The third level of reading examines the nuts and bolts contained in the text. The intention at this level is to try and determine the answers to two questions. The first is: what does the text say? This may involve exploring further questions about the meaning of a word, the background to a particular idea, the literary structure or genre of the text, and so on. This is the level with which most readers will be familiar. It is at this level of reading that the traditional methods and approaches to biblical interpretation are at home. The second question asks, what does the text say to me?
