In yesterday’s post, I tried to demonstrate an important principle for how to study the Bible: correlation. Correlation is the process of linking different passages together to understand what the Bible has to say about a topic or idea.
When it comes to correlation, it can be pretty easy to make a number of errors:
- Cross-referencing too soon: Sometimes when we read a passage, we immediately jump to all the other passages that come to mind. As we jump from place to place in the Bible, we can feel like we’ve had a good Bible study. The danger, however, is that we can jump so much that we failed to understand any of the specific passages in their context! Numerous cults use this technique to justify their teaching, while making it seem biblical.
- Isolating a text from the whole Bible: Sometimes we can get so focused on one passage that we develop an imbalanced understanding of a certain topic. Without connecting this passages to other passages, we might over-focus on one side of an issue to the exclusion of the complete biblical perspective on it. I find it really easy to commit this error when I’m having a disagreement with someone, and I want to over-emphasize my perspective.
- Connecting passages unhelpfully: Sometimes we can connect different passages for no other reason than that they use the same word. When we do this, we miss the fact that different authors might use the same words in different ways. We read a certain meaning into various texts rather than drawing meaning out of them. We often commit this error if we search for a single word in a Bible search engine, and then assume that every verse that turns up must apply to the particular question I’d like to answer.
How do we correlate various Bible texts accurately?
- Make sure you understand the passage at hand in its context. That means identifying the author’s main point before you jump to any other texts.
- Once you’ve identified the main point, then look for other passages that speak to the same main point (which may include using the same words, but it also might not).
- As you look at other passages, make sure you understand the main points of each of them in their own contexts.
- Allow each passage to nuance your understanding of the idea.
- Make changes in your life to obey what you have learned from God’s Knowable Word!
