Asking Better Questions of the Bible - by Marty Solomon (Paperback)

About the Book

"Too often when we come to the Bible, questions make us uncomfortable. But questions are often a good thing. When we stop viewing the Bible through the lens of our own agendas and ask the questions the Bible is asking, something extraordinary happens. We form a new and deeper way of thinking about Scripture and understanding the Bible. As we do, we move further into the depths and mystery of God. Asking Better Questions of the Bible is a journey into the original conversation of the inspired Text. In it, Marty Solomon (a host of The BEMA Podcast and the founder of the BEMA Discipleship ministry, a branch of Impact Campus Ministries) explores all the different portions of Scripture, examining how each is unique in structure and intent. When we ask the questions the Bible is asking, we will: understand the ancient Near Eastern perspective of words, numbers, and core principles like eternal life, truth, sin, and faith; recognize the literary devices and the reclamation of stories used in the Torah; read the historical books both as sources of inspiration and as cautionary tales; interpret the distinct genres in wisdom literature, such as psalms and proverbs; decipher the unique elements of prophetic literature; perceive the subversive nature of the Gospel accounts; and view the New Testament letters as inspired, authoritative interpretation of the story of God. God can be trusted with our doubts and invites us to question. Let Asking Better Questions of the Bible show you a better way forward for interpreting Scripture."--

Book Synopsis

Too often when we come to the Bible, questions make us uncomfortable. But questions are often a good thing. When we stop viewing the Bible through the lens of our own agendas and ask the questions the Bible is asking, something extraordinary happens. We form a new and deeper way of thinking about Scripture and understanding the Bible. As we do, we move further into the depths and mystery of God.

Asking Better Questions of the Bible is a journey into the original conversation of the inspired Text. In it, Marty Solomon (a host of The BEMA Podcast and the founder of the BEMA Discipleship ministry, a branch of Impact Campus Ministries) explores all the different portions of Scripture, examining how each is unique in structure and intent.

When we ask the questions the Bible is asking, we will

• understand the ancient Near Eastern perspective of words, numbers, and core principles like eternal life, truth, sin, and faith;
• recognize the literary devices and the reclamation of stories used in the Torah;
• read the historical books both as sources of inspiration and as cautionary tales;
• interpret the distinct genres in wisdom literature, such as psalms and proverbs;
• decipher the unique elements of prophetic literature;
• perceive the subversive nature of the Gospel accounts; and
• view the New Testament letters as inspired, authoritative interpretation of the story of God.

God can be trusted with our doubts and invites us to question. Let Asking Better Questions of the Bible show you a better way forward for interpreting Scripture.

From the Back Cover

When it comes to the Bible, questions can make us anxious.

Questioning God or God's Word can feel like disloyalty; waiting for answers can feel like being forgotten.

But what if our questions could be good for our faith? What if the solution to our doubts isn't fewer questions but more questions? Better questions? We tend to approach the Bible from a modern, Western perspective, but what we find in the Scriptures is an inspired conversation from a different time and place. Better questions come from the Bible out--from the vantage points of the people we meet in the pages of Scripture and the God who meets them where they are.

In Asking Better Questions of the Bible, Marty Solomon points us to the beauty and wonder and hope contained in the Scriptures. God, we discover, invites our questions and can be trusted with our doubts. When we come to God and God's Word with curiosity, we leave satisfied and at the same time craving more as we discover a more profound understanding of what God is inviting us to become.

Review Quotes

In this enlightening debut, Bema podcast host Solomon seeks to help Christians engage more deeply with the Bible and, by extension, with God. Rejecting straightforward approaches to Bible study, Solomon argues that recognizing scriptural complexity helps believers appreciate "the bigness of God," and that asking hard questions, rather than signifying disbelief, can engender a more vibrant faith. His plan involves getting readers to recognize they are "literary tourists" who are studying the Bible, and also that they are not its intended historical audience. As well, Solomon suggests viewing the text through an "ancient Eastern perspective" so as to appreciate it within the cultural context it was created and to better perceive the individual perspectives and agendas of its writers. He also helps readers tackle anxieties that can arise from serious study, acknowledging one might initially feel one's regressed in biblical understanding or even unintentionally misled others spiritually in the past. Accessibly written and forthright (Solomon is frank about the struggles in his own process), this guide provides a useful spiritual toolbox to assist readers in broadening their Bible study, without being prescriptive or wedded to one philosophy. Christians seeking a fresh approach to scriptural study should give this a look.--Publishers Weekly