How to Read the Bible for All Its worth.

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Jeff Kennedy

INTRODUCTION

Fee, Gordon D., and Stuart, Douglas. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. Third Edition.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003.

At the outset of his ministry, Jesus made it clear that the hallmark of true discipleship was the

commitment to put his teachings into practice (Mathew 7:15-27). Application of his teaching

was the distinguishing feature between those who were considered “wise” and those who were

considered “foolish.” Since it is impossible to apply what one fails to understand, the

commitment to apprehend the meaning of scripture is the disciple’s highest priority. In it’s third

edition, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth offers the serious student of scripture a road-

map to accurately understanding the plain meaning of the biblical text. Authors Gordon Fee and

Douglas Stuart offer a scholarly but accessible approach to the craft of interpretation. The book

delineates two essential approaches to interpretation: general rules that apply to all biblical

books, and specific rules that are particular to a given genre.

SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

The first part of the book presents the dilemma for the modern interpreter. The plain

meaning of scripture is often obscured by all that the interpreter imports to the text, and by the

nature of scripture itself (Fee, 14). Fee and Stuart assert that because God’s word to us first

comes as his word to “them” we must not bypass the step of discovering the historical

peculiarities of the biblical text (Fee, 17).

Therefore, one must begin with a commitment to the methodological constraints of

exegesis. Exegesis is the attempt to draw out the intended meaning from the text. The authors

commend the student to thinking exegetically as second nature. The key to doing this, according

to Fee and Stuart, is to engage the text methodically and skillfully, paying close attention to the
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historical, literary and immediate contexts. This can be done with a few simple tools, and by

developing a few simple reading habits.

The second task, according to the authors, is to move from exegesis to hermeneutics. In

this book, hermeneutics specifically refers to the current relevance of the ancient text and its

meaning (Fee, 25). Therefore, the goal is to translate the intended meaning of scripture to our

contemporary lives. In stating this, Fee and Stuart stress again that the meaning of scripture and

its bearing on our modern life cannot be arrived at by the interpreter without the controlling

factor of the author’s original intent (Fee, 24). However, this definition of hermeneutics seems

to be too restrictive and narrow. It is preferable to view hermeneutics as the overarching

framework in which all the disciplines and interpretive approaches should fit.

The book commends the student to picking up a reliable translation, and specifically

advocates the NIV, the NRSV (with caution) and possibly the GNB. There is a brief explanation

of the differences between literal translations such as the NASB and the KJV, and the

dynamically equivalent translations of the NIV and NRSV (Fee, 28-30). Additionally, chapter

two gives the student a basic primer in textual criticism designed to explain the importance of

reading the textual notes in the footnotes of modern translations.

After first addressing the need to interpret along with the foundational discipline of

exegesis, as well as the essential tools involved in the task, the authors turn their attention to a

discussion of genre. Chapter three begins with the New Testament epistles. Fee asserts that, in

spite of the epistles’ apparent ease of interpretation, the epistles are embedded with many

cultural phenomena that can present difficulty for the average interpreter. The answer to this

difficulty in interpretation is a contextual approach. The first priority is to take into

consideration the historical context. Reading carefully through the text will typically help the
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interpreter to recover the original situation, the recipients, and the purpose of the letter. Fee and

Stuart recommend beginning with a reliable Bible dictionary or reference work that will give the

student much information about the original situation. After establishing the original context, the

authors recommend reading the entire document while making observations of the text. After

these initial observations, the student is to outline the epistle. Fee and Stuart then walk the

reader through a passage from 1 Corinthians and Philippians, using the method of historical and

literary context. They advocate that the student should learn to think in paragraphs (Fee, 54).

Lastly, the authors note the difficult passages such as Paul’s words the to the

Thessalonian believers that they should recall all that he taught them while he was with them

(59-60). The difficulty here lies in the fact that we do not have access to Paul’s teaching when

he was with them, and he assumes they already understand the issue in question. This is where

the interpreter must come to the text with great humility and must refrain from being dogmatic.

Chapter four explores the hermeneutical problems that the interpreter faces. Fee raises

the question about whether it is appropriate to practice extended application of a text granted that

there is contextual parallel and a specific parallel to our modern situation. His answer is

emphatically – no! If we amplify our application of the text to many situations beyond the direct

parallel, he argues, then why bother with exegesis at all (Fee, 66-67)? He then addresses the

issue of contexts and situations that have no parallel in our modern culture such as the relative

silence of women and the worship of objects as gods. The authors suggest that in these cases, the

interpreter should start with solid exegesis of the passage so that the principle may be transferred

to its modern day cultural equivalent (Fee, 68).

Fee and Stuart then give guidelines for situations that are culturally relative, and how to

distinguish between something that is culturally relative and instruction that is binding for all
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generations and cultures. For example, it is crucial to distinguish between the timeless “sin lists”

of Paul which apply to all cultures in all times, with those peripheral issues that only affect a

culture, and are not morally binding e.g. the role of women in ministry. Next, the interpreter

must take note of those places where the New Testament presents a unified and consistent

witness (Fee, 72). Lastly, the interpreter must be content with the relative silence from scripture

on matters of theology. Since the epistles are all occasional in nature, their theology is what Fee

and Stuart refer to as “task theology” (76-77). The implication for the modern interpreter is that

we must be content with the limits of such task theology. In my view, there are no flaws in the

reasoning and logic of this chapter.

Chapter five addresses the genre of historical narrative. Contrary to pure history or

myths that are meant to be taken allegorically, Fee and Stuart insist that the stories in the Old

Testament are divine narratives in which God himself is the hero in the story (Fee, 81). Because

these narratives present God as the hero, Fee and Stuart assert that they do not always teach us an

immediate lesson about ourselves (Fee, 82). Instead, many of the Old Testament narratives

function simply as connecting links that illustrate lessons that are taught elsewhere in scripture

(Fee, 82). Fee and Stuart claim that the danger in approaching biblical narratives is to approach

them as if each individual unit can yield specific points of application for our modern lives. In

other words, the narrative’s greatest point is found as the reader zooms all the way out and takes

in the full breadth of the story being told.

The authors provide us with several keys or guidelines for understanding narratives. It is

critical, they assert, that we not confuse what the Bible records for what it approves. Or that we

not press the narratives for theology the way we might Paul’s epistles, or the laws. In essence,

most narratives teach implicitly a lesson that can be found elsewhere. Although some stories
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teach explicitly about God, their primary purpose is not to communicate the gamut of theological

truth about a given subject, but instead refer to specific issues that the story touches (Fee, 84).

Fee and Stuart then proceed to walk the interpreter through the stories of Joseph and Ruth

(briefly). They caution the reader against making the common mistake of wringing a specific

moral or lesson(s) from the narrative. Fee and Stuart’s argument seems to be that we should be

careful about what scripture intends for us to take as normative behavior, or a typical experience

for the modern believer and reader (Fee, 85). They end the section with some additional cautions

about the abuse of narratives such as allegorizing, decontextualizing, selectively citing, falsely

combining, and redefining texts.

Though the point is well argued, one wonders if the reader should not draw out general

principles from narratives that demonstrate how God interacts with people. Though it is true that

one should not press the narratives for a moral that it doesn’t intend to convey, it seems clear that

God has a certain pattern of interaction. Though the details of each event may vary, general

principles of how God interacts with his people can be very beneficial. As well, it seems that the

mistakes and victories of each biblical character should also to be taken into account.

Chapter six addresses the question of the book of Acts and historical precedent. The

authors suggest that what has plagued the restoration movement’s interpretation of Acts has been

whether the narratives are descriptive or prescriptive. Fee and Stuart suggest that the reader

learn to distinguish between what happened and what must happen (Fee, 106). Their general

principle is that unless the Bible explicitly prescribes belief or behavior, then the interpreter must

refrain from making that narrative a normative pattern for church life and doctrine. One is to pay

attention to the details in the narrative that are incidental and inconsistent. These details serve to

accentuate the main point, and should not be forced to yield meaning where there is none.
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The point is well taken that a text describing how first century Christians behaved does

not necessarily prescribe that behavior. However, it is also true, that if that practice is beneficial

to a modern church or group, the scripture is not explicitly forbidding that practice either. This

issue does not seem to be addressed in the chapter.

Chapter seven touches on the genre of Gospel. The Gospels tell one story with an

apparent patchwork of genres contained within them, and therefore qualify as a unique literary

category altogether (Fee, 114-115). Several peculiar oddities surface as one compares the

Gospels to each other.

Fee and Stuart suggest that the reader is not to be put off by their apparent lack of

exactness with regards to chronology and the specific wording of the same narrative found in

each (Fee, 114). Fee and Stuart commend the interpreter to return to the basics of exegesis,

which is to establish the historical context above all. They begin with the general historical

context and move to the specific context of Jesus’ world. The authors caution against viewing

the moral imperatives as cultural and viewing them as law. They are neither (Fee, 130).

Additionally, the narratives do not primarily teach a moral lesson. Those lessons are

secondary to their purpose. Instead, the narratives, particularly the signs and miracles, teach us

about the power and importance of the Kingdom (Fee, 130). Fee and Stuart impress upon the

interpreter the need to grasp Jesus’ Kingdom message. Understanding the overarching Kingdom

idea will keep the reader from arbitrarily assigning meaning to the passages (Fee, 131-134).

Again the same criticism for historical narrative can be adapted for the Gospels. Even

though the individual narratives should not be forced to yield doctrinal content, we should

examine them to understand how Jesus interacted with disciples, Pharisees, Roman soldiers,

Samaritans, and women etc.

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Fee and Stuart devote an entire chapter to parables and their use. Jesus used a variety of

similitudes, metaphors and short stories (true parables) to illustrate his truth (Fee, 137). The

authors assert that the parables only have one major point, and are designed for reader response

(Fee, 136; 138-139). Parables are very much like jokes. To over-examine a parable and wring

too much out of it causes one to miss the punch line. Interpreting a joke will of course ruin the

joke. Similarly, one should not explain parables. Instead, the reader should become familiar

with the referents to which the first century audience would have been so familiar. The details

are there to give the final twist, or the pithy ending of the parable its “punch” (Fee, 139).

Additionally, parables are not allegories (Fee, 140). In an allegory, every specific detail

has independent meaning all its own. The entire story serves as a vehicle to convey those

particular meanings that are encoded in the details of the story. However, a parable functions

much the opposite way. The many details are mere scenery so that the speaker may lead the

listener to the turn around, or the twist which is surprising and illicits response. In my view, Fee

and Stuart have done the body of Christ a great service in establishing these guidelines, and

helping the modern interpreter to understand this specific rhetorical device, and the differences

between analogous material, true parable, and “kingdom” parables (Fee, 144-146).

Chapter nine addresses the role of the law for New Covenant people. The authors offer

six guidelines that will help the reader of scripture to understand the role of the law. First, the

interpreter should understand that the Old Testament law is a covenant, or a contract in which

God as the suzerain unilaterally establishes benefits for covenant observance and the

consequences of noncompliance (Fee, 150-151). Secondly, the Old Testament is not our

Testament. It is critical for the New Covenant person to understand that Israel’s Testament is

theirs not ours. Thirdly, some stipulations have not been renewed in the New Covenant. Fourth,
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part of the Old is renewed in the new. Particularly many of the timeless ethical demands that are

rooted in God’s character. Fifth, all the Old Covenant is still the word of God for us, even

though it is not the word of God to us. Sixth, only that which is explicitly renewed in the New

Testament from the Old will be considered applicable for us (Fee, 150-154).

Beyond this, Fee and Stuart explore the role of the law. It is incorrect to assert that

possession of the law was a badge of membership for Old Covenant people. Instead, it was God

who saved them, not their law. Fee and Stuart mention two kinds of laws, apodictic (general

laws) and casuistic (case by case) laws (Fee, 154-158). All of these laws serve as the kind of

standards that we should expect from God as his New Covenant people (Fee, 158).

Chapter ten unpacks the purpose and nature of prophetic literature. The first caution that

the authors address is the tendency to view the prophets as mere predictors of the future. The

authors remind us that only 1 percent of all Old Testament prophecy deals with future events, 2

percent relate to the Messiah, and only 5 percent refer to the New Covenant at all (Fee, 166).

Instead of seeing the prophets as prognosticators of the future only, we should view them as

God’s spokesman, covenantal mediators who most often speak back into the Torah to remind

Israel of their roots and restorative promises (Fee, 165-172).

Fee and Stuart assert that without some external helps (commentaries and a Bible

dictionary) the student will find it nearly impossible to understand the prophetic oracles (Fee,

172-176). The individual oracles are a collection of oral prophecies and are difficult to read

without a knowledge of the historical background. Additionally, one must understand the

various rhetorical devices in which the prophets engage. The prophet can use lawsuit, promise,

and poetry. The hermeneutical key to understanding their message to us, according to Fee and

Stuart, is to draw out the principle where possible (Fee, 181).

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The authors go on to give the reader a caution about collapsing “temporal” predictions

into future ones. In certain cases e.g. passages in Ezekiel, the prophecy was fulfilled within

decades of its utterance. However, there may be passages that speak of the future New Covenant

(Ez. 37), but we must be careful not to amplify temporal passages with a future application (Fee,

181-183). In the same way, the interpreter should not look for second meanings (sensus plenior)

in all prophetic passages. When New Testament writers see fuller meanings in Old Testament

passages, it is because they are being given a prerogative that we do not have. Seeing the Old

Testament passage as analogous to our New Testament experience was an inspired perspective

that does not continue in perpetuity for all believers (Fee, 183-186). Though the authors caution

the interpreter to refrain from this approach altogether, I do not think that using the text

illustratively is a problem as long as the interpreter is not asserting that the analogy they have

drawn is the one interpretation of the text. Indeed, the fact that the biblical writers use the Old

Testament this way can not invalidate the use of allegory altogether.

Chapter eleven sheds light on the Psalms and their usage. Fee and Stuart instruct the

reader to refrain from over-exegeting the psalm. Instead, the psalms are messages about God

primarily in poetic form. The various prosaic truths understood from the psalms are

communicated poetically, and are not intended to teach doctrinal content. The “vocabulary” of

poetic literature is intentionally metaphorical, and should not be literalized (Fee, 190).

As literature, there are various types of psalms that the Israelites were aware of that the

modern reader may not understand. Bridging this “type” barrier for the modern reader is

therefore critical (Fee, 191). Each of these types of psalms serve a particular function, have a

specific form, and demonstrate various patterns. The psalms should always be taken as a literary

unit. The authors suggest that the modern reader learn to become familiar with several of these
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types: laments, thanksgiving psalms, hymns of praise, salvation history psalms, celebration and

affirmation psalms, wisdom psalms, psalms of trust, and imprecatory, or negative psalms.

The Psalms serve as a prayer book, helping us to worship God, to express our feelings

and thoughts, and to meditate on God’s ways (Fee, 204-205). Psalms are to be used in

devotional commitment to and reflection upon God, not as guarantees of future blessing (Fee,

205).

Chapter twelve introduces us to wisdom literature. Wisdom literature is often

misunderstood because the reader doesn’t understand the nature of ancient sources of wisdom as

well as the role wisdom played in ancient cultures. It is the wise application of knowledge.

Ancient cultures often employed wise teachers known as “wise men” (i.e. the satrapi of

Babylon). These men were instrumental in composing and collecting wise sayings (Fee, 210-

212). Similarly, the biblical order of wise men emerged at the same time as the monarchy and

instructed Israel regarding the wise application of its laws to daily affairs. Job presents historical

wisdom (narrative wisdom), Proverbs presents poetic wisdom, and Ecclesiastes communicates

cynical wisdom. Fee and Stuart provide the modern reader with various cautions against the

abuse of ancient wisdom literature such as pressing proverbs for promises, or transposing a

particular narrative to modern life (Fee, 225-230).

Fee and Stuart end the book with some specifics on how to approach apocalyptic

literature, particularly the book of Revelation. The problem with the book of Revelation is that it

uses unfamiliar symbols, it speaks of the future, it is set in history, and it presents an apocalyptic

vision of God’s coming kingdom (Fee, 231). The authors strongly caution the interpreter to

approach the book with a degree of humility and to become as familiar with the historical

background as possible.
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There are several distinguishing features of apocalyptic literature. First, the “taproot” of

apocalyptic is Old Testament prophetic literature (Fee, 232-234). Second, apocalyptic is a

literary work from stem to stern. They are not intended to be spoken and collected (as oracles

were), but are intended to be written and read. Third, the material of apocalyptic is presented in

highly charged visions, cryptic dreams and symbolic activity. Fourth, the imagery of apocalyptic

is most often that of fantasy imagery rather than that of reality. Fifth, because it is primarily

literary, the “sets” of images do not necessarily follow each other, or communicate a sequential

reality.

Though Revelation is apocalyptic literature, it is also prophetic. This distinguishes it

from Jewish apocalyptic in that it intends to present a message from God to the recipient (and the

reader), instead of being just an allegorical re-telling of a particular historical event. Therefore,

God has a message to the churches of that time, and his temporal message to these churches has

application for ensuing generations of believers (Fee, 233-235).

Lastly, the Revelation is also an epistle. It has both an epilogue and salutation, which

distinguishes it from typical apocalyptic literature. The significance here is that like Paul’s

letters, the Revelation is “occasional.” That is, a particular circumstance has prompted the need

for the vision and the letter. In this case, the church is facing corrosion from within, and

persecution from without.

Fee and Stuart suggest the following guidelines for interpreting this genre: first, the

reader should appreciate the rich background of the various symbols. John pulls from the Old

Testament as well as mythical and extra-biblical apocalyptical imagery. Second, one must

distinguish between constant images and specific ones. Third, John’s own interpretations of the
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images must be the starting point for any subsequent interpretation. Fourth, one must see the

visionary content as a whole and refrain from pressing the details for meaning (Fee, 236-238).

Lastly, Fee and Stuart draw attention to the clear distinction within the text between

tribulation and wrath. To view these two critical themes as interchangeable will leave the

modern reader in a state of hopeless confusion (Fee, 239). Additionally, the modern reader must

learn to distinguish between the various genres contained within Revelation.

In my view, though the book clearly deals with future events, it would be a violation of

the literature to ignore the literal churches and the literal threats they faced in the first century or

early second century. To immediately extrapolate to a future perfected church during a

“tribulation” would be to ignore the original recipients and the implication of the prophetic

message to them. One may be able to get there, but you have to get there from the past, not in

blatant disregarding of it.

CONCLUSION

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is one of the most critical books for our

postmodern era of interpretation. The “worth” of scripture, according to author’s Fee and Stuart,

is found in the biblical author’s original intention to his original audience. Its message to us

must be first be found in his message to them. Fee and Stuart rightly suggest that there is a right

way and a wrong way to interpret scripture. The right way is to be thoroughly acquainted with

the general rules that apply to all forms of literature, and the specific rules that apply to various

genres. This book offers many practical insights to help the serious student to understand the

contents of scripture. These insights will assist the modern interpreter to extract as much as

possible as they learn to “take up and read” the biblical text as it was intended.
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