Asking Better Questions of the Bible

Reviewed by:

Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

Asking Better Questions of the Bible: A Guide for the Wounded, Wary, and Longing for More

Author:

Marty Solomon

Publisher:

NavPress

https://www.navpress.com/

Publication Date:

February 7, 2023

Format:

Paperback

Length:

240 pages

OVERVIEW

Marty Solomon grew up with what he thought was a solid approach to the Bible. Coming from a Reformed background, he was well-schooled on systematically discussing Scripture. He learned how to iron out every ambiguity, to explain away every problem. Master of the text. Destroyer of doubt. Until a crisis happened and Solomon had to deconstruct and reconstruct his faith. With the help of mentors like Ray Vander Laan, Solomon began considering what it would mean to read the Bible from a new perspective.

Specifically, he learned about considering the Bible from a Jewish perspective. How would ancient Jews familiar with tribal cultures read Genesis with its emphasis on heritage? How would an ancient Jewish community in exile read the apocalyptic texts of Ezekiel and Daniel? How would a first-century Jewish audience learning to get along with Gentiles read the New Testament epistles?

Solomon’s reintegration journey led him to some surprising places. Among other insights, he learned that ancient Jewish thought often saw truth as more relational than presuppositional. Where ancient Greek and Greek-influenced Christian thought often sees truth as a series of statements that can be removed from their context and explained as syllogisms, Judaism and other Ancient Near Eastern views see context and relationship as key to truth. Truth is something learned over time that people commit to keep exploring, recognizing that truth will become more complicated the more people learn it. Therefore, Bible readers must learn to live in a posture of faithfully asking questions, trusting that God will be with us as we explore his divinely inspired texts, and see how truth is richer than we thought. That is, one must ask better questions of the Bible.

In each chapter, Solomon explains things he learned from this process, such as:

• What it means for apocalyptic texts to be more about redressing the present than unveiling the future.
• What it means to grapple with some unfortunate ways that church leaders have downplayed The Bible’s Jewish context, and what got lost in that discussion.
• What it means to treat studying Scripture as a lifelong journey, not a self-centered goal to become a content master of the text.
• What it means to be comfortable with how often the Bible challenges our cultural or political ideas, as when the Old Testament prophets delivered harsh judgments because the Israelites didn’t care well for the poor.
• What it means that the Bible is inspired but also contains literary devices and techniques, from poetry to satire.

It’s difficult to get the full flavor of this book without checking out Solomon’s BEMA Podcast, where he goes into the Bible more deeply. But he does an excellent job of giving a great primer for readers who don’t have the time to explore four years’ worth of podcast episodes.

Sometimes Solomon is surprisingly masterful at communicating his ideas. Great oral communicators are not necessarily great writers, but Solomon proves to be very good at delivering clear explanations and vivid images that explain his points. For example, when he discusses the need never to stop exploring Scripture, he explains hagah, a word that means to consume ruthlessly. Not just to reflect on a text for a few minutes, but to consume it like a lion consumes a sheep, taking every bit and sucking the marrow out of the bones. An excellent image for the craving to find truth.

The book is also refreshingly graceful. It is clear that Solomon is in a different theological camp than he was as a young Bible teacher, but he is not dismissive towards where he started. He explains how he found his upbringing helpful for some things (taking the Bible seriously), even as he has moved away from other things (treating the Bible as an instruction manual).

The humility is particularly interesting as, based on Solomon’s last name, he is presumably of Jewish background. It would be easy for an ethnically Jewish theologian making the journey Solomon describes, unpacking what happens when the church becomes so Western it misses its Jewish roots, to “take pot shots at the goys” and argue that Gentiles ruined the church. Instead, he avoids any hint of smugness. He invites readers of any ethnic or cultural heritage to understand the Bible better. He offers empathy for his background, humility about his mistakes, and hope for rebirth as readers get back to basics and recover the Bible’s original context.

A deeply refreshing look at what happens when we reach back into Christianity’s ancestral roots and discover unexpected riches.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars):

Five stars.

Suggested Audience:

Christians seeking an introductory look at getting into their faith’s Jewish roots.

Christian Impact:

Solomon makes a compelling case that we overlook something crucial when we only see Christianity in a post-Jewish context, neglecting to consider how Ancient Near Eastern thought informs its earliest ideas.

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