If the Word of God is our anchor in the chaos of this world, if it is our assurance that we can know the world and God its creator, we need confidence that we can understand this Word. Reading and applying the Bible is essential to every facet of Christian life and ministry, yet our ability to do so is under attack from a myriad of directions. In Postmodern philosophy, the possibility of communication is dismissed, let alone communication from God. In Biblical studies, the amount of knowledge required to come to firm conclusions concerning the meaning and application of the Bible grows every day. However, the Bible is not so pessimistic about its accessibility. Instead, it presents itself as a clear word, sufficient to guide and encourage Christians in every area of life. Beginning with the Bible's own claims to clarity and sufficiency, The Gift of Reading Part 1 outlines the practice of reading the Bible in order to understand and apply it. The Gift of Reading Part 2 will go further into the theory that lies beneath the methodology unpacked in Part 1.

James Rutherford graduated from Pacific Life Bible College with a Bachelor of Pastoral Leadership (2014) and from Regent College with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, majoring in Hebrew, and a Master of Theology, majoring in Old Testament (2018). Currently, he is a PhD student at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia. James serves at and is part of Christ City Church Kitsilano and manages Teleioteti.ca. He is happily married to Nicole and the father of Aliyah. When not writing, he manages the office for several realtors in Vancouver, enjoys cooking, and enjoys hiking the mountains of the West Coast with his family.