About thirty years ago, Dr. Richard Pratt (formerly professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL) wrote an article entitled “Pictures, Windows, and Mirrors in Old Testament Exegesis.”[1] Consider these three objects.
In Pratt’s article, he dealt particularly with the Old Testament historical narratives and said that we can profitably use three perspectives in their interpretation:
These same three perspectives may be applied to our study of the Bible in general, and so Bible instruction in the Christian school may be seen from these three angles. First, the Bible is an object of study. That is, the Bible is a body of content which the students must learn, just as they learn the content of history, of mathematics, of science, and of the other subjects in the school. Students learn the basic facts and stories of the Bible, study the types of literature contained in it, and learn what it teaches in its various parts. Bible classes thus will involve study, lectures, quizzes, tests, etc., the same as for other classes. Students need to master the content of the Bible just as they do for other subjects.
Second, the Bible provides a perspective for understanding the world. We commonly call this a “world view.” As we learn more of Scripture, we begin to see the world around us the way God Himself sees it. It is comparable to wearing eyeglasses – as our students put on the “spectacles” of Scripture, they see everything around them clearly and properly. This would include the area of application. How does the Bible apply to current issues? To our culture? To various topics with which men have to deal? We want Bible instruction in a Christian school to train our students to think about all areas of life from a Biblical perspective.
Third, Bible instruction in the Christian school will seek to change the lives of the students. We want our students to know more of Christ through their Bible classes, to be drawn to Him, to come to repentance and faith, and to be made more and more like Christ. Bible classes should become places where students come face to face with the living Word of God, and are either brought closer to Christ or have their sins exposed more fully. Students should not leave Bible class unchanged by the Word of God.
All three of these viewpoints are important and essential to our Bible instruction. We do not place any of them as a higher priority than the others, for all are needed. If students do not know the content of the Bible, they will not be able to understand the world Biblically, nor will their own lives be changed. If they do not develop a Biblical world view, it indicates that they really don’t understand the content of the Bible, and their lives are not being changed in the right way. If our students do not experience changed lives, it means they have not really learned the content of the Bible, and they will not be able to develop a proper understanding of their world.
At various times through the course of study in a Christian school, one or the other of these viewpoints may be more prominent than the others. That is, there may be class sessions, units of study, or even entire courses which will focus more on knowledge of content than on world views or on personal holiness. At other times, the development of a world view will come to the fore; and at still other times, the emphasis will be on the development of a personal walk with Christ. But over the course of the school's Bible curriculum, all three emphases will be maintained and developed, as essential to a proper study of the Bible.
[1] Richard L. Pratt, Jr.; “Pictures, Windows, and Mirrors in Old Testament Exegesis.” Westminster Theological Journal 45.1 (Spring 1983): 156-167.
- When we go to an art gallery, we look at a picture. We study the colors, the shapes, the texture, the arrangement of objects, etc.
- When we have a window, it is primarily something through which we look. Unless we are window washers, we don’t look at a window; we use it to look at other things.
- Mirrors are also not things at which we look, unless we are trying to clean them. And, except for special two-way mirrors, we don’t look through them. We use mirrors to look at ourselves.
In Pratt’s article, he dealt particularly with the Old Testament historical narratives and said that we can profitably use three perspectives in their interpretation:
- Pictures – We look at the text as we would study a picture. In Old Testament narratives, we engage in literary analysis, studying the background and form of the text.
- Windows – We view the text as giving us a window into the historical record. What can we learn about Old Testament history from the text?
- Mirrors – We study the themes of the texts. What does the Old Testament history teach us about God, about sin, about our need for a Savior, etc.?
These same three perspectives may be applied to our study of the Bible in general, and so Bible instruction in the Christian school may be seen from these three angles. First, the Bible is an object of study. That is, the Bible is a body of content which the students must learn, just as they learn the content of history, of mathematics, of science, and of the other subjects in the school. Students learn the basic facts and stories of the Bible, study the types of literature contained in it, and learn what it teaches in its various parts. Bible classes thus will involve study, lectures, quizzes, tests, etc., the same as for other classes. Students need to master the content of the Bible just as they do for other subjects.
Second, the Bible provides a perspective for understanding the world. We commonly call this a “world view.” As we learn more of Scripture, we begin to see the world around us the way God Himself sees it. It is comparable to wearing eyeglasses – as our students put on the “spectacles” of Scripture, they see everything around them clearly and properly. This would include the area of application. How does the Bible apply to current issues? To our culture? To various topics with which men have to deal? We want Bible instruction in a Christian school to train our students to think about all areas of life from a Biblical perspective.
Third, Bible instruction in the Christian school will seek to change the lives of the students. We want our students to know more of Christ through their Bible classes, to be drawn to Him, to come to repentance and faith, and to be made more and more like Christ. Bible classes should become places where students come face to face with the living Word of God, and are either brought closer to Christ or have their sins exposed more fully. Students should not leave Bible class unchanged by the Word of God.
All three of these viewpoints are important and essential to our Bible instruction. We do not place any of them as a higher priority than the others, for all are needed. If students do not know the content of the Bible, they will not be able to understand the world Biblically, nor will their own lives be changed. If they do not develop a Biblical world view, it indicates that they really don’t understand the content of the Bible, and their lives are not being changed in the right way. If our students do not experience changed lives, it means they have not really learned the content of the Bible, and they will not be able to develop a proper understanding of their world.
At various times through the course of study in a Christian school, one or the other of these viewpoints may be more prominent than the others. That is, there may be class sessions, units of study, or even entire courses which will focus more on knowledge of content than on world views or on personal holiness. At other times, the development of a world view will come to the fore; and at still other times, the emphasis will be on the development of a personal walk with Christ. But over the course of the school's Bible curriculum, all three emphases will be maintained and developed, as essential to a proper study of the Bible.
[1] Richard L. Pratt, Jr.; “Pictures, Windows, and Mirrors in Old Testament Exegesis.” Westminster Theological Journal 45.1 (Spring 1983): 156-167.