Both of these books are written by outstanding reformed, Presbyterian-theology writers. Poythress is professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Longman, formerly professor of Old Testament at the same institution, recently moved to California where he continues to teach.

One of the most serious things we do is interpret Scripture.  If we are wrong there, then we will distort or altogether miss the Bible’s message.  I combine these two books in one review because, read together, they complement each other and provide preachers, teachers, and other leaders with a well-rounded treatment of hermeneutics (Bible interpretation).

I suggest beginning with Longman’s book. It is very readable, even for an untrained laymen; however, those with seminary backgrounds will also benefit. I have recommended Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, which is helpful, but I believe Longman’s book is superior and more usable for several reasons—not the least of which is his reformed perspective. His basic thesis is that the Bible addresses both the mind and the heart. We tend to go from one extreme to the other, but balance is vital in understanding God’s Word. The Scripture is God’s chief avenue of changing our lives, but if we do not read and understand, we will not be changed.  I believe casual observation of culture indicates that many who claim allegiance to the Bible are not really changed by its message. Therefore, says Longman, understanding the Bible with our minds is not enough to produce life-change.  Scripture must take hold of our hearts at the same time. 

Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind will give the reader some basic, key components for interpreting the Bible.  Longman understands the different literary styles of the Bible and deals with them effectively from a biblically theological perspective.  He believes that this literary understanding and approach to interpreting the Bible is vital to reading and interpreting with both mind and heart.

After reading Longman’s book I would round off my study of this topic with God Centered Biblical Interpretation. Vern Poythress has taught hermeneutics for more than twenty years.  He knows his topic and ably communicates it in oral and written form.  He, like Longman, has written extensively on this and other subjects.

Poythress sets forth a Trinitarian approach to interpreting Scripture.  He reminds us at the outset that if we read and interpret the Bible as merely a human book, we distort the message.  He uses alliterations to illustrate some of the most common distortions, creating characters such as Libby Liberal, Natalie Naturalist, and Norma Narratologist that make the reading delightful and help the reader understand and apply Poythress’ points. Some chapter titles that may whet your appetite for this book include: “God and Biblical Interpretation,” “What is the Bible?,” “The Purpose of the Bible,” “The Triune Character of Truth,” “Meaning,” “Communication,” and “Steps in Interpretation.”

One thread the author weaves throughout the book, both explicitly and implicitly, is the fact that our view of God impacts our interpretation of Scripture.  Poythress writes, “To know the author is to know [God].  If we are darkened in our understanding of God, our knowledge of the Bible will inevitably suffer, sometimes subtly, sometimes radically.”  The concluding chapter of the book, “Differences in the Doctrine of God among Christians” clearly reminds us of this point. 

Poythress also underscores the need to combine an understanding of the speaker (writer), the audience addressed, and the discourse or text in order to begin to comprehend God’s message to us.  The chapter “Steps in Interpretation” delineates three steps that help us study and interpret the Word.  Poythress also understands the weakness of the “Enlightenment, scientific, and rationalistic” approach to interpreting Scripture—the assumption that using all the right tools and logic will guarantee a correct interpretation. He maintains that a sense of how the church throughout history has understood a passage is necessary—essential—if we are to correctly interpret the Bible.

Longman and Poythress remind us that we can get information from the Bible and still miss God’s message.  Both authors agree that to understand the Bible we must involve both the mind and the heart; we must exegete soundly but also wrestle with the application of God’s Word for today’s setting.  Both clearly grasp the strengths and weaknesses of post-modernism, which makes their books valuable reading. These two books are extremely helpful in teaching students how to correctly interpret the Bible. 

- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator