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How to interpret the Bible for yourself
Misinterpretation of Scripture is a major problem that faces the Church. We are living in an imagecentered world that demands short cuts to answers with a limited attention span. This book discusses the many obstacles that can keep us from clearly understanding what scripture is explaining to us. Mayhues experience with methods of biblical interpretation enables him to provide our generation with simple tools so we can understand what the Bible says and avoid commonlymade errors. It should be mandatory reading for anyone who is serious in finding out what scripture says.
1 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1986
20 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Richard L. Mayhue
27 books4 followersDr. Richard Mayhue served as Executive Vice President, Dean, and Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Theology (1989-2016) of The Master's Seminary, having retired as Research Professor of Theology Emeritus in 2016. During that time, he also served as Executive Vice President and Provost of The Master's College (2000-2008). Dick pastored previously with Dr. John F. MacArthur Jr. at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California where he had a teaching ministry and directed Shepherds' Conference, a continuing education ministry to pastors (1980-1984).
Dr. Mayhue is a graduate of The Ohio State University (B.S.) and Grace Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M., Th.D.). Dick held various positions in the United States Navy from 1966 to 1971.
Dr. Mayhue is a graduate of The Ohio State University (B.S.) and Grace Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M., Th.D.). Dick held various positions in the United States Navy from 1966 to 1971.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 22, 2012
I am preparing a church-level class on Bible study, and I am in the midst of the searching for an appropriate text. It was with great hope that I approached Mayhue’s appropriately named brief piece on Bible study. Mayhue has a good reputation, according to friends of mine who have attended Masters.
First things first. This is a good book, maybe a very good book. Mayhue has written it at a level appropriate for a general church audience. There’s no off-putting jargon or terminology, it’s written at a level accessible to almost any reader, it’s not too voluminous, and there are good questions at the end of each chapter. This is very likely the text I’m going to pick. While my review below may sound rather critical, I have a feeling that this book will wind up being my “best-in-class” choice.
Mayhue loosely structures the book around the 2 Timothy 2:15 admonition to “cut it straight.” Part One, Making Straight Cuts, contains 5 chapters covering topics such as studying the Bible for God’s approval, an explanation of how the Bible came to be, useful tools for Bible study, and then two chapters on how to study the Bible. Boiled down to bullet points, Mayhue’s steps for Bible study are: affirmation, preparation, observation, investigation, interpretation, correlation (tracing a theme through Scripture), personalization, appropriation, proclamation.
The tools for Bible study are somewhat dated, and not commensurate with the level of the book. If a student is going to get Greek helps, for example, I would also assume that he’s going to choose a more advanced book on Bible study. More than likely, he’s going to use web-based resources.
One of the reasons I am just a little lukewarm about this text is because it is too homiletical for my tastes (meaning forced, so that the points have “good homiletical structure” at the expense of plain meaning), and it seems a little lightweight in the observation department. By way of example of the aforementioned two characteristics, I am told to observe singularly, observe carefully, observe thoroughly, observe systematically, observe intimately. Mayhue does an excellent job of fleshing out what he means under each point, but you won’t know what he means intuitively from the title of the point. This part of the book is too brief: most of the errors of the average Bible reader that I encounter start with an inadequate observation of text and context. I would have liked a little more under this heading.
In Part Two, Avoiding Crooked Cuts, Mayhue covers a number of errors and mistakes made by readers (and scholars) of the text. His examples are quite good, but he seems to have invented his own category names for each error, which won’t be helpful if a student using this text then moves on to a more advanced one. This section also carries the distinct feeling of a guy who’s grinding a bit of a theological axe in some of his identification of errors: you can feel the tension between Reformed and Dispensational theology (which makes sense, as it is a tension primarily located in one’s hermeneutics).
Part Three is a short piece on Living Out Your Cuts. Mayhue encourages the Bible student to live consistently with the results of his study. It’s a great admonition.
Strengths of the book: its accessibility, its practicality, its illustrations, its questions at the end of each chapter.
Weaknesses of the book: a little light on observation and correlation, and Part 2, on fallacies, seems a bit uneven.
Overall recommendation: this book is great for a believer who is beginning to understand that there is more to Bible reading than simply letting the book flop open at any uncertain place. It’s a good book for a believer who wants to sharpen their skills in understanding Scripture. It’s a great step up into the rewarding world of Bible study.
First things first. This is a good book, maybe a very good book. Mayhue has written it at a level appropriate for a general church audience. There’s no off-putting jargon or terminology, it’s written at a level accessible to almost any reader, it’s not too voluminous, and there are good questions at the end of each chapter. This is very likely the text I’m going to pick. While my review below may sound rather critical, I have a feeling that this book will wind up being my “best-in-class” choice.
Mayhue loosely structures the book around the 2 Timothy 2:15 admonition to “cut it straight.” Part One, Making Straight Cuts, contains 5 chapters covering topics such as studying the Bible for God’s approval, an explanation of how the Bible came to be, useful tools for Bible study, and then two chapters on how to study the Bible. Boiled down to bullet points, Mayhue’s steps for Bible study are: affirmation, preparation, observation, investigation, interpretation, correlation (tracing a theme through Scripture), personalization, appropriation, proclamation.
The tools for Bible study are somewhat dated, and not commensurate with the level of the book. If a student is going to get Greek helps, for example, I would also assume that he’s going to choose a more advanced book on Bible study. More than likely, he’s going to use web-based resources.
One of the reasons I am just a little lukewarm about this text is because it is too homiletical for my tastes (meaning forced, so that the points have “good homiletical structure” at the expense of plain meaning), and it seems a little lightweight in the observation department. By way of example of the aforementioned two characteristics, I am told to observe singularly, observe carefully, observe thoroughly, observe systematically, observe intimately. Mayhue does an excellent job of fleshing out what he means under each point, but you won’t know what he means intuitively from the title of the point. This part of the book is too brief: most of the errors of the average Bible reader that I encounter start with an inadequate observation of text and context. I would have liked a little more under this heading.
In Part Two, Avoiding Crooked Cuts, Mayhue covers a number of errors and mistakes made by readers (and scholars) of the text. His examples are quite good, but he seems to have invented his own category names for each error, which won’t be helpful if a student using this text then moves on to a more advanced one. This section also carries the distinct feeling of a guy who’s grinding a bit of a theological axe in some of his identification of errors: you can feel the tension between Reformed and Dispensational theology (which makes sense, as it is a tension primarily located in one’s hermeneutics).
Part Three is a short piece on Living Out Your Cuts. Mayhue encourages the Bible student to live consistently with the results of his study. It’s a great admonition.
Strengths of the book: its accessibility, its practicality, its illustrations, its questions at the end of each chapter.
Weaknesses of the book: a little light on observation and correlation, and Part 2, on fallacies, seems a bit uneven.
Overall recommendation: this book is great for a believer who is beginning to understand that there is more to Bible reading than simply letting the book flop open at any uncertain place. It’s a good book for a believer who wants to sharpen their skills in understanding Scripture. It’s a great step up into the rewarding world of Bible study.
December 21, 2019
Good pretty comprehensive, rational view of Bible study do's and don'ts. The book begins with how to view and handle the Word of God. The middle of the book and the longest sections how to avoid handling God's Word incorrectly. The final section is painfully short on how to live out the Bible in your own life.
The author gives numerous examples of errors in interpreting or dealing with the Bible correctly. He is a very knowledgeable man with great examples. The book could be a better reference if the examples were available to find in an index.
The book could use a summary chapter of sorts instead of an outline of the ideas.
The author gives numerous examples of errors in interpreting or dealing with the Bible correctly. He is a very knowledgeable man with great examples. The book could be a better reference if the examples were available to find in an index.
The book could use a summary chapter of sorts instead of an outline of the ideas.
July 22, 2020
Adequate guide for Bible study
Mayhue has written a very accessible book for learning how to do Bible study. While it is not the best on the subject I have read, it will certainly get new Christians, or older Christians who still do not do regular Bible study, of to a good start.
Mayhue has written a very accessible book for learning how to do Bible study. While it is not the best on the subject I have read, it will certainly get new Christians, or older Christians who still do not do regular Bible study, of to a good start.
April 15, 2019
Very helpful in learning the practical steps of sound Bible study as well as pitfalls to avoid.
April 22, 2013
As a Christian, have you ever done the following:
- Ripped Matthew 18 out of context and started a prayer meeting with the words “where two or three are gathered in your name…”?
- Ignored a passage of Scripture because it didn’t fit your theology?
- Argued against a clear command with the words “that’s just cultural”?
If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us will admit to one, if not all, of the above! Accurate bible interpretation is rare these days. And yet mostly this is down to our own ignorance and laziness. In his fabulous book “How to study the bible”, Richard Mayhue masterfully guides the reader to the clear and certain understanding that “rightly dividing the word of truth” is not only possible for believers, but it is essential.
This simple, yet compelling, book is a must-read for any Christian serious about growing “in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus”. Read this book with an open bible, open heart and open mind and enjoy the incomparable riches of understanding the truth.
- Ripped Matthew 18 out of context and started a prayer meeting with the words “where two or three are gathered in your name…”?
- Ignored a passage of Scripture because it didn’t fit your theology?
- Argued against a clear command with the words “that’s just cultural”?
If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us will admit to one, if not all, of the above! Accurate bible interpretation is rare these days. And yet mostly this is down to our own ignorance and laziness. In his fabulous book “How to study the bible”, Richard Mayhue masterfully guides the reader to the clear and certain understanding that “rightly dividing the word of truth” is not only possible for believers, but it is essential.
This simple, yet compelling, book is a must-read for any Christian serious about growing “in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus”. Read this book with an open bible, open heart and open mind and enjoy the incomparable riches of understanding the truth.
June 22, 2014
Brilliant. A must read for everyone who truly wants to understand the bible and the truth within
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews