Direct Answer
That approach forces the reader to listen to the immediate wording of each verse before importing a preferred framework. It can expose interpretations that are being carried into the passage rather than drawn from the passage.
Support from Transcript
- Bercot says to “read through the passage again very slowly, verse by verse.” - He tells readers to ask, “If I didn’t know any better, what would I probably think this verse was saying?” - He warns that “at this stage you do not attempt to harmonize any single verse with any other verses.” - He says the goal is “to really listen to what each individual verse or statement of Scripture is saying.” - He describes this as seeking “the literal meaning of each verse, if that verse stood alone.” - He says, “The whole is the sum of the parts,” so no part should be ignored.
Discussion Follow-ups
This method does not solve every ambiguity, as Bercot later admits. But it can reveal whether our first instinct comes from the verse itself or from something already assumed.