Snippet: "It's impossible to understand God's Word..."

Snip·pet | ˈsnipit | noun a small piece or brief extract.

Here’s one from Jon Collins in an episode of the BibleProject podcast (Nov. 15, 2021):

“When you’re reading the [New Testament] you’re reading in English someone writing in Greek thinking in Hebrew.”

His comment follows a discussion of Paul’s statement in Romans that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, and how Paul’s understanding of “righteousness” is heavily informed by the Old Testament’s use of the term seen through the prism of Christ.

Given that uncontroversial and indisputable realty, no single person has the knowledge and resources to figure out what Paul means by “righteousness” alone. (And let’s not forget the thousands that passed on copies of a letter whose original has been lost, determined that Romans belongs in the Bible, worked through the many instances where the copies didn’t agree on exact wording, translated Romans, edited the translations, published or uploaded the Bible you use…).

So let’s finish the sentence, “It’s impossible to understand God’s Word…” What comes next?

“Alone.”

You can and you should read the Bible when you’re alone, but even when you’re alone you’re not alone. What you’re reading is the work of thousands upon thousands. And your reading has been informed by the work and influence of thousands of others you have known and who went before you.

And what is true about the Bible you hold is true about the entire Christian life, if the Bible you hold is true.

So let’s not try this alone.

Photo by Keren Fedida on Unsplash