Savoring Scripture - by Andrew Abernethy (Paperback)

About the Book

Christians who want to study the Bible need a resource that is both academically informative and spiritually vibrant. Using six practical steps, this guide helps students build a strong grasp of Scripture's meaning and then engage the practice of lectio divina as they consider how to respond faithfully to what God is saying to us today.

Book Synopsis

Some books on how to read the Bible are academically informative, but their rationality can make God seem distant. Other books are spiritually vibrant but provide few tools that truly help God's people read the Bible better. Readers need a guide that combines the academic with the spiritual--that integrates textual analysis with the illuminating and transformational work of the Holy Spirit.

Drawing from his experience training students to study the Bible, Andrew Abernethy provides a holistic method that helps readers listen carefully to what God was saying to the original audience and what God is saying to us today. Using clear examples, he lays out six steps:

• Posture
• Flow
• Context
• Whole Bible
• Savor God
• Faithful response

Chapters provide guidance on interpreting biblical genres, factoring in historical backgrounds, reading each passage in context, tracing the redemptive storyline of Scripture, and more. Then, building on a strong grasp of Scripture's meaning, readers engage the traditional practice of lectio divina and consider how to respond faithfully to the text. The goal, Abernethy says, is to encounter God and to be shaped by the Word as we savor its richness.

Filled with practical features such as illustrations, maps, timelines, and discussion questions, Savoring Scripture is a valuable guide for students and anyone who wants to study the Bible more effectively. God has given us a Bible that is for the hungry--for those willing both to depend on God for provision and to put in the mental effort to enjoy the feast.

Review Quotes

"Savoring Scripture takes seriously the psalmists' confession that the Word of God is rich food that delights and satisfies. Abernethy offers a simple and well-rounded approach to Bible study that opens the path to formation and nourishment. Spiritual reflection without deep study is foolish; study without worship is lifeless. This book intertwines both and makes for a perfect recipe."

Nijay K. Gupta, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary

"Andrew Abernethy has produced an incredibly accessible and stimulating guide for how to study the Bible. You don't have to be a scholar of Hebrew or Greek, or an expert on ancient Egypt or Rome, as Abernethy shows, all you need is a teachable heart and a desire to learn. If you have that, then Abernethy has a great plan to help you get the most of your study of Holy Scripture, to have your way illuminated by the guiding light of God's Word."

Michael F. Bird, academic dean and lecturer in theology at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia

"Does the Bible feel intimidating or irrelevant? This step-by-step guide offers a simple but effective way to engage with Scripture for personal transformation. Andrew Abernethy puts his academic credentials in service of the church in this down-to-earth book. Beginners will experience the Bible as was intended--as a true story that changes us and helps us connect with God."

Carmen Joy Imes, associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University and author of Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

"We desperately need books that help people in the church read the Bible more faithfully. Andrew Abernethy provides an engaging guide to readers who want to more competently understand this book that has been changing lives for centuries."

Patrick Schreiner, associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

About the Author

Charlie E. Dates (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the senior pastor of Salem and Progressive Baptist Churches of Chicago. A sought-after speaker, he is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences, and universities throughout theUnited States and abroad. He is an affiliate professor at Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Anderson University, and Wheaton College. He is a contributing author to the Handbook of Contemporary Preaching and Letters to a Birmingham Jail. He and his wife, Kirstie, and their children Charlie II and Claire live in Chicago.

Andrew T. Abernethy (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He has written several books, including Eating in Isaiah (Brill, 2014), The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom (IVP, 2016), God's Messiah in the Old Testament, with Greg Goswell (Baker, 2020), Discovering Isaiah (Eerdmans, 2021), and Savoring Scripture (IVP, 2022).