My Guide to Reading the Bible
by Stuart E. Schadt

We read all material with certain expectations and prior conclusions. Below is a brief sketch of what I am thinking as I read scripture.

1. I am a witness to the existence of God.
   There is no proof for the existence of God, there are however witnesses to attest to the existence of God. Everyone who can say "I believe" is a witness to the existence of God. I am a witness and you are a witness.
2. The Books of the Bible are the testimony of people like me.
   The Bible does not claim to be delivered by some form of "magic." The books of the bible are quite clearly the stories of faithful people told by believers and passed down from one generation to another until they were finally brought together in the collection we know as the bible. The collection known as the Old Testament took its final form around 100 CE and the collection known as the New Testament took its final form around 300 CE.
3. The testimony of these faithful people is influenced by their historical, geographical and cultural setting.
   The writers of these book and we as the readers can not escape the limits of our own experience. Yet these books have been passed on and read and cherished because they pass on to us the experience of God.
4. The testimony is shaped by the literary vehicle that carries it.
   • The books of the Old Testament are usually described as historical (i.e. Joshua, Judges, Kings), writings (i.e. Psalms, Proverbs), and prophets (i.e. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos).
   • The books of the New Testament are divided into the four Gospels, Acts (Historical), the Letters and the Book of Revelation (a piece of apocalytic literature).
5. As we read these books our conclusions are shaped by the beliefs we bring to them.
   • There are places where our conclusions have changed: Creation, Slavery, Divorce, The Role of Women, Ecology, Divine Right of Kings, and Religious Authority over secular issues
   • There are a whole host of issues that created and continue to separate the different denominations of Christianity: Form of Baptism, Nature of the Sacraments, Explanations of the Trinity, Predestination
6. I want to bring the following thoughts to all my reading of Scripture.
   These are the recorded stories and thoughts of faithful people. These writings have been gathered and passed on because God continues to be revealed through these writings. The conclusions drawn from these scriptures have changed over time and will continue to change.
7. As I read scripture I find the following theological beliefs affirmed.
   • God is Love and what God creates is good.
   • God desires to gather all of creation for redemption. God seeks to include us, not exclude us.
   • God's covenant of redemption is an unmediated covenant with all creation. This is to say that my relationship with God is not controlled nor defined by the church nor any other earthly power.
   • God's promise of relationship with me is an unbreakable covenant that is sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
   • God calls me to strive for my full potential and empowers me to reach my potential.
   • Evil is real but it is limited. It is part of the created order. It is not part of the eternal order.

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Stuart Schadt has been actively working with non-profits for nearly 25 years focusing on strategic planning, goal setting, board development, fund raising, non-profit financial management, and staff training. He is currently senior pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas, Virginia.

He has developed programs for personal success, strategic planning, membership retention, and organizational fundraising. He is also co-author of the Immanuel Experience.