References?
I thought I would write a short note about what we’re supposed to do with all those Bible references that folks stick at the end of sentences in things they write. Here are a few examples from something I recently wrote:
The Bible says for husbands to love their wives like Christ loved the church (Eph 5:21). Peter tells us that when they were calling him names and killing him, he refused to respond in kind. That is, he didn’t insult them back. he didn’t yell at them. He didn’t call them names. He took it…for them (1 Pet 2:21-25). Then, Peter tells husbands to treat their wives in the same way (1 Pet 3:7).
We see it all the time, but why do people do that? And what are we supposed to do with them?
I’m not sure why other people do it but here are a few words about why I do it and what I would like you to do with them.
First of all, the parts between the parentheses are called references. That means they are references to whatever they are representing. In this case, Bible verses and passages. The way I use them is to show you, the reader, that I’m not making things up when I tell you the Bible says, X. It really does say that and here’s where it says it.
What I want you to do with them is look them up and make sure I’m not lying to you. You never know, I might be. You won’t know for sure unless you look the up references and check me. It is actually quite a thrill for me when I accidentally make reference to a verse that isn’t correct, and someone catches it and tells me I’m a little bit nuts. “The Bible doesn’t say that at least not there.”
Another reason I want you to check out the references is that I want you to know that what I’m saying isn’t something I made up. If what I’ve written is just my opinion, you’re free to do with it whatever you want. But if the passages I’m quoting are accurately representing God, then you have no option to listen and apply it in your life. If what I’m saying is accurately representing what God has said in the Bible, then it isn’t your opinion against mine.
One of my overall goals in writing at all is to help my readers become people of the Word. God has spoken and we need to read what he’s spoken. We need to understand what he’s said. And we need to apply what he’s said in our every day, every hour, every minute lives. And we can’t do any of that if we don’t read his word. So, while I’m writing whatever it is I’m writing, what I’m really trying to get the reader, that is you, to do is to go to the Word of God and meet with him there.
With that in mind, what I would like you to do with the references, besides checking me out, is to not only read the passage I’ve referred to but read the context of the passage as well. Don’t just read the verse, read the chapters before and after the verse (and the whole book sometimes). I might just be proof-texting. The actual meaning of the verse might not have anything to do with what I was talking about. So, read the context.
More than that, get caught up in the Scriptures. Pray while you’re there. Let your first prayer be something like, “Hi God, was Mike right?” Then move on to, “Lord, I know what Mike was saying, but is that what you are saying?” Then, “What were you saying to the original reader?” “What does it have to do with me?” What am I learning about you in these words?” “How can I use what I’m reading to make your glory more glorious?” How can I please you by living a godlier life after I close the book?”
Then, if you remember, you can go back to what I was saying and continue on.
Reading papers, blogs, web pages, books, etc. like this will take a lot longer, but it will make you a godlier Christian. It will transform you into someone who loves Jesus with every fiber of your being. It will fill you with joy. It will help you to love those around you. And it will please God (2 Cor 5:9). Let the fun begin.