Using commentaries

[default]

When I study scriptures I prefer to glean from the Bible, perhaps using the concordance to get a meaning of the word (however, even that has an arminiastic slant) and when the Lord shows me truth it ALWAYS is confirmed within a short while later.

I know some go running to commentaries without digging in. Personally I find this may sway us into the way the commentor believes scripture is saying. AS discussed on another thread that I started there will not always be agreement. Even the greats are wrong from time to time.

I guess what I'm saying is that I believe to let the Holy Spirit show us the truth in the scripture. Sometimes we draw a blank and might need a little nudge, or sometimes we need to verify what we are seeing, and at that point may turn to a commentary for such needs.

Do you use commentaries? Do you study BEFORE looking at the commentary? which commentaries do you use? Or do you prefer to stay strictly with Scriptures?

 

[crhoades]

Just to cross lightsabers with ya...

Why wouldn't the Holy Spirit illumine texts to Christian biblical scholars who have studied Hebrew and Greek as well as the historical context for decades in order to give them the ability to fulfill their callings as teachers of the church?

 

[default]

Chris, Good question. However, I'm NOT saying he hasn't, didn't, or wouldn't enlighten them. I am saying that to glean something on our own sticks with us a bit more than if someone spoon feeds us. Think about this. If someone "inherits" money, they spend it a bit more foolishly than does the hard worker who values the worth of a dollar. So to, when we dig into the scriptures, and apply that which we glean, it stays with us, and sharpens us a bit more.

Just to strike back with my "sword".

 

[wsw201]

Lori,

I would agree that one should go though the Scriptures and try and figure out what its saying. The majority of Scripture is very plain. And where its not clear in one part it usually is made more clear in another. One problem I find is that though many Christians read their Bibles, they really don't study them primarily because they don't know how. They don't fully consider context, grammar, etc. (But that's another subject). Commentaries though are very handy to have around. As Chris has noted, God has raised up teachers who have studied the Scripture in the original languages and have "connected the dots" so to speak. Commentaries ( from reliable commentators) can bring things out in a passage that you might not have thought about or considered or have been able to connect other passages that will give a different perspective.

 

[Arch2k]

Lori

I use commentaries quite often, so I am probably guilty of turning to them to quickly. I do know what you are getting at, and I agree, at least to a good extent.

The problem I see in too quickly turning to the commentaries is that we do not learn the skills to exegete scripture FOR OURSELVES, but instead turn to those who have already done so. As far as I know, there is no rule of hermonuetics that says "turn to commentaries to find out what Gill says."

That being said, I have learned MUCH from what Gill, Calvin, Henry and others have commented on Scripture. The tool of commentaries is invaluable in that we do not have to re-invent the wheel, but it in reference to the above paragraph, we should UNDERSTAND how it was built. We should never take the commentators at their word, but test what they say in light of scripture and logic.

The divines that have walked before me are GIANTS in the word in comparison to myself, and to most. We should not be ignorant of that fact, and should keep that in mind when studying the Word.