How the Bible actually works - Peter Enns

'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical
scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical
study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it
again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward

For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with
literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the
Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to
the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily
lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only
offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers
to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us.

'The
Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a
rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our
expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true
subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is
important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a
textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our
faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in
other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is
what interferes with our reading.

Rather than considering the
Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and
contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a
vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to
help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.
How the Bible Actually Works
makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us
beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important
measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to
instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship
with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.