanation of the book’s argument. What is the author’s chief message, and how does he go about presenting that message?
Continuing in the spirit of the top 10 lists presented over the last few weeks, here are the top 10 most-viewed posts from the “interpretive book overviews” series. If you browse the full list, you’ll see that we’ve currently got 21 installments. So if you have time to read only 10 of them, you may want to consider these 10.
