Impressionistic Use of the Bible

Ezekiel 23:1-49
Hebrews 10:18-39
Psalm 109:1-31
Proverbs 27:13


This one is only really half thought out tonight (possibly because it is written so late after being out at an Alpha Course in the pub chatting until late) but also because it is a tricky idea for me to get my head round.


Reading through Psalm 109 I got to verse 8 and thought, "hang on, that's familiar."  It turns out that it is used in Acts 1 verse 20 by Peter when he is talking about Judas and finding a replacement for him.  In the New Living Translation it says, "let someone else take his position."


Taken like that, totally out of context, then you could think of it as being a prophecy about Judas. It possibly matches but it really does require a bit of imagination.  Then you go back and read the whole Psalm and you realise that these words, "let someone else take his position" are on the lips of the accusers of an innocent man and all of a sudden the whole thing gets very confusing.


It seems that Peter and others (especially Matthew) seem to use the Bible in a very impressionistic way, especially when it comes to saying, "The Bible says..." It's odd because this approach to the Bible would get most preachers laughed out of church these days.  Is Peter right to use the Bible in this seemingly random way?  


I don't know.  But what it does make me think of is that rather disgusting proverb, "There is more than one way to skin a cat."  As a complete digression I have to ask at this point how many there are and who on earth thought of them...


As well as there being more than one way to part a feline from its fur there are also many different ways of reading the Bible.  You can go in depth into a passage, pulling it apart and looking at the history, language, etc.  You can Meditate on it as it is and let the passage soak into you like a marinade.  You can sing it and adapt it to music.  You can read it out together as a congregation or Bible study group.


Or you can us it impressionistically just like Peter did, taking parts of sentences out of context and quoting them to people as, "The Bible says..."  It must be a valid way of reading if Acts 20 is anything to go by but in the end it leaves me feeling a little cold.  


What do you think?