Does the Bible really say that?

Assumption-free Bible reading

DOES THE BIBLE REALLY SAY THAT?
By David J. Batty
88 pages. £6.00 inc. p&p
Published by the author and available from 18 Priory Road, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 7NE

Mr. Batty has written this slim volume out of a concern for the right handling of the Scriptures. He is aware that Christians can so easily bring their assumptions to the text of the Bible and, instead of actually reading what is there lay a wrong interpretation on the passage.

He is an advocate for a slow, careful, assumption-free reading of the Word.

He demonstrates his key principle by looking at 12 diverse subjects. They range from ‘in order to be saved we must accept Jesus as our personal Saviour’ to ‘not all Jesus’s words are to be taken literally’.

So, as we gaily sail across the ocean of biblical interpretation, this book is a shot across our bows that reminds us not to impose our loose mental framework on the actual meaning of Scripture. It is an easy-to-understand volume and a salutary reminder of our obligation to handle the Bible accurately.

I found myself trying to assess how many points out of 12 I got on Mr. Batty’s right interpretation scale.

John Tindall,
Monyhull Church, Birmingham

© Evangelicals Now - September 2010
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Main Articles

• God set to use London?
• The Commentary
  Encouragement for the disappointed evangelist
• Housewarmings
  Tips on getting to know neighbours
• Roman Catholicism?
  An examination
• Lessons from 30 years
  As Wesley Aiken celebrates 30 years as pastor at Rochester Baptist Church, he reflects on what he has learned
• Growing a caring church
  An interview
• Turnaround churches need older ladies?
• Embracing resurrection life
  Colossians 3.12-17
• Monthly media and arts column
  Should we watch this?
• Monthly youth leaders column
  Gangland youth groups?
• The Music Exchange
  The lonesome piper?
• To change the world
  Letter from America
• Horror and 3D
  Two recent developments in film

Other articles

• Toy Story 3
• Inception
• John Henry Newman: becoming Rome's first ecumenical saint
• Francis Schaeffer: a mind and heart for God - Second of two extracts
• Rev - A BBC2 series
• Gospel-centred life - Ninth of a series of extracts
• Does the Bible really say that?
• Cherished - Boys, bodies and becoming a girl of gold
• Two Testaments, one Bible - The theological relationship between the Old and New Testaments
• English Standard Version Study Bible
• Works of William Tyndale (2 vols.)
• Personality and stress
• Pope Benedict XVI and the United Kingdom
• I'm a Christian, aren't I?
• Liberal education and the National Curriculum
• Facing grief
• Rest in God - A calamity in contemporary Christianity
• War child - Memories of a World War II childhood
• The radical disciple
• Preaching Christ from Ecclesiastes
• I wish someone would explain Hebrews to me!