"The true key to unlocking the secret of the Bible," according to author E. James Dickey, "is found in biography." Some people would approach the Bible from a doctrinal, sacramental, historical, and archaeological point of view. Valid as these ways of understanding this "magnificent treasure" known as the Bible are, any or all of these measures "fall far short of encompassing the whole content of the Bible."
The way to "embrace the totality of scripture and unlock the mystery therein is through biography," according to the author. "No other spiritual or religious documents in the world have this element to it. Instead, dictums, commandments, sayings, maxims and axioms dominate such writings. Valid as they are, the truly human element is missing.
"Moreover, the relationship with the one, true God and with one another is dictated by those words--be they inspired, revealed, or fashioned. So, any relationship tends to become subservient to the statements themselves. Thus, freedom is thwarted and throttled at its very roots.
"It is true that biography often is somewhat sketchy throughout the scriptures, but enough elements are there to portray a real picture of the people involved. To look at the Bible from the primary relationship with the one, true God of the whole universe and with live human beings is the key to the scriptures. When sincere, it will produce fruits beyond compare."
