by R. B. Jamieson and Tyler R. Wittman
Book Review
The liberal preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick once said that the Bible is like a “puzzle” placed on the preacher’s desk. He viewed Scripture as something difficult to understand and sought to extract useful messages from it. Such an approach inevitably leads to homiletical and theological distortion.
The problem is not the Bible itself, but a lack of understanding of how to read and proclaim it rightly. The task of rightly dividing the word of truth has been an essential responsibility of preachers from the apostolic age to the present. In this context, the work of Bobby Jamieson and Tyler Wittman offers important insight. Both authors, well-versed in hermeneutical discussions and clearly committed to serving the church, present “tools of biblical reasoning” for interpreting Scripture. Their central claim is clear: the ultimate goal of better exegesis is to see God.
Every preacher is already engaged in hermeneutics. The important issue is not whether interpretation is taking place, but whether that interpretation is faithful and fruitful.
Ultimately, the goal of Christian biblical interpretation is to behold the glory of Christ crucified. This means, by faith, knowing in advance the glory of God that will one day be fully revealed, and progressively participating more deeply in that glory. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we live according to the pattern of the cross, and as we follow Christ, we are gradually transformed and come to give glory to God.
Therefore, reading Scripture is not merely a process of understanding, but a theological and spiritual act of beholding God’s glory through His self-revelation and participating in that glory. This is both the reason and the way Christians read the Bible.
