We all know that Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12) . In this lab, John Piper calls readers to treat authors this way.

Some questions to ask as you read and study:

  1. What advice would you give a new believer reading the Bible for the first time?
  2. Watch the lab. Do you agree with John Piper that readers should follow the Golden Rule when they try to understand an author?
  3. What is at stake if we fail to apply this Golden Rule to our Bible reading?

Principle for Bible Reading

The Golden Rule of Bible Reading

When we open our Bibles, we want to open them eager to learn. But we can fall into a reading habit that silences the authors in favor of our opinions.

The solution is to make sure we apply the Golden Rule to our reading: Do unto authors as you would have readers do unto you as an author. From this humble position, we can ask God to shape our thoughts and convictions and respond in obedience instead of misunderstanding.

By DesiringGod.org