Is it possible to read the Bible like the earliest believers did?

One of the great challenges in reading the Bible is the massive gap—chronological and cultural—between the Bible’s original audiences and modern readers. Is it possible for a modern Bible reader to appreciate the mindset of the Bible’s ancient Jewish and Christian authors and readers? How would that affect our experience of Scripture today?

Those are questions that Kent Dobson (@KentDobson) seeks to address in the NIV First-Century Study Bible (Zondervan, 2014). Dobson, teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, MI, has written a huge number of historical notes, word studies, and articles for this new Bible.

We interviewed Rev. Dobson about the new Bible. Before we get to the interview, take a moment to watch Kent introducing the project:

Why did you decide to take on such a huge project?

Rev. Dobson: I wanted to give people a starting place to jump into the cultural background of the Bible. As a pastor, I see people gathering every week, and one of the primary things they’re looking for is meaning. The Bible is our map when it comes to meaning and when it begins to move from a rule book or old document to a book that contains captivating stories filled with questions and humanity, the Bible comes alive.

Describe how daunting of a task it was to write notes, book introductions, and articles for this new study Bible. How long did it take?

Rev. Dobson: I had good days and bad while working on this project. The bad days felt overwhelming and I wondered why I agreed to such a big project. The good were the days where I was researching and found something that totally surprised me. I would even try some of what I was working on with my high school students to see if it interesting to them. I’m fascinated by ancient biblical commentary and contextual information, which in my experience unlocks and deepens our own questions. In all, I worked in this project for almost four years.

Describe how you approached writing the study notes.

Rev. Dobson: The study notes contain a little taste of ancient interpretation. What were the Jewish rabbis thinking in the first century? How might they have interpreted the text? How might some of what they have to say would help us understand the Bible from a Christian point-of-view? I’m also excited about the early Christian influence on the Bible; after all, the early Christians were much closer to the first-century then we are today.

Why is it necessary to understand both ancient and modern interpretations of biblical stories?

Rev. Dobson: We live in a unique time. We know more about the Bible now than at any other point in history. We know more about language, and cultural background studies; we have libraries of scholarly and theological contributions to the Bible and how to understand it. But it’s hard to weed through all that stuff.

You have, on the one hand, modern interpretations, which I think are very important taking into consideration modern questions and concerns, but you also have the ancient interpretations and voices which often can get overlooked. Wouldn’t it be unique if you could bring some of those things together? Instead of saying we need to just read the Bible from a modern point of view, or just read the Bible from an ancient point of view, what if we could bring those two voices together?

What is your familiarity with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages? Was that fluency necessary in creating this Bible?

Rev. Dobson: I’m not fluent in any of the biblical languages. Even after living in Israel for three years, studying both modern and ancient Hebrew, fluency seems like a distant planet. But we live in exciting times. Excellent resources in ancient languages are only a few clicks away with programs like Logos. I also used top-notch language experts in the editing process to ensure the Hebrew and Greek word studies, which are an important feature in the study Bible, were helpful and had some scholarly depth.

How were you able to bring knowledgeable context to the vast expanse of Middle East cultures of the Bible that span centuries and continents?

Rev. Dobson: First of all, the entire project was a labor of love. My own questions about the Bible and my desire to dig deeper have shaped much of my adult life. I’m actually interested in coming to understand the numerous cultural landscapes in which the Bible was born. I would not claim to be an expert; I’m more like a fascinated student. In fact, the real experts tend to have only very narrow knowledge in one particular time period and ancient biblical culture. But I had excellent teachers, especially while I was living in Israel. These teachers and guides knew what direction to point me in as my own questions were surfacing.

If a person already owns multiple Bibles, why is it important for her to add this one?

Rev. Dobson: I’m frequently asked, “Where did you get this stuff?” This is difficult to answer because “this stuff” is a combination of cultural background data, knowledge of original languages and insights from ancient voices who were living in and around first century or who were interpreting the Biblical text. Up till now, there has not been a single resource that gives the reader a taste for all of these things. In addition, until the NIV First-Century Study Bible, there is not a single resource that brings ancient Jewish and Christian voices into the interpretive conversation. Typically these worlds remain separate.

What do you hope will be the result of Western Christians reading this edition of the Bible?

Rev. Dobson: My hope is that this study will not satisfy the reader’s questions but stir them up. I hope the reader will want to dig deeper. We now know more about the world in which the Bible was born than at any time in the last two thousand years. My hope is that the reader will have a taste of all the exciting fields of research that are helping reveal that the Bible is a living book. My hope is that the reader will join the great conversation about the meaning of the biblical text, a conversation that goes back to antiquity and is still more alive than ever.

Do you have anything else you’d like to say?

Rev. Dobson: This Bible would have been impossible without great teachers, scholars, editors, and numerous good people who care deeply about the biblical text. It’s been my privilege to attempt to collect the insights and resources that I’ve been exposed to. The Bible really came to life for me when I began to take seriously the biblical world, especially the first century. I hope the Bible will come alive in some new ways as the reader dives in and joins the conversation.

Thank you, Kent, for taking the time to speak with us! If you’re interested in this Bible project, here’s a sample from it:

Bio: Kent Dobson is the former teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church, Grandville, Michigan, where he initially served as the worship director. He’s been featured on Bible-themed programs for the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Kent fell in love with biblical studies in Israel, learning from both Jewish and Christian scholars. He keeps his connection to the Holy Land strong as he leads tours to Israel that combine study and prayer, inspired by the ancient discipline of spiritual pilgrimage.