We All Read the Bible Through a Specific Lens

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Abstract

5e48">The concern was that we were bringing our baggage to the text. Instead, we were to see who the author was, what they were trying to communicate who the audience was, and why they needed to hear this message.</p><p id="b477">“<i>The bible was written for us, but not to us</i>” was the catch phrase.</p><p id="b8f1">Though I still agree with this approach of looking first at what the original text meant by the original author and original readers, I don’t quite understand how I leave my baggage at the door before reading the text.</p><p id="add8">I used to believe that you could put the different lenses aside but the more I travel and meet different people, I realize I see the world through a specific lens and as a result, also see the bible through a specific lens.</p><p id="937a"><b><i>So what do we do?</i></b></p><p id="5be6">It’s not about setting aside our biases but bringing them into the conversation to point out what others may not see and allow others' perspectives to challenge and tea

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ch us also.</p><p id="d0f0">Instead of putting aside our biases before coming to the text, as we attempt to understand the author and the audience at that time, we bring our biases to the table so that we are aware of what lenses we use to see the world and scripture.</p><p id="3e58">If you don’t know what may be coloring your reading, you will not be able to identify that your reading is being colored by your experiences.</p><div id="4816" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-to-read-the-bible-0e8f1842ab8b"> <div> <div> <h2>How to Read the Bible</h2> <div><h3>Are you asking the right questions? </h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*[email protected])"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

How to Read the bible series

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I was taught to put myself aside in order for the bible to speak to me without my thoughts influencing what I read from the text. We were to put aside previous teachings, culture, church tradition, and life experiences so that these things wouldn’t get in the way.

The illustration used was of someone wearing glasses, but with different color markings on the lens. Green represented our personal experiences. Red represented our church teachings. Blue represented our church tradition. Yellow represented our culture. By the end, the lens was marked up by all the colors and we were told we needed to put these colors/influences aside before we came to the text.

The concern was that we were bringing our baggage to the text. Instead, we were to see who the author was, what they were trying to communicate who the audience was, and why they needed to hear this message.

“The bible was written for us, but not to us” was the catch phrase.

Though I still agree with this approach of looking first at what the original text meant by the original author and original readers, I don’t quite understand how I leave my baggage at the door before reading the text.

I used to believe that you could put the different lenses aside but the more I travel and meet different people, I realize I see the world through a specific lens and as a result, also see the bible through a specific lens.

So what do we do?

It’s not about setting aside our biases but bringing them into the conversation to point out what others may not see and allow others' perspectives to challenge and teach us also.

Instead of putting aside our biases before coming to the text, as we attempt to understand the author and the audience at that time, we bring our biases to the table so that we are aware of what lenses we use to see the world and scripture.

If you don’t know what may be coloring your reading, you will not be able to identify that your reading is being colored by your experiences.