Come and See: The Journey of Knowing God through Scripture
In the book Come and See, Dr. Jonathan Pennington invites his readers into a journey with him through the Scriptures. There is an overarching analogy of a road trip with three close but diverse friends. Each offers a unique perspective and set of skills to know the God of the Bible deeper and fuller. The book provides the map to deeper understanding but it is not the destination. Knowledge is not the end goal, but leads towards the transformational goal of Scripture; to be more like Christ in our daily lives.
“Knowing God is not just a pill we can swallow or an app we can open. It is a journey of life experiences that are shaped and interpreted over time by Scripture.”
Pennington uses three approaches to Biblical interpretation: Informational, Theological, and Transformational. Rather than just giving us bible reading tips and hermeneutical principles, each approach is personified through the drivers on the road trip Ingrid, Tom, and Taylor. Along the way, there are somewhat random detours and side trips and opportunity’s to take a turn at the wheel. This playful analogy helps to liven up a topic that often is taught in a matter of fact, and dry manner.
“Reading theologically also involves paying attention to the scope of the whole Bible, learning how the church before our time interpreted the biblical texts, and understanding how the church’s creeds help us read… A theological reading is not the opposite of the informational skills we learned from Ingrid. But it is founded on something deeper and goes beyond these techniques.”
I highly recommend this book for all Christians; especially those wanting more from Scripture, college students, church leaders and aspiring theologians. It is written in an approachable way that all Christians may benefit from, yet deep enough that seminary students and pastors would greatly benefit from it. This book is a perfect resource to go through in a small group or Sunday School. Often times our approach to Scripture is one sided which leads to a narrower understanding of Scripture. I agree with Pennington and echo his encouragement for you to Come and See the beauty of Scripture.
“The transformational aspect of reading the Bible focuses on the overall purpose of our journey. Without a clear understanding of the direction we are going, we’ll never get there. But Scripture is clear what our goal is- being transformed more into God’s image. This can be described as growing in love for God and for others, according to Jesus’s explanation of God’s will for humanity. Understanding the transformational aspect of our journey involves exploring our goal in reading Scripture, the importance of our posture toward God, and the crucial role that the Holy Spirit plays in interpretation.”
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Come and See: The Journey of Knowing God through Scripture By Jonathan Pennington |
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions I express are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.