The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel Youth

['When reading and trying to understand the Bible, you have three helpers. First, you have the Holy Spirit living in you (1 Corinthians 2:2–16). Second, you have the help of the church. It would be arrogant to think that the Holy Spirit only speaks to me. He has spoken to others in history and he continues to speak to his people. Paul prays that ‘you may have power to comprehend, with all the saints’ (Ephesians 3:18, NRSV). Third, you have the benefit of reason – your mind. Paul encourages each person to be ‘fully convinced in their own minds’ (Romans 14:5).\nIn interpreting the Bible, there are three main questions you need to ask:\n\n\nWhat does it actually say?\nThe Old Testament is written in Hebrew (and Aramaic), and the New Testament in Greek. But you can be confident that most modern translations are trustworthy and accurate.\n\n\nWhat does it mean?\nIn order to answer this question, you have to ask: What sort of literature is it? Is it historical writing? Poetry? Prophecy? Apocalyptic? Law? Wisdom? Gospel? The passages for today are each different types of literature (poetry, apocalyptic and history), and therefore we read them in different ways.\nNext, ask what it meant to the person who first wrote it, and to those who first read or heard it. Then ask, ‘Has anything happened subsequently to alter our understanding?’ For example, what difference does the coming of Jesus make to our understanding of Old Testament passages? Ultimately the Bible is all about Jesus (see John 5:39–40).\n\n\nHow does this apply to my life?\nTo avoid it becoming a mere intellectual exercise, you must think through how it applies to your daily living.', None]

When reading and trying to understand the Bible, you have three helpers. First, you have the Holy Spirit living in you (1 Corinthians 2:2–16). Second, you have the help of the church. It would be arrogant to think that the Holy Spirit only speaks to me. He has spoken to others in history and he continues to speak to his people. Paul prays that ‘you may have power to comprehend, with all the saints’ (Ephesians 3:18, NRSV). Third, you have the benefit of reason – your mind. Paul encourages each person to be ‘fully convinced in their own minds’ (Romans 14:5).

In interpreting the Bible, there are three main questions you need to ask:

What does it actually say?

The Old Testament is written in Hebrew (and Aramaic), and the New Testament in Greek. But you can be confident that most modern translations are trustworthy and accurate.

What does it mean?

In order to answer this question, you have to ask: What sort of literature is it? Is it historical writing? Poetry? Prophecy? Apocalyptic? Law? Wisdom? Gospel? The passages for today are each different types of literature (poetry, apocalyptic and history), and therefore we read them in different ways.

Next, ask what it meant to the person who first wrote it, and to those who first read or heard it. Then ask, ‘Has anything happened subsequently to alter our understanding?’ For example, what difference does the coming of Jesus make to our understanding of Old Testament passages? Ultimately the Bible is all about Jesus (see John 5:39–40).

How does this apply to my life?

To avoid it becoming a mere intellectual exercise, you must think through how it applies to your daily living.

['Polycarp (AD70–156) was a bishop during a time of bitter attack against the Christians. At the age of eighty-six, he was arrested for no other crime than being a Christian. All he had to do to avoid torture and death was to proclaim, ‘Caesar is Lord.’\nPolycarp responded, ‘Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’ For Polycarp, the fact that ‘Jesus is Lord’ meant that he could not say, ‘Caesar is Lord.’ Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs and was burnt alive at the stake on 22 February AD156.\nGod is described in the Old Testament as ‘the Lord’. In the New Testament passage for today, we see the background to the extraordinary claim that ‘Jesus is Lord!’', None]

Polycarp (AD70–156) was a bishop during a time of bitter attack against the Christians. At the age of eighty-six, he was arrested for no other crime than being a Christian. All he had to do to avoid torture and death was to proclaim, ‘Caesar is Lord.’

Polycarp responded, ‘Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’ For Polycarp, the fact that ‘Jesus is Lord’ meant that he could not say, ‘Caesar is Lord.’ Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs and was burnt alive at the stake on 22 February AD156.

God is described in the Old Testament as ‘the Lord’. In the New Testament passage for today, we see the background to the extraordinary claim that ‘Jesus is Lord!’

['In the West, many people assume history is aimless: ‘Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ (as Shakespeare put it in Macbeth). Many Eastern religions tend to regard history as either circular or illusory, while Marxists understand history in terms of class struggle.\nIn contrast to all these views, the New Testament sees history as moving towards a climax. The ultimate struggle is between good and evil – ending with the triumph of good and God.\nThe kingdom of God will not fail. God is working his purposes out in history. Jesus is the centrepiece. All lines in history converge on him. As someone has said: ‘The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.’\nHistory is ‘His story’. As you hear the news and read history books you get some of the details. As you read the Bible you get the big picture. In particular, the book of Revelation unveils what is going on behind the scenes of history.\nGod is the Sovereign Lord of history. But we are not mere robots. You are not being moved around like a piece on a chessboard. Rather, you have a part to play. God involves you in his plans. God works out his purposes in co-operation with his people.', None]

In the West, many people assume history is aimless: ‘Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ (as Shakespeare put it in Macbeth). Many Eastern religions tend to regard history as either circular or illusory, while Marxists understand history in terms of class struggle.

In contrast to all these views, the New Testament sees history as moving towards a climax. The ultimate struggle is between good and evil – ending with the triumph of good and God.

The kingdom of God will not fail. God is working his purposes out in history. Jesus is the centrepiece. All lines in history converge on him. As someone has said: ‘The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.’

History is ‘His story’. As you hear the news and read history books you get some of the details. As you read the Bible you get the big picture. In particular, the book of Revelation unveils what is going on behind the scenes of history.

God is the Sovereign Lord of history. But we are not mere robots. You are not being moved around like a piece on a chessboard. Rather, you have a part to play. God involves you in his plans. God works out his purposes in co-operation with his people.

['Doing hard things requires us to be lion-like – bold, steely and courageous. Doing things the right way means being like a lamb – gentle, meek and submissive. We are supposed to be a godly mixture of the qualities of both the lion and the lamb.\nBut how can one person be both ‘the Lion’ and ‘the Lamb’?\nIn C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, the lion, Aslan, represents Jesus. In the most famous of these books, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan is slain:\n‘“Bind him, I say!” repeated the White Witch... “Let him first be shaved” … the shorn face of Aslan looked… braver, and more beautiful, and more patient than ever. “Muzzle him!” said the Witch… the whole crowd of creatures kicking him, hitting him, spitting on him, jeering at him… They began to drag the bound and muzzled Lion to the Stone Table.’\nLater, ‘they heard from behind them a loud noise – a great cracking, deafening noise… The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end… There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.’ Aslan tells them that ‘when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.’\nIn the book of Revelation, we see Jesus is standing at the centre of the throne of heaven. He is the Lion and the Lamb. He is both triumphant (‘has triumphed’, 5:5) and slain (‘you were slain’, v.9). In an imaginative and powerful way, C.S. Lewis shows how Jesus can be both ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ (Revelation 5:5) and ‘a Lamb [that] had been slain’ (v.6).', None]

Doing hard things requires us to be lion-like – bold, steely and courageous. Doing things the right way means being like a lamb – gentle, meek and submissive. We are supposed to be a godly mixture of the qualities of both the lion and the lamb.

But how can one person be both ‘the Lion’ and ‘the Lamb’?

In C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, the lion, Aslan, represents Jesus. In the most famous of these books, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan is slain:

‘“Bind him, I say!” repeated the White Witch... “Let him first be shaved” … the shorn face of Aslan looked… braver, and more beautiful, and more patient than ever. “Muzzle him!” said the Witch… the whole crowd of creatures kicking him, hitting him, spitting on him, jeering at him… They began to drag the bound and muzzled Lion to the Stone Table.’

Later, ‘they heard from behind them a loud noise – a great cracking, deafening noise… The Stone Table was broken into two pieces by a great crack that ran down it from end to end… There, shining in the sunrise, larger than they had seen him before, shaking his mane (for it had apparently grown again) stood Aslan himself.’ Aslan tells them that ‘when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.’

In the book of Revelation, we see Jesus is standing at the centre of the throne of heaven. He is the Lion and the Lamb. He is both triumphant (‘has triumphed’, 5:5) and slain (‘you were slain’, v.9). In an imaginative and powerful way, C.S. Lewis shows how Jesus can be both ‘the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ (Revelation 5:5) and ‘a Lamb [that] had been slain’ (v.6).

['It will be a ‘joyous celebration’ – a time of ‘happiness and joy, gladness and honour’ (see Esther 8:16–17).\nPippa and I love our annual Leadership Conference usually held at the Royal Albert Hall (which was built in central London to display ‘the greatness and power and glory and victory and the majesty of God’). Thousands of people gather together. There are times of great celebration with ‘heavenly’ worship and powerful life-changing teaching. People are inspired, refreshed and equipped to make a difference to the world around them.\nThe Bible has much to say about celebration. There is a celebration in heaven every time one person turns to Christ. When the prodigal son returned to the father, the father said, ‘Let’s have a feast and celebrate’ (Luke 15:23).\nIn our Old Testament passage for today, we read that ‘the city of Susa held a joyous celebration’ (Esther 8:15) ‘it…exploded with joy’ (MSG). What were they celebrating? What should you celebrate now? How should you celebrate?', None]

It will be a ‘joyous celebration’ – a time of ‘happiness and joy, gladness and honour’ (see Esther 8:16–17).

Pippa and I love our annual Leadership Conference held at the Royal Albert Hall (which was built in central London to display ‘the greatness and power and glory and victory and the majesty of God’). Thousands of people gather together. There are times of great celebration with ‘heavenly’ worship and powerful life-changing teaching. People are inspired, refreshed and equipped to make a difference to the world around them.

The Bible has much to say about celebration. There is a celebration in heaven every time one person turns to Christ. When the prodigal son returned to the father, the father said, ‘Let’s have a feast and celebrate’ (Luke 15:23).

In our Old Testament passage for today, we read that ‘the city of Susa held a joyous celebration’ (Esther 8:15) ‘it…exploded with joy’ (MSG). What were they celebrating? What should you celebrate now? How should you celebrate?