Luke is NOt a Letter
Getting Started Part 4
What book of the Bible did you most recently study? I’m just coming off a study of Colossians, a New Testament letter written by the Apostle Paul that is only four chapters long. It was short, but packed full of incredible glory!
At somewhere around 5-10 verses per week I had time to explore the meaning of almost every phrase in Colossians. I could read the entire letter all the way through once a week. There was time for plenty of word studies and cross references and commentary… It was great fun.
Now I turn my eyes to Luke, and as I start digging in, I realize that my study methods for Colossians are not going to fit here. Not only is the passage for the week six times longer, but it feels like a completely different thing altogether. Maybe you’re feeling the same way? We know we need to do something differently, but what? And where do we begin?
In this post I am going to explore how studying a gospel narrative, like Luke, is different from studying a letter, like Colossians.
Read it Like a Story
The Gospel of Luke is a narrative, it is a story. It is meant to be devoured, not dissected. So to begin with, we need to just read it like a story. At first you can just read the passage and get a feel for the flow of the narrative.
Stick with Observe - Interpret - Apply
One thing that is not going to change is the process of Inductive Bible Study. You will still:
- Read the text repeatedly.
- Observe what it says and write down things you notice. Ask questions.
- Try to Interpret what it means. Think about what the author wanted his original readers to understand.
- Apply this to your life, exploring how what the text teaches is relevant to you today.
We’ll explore each step below:
Observe Who, What, When, Where
When you turn your attention to do some detailed observations, instead of going line by line, verse by verse, like you might do with a letter, you may find it more efficient to organize your observations according to the elements of the story: Who, What, When, Where, How and Why.
- Who is in the story? What is said about them?
- What is happening, or being taught?
- When and where is this happening?
- What words or ideas are repeated in the passage?
- How do people respond when they encounter Jesus (or God or an angel)?
Remembering the literary character of Luke’s gospel, Some other helpful things to look for are:
- Is there anything here from the Old Testament?
- What can I compare or contrast?
Don’t forget to write down the questions that come to your mind, like “Why did Luke include this detail?”. You may not have time to answer them all, but asking questions is an important step in comprehending what the text says.
I have written detailed Observation Guides to help you learn what to look for in a narrative book like Luke.
Interpret with Context in Mind
Interpretation is about figuring out what the text means. Specifically, what was the author of the book trying to communicate to his original readers?
When studying the short letter to the Colossians, I could spend an entire hour exploring the words and phrases in a single verse. With Luke, we’ll be covering a lot more ground, so we won’t have time to explore the meaning of every single phrase. We’ll have to focus our attention on the bigger picture.
- “What is basically happening in this story?” This question forces us to summarize the passage in our own words, or make a brief outline of the passage.
- “What did Luke really want his readers to know and understand?” This question helps us to summarize the meaning of the passage in one or two sentences.
Keep Coming Back to the Big Picture
The Gospel of Luke contains many narrative parts, but they all come together to form one coherent picture. Think about how each individual story fits into the bigger picture of the entire book. Look for ideas that are repeated or developed throughout the whole chapter or the whole book.
PRINCIPLE FOR INTERPRETATION
The meaning of each individual story must fit into the overall message of the book.
If you want to do a good job interpreting Luke, acquaint yourself with the themes of the book and try to keep your interpretation tight to those themes. It is easy to go astray in interpretation if you neglect this principle, especially when we get to the parables.
Here are some questions to help you keep the big picture in mind:
- Why did Luke choose to include this part of the story?
- How does this part of the narrative fit with the stories around it?
- How does Luke use these narrative pieces to develop his big ideas or themes?
Context, Context, Context
No matter what book of the Bible you are studying you have to consider the cultural context of the book, but with a gospel narrative we have multiple layers of context to consider.
We have to understand the time and place and culture where Jesus was living and teaching. We also need to think about Luke’s purpose in writing and his audience. Lastly, we need to think about how each piece of the narrative fits with the pieces around it.
PRINCIPLES FOR INTERPRETATION
Before considering what the Scripture means for me today, I must consider what it meant to the original audience.
Don’t let this overwhelm you. You won’t have time to explore every little cultural nuance, and that’s ok. Just keep in mind that context is very important when interpreting Luke.
APPLY IT WITH FAITH AND PRAYER
Application asks, “What does this mean for me?” We don’t want Bible study that puffs us up with more knowledge, yet fails to transform our hearts and lives.
In his letters, like the one to the Colossians, Paul gave us commands to obey. There were direct instructions. He directly told us what he wanted us to believe or to do. He also taught us doctrine directly.
In contrast, a gospel narrative is a combination of story and wise teachings. The teachings are not directed at the reader, like in a letter, so the applications may be more indirect.
PRINCIPLE FOR APPLICATION
Do a good job getting at the main point of the text, and then turn and ask, “How does this apply to me today?”
You will find there are many ways to apply Luke to your life. Is there a truth about God that you need to trust for a situation in your life? Is there an example to follow (or avoid)? You may feel conviction of sin as you read, or think about something in your life that needs to change.
One warning: You may have the impression that Application means coming up with something you need to DO in response to the text. Luke’s purpose in writing the book is not to give us a handbook of do’s and don’t for the Christian life. His purpose is to increase our faith.
PRINCIPLE FOR APPLICATION
The primary application of the text might be to just BELIEVE what the text says about Jesus.
Ask yourself, “If this is really true, how does that change how I think about God? How I look at my circumstances? My priorities? Maybe you will think, “If this is true, I need to get on my knees and WORSHIP!”
Prayer is Application
It is important not to write down an answer to an application question and then just walk away. There is a danger that we will see what needs to change, but not do anything about it (James 1:23). Prayer is what locks in our transformation.
Coming face to face with God brings real repentance, changing of mind, and a chance to ask him to move powerfully in your life and the lives of others. Praising God for who he is, and for what he has done leads us to worship, which is what we are made for. Maybe your application is to turn to God in prayer and yield a difficult circumstance to Him.
We all need to yield to the rule and reign of Christ in our lives. That’s what the kingdom of God is all about. Using prayer as your primary form of Application is one way to move in that direction.
PRINCIPLE FOR APPLICATION
Prayer is what locks in our transformation.
Conclusion
The Gospel of Luke is a story. It is meant to be devoured, not dissected. Let yourself get swept away in the narrative. It’s ok if you don’t understand every word or phrase. Get the gist of it and don’t lose the forest for the trees, as they say.
It is my prayer that God will reveal to you the beauty of Christ in the pages of Luke’s Gospel, and that it will result in worshipful lives, yielded to Him, and erupting in praise and thanksgiving for His glory.
Let’s enjoy this incredible book together!
Commentaries Consulted:
Douglas Stuart and Godron D. Fee, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2014)
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