The what, why, and how of Scripture
What it is, why it exists, and how we use it
The what, why, and how of Scripture
Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Associated passages: Romans 15.4-13, Luke 21.25-33
At Christmas we eat a lot of good food. The food we eat is usually one of the highlights of the season for me. For a few years my family would buy a Mont d'Or - a large, delicious, baked soft cheese - to have on New Year’s Eve. Enjoying this cheese with good bread, salty dried meats and a handful of grapes is an excellent way to round off a year.
I also usually try to read good books over Christmas. This year I’m reading through The Lord of the Rings again, as I think it’s sufficiently magical and grand enough to complement the already powerful Biblical story of the incarnation of the Word. And, as this Collect says, there is a parallel between eating and reading. Just as the food we eat nourishes us, when we read carefully we inwardly digest the words and, if they are good words, they nourish us.
The what of Scripture: Good words from a good Lord
“You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” (Ps. 119:68)
What makes words good? One important aspect of good words is who they come from. Words carry intelligent meaning, they signify concepts. Words, therefore, must always come from a rational being - a person. If all words come from people, then the kind of person they come from will influence their goodness. This is the truth behind the proverb “faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6). Because our friend is seeking our good, even when their words hurt they are better than kind words from someone who hates us. Good words come from good people.
The Collect says that holy Scripture came from the “Blessed Lord”. This is the Lord of whom we say “you are good and do good”, and therefore naturally follow with the request: “teach me your statutes.” Because God is good, what he does is good. The friend whose wounds we can trust is but a reflection of the friendship God gives us. His words are good for us and they do good to us. And as the Collect and associated passage in Romans says, these scriptures were “written for our learning” (Rom. 15:4).
The why of scripture: Hope in our waiting
“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Ps. 119:49-50)
What do the Scriptures teach us? Paul in Romans writes “that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4, ESV). In the KJV, this is translated as “through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope,” which is directly quoted in the Collect.
Advent is a time of waiting. The Collect uses the period of Advent, where we remember Israel’s waiting for the Messiah, to teach us how to wait for Christ’s second coming. We wait for his coming, but waiting is sustained by hope, and hope is sustained by hearing His words.
One day we will not need to hope for the future, because the good we are hoping for will be present. Hope will pass away. When Jesus returns and we see him face to face, we will be made like him and live in joy with Him.
But before that time, we face an uncomfortable time of waiting, and will experience affliction. During affliction, suffering, and discomfort, we find endurance and encouragement in the good words we have been given. Even when we struggle, in learning from Scripture we “may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,” because His “promise gives me life.”
The how of Scripture: Meditating on His precepts
“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Ps. 119:15-16)
We read the Bible to sustain our hope, but how should we go about reading the Bible? The Collect suggests five stages:
- Hear
- Read
- Mark
- Learn
- Inwardly Digest
The word travels from outside of us, and is forced upon us, in our ears. We cannot turn our ears off, we cannot choose whether or not we hear. But if we hear with the right attitude, we will turn our eyes and choose to look and to read the words. With our eyes on the words we mark - noticing and paying careful attention to them. Then we learn, beginning to understand the meaning of the words and getting new knowledge. Finally, we inwardly digest or meditate on the words, and the word becomes part of us and nourishes our hope.
In a time of waiting, we need patience, and when the waiting is hard we need comfort. We find both of these in scripture - the “patience and comfort of thy holy Word.” How are you finding your waiting? Is it going well? Are you able to wait patiently, and if you are, are you also sufficiently comforted in your soul? Or does restlessness continue? If you are finding it hard, pray this Collect. Then turn your prayer into action. Turn to God’s Word and hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest what it says. Don’t just pass your eyes over, or hear without listening, but go the whole way in the process. As you do this, it will give you patience and comfort, to “embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of eternal life.”