Unlocking the Bible by Asking, “So What?”

“So what?”
If someone asked me this question, I’d probably be offended. It sounds snarky, slightly rude, and in your face. Yet I include this question in my list of questions each week in my adult Sunday School class.

Unlocking the Bible by Asking, “So what?”

“So what?” 

If someone asked me this question, I’d probably be offended. It sounds snarky, slightly rude, and in your face. Yet I include this question in my list of questions each week in my adult Sunday School class. 

Two years ago, we began a comprehensive survey of the Bible, studying a book a week until we covered the entire Bible. When I prayed about how to approach each book, my training as a newspaper reporter kicked in. Ask the five W’s and an H—Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Of course, brilliant! 

Who wrote the book and to whom is it written? What was the main theme? When did the events take place? Where did the events take place? Why did the author write the book? How did the events unfold? 

Looking over my list of questions, I knew we could learn the historicity of each book, but something was missing. That’s when I added the question, “So what?” Now that we’ve studied the facts of the book, so what? Why does this matter? How should this impact my life?

“So what?” might just be the most important question at all, because if we read the Bible for information only, it probably won’t change our lives. And an encounter with God’s Word should never leave us unchanged. 

The Bible is a living book, one that has the power to bolster our faith, transform our hearts, and make us more like Christ. But studying the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Scripture can be more like reading a biography of Lincoln instead of meeting Lincoln himself. It’s only a shadow of what it could be. 

This is why we must also ask, “So what?” 

Here are a few examples of how asking this question changed our study of Genesis: 

Fact: God deliberately created mankind in His image. Human life didn’t spontaneously occur.  

So what? My life and the lives of those around me aren’t accidents. They’re part of God’s plan and purpose for the world. Every life matters, because God creates every life. 

Fact: God created Adam and Eve with a free will, even though He knew they’d use it to sin against Him. 

So what? God doesn’t force people to love Him. He gives us the ability to choose. 

Fact: God made a promise in Genesis 3:15 that He’d send a Redeemer to save mankind from their sin. Thousands of years later, God kept His promise by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the world. 

So what? I can trust God to keep His promises in my life as well. 

Fact: God called Abraham to offer His only Son to prove His love for God. Abraham obeyed His command because he believed God was a promise-keeping God. 

So what? Sometimes God calls me to do difficult things. If I truly trust God, I’ll demonstrate my trust by obeying Him. 

Fact: God used the unjust circumstances of Joseph’s life to deliver him and thousands of others. 

So what? God can use the difficult circumstances of my life to bring about good in mine and other’s lives. 

Fact: God placed the infant nation of Israel in the incubator of Egypt so they could grow as a people without interference from dangerous nations. In Egypt, they grew from 70 people to 2.5 million. 

So what? God can orchestrate unlikely situations or circumstances in my life for good. 

Studying the facts of a book gives us vital information to help us understand God’s message. Asking “So what?” helps us apply God’s message to our lives. 

The next time you open your Bible to study a passage, I encourage you to learn the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then, prayerfully and intentionally, ask God to show you so what—how each passage applies to your life right now. You’ll be amazed at how God’s Word comes alive.

—Written by Lori Hatcher. Used by permission from the author. Click here to connect with Lori.

24 Responses

  1. The Word of God daily is true Poetry to my ears and rings Freedom in my Spirit. The words lift right off the page and creates the Journey to my life each time I read. "Here I am send me and I shall go". The real Blessing I will not go alone. God is with me He said "He will never leave me or forsake me". Thank for the reminder to read the Bible.

  2. Excellent article! I totally agree. "So what?" is exactly where I need to go to catch a hold of the application for my life. I will be mindful to ask this question as I read scripture from now on, thank you!

  3. I find that taking this one step further and actually putting myself in the story as it unfolds makes it real for me! Try it sometime!

  4. Love this! I’m going to start asking my Bible study group this question each week. Thanks for the tip!

  5. So why haven’t we added our ‘new’ stories to the book God and our Lord, Jesus have been with us throughout modern times. Yet we haven’t added anything since John gave his warning.
    Maybe that’s the next question

  6. I love the "So What" question. It is going to open a whole new study practice for me. Thank you for sharing and explaining how to use the question.

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