How the Bible Reads the Bible (Gary Edward Schnittjer) Ep. #263

How should Christians study the Bible? Does Scripture itself teach us how it should be read? In this episode of The Biblical Mind, Dru Johnson is joined by Dr. Gary Edward Schnittjer, distinguished professor of Old Testament for Cairn Theological Seminary at Cairn University, to discuss his new book, Connected: How Scripture Guides the Study of Scripture. Together they explore why the Bible should be interpreted on its own terms rather than through modern assumptions, and how the biblical authors model faithful reading of Scripture itself.

The conversation begins with the challenges of teaching today's college students, biblical literacy, and how classroom practices have changed over the past three decades. From there, Schnittjer explains why the Bible's literary artistry, historical context, and overarching narrative are essential for understanding God's revelation. Rather than treating Scripture as isolated verses, he argues that the Bible presents one unified story centered on God's covenant relationship with humanity through Jesus Christ.

Along the way, Dru and Gary discuss intertextuality, the importance of reading biblical books within their historical setting, why ancient treaties help illuminate covenant language, and even why Nehemiah might be "the first American" in the Bible. This episode offers practical wisdom for pastors, students, and everyday readers who want to read the Bible more faithfully and discover how Scripture itself teaches us to study Scripture.

Order Dr. Schnittjer's new book, Connected: How Scripture Guides the Study of Scripture: https://bhacademic.bhpublishinggroup.com/product/connected

See more from Dr. Schnittjer at his Substack: https://CarpentersStudent.com

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and podcast format

01:32 Primary hurdles in biblical teaching

02:35 Changes in seminary and college classrooms

04:03 Teaching biblical discovery to college students

07:02 Adapting teaching methods for modern students

10:36 Classroom dynamics and student engagement

13:33 The impact of technology and culture on biblical understanding

17:50 Using treaties to understand biblical covenants

21:07 The significance of Jesus as a connection maker

26:36 The metaphor of connectedness in Scripture

30:28 Visualizing the biblical story as a scroll

34:31 The importance of genre and context in Scripture

40:07 The role of historical background in biblical interpretation

45:36 Developing biblical wisdom through diverse genres

50:52 Nehemiah as an American archetype

54:18 Closing remarks and book recommendations

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