Accidental Bible Scholar

Randy gives a few thoughts referencing the question of "why should I read the Old Testament?"

The fifth step to Bible interpretation involves using the new covenant to shine a light (or explain) the old covenant.

Randy continues to talk about reading your Bible, focusing on reading with Christ as the center both in the Old and New Testament.

In this Podcast, Randy tells his story of the Khobar Tower's bombing.

In this conversation, Randy discusses step 3 of the “How to Read your Bible” series titled “Use simple verses to understand the difficult verses.”  Jeff and Randy discuss several examples of verses that are easily explained if you look at them through the lenses of verses that are easy to understand. He looks at several examples of verses like 1 John 1:9, a verse often (mis)read to mean that a Christian must confess every sin in order to be forgiven.  Randy also discusses Christians not fearing judgement.   Finally, he looks at what the Bible says about a Christian drinking alcohol.    

In this conversation, Randy discusses step 2 of the “How to Read your Bible” series titled “It says what it says.”  It emphasizing the importance of taking scripture literally (unless it tells you otherwise) and understanding its implications for us as new creations. They explore the concept of being crucified with Christ, the legal and spiritual aspects of salvation, and the reality of a believer's position in Christ. The discussion highlights the need to judge circumstances by God's Word rather than the other way around, reinforcing the idea that scripture should be the foundation for understanding one's faith and life.

In this conversation, Randy discusses the critical importance of context in interpreting the Bible, emphasizing the need to understand the different covenants that God has established with humanity. He explains how these covenants shape our understanding of scripture and our relationship with God, particularly focusing on the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant through Jesus Christ. The discussion also touches on practical applications of this understanding, the power of words in prayer, and the assurance of grace in the believer's life.

1. Context of the entire Bible itself (God’s Word, given to us to usher us into His Presence)
2. Context of the Book (when written, to whom, style, etc)

3. Context (which covenant is being discussed and which covenant are the characters living in)

In this podcast, Randy stresses the importance of faith in our understanding of Scripture (Hebrews 11:3 “by faith we understand”). He reminds us that we need to believe the Bible “like a child.” He discusses the implications of the different versions of the Bible.  He also gives a websites that are handy to use in your study. Finally, Randy introduces the six steps he uses to interpret the Bible.  They are:

1. Context, context, context
2. It says what it says
3. Use simple verses to interpret complex verses
4. Read with Christ at the center
5. Let the New Covenant shine a light on the Old Testament

6. Allow for mysteries

Randy looks at three examples of encounters with God under the different covenants.  The results will astound you!

In this conversation, Randy and Jeff continue to explore the Covenants in the Bible.  They focus on the Old and New Covenants.  They discuss the implications of the Old Covenant, which is conditional upon Israel's obedience, and contrast it with the New Covenant, which is unconditional and based solely on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding these covenants to ensure proper biblical interpretation and to understand how God interacts with us as sons and daughters.  They discuss how the Old Covenant was made obsolete with the arrival of the New Covenant (Acts 2).   In fact, if you are a Gentile, they never applied to you in the first place!