Book written by Chad M. Mansbridge
Review written by Michael Miano
Years ago, I had the privilege of reading portions of You Can Handle The Truth before it was published. Pastor Chad had reached out to me, encouraged me, and wanted to utilize my mind and heart as review for his work. Right from the start I appreciated his wit, his humour, and his use of cliches in a manner that captivated and motivated me, and as I imagine, many others. Through Pastor Chad is literally on the other side of the planet, I am blessed to know we share the same mission, helping others to learn and discern how to read the Bible well.
As we endeavor to read the Bible well, Pastor Chad encourages us that there are “Four must-have Bibles”;
1.) Something old – one you had for a while; older translation
2.) Something new – a version that works best for you, currently.
3.) Something borrowed – one you use for certain reasons and then put it back
4.) Something blue – online resources
The goal of his book is mapped out for us, ‘Making Sense of the Bible in 3 Simple Steps’;
- Sensitivity to the Spirit
- Partnership with the Saints (see, Acts 18:24-26)
- Intelligent treatment of the Scriptures
(the science of hermeneutics)
Our greatest challenge:
“…our greatest challenge as students of Scripture is in learning how to take its heavenly revelation to hands on application in which we accurately assess modern-day implications from age-old inspiration”.
Three potential impediments:
“There are three potential impediments to growth that almost every student of the Scripture will face as they approach their Bible reading – presuppositions, preferences, and pride”.
Pastor Chad humble admits, “Today, I still hold many presuppositions. Some of which I am not (yet) even conscious. And that’s ok. We cannot help but bring implicit background beliefs to our Bible reading. This is unavoidable. However, we can commit to being humble enough to admit that we have them, and open enough to having the Good Teacher address and adjust them as He deems appropriate”. That’s what I refer to as ‘Doing Theology Humbly’.
Knowing the who, what, where, why, when, and how of each of the Biblical texts is of utmost importance. Pastor Chad offers a chronology chart on pg. 149 of his book. That alone makes the book a must-have resource!
After knowing the contextual details of the writings, it is important to develop a ‘narrative understanding’. Pastor Chad explains, “From beginning to end, Biblical history is His story – the unitary tale of a covenant-keeping God and His faithful dealings with His covenant creation”. He goes on to say that “…most of your Bible reading should be done systematically – choose a book and read through it from start to finish as it was originally intended. For the most part, this approach will help you clearly identify the author of the words, determine how the words fit into the broader context of the statements, situation, and story surrounding it, and hopefully, avoid the problematic pitfalls of an out-of-context interpretation”.
While we might have some different ideas and interpretations regarding the point being made and the way the beginning of Genesis connects with the rest of the Biblical story, I surely appreciate some points he made. In talking about Genesis, Chad explains, “…these origin stories also serve as prophetic stories”. He also wrote, “From the calling of Abraham to the death of Joseph in Egypt some 3 centuries later, the book of Genesis is concerned with the lives of a the Patriarchs, their wives, children and important others”. A great point indeed. It leads to wonder how much more consistency we can find when we consider that the “origin stories” are moreso the beginning of “Covenant History”, more in line with the Patriarchs of Israel than universal humanity.
The New Testament, “Matthew to Revelation details the great & final act in the unfolding story of God’s covenant people”. As the “fullness of time” (see, Galatians 4:4) was manifest, the “end of the age” (see, Matthew 24:3) drew near, this was also the time of restoration and reformation (see, Acts 3:21; Hebrews 9:10).
(Also consider reviewing a lecture I gave on understanding the context and correlation of the period of restoration and reformation at the following link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMjpTKDcLB0).
In conclusion I will say this is a must have/must read for anyone who wants to read the Bible well, or as Chad says it, anyone who is interested in “making sense of the Bible”.
Finally consider these very important insights shared in the book:
“…be prepared to hear the Bible in the key of we”.
“Not all truths are created equal” (see, Matt. 23:23; Phil. 1:18).
“…it is possible to disagree without becoming disagreeable, to hold an opinion, yet not be opinionated. Sadly this is a skill lacking in too many, and as Church History demonstrates, has led us to innumerable and largely unnecessary divisions in the Body of Christ”.
Thanks Pastor Chad for such a great work. A work I was blessed by and I know will bless many others.
MIANO-GONE-WILD 