3 ways of reading scripture

This is what I wrote in my church's newsletter, and was based on a previous sermon. If you want to hear the sermon, you will find it on this blog.

Last week I stated three manners to read Scripture. The Intellectual (for our own knowledge of the text), the Spiritual (what the text is telling me) and the Ethical (what the text tells me to apply it to my fellow human beings). An example of this can be seen in Mark 1:1-11.

Intellectually, we find out how Jesus was baptized, and how we know that John was the prophet promised from the book of Malachi. Without that information, we would be asking how do we know that John the Baptist was who he said he was, and why do we practice baptism.

Spiritually, we can be sure Jesus comes from God, since God the Father affirms his ministry from heaven. This brings assurance to all Christians, because we know that Jesus’ ministry if approved by God, and that the Holy Spirit is with him. Also, we see, right there at the beginning of the story, the blessed Trinity.

Ethically. I was told that this was difficult to extrapolate from this text. My take on this text starts from the view that we are all sinners, and Christians are baptized sinners. At their Baptism, they are brought to new life. We are to treat others according to this new life given.

I hope that this helps you in your bible reading.