Trusting the Text: Six Dimensions for Reading Scripture with Depth and Integrity

Voxology

Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2018

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Want to experience the Bible beyond moralistic soundbites or entertainment-driven teaching? Mike Erre walks Bible enthusiasts through six powerful dimensions that bring Scripture to life—not by jazzing it up, but by honoring the depth, history, and purpose within the text itself. This Bible-nerd-friendly episode is for anyone asking: How do we study Scripture in a way that trusts the text—and what does that even mean?

Through a blend of theological insight, teaching experience, and authenticity, Mike breaks down how to approach Scripture with fresh eyes by examining six layered dimensions that uncover the richness of God's Word. Whether you're a pastor, teacher, student, or curious follower of Jesus, this episode offers a practical framework that will transform how you engage the Bible—from Leviticus to Revelation.

Key Takeaways:
• The Power of Trusting the Text – Why the most faithful teaching isn't about clever outlines or gripping stories, but about letting the Scripture itself do the heavy lifting.
• Six Dimensions of Scripture – A breakdown of essential lenses through which to study any passage:

Historical – Understanding what it meant for the original audience.
Literary – Respecting the genre and form of the passage.
Narrative – Seeing how each text fits into the larger biblical story.
Subversive – Uncovering how Scripture challenged its original culture and still challenges ours.
Gospel – Finding the good news in every page, rooted in grace before moralism.
Experiential – Living into the text so that its truth becomes embodied, not just understood.
• Bible Misunderstandings Exposed – Why "David and Goliath" isn’t about your personal giants, and how Western interpretations often skip critical historical context.
• Preaching Pitfalls – Navigating the temptation to rely on personality, stories, or moralistic application at the expense of trusting Scripture’s voice.
• Creating Gospel-Centered Teaching – How to build messages that don't just tell people what to do but remind them who they already are in Christ.

Resources Mentioned:
• How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
• How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
• Ephesians – Paul’s model of gospel-before-command
• Revelation – Apocalyptic genre explored in depth on Patreon-exclusive Revelation Podcast
• Voxology Patreon Page – patreon.com/voxology

Join a community that longs to rediscover the life in the text—not remake it in cultural clichés. Subscribe to the Voxology Podcast, leave us a review, and follow us to keep growing and wrestling together.

As always, we love your questions and reflections. Email us at [email protected] or join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music by Timothy John Stafford
Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, Mike here.
0:15.0	It is a brisk 35 degrees in suburban Columbus, Ohio shooting for a high of 44 today, which oddly enough feels super warm.
0:25.0	Although I've heard our friends in California have been suffering a very cold, very cold spell
0:31.5	of weather that there has actually been some snow, which is amazing. amazing. Yeah, Brea, right now, it's 51
0:39.0	degrees. But with a high tomorrow of 81, dang. So, so it is, it is early March, and we are,
0:51.0	we are still adjusting to the very schizophrenic Midwest weather, where it 60 and sunny one day and then two days later it snows.
0:59.3	Um, absolutely crazy. But, um, we're glad that, that you're tuning in. We're glad you're here. Uh, just a couple of quick things.
1:06.6	Number one, if you have not, could you like us? Could you like our page Vox podcast page on
1:13.6	Facebook? Would you rate us? Five stars on iTunes. If you're curious about how to support
1:21.0	the podcast, we have a Patreon page, P-A-T-R-E-O-N, and that is a place where a hundred and some folks
1:33.3	support the podcast, and they're different, you know, it's like, it's like the funding sort of
1:41.1	websites. There are different levels of rewards and different gifts and all those sorts of things.
1:45.0	So one of the things that I'll be doing today or tomorrow is recording another Revelation
1:50.1	podcast.
1:50.9	That's for a certain level if you're interested in that.
1:53.9	So you can check that out.
1:56.3	The second thing I want to say is today is, is, I have to give almost a Bible geek warning.
2:05.6	Like, like, if you're unsure about the Bible or you have loads of questions about it, I mean, this will be helpful, I think, but, but this is like, this is stuff for Bible nerds and of which I am at the head of that
2:22.0	line. One of the things that I've done as someone who's taught this and studied this for
2:28.6	years and years and years is I get asked a lot of questions about how I study and how I see it and, you know, so on, so on, so on.
2:36.7	So instead of just reading a couple of those, I thought, I thought every now and again we just talk about how you study the scriptures and in the hope that this is helpful to somebody along the way. Now, when I listen to teaching,
2:53.5	so this includes live, you know, you're sitting at a church building and listening to somebody
	...

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