Better Questions by Marty Solomon

A Hermeneutical Invitation to Read Scripture as a Living, Contextual Story

Full Title: Better Questions: An Approach to Reading the Bible for Good
Author: Marty Solomon
Publisher: Convergent Books (2023)
Pages: 256
Genre: Biblical Hermeneutics, Narrative Theology, Popular Biblical Studies, Pedagogical Theology
Audience: Thoughtful Christians seeking deeper engagement with Scripture, pastors developing healthier interpretive frameworks, small group leaders guiding discussion-based study, readers frustrated with proof-texting or flattened Bible reading

Context:
Better Questions emerges from the growing gap between academic biblical scholarship and church-level Bible reading. Drawing on insights from Ancient Near Eastern background studies, narrative theology, and canonical reading strategies, Solomon translates scholarly instincts into an accessible posture rather than a technical method. The book reflects decades of teaching shaped by classroom-style dialogue, resisting answer-driven certainty in favor of curiosity, humility, and long-form engagement with the biblical story.

Key Dialogue Partners:
N. T. Wright, John Walton, Michael Heiser, Scot McKnight

Related Works:
The BEMA Podcast (Solomon’s long-running Bible teaching series); BEMA-style curriculum and teaching resources

Note:
Rather than offering new exegetical conclusions, Better Questions focuses on reshaping how readers approach Scripture in the first place. Its strength lies in pedagogy more than proposal—training readers to slow down, notice assumptions, and remain open to Scripture’s complexity. Critics may find the book light on sustained argument or methodological rigor, but its primary contribution is formative rather than technical. As such, it functions best as a gateway text, equipping readers to engage more responsibly with both the Bible and the scholars who study it.

OVERVIEW

Marty Solomon's Better Questions: An Approach to Reading the Bible for Good represents a significant contribution to popular-level biblical hermeneutics. Solomon, host of the influential BEMA podcast, has spent years helping everyday Christians engage Scripture with both intellectual rigor and spiritual depth. This book distills that work into an accessible framework for reading the Bible well.

The central thesis is deceptively simple but profoundly transformative: The questions we bring to Scripture determine what we find there. If we ask reductionistic questions ("What's the moral principle?" "How do I apply this?" "What's the verse I can quote?"), we get reductionistic answers that flatten the Bible's narrative richness. But if we ask better questions—questions that honor the Bible's ancient context, literary artistry, canonical unity, and Christological center—we discover depths we never knew existed.

Solomon is not writing for scholars (though he engages scholarship seriously). He's writing for the church—for believers who sense something is missing in their Bible reading but don't know what. His tone is pastoral, conversational, and often funny, making complex ideas accessible without dumbing them down. He models what he preaches: curiosity over certainty, wonder over weaponizing, apprenticeship over information accumulation.

This review examines Solomon's framework through the Living Text lens, celebrating profound resonances while offering friendly amendments. Solomon's work represents exactly the kind of Bible engagement the Living Text project champions: theologically robust, contextually informed, narratively coherent, and missionally oriented.

PART ONE: SOLOMON'S CORE FRAMEWORK

1. The Problem: Bad Questions Produce Bad Readings

Solomon opens by diagnosing a crisis in evangelical Bible reading. Despite unprecedented access to Scripture (multiple translations, study Bibles, apps, podcasts), many believers relate to the Bible poorly. Common problems include:

Proof-texting: Mining verses to support predetermined conclusions rather than listening to Scripture's own voice
Moralism: Reducing every text to "What's the lesson?" or "What should I do?"
Individualism: Reading every passage as direct personal address ("What is God saying to me?")
Literalism: Flattening poetry, metaphor, and ancient idiom into wooden literalism
Fragmentation: Treating each verse as standalone unit rather than part of larger narrative
Presentism: Imposing modern categories onto ancient texts without understanding cultural distance

The result? Believers who know isolated verses but miss the Story. People who can quote Scripture but struggle to articulate the Bible's grand narrative. Christians who weaponize texts in culture wars rather than being formed by Scripture's transformative vision.

Solomon's Insight: The problem isn't the Bible or believers' lack of effort. It's the questions we've been taught to ask. If we approach Scripture asking "What does this verse mean for me?" we'll miss what the text meant in its original context—and therefore miss its proper application for us.

Living Text Resonance:

This diagnosis rings absolutely true. Much evangelical Bible reading suffers from exactly these problems. The Living Text project shares Solomon's concern: We want believers engaging Scripture deeply, not superficially. We want the Bible's own categories (sacred space, divine council, Powers, covenant, new creation) shaping our theology, not importing alien frameworks.

The proof-texting problem is especially pernicious. When we rip verses from context to support doctrinal positions, we miss the narrative flow that gives those verses meaning. For instance, Romans 8:28 ("God works all things together for good") is often quoted individualistically. But Paul is discussing cosmic redemption—creation groaning, believers groaning, Spirit groaning—all moving toward new creation. The "good" is not personal prosperity but conformity to Christ's image and participation in creation's liberation.

Solomon's call to read canonically, contextually, and Christologically aligns perfectly with Living Text priorities. The Bible is not a verse repository but a unified Story of God reclaiming His creation.

2. The Solution: Better Questions

Solomon proposes reframing how we approach Scripture by asking different—better—questions. Instead of immediately jumping to "What does this mean for me?", we should first ask questions that honor the text's original context and literary nature.

Better Questions Include:

1. What kind of literature is this? (Poetry? History? Apocalyptic? Wisdom? Law? Gospel? Epistle?)
2. What would this have meant to the original audience? (Historical, cultural, theological context)
3. How does this fit in the larger biblical narrative? (Where are we in the Story? Creation, Fall, Israel, Exile, Jesus, Church, New Creation?)
4. What patterns or themes repeat across Scripture? (Temple, covenant, image-bearing, exile/return, etc.)
5. How does this point to or participate in Jesus' story? (Christological reading)
6. What is God revealing about His character and purposes? (Theological reading)
7. How does this shape our identity as God's people? (Ecclesiological reading)
8. What world is this text inviting us into? (Imaginative, formative reading)

Only after engaging these questions do we ask: "How then shall we live?" Application flows from understanding, not vice versa.

Solomon's Analogy: Imagine watching a movie by pausing every 30 seconds to ask "What's the moral lesson?" You'd miss the plot, character development, themes, and emotional arc. Similarly, if we fragment the Bible into isolated verses for immediate application, we miss the Story God is telling.

Living Text Resonance:

This is precisely the hermeneutical framework the Living Text operates within. The guide structure—verse-by-verse exegesis leading to theological synthesis and only then to application—embodies Solomon's approach.

The emphasis on genre is crucial. Poetry requires different reading than law. Apocalyptic literature (Daniel, Revelation) uses symbolic imagery that shouldn't be literalized. Wisdom literature (Proverbs) offers general principles, not absolute promises. Understanding genre prevents interpretive disasters.

The emphasis on canonical context prevents proof-texting. Every passage exists within the larger Story: God creating sacred space, humanity rebelling, God calling Israel to be His priestly people, Israel failing, Jesus succeeding where Israel failed, the Spirit empowering the Church, new creation coming. Knowing where a text sits in this Story illuminates its meaning.

The emphasis on Christological reading guards against Old Testament misuse. We don't read the conquest narratives as blueprints for Christian nationalism, nor the ceremonial laws as binding on Gentile believers. Instead, we see how these texts participate in the Story that culminates in Jesus—who is the true Israel, the faithful image-bearer, the ultimate temple, the priest-king who perfectly obeys.

3. The Posture: Curiosity Over Certainty

Perhaps Solomon's most countercultural contribution is his emphasis on posture. He argues that how we approach Scripture matters as much as the questions we ask.

Two Competing Postures:

Certainty Posture:

Approaches Bible to confirm what we already "know"
Feels threatened by ambiguity or interpretive complexity
Rushes to conclusions and defends them rigidly
Uses Scripture as weapon in theological debates
Mistakes confidence in our interpretations for faithfulness to Scripture

Curiosity Posture:

Approaches Bible with genuine openness to surprise
Embraces ambiguity as invitation to deeper reflection
Holds interpretations humbly, willing to revise when better understanding emerges
Uses Scripture as invitation to transformation
Distinguishes between Scripture's authority and our interpretations' fallibility

Solomon's Conviction: Scripture itself is authoritative and trustworthy. But our interpretations are always provisional, always subject to refinement. Humility about our readings is not the same as doubt about Scripture.

He illustrates with personal stories of changing his mind on various interpretive issues as he learned more—not because Scripture failed, but because his earlier readings were inadequate. This vulnerability is refreshing in a Christian culture that often mistakes intellectual humility for theological liberalism.

Living Text Resonance:

The Living Text project embodies this curiosity posture while maintaining theological conviction. The guides are unapologetically theological—we argue for specific readings (Christus Victor atonement, non-Calvinist soteriology, divine council cosmology)—but we do so transparently, showing our work, explaining why we read texts as we do.

Curiosity doesn't mean interpretive relativism ("all readings are equally valid"). Some readings are better than others because they fit the evidence more comprehensively. But it does mean recognizing that even our best readings are partial, that Scripture's depths exceed our grasp, and that we should expect to keep learning.

Solomon models something essential: You can hold strong theological convictions while remaining intellectually humble. You can argue for your interpretation while acknowledging other faithful Christians read differently. You can be confident about core gospel truths while remaining curious about details.

This is especially important for controversial topics. The Living Text takes clear positions (e.g., rejecting Calvinist determinism), but we acknowledge godly, brilliant Christians disagree. We make our case respectfully, not arrogantly. We aim to persuade, not bludgeon.

4. The Context: Ancient Near Eastern Background Matters

One of Solomon's most important contributions is popularizing insights from ANE studies—the scholarly examination of ancient Near Eastern cultures, literature, and worldviews that form the Bible's original context.

Key Insights:

The Bible is an ancient text. It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek by people in cultures vastly different from ours. To read it well, we must make the difficult journey of understanding its original world.

Cultural distance is real. What was obvious to ancient Israelites is opaque to modern Americans. For example:

Ancient audiences assumed a multi-tiered cosmos (heaven, earth, underworld)
They understood temples as places where divine and human realms overlapped
They knew covenant structures from political treaties
They recognized literary patterns (chiasms, inclusios, type scenes) we miss

Genre conventions differ. Ancient historical writing wasn't like modern journalism. Ancient poetry used parallelism, not rhyme. Ancient apocalyptic literature employed symbolic imagery everyone recognized but we find bizarre.

Theological cosmology was different. Ancient Israelites operated within a divine council worldview—God presided over a heavenly court of spiritual beings (elohim). This wasn't paganism; it was their understanding of how God administered creation.

Solomon's Method: He doesn't demand readers become ANE scholars. But he insists we should at least acknowledgecultural distance and be willing to learn. When we encounter confusing texts (Genesis 6's "sons of God," Deuteronomy 32:8's "according to the number of the sons of God," etc.), we should consult scholars who know the ancient context rather than imposing modern assumptions.

Living Text Resonance:

This is exactly the approach the Living Text embodies, particularly regarding divine council theology. The guides consistently:

Reference ANE parallels (Enuma Elish, Ugaritic texts, ancient treaty structures)
Explain cultural background (temple cosmology, covenantal patterns, honor/shame dynamics)
Recover biblical cosmology (divine council, spiritual warfare, territorial spirits)
Show how ancient audiences would have understood texts

For example, Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (ESV): "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage."

Modern readers often miss this entirely. But ancient Israelites understood: At Babel, God disinherited the nations and assigned them under lesser elohim (spiritual beings) who became the false gods of the nations. Meanwhile, YHWH kept Israel as His direct inheritance. This explains the spiritual warfare backdrop of Israel's mission—reclaiming nations from the Powers.

Solomon's work helps believers see that recovering biblical theology requires recovering biblical cosmology. The Bible assumes a worldview we've largely lost—and regaining it unlocks texts we've domesticated.

5. The Story: Scripture as Unified Narrative

Solomon emphasizes that the Bible is fundamentally Story—not merely a collection of stories, but one Story told across multiple books, genres, and centuries.

The Metanarrative Structure:

Act 1: Creation – God creates good world as sacred space; humans commissioned as image-bearers
Act 2: Fall – Rebellion fractures sacred space; humanity exiled from God's presence
Act 3: Israel – God calls Abraham's family to be priestly nation through whom all nations are blessed
Act 4: Exile – Israel fails; they're exiled physically (Babylon) but also spiritually (under Powers)
Act 5: Jesus – Faithful Israelite who succeeds where Israel failed; defeats Powers; inaugurates new creation
Act 6: Church – Spirit-empowered community continuing Jesus' mission until His return
Act 7: New Creation – Heaven and earth united; God dwelling with redeemed humanity forever

Solomon's Emphasis: Every text exists somewhere in this Story. Knowing where you are in the narrative helps you understand what's happening and why. For instance:

Genesis 1-2 establishes the baseline: What was God's original design?
Genesis 3-11 shows how deeply things broke
Abraham through Malachi tracks Israel's calling and failure
Gospels show Jesus recapitulating Israel's story rightly
Acts through Revelation shows Church living in-between Jesus' first and second comings

When we read a Psalm, we're hearing Israel in exile longing for God's presence. When we read a prophet, we're hearing God promise restoration after judgment. When we read Paul, we're hearing how Gentiles are grafted into Israel's story through Jesus.

Living Text Resonance:

The sacred space framework is precisely this narrative structure. The entire Living Text project is organized around the Story of God establishing, losing, and reclaiming sacred space:

Eden – Primordial sacred space where God walked with humans
Fracture – Sin, spiritual rebellion, Babel → sacred space violated
Tabernacle/Temple – Localized sacred space pointing toward universal restoration
Jesus – Sacred space incarnate; God with us
Church – Distributed sacred space; God dwelling in believers via Spirit
New Jerusalem – Universal sacred space; God's presence filling all creation

Solomon's narrative emphasis prevents us from reading the Bible as disconnected moral lessons or doctrinal propositions. It's a Story moving somewhere—toward the New Jerusalem, toward God dwelling with humanity, toward renewed creation.

This transforms interpretation. For example, the conquest of Canaan isn't a blueprint for Christian nationalism (we're not ancient Israel invading physical territory). It's part of Israel's story showing: (1) God judges evil, (2) God provides land for His people to demonstrate His presence, (3) Even this land is temporary—the true inheritance is new creation. Jesus fulfills this by defeating the Powers (spiritual conquest) and inheriting all creation (cosmic land promise).

PART TWO: CRITIQUE AND FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS

1. Limited Engagement with Spiritual Warfare

While Solomon references the divine council and acknowledges spiritual beings, he doesn't develop the Powers theology as robustly as the Living Text framework does. The cosmic conflict between God's kingdom and rebellious spiritual forces remains somewhat muted.

What's Present:

Acknowledgment of divine council worldview
Recognition that spiritual beings are part of biblical cosmology
Some discussion of spiritual warfare themes

What's Underdeveloped:

The Powers as active agents opposing God's purposes
Satan's specific role in tempting, accusing, and enslaving
Demons as fallen elohim from Genesis 6 Watchers' rebellion
Territorial spirits assigned over nations at Babel
Church's mission as spiritual warfare, not just evangelism

Living Text Amendment:

The "Better Questions" framework gains specificity when we ask: "What Powers are at work in this text, and how does God confront them?"

For example, reading Exodus with Powers awareness:

Egypt isn't just political oppressor but domain of false gods (the plagues target Egyptian deities)
Pharaoh represents human ruler under demonic influence (his heart hardened)
The Red Sea crossing defeats both Egyptian army and the chaos-power the sea represents
Sinai covenant establishes Israel as God's people, holy and separate from Powers' influence
Golden calf incident shows how quickly Israel falls back under spiritual deception

Or reading the Gospels:

Jesus' exorcisms aren't just compassionate healings but military operations—liberating captives from demonic control
Temptation in wilderness is combat with Satan
Transfiguration shows Jesus conversing with heavenly beings
Crucifixion is cosmic battle: "disarming rulers and authorities" (Colossians 2:15)
Resurrection is victory over death, the Powers' ultimate weapon

Adding Powers theology doesn't contradict Solomon's framework—it enriches it. The Story isn't just God reclaiming humanity but God defeating enemies who enslaved humanity.

2. Insufficient Attention to Atonement Theology

Solomon rightly emphasizes Jesus as faithful Israelite and inaugurator of new creation. But the mechanism of salvation—how Jesus' death and resurrection accomplish redemption—receives less attention than it should.

What's Present:

Jesus as fulfillment of Israel's story
Resurrection as beginning of new creation
Jesus defeating death

What's Underdeveloped:

Christus Victor (Jesus defeating Powers on the cross)
Penal substitution (Jesus bearing sin's penalty)
Sacrificial atonement (Jesus as perfect offering)
Ransom (Jesus paying price to liberate captives)
Reconciliation (Jesus restoring relationship with God)

Living Text Amendment:

The Living Text framework integrates multiple atonement models without reducing to one. Jesus' death and resurrection accomplish:

Judicial: Bearing sin's penalty, satisfying justice
Military: Defeating Powers, disarming Satan
Sacrificial: Perfect offering cleansing us
Ransom: Paying price to free captives
Relational: Reconciling us to God
Cosmic: Inaugurating new creation

When reading Passion narratives, we should ask: "What is being accomplished on the cross?" The answer is multi-dimensional. Jesus simultaneously:

Bears our sins (Isaiah 53)
Defeats the Powers (Colossians 2:15)
Offers perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9-10)
Ransoms us from slavery (Mark 10:45)
Reconciles us to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
Begins new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Solomon's emphasis on resurrection is vital—but resurrection vindicates and completes what the cross began. Both are essential.

3. Underdeveloped Ecclesiology

Solomon discusses the Church as community living Jesus' story, but ecclesiology could be more robust. What is the Church in God's purposes? How does it participate in the Story?

What's Present:

Church as people of God
Church continuing Jesus' mission
Importance of community over individualism

What's Underdeveloped:

Church as sacred space (God's dwelling via Spirit)
Church as new Israel (Gentiles grafted into covenant people)
Church as Body of Christ (corporate unity with diversity)
Church as sign, foretaste, and instrument of kingdom
Church's cosmic significance (displaying God's wisdom to Powers, Ephesians 3:10)

Living Text Amendment:

The Church is not optional association of individual believers. It's essential to God's plan—the community through whom God's presence extends, through whom the Powers are confronted, through whom the nations are blessed.

Better Questions for Ecclesiology:

How does this text shape our identity as God's people?
What does faithful community look like according to this passage?
How does the Church embody what God is doing in history?
What does this text teach about unity, diversity, mission, worship, discipline?

For example, Ephesians 2-3 isn't just about individual salvation but corporate reality: God is creating one new humanity from Jews and Gentiles, breaking down dividing walls, making peace. The Church's very existence—formerly hostile groups unified in Christ—demonstrates to the Powers that their divisive work is being undone.

Or 1 Corinthians: Paul addresses community dysfunction (divisions, sexual immorality, lawsuits, worship chaos) not with mere advice but with theological vision. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (3:16-17, 6:19). You are the body of Christ (12:12-27). Your gatherings matter cosmically—angels watch (11:10). Your unity or disunity affects whether the gospel is credible.

4. Limited Discussion of Suffering and Evil

While Solomon acknowledges Scripture's honesty about pain, he could develop theodicy more fully—the question of how God's goodness relates to evil's reality.

What's Present:

Recognition that lament is biblical (Psalms)
Acknowledgment that life is hard
Trust in God despite suffering

What's Underdeveloped:

The problem of evil in light of God's sovereignty and goodness
How the Powers' rebellion explains suffering
Distinction between natural evil (earthquakes, disease) and moral evil (human cruelty)
Jesus' suffering as God's response to our suffering

Living Text Amendment:

The sacred space framework addresses evil by showing it's intrusion, not design. God created good world; rebellion introduced corruption. Evil is real (not illusion) but also temporary (will be removed).

Better Questions About Suffering:

Is this suffering result of human sin, spiritual warfare, natural corruption, or mysterious providence?
How does God meet sufferers in their pain?
What does this text reveal about God's character in the face of evil?
How does the cross address the problem of evil?

For example, Job isn't morality tale ("suffer patiently and God will restore you"). It's wrestling with innocent suffering in a world under the Powers' influence (Satan appears in divine council, orchestrating Job's afflictions). The answer isn't explanation but encounter—God reveals Himself, and Job discovers direct relationship is greater treasure than understanding.

Or the Crucifixion addresses evil not by explaining it but by entering it. God-in-Christ experiences betrayal, injustice, abandonment, death—then defeats them through resurrection. The cross says: "I'm with you in your suffering, and I will overcome it."

5. Underemphasized Eschatology

Solomon discusses new creation and Jesus' return, but eschatological urgency could be stronger. The Bible relentlessly points forward—toward consummation, judgment, resurrection, renewal.

What's Present:

New creation as Bible's end goal
Resurrection hope
Living toward God's future

What's Underdeveloped:

Imminent expectation of Christ's return
Final judgment and justice
Resurrection of the body (physical, not just spiritual)
New heavens and new earth (not heaven "up there")
How eschatological hope shapes present ethics

Living Text Amendment:

Eschatology isn't just "end times speculation." It's the framework that makes sense of everything. We live between Jesus' first and second comings—in the "already but not yet."

Better Questions for Eschatology:

How does this text point toward consummation?
What does this reveal about God's ultimate purposes?
How should hope for resurrection shape how we live now?
What will be continuous between this age and the age to come?

For example, 1 Corinthians 15 isn't just comfort for grieving believers ("you'll see grandma again"). It's cosmic theology: Christ's resurrection inaugurates general resurrection. Death—the last enemy—is defeated. Our labor in the Lord is "not in vain" (v.58) precisely because resurrection guarantees creation's renewal. What we do now in faithfulness will participate in the kingdom that's coming.

Or Revelation isn't coded prediction of current events. It's apocalyptic literature encouraging persecuted churches: Rome looks invincible, but God reigns. The Lamb who was slain now rules. The Powers' days are numbered. Hold fast—the New Jerusalem is coming, and God will dwell with His people forever.

PART THREE: PROFOUND CONTRIBUTIONS

Despite these friendly amendments, Solomon's work makes extraordinary contributions that the Living Text framework celebrates and incorporates.

1. Accessible Biblical Theology for Everyone

Solomon's greatest achievement is making rigorous biblical theology accessible to everyday believers. He doesn't dumb down complexity; he explains it clearly.

Too often, academic insights remain trapped in scholarly journals. Pastors learn them in seminary but struggle to translate them for congregations. Solomon bridges this gap beautifully.

Examples:

Chiastic structure (literary pattern where elements mirror: A-B-C-B'-A')

Solomon explains: "Ancient Hebrew writers used chiasms to highlight the center point. If you find the chiasm, you find the emphasis."
Example: Genesis 1 is chiastic, with Day 4 (sun, moon, stars) mirroring Day 1 (light), Day 5 (sea creatures, birds) mirroring Day 2 (water, sky), Day 6 (land animals, humans) mirroring Day 3 (land). The center? Sabbath rest—God's goal for creation.

Type scenes (repeated narrative patterns with variations)

Solomon explains: "Biblical authors use familiar scenarios with twists to teach theology. When you recognize the pattern, you notice the variation—and that's where meaning hides."
Example: Multiple "annunciation scenes" (angelic birth announcements) across Scripture. Each follows a pattern, but variations reveal what's unique about this child's calling.

Living Text Application:

The guides use similar pedagogical approach—explaining genre, structure, ANE background, theological themes in language accessible to motivated laypeople while maintaining scholarly integrity.

2. Modeling Humble Confidence

Solomon demonstrates it's possible to be confidently Christian while remaining intellectually humble. This is desperately needed in our polarized moment.

He's unapologetically orthodox—affirming Trinity, incarnation, resurrection, biblical authority, gospel exclusivity. But he holds interpretive opinions humbly, acknowledging where scholars disagree, where he's changed his mind, where mystery remains.

Example: Solomon discusses various perspectives on Sabbath observance for Christians. He presents his view (Sabbath principle continues, but not legalistic command) while acknowledging other faithful Christians disagree (some observe Saturday Sabbath; others see all days alike). He's clear about what he believes while respecting others' consciences.

This models maturity. We can distinguish between gospel essentials (non-negotiable) and interpretive questions(debatable). We can hold strong convictions without demonizing those who disagree.

Living Text Application:

The guides take clear theological positions (non-Calvinist soteriology, Christus Victor atonement, divine council cosmology) but acknowledge disagreement exists among faithful Christians. We make our case respectfully, showing textual/theological reasoning, inviting readers to weigh evidence rather than demanding submission to our authority.

3. Rehabilitating Old Testament for Christians

Many Christians effectively ignore the Old Testament except for messianic prophecies, Ten Commandments, and comforting Psalms. Solomon helps believers see the entire OT as essential, not disposable.

How He Does This:

Shows coherence: OT and NT tell one Story, not two
Explains cultural distance: Why OT seems strange (we're reading ancient text; distance is real)
Demonstrates Christological reading: How OT points to Jesus without forced typology
Recovers theology: What OT teaches about God, humanity, covenant, sin, redemption
Honors genre: Law, narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophecy—each requires different reading

Example: Solomon discusses Leviticus (usually skipped or mined for "ceremonial vs. moral law" distinctions). He shows:

Levitical laws establish Israel as holy nation, separate from surrounding peoples
Purity codes teach theological truths (holiness, danger of sin, need for mediation)
Sacrificial system points toward ultimate sacrifice (Jesus)
Priests prefigure ultimate Priest-King (Jesus)
Tabernacle is portable sacred space, anticipating God dwelling universally

Suddenly, Leviticus isn't boring rule book but rich theology. Christians aren't bound by ceremonial laws (Hebrews makes this clear), but we learn from them—about God's holiness, sin's seriousness, and Christ's sufficiency.

Living Text Application:

The guides treat every OT text seriously, showing how it participates in the larger Story without flattening it into mere Christological allegory. Genesis teaches creation theology. Exodus teaches liberation theology. Leviticus teaches holiness theology. Deuteronomy teaches covenant theology. All point toward fulfillment in Christ while mattering in their own right.

4. Emphasis on Formation Over Information

Solomon repeatedly insists Bible reading should form us, not just inform us. Scripture isn't textbook to master but Story to inhabit, world to enter, vision to absorb.

Distinctions:

Information Approach:

Goal: Know facts about the Bible
Metric: Can you answer questions correctly?
Posture: Bible as object to study
Result: Head knowledge without transformation

Formation Approach:

Goal: Be shaped by Scripture's vision
Metric: Is your imagination being captivated? Character being formed?
Posture: Bible as world to inhabit
Result: Transformation of heart, mind, will

Solomon's Method: He uses imaginative exercises—"Picture yourself as original audience hearing this for the first time." "What would this scene have looked like?" "How would this parable have landed?"—to help readers enter the text rather than remaining outside it.

Example: When reading Nathan's confrontation of David (2 Samuel 12), Solomon suggests: "Don't rush to application ('Don't commit adultery'). First, feel the narrative tension. David has abused power, committed adultery, murdered. Nathan tells a parable about a rich man stealing a poor man's lamb. David burns with anger—'That man deserves to die!' Nathan responds: 'You are the man.' Feel the gut-punch. The king who should execute justice is the criminal. Only after experiencing the story's power do we ask: Where am I in this story? Where am I the powerful one taking what's not mine?"

Living Text Application:

The guides aim for this formational impact. We don't just explain what texts meant (though we do that); we invite readers into the vision Scripture casts. The Thoughtful Questions at chapter ends are formation tools—designed to provoke self-examination, not just test comprehension.

For instance, after exploring Genesis 1-2's vision of humanity as image-bearers commissioned to extend sacred space, questions include: "Where are you living into this calling, and where are you abdicating it?" That's formation, not just information.

5. Recovering Wonder and Delight

Perhaps Solomon's most beautiful contribution is reawakening wonder at Scripture. Too much Christian teaching approaches Bible grimly—as duty, as weapon, as rule book. Solomon invites delight.

He celebrates Scripture's literary artistry. He points out clever wordplays in Hebrew (we miss them in translation). He traces narrative patterns and symbols. He marvels at how centuries-apart texts echo each other. He treats Bible reading as treasure hunt, not homework.

Example: Solomon discusses how "image of God" language in Genesis 1 would have resonated with ancient audiences. In the ANE, only kings were considered divine images—statues placed in temples representing gods. Genesis democratizes this: Every human is God's image, male and female together. It's revolutionary theology delivered through subversive use of royal language.

Or he notes how Moses' birth narrative (Exodus 2) parallels Noah (ark/basket, water, salvation), Abraham (divine promise, seemingly impossible), and Joseph (going to Egypt)—signaling Moses will recapitulate and fulfill these earlier patterns. The text is thick with meaning for attentive readers.

Living Text Application:

The guides aim to cultivate this wonder. We point out literary structures, thematic connections, wordplays, intertextual echoes—not to show off but to invite readers into richer experience of Scripture.

When believers discover how thick Scripture is—how Genesis 1 echoes Exodus 25-31 (tabernacle instructions), how John 1 echoes Genesis 1, how Revelation 21-22 echoes Genesis 2, how Psalms echo across centuries—it generates awe. This Book is coherent across 1,500 years, 40+ authors, three languages. That coherence itself testifies to divine inspiration.

PART FOUR: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

1. For Personal Bible Reading

Solomon's framework transforms individual Bible study from dutiful drudgery to adventurous exploration.

Practical Changes:

Before reading: Pray for illumination, but also prepare. Know what book you're reading, its historical context, its genre.

While reading: Slow down. Resist the urge to read quickly for "coverage." Better to read five verses deeply than five chapters superficially.

Ask better questions:

What kind of literature is this?
What would original audience have heard?
What's happening in the larger Story?
Where is God revealing Himself?
How does this connect to Jesus?

After reading: Journal reflections. What surprised you? What confused you? What's the Spirit highlighting? How is this forming you?

Use resources: Study Bibles, commentaries, Bible dictionaries aren't cheating—they're how we bridge cultural distance. Solomon himself recommends resources frequently.

Example: Instead of reading Psalm 22 quickly as "nice messianic prophecy," try this:

Recognize genre (lament psalm)
Imagine David's situation (suffering, feeling abandoned)
Notice structure (complaint → confidence → praise)
See how Jesus quotes it on cross (Matthew 27:46)
Ask: How does Jesus' experience fulfill and transform this psalm?
Reflect: When have I felt abandoned? How does Jesus entering abandonment comfort me?

2. For Preaching and Teaching

Solomon's method revolutionizes sermon preparation. Instead of finding verses to support predetermined points, pastors can preach from the text, trusting Scripture's own voice.

Practical Changes:

Lectio continua preaching (preaching through books sequentially) rather than topical hopping. This forces engagement with texts we'd rather skip and reveals narrative flow.

Genre-appropriate exposition: Preach poetry as poetry, narrative as narrative, apocalyptic as apocalyptic. Don't flatten everything into three points and application.

Thick description before application: Spend 75% of sermon time in the text's world, answering Solomon's better questions. Only then move to contemporary application.

Model curiosity: Show your thinking. "Here's what scholars debate..." "I used to think this, but..." "This Hebrew word is fascinating because..." Invite congregation into discovery, not just conclusions.

Connect to Story: Every sermon should locate the text within the biblical metanarrative. "We're in the Exile period..." "This is post-resurrection, pre-return..." Help listeners see the big picture.

Example Sermon:

Text: Mark 5:1-20 (Gerasene demoniac)

Bad Approach: Three points about demons: 1) They're real. 2) Jesus is powerful. 3) Tell others what Jesus did for you.

Better Approach:

Genre: Gospel narrative, specifically exorcism story
Context: Jesus in Gentile territory (first time in Mark); this inaugurates Gentile mission
Symbolism: Legion (Roman military term); pigs (unclean to Jews); tombs (death/uncleanness)
Theological themes: Jesus invading enemy territory, liberating captives from Powers, establishing sacred space where it's never been
Story arc: Man in chains → Jesus commands demons → Man clothed, sane, begging to follow → Jesus sends him as first Gentile missionary
Christology: Jesus displays authority over demons, geography, ethnic boundaries
Missional implications: The gospel isn't confined to Israel; Jesus sends the liberated to testify

Sermon Title: "The Invasion Begins: Jesus Liberates Enemy Territory"

Application: Where do you need liberation? From what Powers? And once liberated, will you testify like this man, or will you privatize your faith?

3. For Small Groups and Bible Studies

Solomon's approach transforms small group discussions from opinion-sharing to text-wrestling.

Practical Changes:

Leader preparation: Don't wing it. Study the text using Solomon's questions before the group meets.

Slow down: Cover less material more deeply. Better to discuss five verses richly than skim a chapter.

Use better questions: Instead of "What does this verse mean to you?" (invites subjectivism), ask:

"What kind of writing is this?"
"What would this have meant to original hearers?"
"How does this fit the larger Story?"
"What's God revealing about Himself here?"

Invite diversity: Different people notice different things. Celebrate multiple observations (while correcting misreadings).

Model curiosity: "I'm not sure about this..." "Let's look it up..." "What do you think?" Humble not-knowing is okay.

Connect text to life last: After understanding the text, ask: "How then shall we live?" Application flows from exegesis, not the reverse.

Example Small Group Study:

Text: James 2:14-26 (faith and works)

Session outline:

Read passage aloud slowly (10 min)
Identify genre: This is wisdom literature, influenced by Jesus' teaching (note: James is Jesus' brother)
Historical context: James writes to Jewish Christians scattered by persecution, facing economic hardship
Better questions (30 min):
- What examples does James use? (Abraham, Rahab)
- What's James' main concern? (Faith without action is dead)
- How does this fit larger biblical theology? (Not contradicting Paul; addressing different issue—nominal faith vs. genuine faith)
Theological synthesis (15 min):
- Paul: We're justified by faith apart from works (combating legalism)
- James: Genuine faith produces works (combating antinomianism)
- Both agree: Faith is essential, and real faith transforms
Application (15 min):
- Where are you acting on faith? Where is faith remaining theoretical?
- What "good work" might God be calling you toward as expression of faith?

4. For Apologetics and Evangelism

Solomon's framework provides robust apologetic foundation while remaining winsome and accessible.

Practical Changes:

Present Bible as coherent Story, not random claims. Skeptics often dismiss Bible as contradictory myths. Solomon's narrative approach shows unity.

Acknowledge difficulties honestly. Don't pretend hard texts aren't hard. Show how wrestling with them is part of mature faith.

Use cultural distance apologetically. When skeptics cite "weird" OT passages, explain: "This is ancient text from different culture. Let's understand what it meant then before judging it."

Emphasize Jesus as climax. The whole Story points to Jesus. His resurrection vindicates everything.

Invite into Story. Gospel is invitation to join God's people and participate in His mission, not just intellectual assent to propositions.

Example Apologetic Conversation:

Skeptic: "The Bible is full of contradictions and barbaric commands. How can you believe it?"

Response (using Solomon's approach):

"I appreciate your honesty. Let me ask: Have you read the Bible as a whole, or mostly isolated verses? Because it helps to understand the Bible tells one overarching Story across 1,500 years. That Story moves from creation to fall to redemption to new creation, all centered on Jesus.

"Regarding contradictions—some are apparent (different Gospel details) but actually show multiple witnesses, which historians value. Others disappear when we understand genre (poetry isn't literal; apocalyptic uses symbolic imagery).

"Regarding 'barbaric' commands—context matters. The Bible records ancient Near Eastern cultures. Some commands were progressive for their time (limiting violence, protecting vulnerable). Others reflect cultural accommodation (God working with people where they were). But the trajectory throughout Scripture moves toward Jesus, who reveals God's character fully.

"The question isn't 'Is every verse easy?' but 'Is the overall Story true?' Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Because if He did—and the historical evidence is compelling—then the Story He fulfills makes sense, even when parts remain difficult.

"I'm not asking you to find the Bible easy. I'm inviting you to investigate whether this Story—particularly Jesus' resurrection—is true. If it is, everything else is reframed."

PART FIVE: THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE

Resonance with N.T. Wright

Solomon's work deeply aligns with Wright's biblical theology:

Both emphasize:

Scripture as unified Story
Israel's storyline fulfilled in Jesus
New creation as central hope
Cultural/historical context essential for interpretation
Resurrection as historical event inaugurating kingdom

Wright adds: More detailed exegetical work, Paul's theology, Second Temple Judaism context

Solomon adds: More accessible presentation, practical hermeneutics for everyday readers

Resonance with John Walton

Walton's ANE scholarship directly influences Solomon:

Both emphasize:

Cultural distance between ancient text and modern readers
ANE parallels illuminate biblical texts
Genre awareness prevents misreading
Functional ontology (identity by function, not substance alone)

Walton adds: Deep dive into specific ANE texts and concepts

Solomon adds: Integration of ANE insights into broader narrative framework

Resonance with Michael Heiser

Heiser's divine council theology appears throughout Solomon's work:

Both emphasize:

Spiritual beings (elohim) in biblical cosmology
Deuteronomy 32:8-9 and disinheritance of nations
Genesis 6 and Watchers' rebellion
Territorial spirits over nations
Reclaiming nations from Powers as mission

Heiser adds: Exhaustive biblical theology of divine council

Solomon adds: Integration into accessible narrative framework

Resonance with Scot McKnight

McKnight's Jesus Creed and Kingdom Conspiracy influence is evident:

Both emphasize:

Jesus as fulfillment of Israel's story
Kingdom of God as central theme
Church as continuation of Jesus' mission
Formation over information

McKnight adds: More detailed work on gospels and Paul

Solomon adds: Broader hermeneutical framework beyond NT

Living Text Synthesis

The Living Text framework integrates all these influences:

From Wright: Narrative structure, new creation emphasis
From Walton: ANE context, genre awareness
From Heiser: Divine council, Powers theology
From McKnight: Jesus as Israel's fulfillment, kingdom focus
From Solomon: Accessible pedagogy, better questions method

Result: Comprehensive biblical theology that's academically rigorous, contextually informed, narratively coherent, Christologically centered, and pastorally accessible.

THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Your Bible Reading Habits: How would you characterize your current approach to Scripture—certainty or curiosity? Information or formation? Fragmented proof-texting or canonical narrative reading? What one change could you make to read the Bible more faithfully?
Cultural Distance: When you encounter confusing or disturbing biblical texts, do you immediately try to explain them away, or do you pause to understand the cultural distance between ancient world and ours? How might acknowledging "the Bible is ancient" actually strengthen your confidence in its authority rather than undermine it?
The Big Story: Can you articulate the Bible's overarching narrative in your own words? Where does your life fit in that Story—between Jesus' resurrection and return, empowered by the Spirit, participating in God's mission? How does seeing yourself as character in God's Story (not just individual reading God's book) change your self-understanding?
Better Questions in Crisis: When suffering comes—loss, illness, injustice—what questions do you ask? ("Why did God let this happen?" "What did I do wrong?" "Doesn't God love me?") How might better questions ("Where is God in this?" "How has God met others in similar suffering?" "What does Jesus' crucifixion reveal about God's relationship to pain?") lead to deeper, more sustaining answers?
Formation vs. Information: If someone examined your life, would they conclude you've been informed by Scripture or formed by it? What's the evidence? Where do you see Scripture's vision actually reshaping your desires, priorities, relationships, and work—and where does Bible knowledge remain disconnected from daily life?

CONCLUSION

Marty Solomon's Better Questions: An Approach to Reading the Bible for Good represents a significant gift to the Church. In a moment when many believers are biblically illiterate despite owning multiple Bibles, when proof-texting weaponizes Scripture in culture wars, when reductionistic reading flattens the Bible's richness—Solomon offers a better way.

His central insight is profound yet simple: The questions we ask determine what we find. Ask shallow questions, get shallow answers. Ask fragmented questions, get fragmented readings. Ask better questions—questions about genre, context, narrative, theology, Christology—and Scripture's depths open up.

From a Living Text perspective, Solomon's work is profoundly resonant. His emphasis on:

Canonical narrative (the Bible tells one Story) aligns with sacred space framework
Cultural context (ANE background matters) grounds interpretation in reality
Christological reading (OT points to Jesus) maintains gospel center
Genre awareness (poetry ≠ history ≠ apocalyptic) prevents misreading
Formation over information (Scripture shapes us) keeps Bible relational, not merely academic
Curiosity over certainty (humble confidence) models mature faith

Where Solomon could be strengthened:

More robust Powers theology (spiritual warfare as explicit framework)
Fuller atonement theology (how Jesus' death saves)
Developed ecclesiology (Church's cosmic significance)
Theodicy and suffering (problem of evil in God's good world)
Eschatological urgency (living toward Christ's return)

But these are friendly amendments, not fundamental critiques. Solomon has given the Church an accessible, rigorous, pastoral framework for reading Scripture well. His work deserves wide adoption in churches, small groups, Christian schools, and personal Bible study.

The Better Questions framework is really an invitation: Come discover the Bible you've never known. Not a different Bible—the same inspired, authoritative Scripture—but read with eyes opened to its cultural richness, narrative coherence, literary artistry, and theological depth.

For pastors: This approach will revolutionize your preaching. Instead of mining verses for sermon points, you'll preach from texts, trusting Scripture's own voice.

For teachers: This method will transform classroom discussions from opinion-sharing to text-wrestling, from applications to formation.

For individuals: This framework will reignite your Bible reading, turning duty into delight, confusion into curiosity, fragmentation into Story.

For the Church: Solomon's vision offers antidote to biblical illiteracy, proof-texting, culture-war weaponizing, and reductionistic reading that plague contemporary Christianity.

The Bible is not a flat book of random verses. It's a Story—God's Story of creating, losing, and reclaiming sacred space; of calling a people to bear His presence; of sending His Son to defeat the Powers; of pouring out His Spirit to empower mission; of promising to dwell with redeemed humanity forever in new creation.

When we read Scripture asking better questions—honoring its ancient context, literary artistry, narrative unity, and Christological center—we discover something astonishing: This ancient book addresses our deepest questions, exposes our blindness, confronts our idols, reshapes our desires, and invites us into the greatest Story ever told.

That Story is true. It's beautiful. It's life-giving. And it's waiting for readers willing to ask better questions.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105)
Come discover the Light. Ask better questions. Read well. Be formed.

LIVING TEXT RATING: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Exceptional. Better Questions is exactly what the church needs right now—accessible biblical theology that honors Scripture's authority while inviting humble, curious engagement. Solomon's hermeneutical framework is sound, his pedagogy excellent, and his pastoral heart evident throughout. The "better questions" method is immediately applicable for individual study, small groups, preaching, and teaching.

Minor weaknesses (underdeveloped Powers theology, limited atonement discussion, thin ecclesiology) don't diminish the book's extraordinary value—they simply indicate where readers should supplement with other resources (like Living Text guides). This is essential reading for anyone moving beyond superficial Bible reading into rich, formative engagement with Scripture.

Why not perfect? The 5-star rating reflects the book's achievement within its scope (popular-level hermeneutics). It's not a comprehensive biblical theology (nor does it claim to be). For complete framework, pair Solomon with Wright (narrative theology), Heiser (divine council), and Living Text guides (Powers theology, atonement, ecclesiology, eschatology).

Bottom line: Buy this book. Read it slowly. Apply its method. Your Bible reading will never be the same.

Recommended for: All Christians serious about Bible reading—laypeople, pastors, teachers, students. Accessible without being simplistic.

Difficulty Level: Popular-level but intellectually engaged; requires willingness to challenge assumptions and change reading habits.

Bottom Line: Essential reading for anyone wanting to move beyond proof-texting, moralism, and fragmentary Bible reading into rich, formative engagement with Scripture as unified Story. Accessible gateway to biblical theology that will revolutionize how you read the Bible. Pair with Living Text study guides for comprehensive framework combining Solomon's hermeneutical principles with detailed exegesis and Powers theology.