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

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

July 30, 2026 · 56 min · Episode 267

About this episode

Dru Johnson and Dr. Gary Edward Schnittjer discuss how the Bible should be interpreted on its own terms and the importance of understanding its literary artistry and historical context.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Dru Johnson

Guest: Dr. Gary Edward Schnittjer

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cairn Theological Seminary, Cairn University

Books & works: Connected: How Scripture Guides the Study of Scripture

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