Dig Deeper: Tools To Unearth The Bible's Treasure

by Nigel Beynon

When it comes to reading and understanding the Bible, adangerous phrase is used by non-Christians and even some believers: "Well, that's your interpretation." It is true that without somecare in your interpretation, you can "make" the Bible say almostanything. Dig Deeper is written out of the conviction thatthere is a right way to understand the Bible and a wrong way, andthe authors show us how to read it correctly.

Dig Deeper offers sixteen "tools" readers can use toget to the bottom of any Bible passage and discover its intendedmeaning. Examples show how each tool helps readers discoversomething exciting and relevant in a passage, and the "Dig deeper"exercises offer the opportunity to practice using the tools. Thebook's brevity and easy-to-read format make it ideal for Christianswho want to get the most out of their Bible.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Faith, Biblical Studies, Christian Living

161 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2005

About the author

Nigel Beynon is the student minister at St Helen's, Bishopsgate, in London, where he met and worked with Andrew Sach. Together they spent three years sharing the gospel with students before writing this book. Sach is currently studying theology at Oak Hill College in London in preparation for ordained ministry.

Reviews

[Glenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, that I had read this years ago! Such a helpful book for the average person who wants to study the Bible without all the overwhelm. I'm asking my pastors to buy a stack for our resource table at church.

[H.b. Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. The chapters give sixteen "tools" for reading and studying the Bible. The tools are basic principles of Bible interpretation (Hermentitics) in laymen's language. It is a quick and easy read, but you will find it helpful. It introduces the uninitiated to Bible study principles and refreshes seasoned students to keep growing in their handling of scripture.

[Greg Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My maternal grandfather never finished the eighth grade. But like many of his generation, what he lacked in book smarts he made up in practical skills. He was a jack-of-all-trades. His garage looked like a hardware store. When the Lord called him home, he had more than enough tools to spread around to his three grandsons. In fact, in the twenty-five years since he died, I have had to buy very few tools. Unfortunately I don’t know what to do with most of the tools in my toolbox. Handyman I am not.

Thankfully I am a little handier with the sixteen tools in Beynon & Sach’s toolbox. Regardless of your interpretive skills however, this book is worth reading. The authors, who both minister in Great Britain, have written an easy to read, very practical manual on how to understand the Bible better. They sharpened these tools while working with college age students. I believe Bible readers of all ages would be able to profit from this book.

Their high view of scripture is demonstrated while describing “some of the joys of understanding the Bible correctly:
• You hear the voice of your heavenly Father speaking to you in the Bible
• You learn what he is really like from his own lips…
• You discover the wonderful truth of salvation and how to be sure of heaven
• You find out things that are on God’s heart…
• The truth actually changes you. Get this: it doesn’t just inform you of things, it does things in you.” (p. 12)

The sixteen tools that will help you dig deeper are: The Author’s Purpose, Context, Structure, Linking Words, Parallels, Narrator’s Comment, Vocabulary, Translations, Tone and Feel, Repetition, Quotation/Allusion, Genre, Copycat, The Bible Time Line, Who Am I? And So What? Each tool gets its own chapter and includes examples and exercises.

“Author’s Purpose is king. It is the tool par excellence, the Swiss army knife from which all of the other tools fold out, and which keeps them all together. In some ways, the whole point of having a Repetition tool or a Linking Word tool or any other tool is to help you to get a hold of the Author’s Purpose. Never forget it!” (p. 30).

Next comes the Context tool. Beynon and Sach contrast reading an encyclopedia and a novel. Many people read the Bible like an encyclopedia, but it should be read more like a novel because context matters. This is seen in the Linking Word tool. “If, since, consequently, for this reason, therefore, because, so that – these are all linking words and they’re worth their weight in gold. These words can help us to see the flow of an argument; they reveal cause and effect relationships between different statements” (p.49).

Although they recommend reading a variety of translations, they caution the reader to make sure they read at least one “literal translation” as opposed to only “dynamic equivalent” translations (p. 78).

I found the instruction concerning the Quotation/Allusion tool to be quite helpful (pp. 97-104). Realizing that sometimes the Bible quotes the Bible and later writers may quote earlier writers, they suggest always looking up the original context of the quotation. Most Bibles will give you the original passage in the margin. The example they used was Luke 4:16-21 where Jesus reads the scroll in the synagogue. By looking at the original passage from Isaiah 61, you will notice that Jesus only quotes half of it in Luke. Jesus did not go on to quote Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the day of vengeance. The Lord in effect is saying this coming is the day of favor, but repentance must come while there is time, before the day of judgment. Only by reading the original passage would we realize the implication of Christ’s two comings.

There is a disappointing statement that you should be aware of. While discussing the Genre tool they state that Genesis chapter one is controversial because of the debate “on whether the creation in six days refers to a literal period of 6 x 24 hours, or whether it is a poetic way of speaking about the careful ordered way in which God made the universe” (p.105). Ironically (at least to me) the very next statement is “When something is presented as historical fact, pause to consider that it really happened” (p.106).

The only tool that left me conflicted was the Copycat tool. In fact, the authors seem to be a little tentative on it themselves. They start with a caveat. “Not everything done by a Bible character is good. And even good things they do are not always normative; that is, they may not hold for all Christians at all times.” “To put this another way, there is a danger in mistaking something that the Bible describes for something that it prescribes” (p.112).

Perhaps a check against abusing the Copycat tool is the Who am I? tool. By this they mean who am I in relation to the text. They warn against the “Moses-is-me syndrome.” We all have a tendency to make ourselves the hero of the story. “But we shouldn’t have to think very hard before we realize that none of us is the king who defeats God’s enemies and rules over God’s people (David), or the mediator who led his people out of slavery (Moses), or the one with the power to heal lepers or raise the dead (Elisha). There is someone else who fits those descriptions much better than we do!” (p. 128). Of course they are referring to Christ.

In conclusion, Beynon and Sach remind us that we must ask ourselves “So What?” All the Bible knowledge in the world is useless if it doesn’t impact our lives. I believe that if a believer will start using these tools as she reads the bible, there will be a greater potential for that change the scripture births.

Greg Wilson was raised in a Christian home and led to the Lord at a young age by his father. He has been in full-time Christian ministry since graduating from Midwestern Baptist College (Pontiac, MI) in 1981. He has been married to Sharon for over 27 years and they have two married daughters and a seventeen-year-old son. He has been the pastor of the Community Bible Church (Palmyra, PA) since 1998. His website is fromthebook.org

[Matt Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super-accessible introduction to hermeneutics that gives the reader 16 easy to grasp tools to use when reading the Bible. Full of practical examples and devotional insights too.

[Aaron Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical book on how to analyze scripture. 🙂 I liked how each method of understanding the bible is presented as just one of many tools in our toolbox. It makes it easy to look at a text and decide which strategy you can use to understand it.

One of my favorite tools was the 'who am I' tool, which challenges us to look at OT characters like Moses and Joshua and see Christ, rather than relating to them directly. Instead, we are more like the grumbling Israelites, or the faithful soldiers that followed Joshua into battle.

[Margaret Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read portions of this for a class I'm taking at church (and the class is over soon, so I'm done with the book 😂). The chapters I read were concise, accessible (and slightly humorous at times - the authors have personality but it's not overbearing), and helpful. I think I had already been using a few of the tools in here to study the Bible without realizing it, and it was nice to hear them explained so I can keep them handy in my mind. I probably won't read all the way through, but would definitely reference this again in the future.

[Amy Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have found this super super helpful in helping me to read the Bible and not immediately turn to a study Bible, commentary or devotional! An excellent resource for correct Bible handling and has a real focus on helping you not to fall into false interpretation.

[AHuitema · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Bible isn’t like an old railroad timetable that has outlived its usefulness because things have changed. It is something that the eternal, almighty God has said, and therefore it is relevant and important for all times and cultures: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).”

This book gave me a better understanding of the magnificent richness of the Bible. It is so profoundly layered. Reading comprehension has not always been my strongest skill, but the tools that the authors present here, helped me to grasp a little better how God speaks to us through His word.

[Imani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has 16 tools total which can be an overwhelming place to start thinking about reading the Bible but i think all the tools are helpful in different ways. I look forward to slowly incorporating them into my own Bible study. Not all at once. The dig deeper sections serve as great ways to apply immediately but I preferred the examples as I read through since I'm doing a separate study. Short quick chapters not too much how but lots of why

[Mandino Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is what it says it is. A tool kit. It isn't; the, it all be all way of reading the Bible, but it helps unearth what the Bible passages mean and what the passage is meant for. It helps the individual appreciate the Bible more as well as sus out whatever Christian books one is reading or preacher that he's listening to.

[Matty Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I've owned for a while and thought would be useful but never got round to reading. Now that I've read it I can say it is not only incredible useful for helping me read the Bible for all it's worth, but it is also incredibly well written and a pleasure to read!

[Jenna Way Jodrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that will continue to be a resource and should be next to you while studying the Bible to reference and practice regularly!! I might have finished reading this book in a months time, but the helpful Tools taught will take many days, weeks, months and years to sink in and apply and I am eager for the hard work of this to come and bear fruit in my Bible reading and studying.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical tool for Bible study. Read it during a class I took and church and even did a study based on what I learnt which was used as part of the small group discussions. I still go back to it at times and recommend it.

[Emily Crutchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty essential cornhill reading

[Matthew Neal Pruitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very helpful! I will revisit when I prepare a sermon/a group study.

[Jesse Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked through this book slowly over a few months and have found it invaluable in improving the way I study Scripture. I don’t know any other book like it. Would definitely recommend!

[Justin Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful and easy-to-read.

[Laurent Dv · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best quick introduction to hermeneutics.

[Greg Baughman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clear and helpful introduction to Bible study for high school and college students or lay adults just learning about how to read the Bible. The chapters are short and concise and offer helpful exercises to put what you learned into practice. The authors tend to keep things very simple, but that is helpful for this sort of introductory work. Each chapter covers a new "tool" to put into one's Bible reading "toolbox." They cover sentence level tools like linking words, vocabulary, and repetition as well as bigger picture items like genre, context, and structure. There is also some space dedicated to biblical theological tools like the "Bible Time Line" and quotations and allusions. One area where a book like this could be more helpful is giving a bit more guidance on knowing when one should use each tool. There is not a lot of ink spent on this aspect of Bible study aside from some comments about how some of the tools could be misapplied. Some of that comes with experience, and to go into examples of such likely would have made this more technical and much longer than it is. That, of course, would have made it less effective at what it does so well: simplicity and readability. This book also avoids any sort of text critical tools, but that is welcome and expected for an entry level book of this nature, and that's just what this is: an entry level book. This would not serve well for people who have been studying the Bible for years and who are already familiar with concepts such as the different types of translations and how to use them correctly, or those who routinely read exegetical commentaries. However, for the high school Bible study, the youth group member who wants to get better at reading God's Word, or a Sunday school class for a new Christian, this book is excellent.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book that clearly explains the basics of how to use a toolkit of 16 tools/skills for interpreting God's Word faithfully. These tools include the author's purpose, context, structure, linking words, tone and feel, repetition, translations, genre, the biblical timeline, application, and more.

Each chapter introduces a tool, and the authors include several helpful examples of how the tool being discussed can be applied to Bible study. Each chapter also includes 1 or 2 what they call "Dig Deeper" exercises in which there are questions for the reader to answer for a given biblical passage. It is a great way to practice using the tool that one has just learned about.

The book is very accessible and the authors write with a fair amount of wit. I utilized this as a textbook for a high school Bible class I am teaching at a local homeschool co-op. Over and over again I heard from students how clarifying and helpful this book has been for them. From all I can see, they are much better interpreters of God's Word having read and worked through the "Dig Deeper" exercises.

In summary, this is excellent for introducing young or newer believers to how to study and profit from God's Word. More seasoned readers of Scripture should also gain new insight and perspective. Great for high school age and up. Highly recommended!

[Michael Sanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great beginner's first steps into Bible study. Touches on a number of hermeneutical issues that typically trip up the modern Bible reader. Each chapter is very brief but very clear. Uses examples and has sections to get you into the word. Nigel and Andrew do a great job incorporating these hermeneutical principles into the "toolbox" analogy. Important to understand they aren't suggesting these are all hermeneutical principles that must be applied in every instance, but are tools to get to the meaning of the text as the author intended to be understood. Several moments where I would have liked to see them more carefully explain the tool. However, I understand they mean to be brief as this is a beginner's book.

This is one I'll use regularly with those wanting to study their Bible's for the first time or those who have struggled to study and apply their Bible's personally in their lives. Great for any believer getting interested in studying their Bible's more carefully. Should be in every Christians library.

[Carlos Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

The Bible is really hard to read. That’s a fact. So whenever I see a book that’s trying to help us learn how to read it ourselves, rather than trying to tell us what it’s saying, I’m willing to give it a try. Overall this book has some strong insights, but I must admit I strongly disagree with one of its central ideas.

The authors indicate that the tools in this book will allow us to interpret the Bible correctly. I cannot agree with this, because I don’t think anyone on Earth today knows the correct way to interpret the Bible. Yes, some interpretations are better, but I believe none are entirely correct.

I believe as Christians, we are called to read the Bible and try to interpret it, but we must do so through the lens of knowing we are imperfect beings who will interpret the Bible imperfectly.

In summary, yes these tools can make it easier for us to read the Bible and create our own opinions, but I think we should always understand that none of our opinions on the Bible are entirely correct, because we cannot be perfect.

[Zak Mellgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really excellent introduction to how to read the Bible for yourself. The tools wise, well-explained, and grounded in God's Word itself. Many, many examples - and not just short, one verse examples. Usually they are quoting a paragraph or more to help illustrate their point. And they have wonderful exercises at the end of each chapter to give you several goes at using the tool they've just taught on.

This was a solid complement to Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally. Piper himself is very skeptical of "tools" like genre, and I think he makes a good argument in his book for carefully, earnestly reading and re-reading to get to the point of the text. But most of us, to be honest, could really benefit from some practical guidelines. This book gives the average or below average reader the gift of what defines good, careful reading and what defines bad, reckless reading.

I'll gladly be using a chunk of this material in a Bible class I'm teaching at my church this fall.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this five stars because I think it's does a great job achieving its important goal: providing a clear, engaging help to the average Christian in reading their Bible properly. There are other books on the subject that are more introductory or more advanced, but this book would be suited for anyone with a high school education or above.

Benyon and Sachs give several different tools that emphasize seeking to understand the text in its original context, redemptive-historical context, and (finally) its application to today. I anticipate using this book in adult Sunday School and one-to-one discipleship contexts.

[Steven Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very practical and well-written book on tools to better understand the Bible. They explain the tools well and then give prompts to give immediate practice and application. I would suggest this book to anyone discipling another believer or someone who just needs a refresher on practical hermeneutics. This will help anybody get more out of what they’re reading, and it’s not overwhelming by quantity of information. Just tools for your tool belt that will reap amazing spiritual blessings in your walk with the Lord.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book. It will grow your love for God's Word as you learn heaps about how carefully it's written, the depth of it's thought and the careful way the authors wrote it. You'll learn heaps about God and what the Bible says.

But more than that, it will teach you how to read the Bible well. It gives you tools so that you can get into scripture for yourself.

It's fairly basic and introductory. I've been reading it together with a younger Christian.

[Laurie Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a good friend of one of the book's authors and so I'm inevitably a little biased, but I think this is a superb book. I actually use the tools in the book each week at church bible study group and find them incredibly helpful.

This book is a similar in its aims to "How to read the Bible for all its worth" by Fee and Stuart. That's also a very good book but I find Dig Deeper to be more accessible. It's written in a conversational style rather than as a text book.

[Rachel DeWeese · Rating 5 out of 5]

~4.5 stars~

This book is a brilliant resource (or should I say "tool box") for understanding and interpreting God's Word. I've grown up in a Christian home and I've been in Christian education my whole life, but this book really opened up a whole new world for me in how I should be studying my Bible. I can't wait to apply this to my daily Bible reading, and I know that these principles will stick with me for a lifetime.

[Neil Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a refreshing, easy to read, biblically faithful and immensely practical book which gives the reader a bunch of tools such as the Context, Parallels, Tone & Feel and Bible Timeline tools which open up Bible passage and help one rightly handle the Word of truth. It’s so easy to misread the Bible, or not mine it for its deepest gems, and this book helps correct that, showing how God’s Word all points to his glorious rescue plan in Jesus Christ.