Where does one begin to study and reflect on a passage this long and theologically/spiritually dense?
I personally find it helpful to begin with some basic reading and free exploration of the text. This can look something like:
- Choose three different translations of the text (if you know biblical Greek, throw that in there too!). If you are bilingual or trilingual you might choose translations from different languages. If you don't own hardcopies of several translations, or if you'd like to try one or two you haven't used before, check out biblegateway.com or unboundbible.org.
- Read through the text at a good reading pace in one translation. Then, perhaps at another sitting, read through it in the second translation. And finally, read through it in the third. You might consider reading it out loud one of these times.
- Now read through the text again, this time at a slower, more reflective pace.
- What are some of the images that come to your mind as you read? Think about all of your senses: what do you hear as you read the text? What do you see? Smell? Jot these down.
- What are some of the questions that come to your mind as you read? What do you find confusing? Striking? What would you like to know more about? Jot this down as well.
- Think back to times you've read this passage in the past, or times that you've heard it preached on. What is your history with this text?
- Write down any other initial thoughts and questions you have about the text.
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