Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart wrote How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to help Christians understand how to handle the Scriptures in context, by showing them how to properly approach the basic genres within Scripture (9).They are concerned with teaching Christians how to properly apply the Scriptures.In order to accomplish this goal, they begin by showing their readers the need to interpret and the importance of a good translation.Following this, Fee and Stuart detail how to properly handle the various genres of Scripture, including the epistles, Old Testament narratives, Acts, the Gospels, the parables, the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and Revelation.
Beginning with the need to interpret and the importance of a good translation, Fee and Stuart hope to help readers to rightly handle what they probably already have experience in, namely interpretation.Everyone who reads anything is an interpreter (14). People are either good interpreters or bad interpreters.Fee and Stuart argue that good interpreters understand the Scriptures in light of the historical and literary contexts.Furthermore, once interpreters understand the proper meaning of the text, they can properly apply this meaning to their current culture and life.Fee and Stuart then encourage their readers to use various translations when studying to compare and contrast the text in question, but to use one bible version for the aid of Scripture memory (31).They then argue for the superiority of the New International Version over the use of the King James Version due to the date of the copies used for the translation in relation to the originals.
Fee and Stuart then tackle how to properly handle all genres within the Protestant Bible.They encourage readers to think contextually and applicably concerning the letters in the New Testament.Furthermore, they encourage interpreters to handle the New Testament narratives, the book of Acts and the Gospels, in light of the historical context.Acts is given repetitious attention, though it is a narrative, due to its narrative nature often being ignored by readers because it is in the New Testament (94-95).Difficulties in the Gospels are then detailed because of the various genres contained within these four narratives.
Fee and Stuart conclude this book detailing how to handle the Old Testament Covenant in Israel, through showing readers how to handle the Law, Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom Literature.In order to bring this Scripture to bear on the current culture, Fee and Stuart believe Christians must be careful and meticulous for the Old Covenant is not their covenant, at least not completely (150-155).From this discussion, Fee and Stuart detail how the interpreter is to handle the book of Revelation, acknowledging the fact that this book is made up of the apocalyptic, prophecy and letter genres (232).
Analysis
Fee and Stuart seek to do Christians a great service by helping them to properly understand the Word of God in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.In this writer’s estimation, they succeeded in their endeavor.Most of this book is worthy of praise, and thus, it is only in need of a few minor critiques.
With postmodernism and empiricism gaining steam within Evangelicalism, such a work is needed.Churches within Evangelicalism often do not teach Christians how to handle the Scriptures today.Fee and Stuart are spot-on in addressing this need.This writer loves their emphasis upon context and the practical aspects of interpreting the Scriptures.They have produced a book that all laity and leadership should read.
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