To Read or Not to Read

A few weeks ago when my sister came home from the Christian school she attends she told me about a debate that broke out during a class discussion. One of her classmates said, “The Bible says you can’t cuss, I’ve never read the Bible but I’ve heard that.” 

My sister, taken aback by this statement, challenged, “How have you never read the Bible? You can’t be a Christian if you never read the Bible.” Instantaneously, the rest of the class began to chime in, 

“Well, reading the Bible isn’t important.”

“What about the people in China who don’t have Bibles?”

“God didn’t actually write the Bible.” 

“The disciples didn’t read the Bible.”

“It doesn’t benefit you.”

Even her teacher, who is a pastor’s wife, agreed with the class, “I don’t believe that to stay a Christian you have to read the Bible, you can be a good person without the Bible.”

Naturally, my family and I couldn’t believe that someone who claims to be a Christian could think that the very word of God isn’t relevant. As we were discussing this my dad hit the nail right on the head, “That’s the problem with America no one reads the Bible anymore causing churches to have no reference point. So we see the transgenders and homosexuals taking over churches.”

What is your Christianity based on?

The fact that my sister’s entire class, her teacher included, didn’t believe it was important to read the Bible boggled my mind. The more I think about it the more ridiculous it sounds. If no one read the Bible how would we know what we need to do to be saved? Her class claimed that once you pray to accept Jesus into your life you just have to live a good life, not based on what the Bible says. While there are myriad flaws in this statement it begs the question, how would you know how to become a Christian in the first place, or for that matter what a Christian even is if the Bible wasn’t relevant?  

In several other religions their “holy texts” are of the utmost importance. The Jews memorize the first five books of the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy in our Bibles). Muslims are constantly referring to and memorizing the Qur’an. According to the Church of Christ website, “The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is your most powerful resource in conversion.” 

If these false religions place so much importance on their “holy texts” why shouldn’t we, who know the truth, focus on Bible study and memorization?

What are we to think of men such as William Tyndale who faced tremendous persecution and lost their lives because they translated the Bible into English? Or the countless missionaries who have risked their lives to smuggle Bibles into foreign countries. Were their labors in vain? 

Think of it this way, have you ever ordered a piece of furniture from an online store? When it arrives it’s not put together, it’s usually in one or a few large boxes with big letters stating “Assembly required”. However, if you just tear open the box toss out the instructions, and try to figure it out on your own you won’t get very far, and you might break some of the material in the process. If you can put some of it together on your own it may not line up because it’s backwards or you used the wrong screws. All together a big mess. 

Trying to live a Christian life without reading the Bible, is like trying to put together a piece of furniture without following the instructions.

BIBLE- Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

What the Bible says

Since we have established that you DO need to read the Bible, let’s see what the Bible, the Word of God, has to say about this. 

First, let’s learn what Jesus had to say about scripture. After Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the wilderness he was tempted by the devil (read the full account in Matthew 4:1-11), when the devil challenged Him to turn stones into bread Jesus replied,

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus quoted scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3) to the devil, something that we as Christians should do when we are facing difficult situations. When you know your Bible you will have confidence in your inheritance as a daughter of the King. In this verse, He likens the word of God to bread. Food is something we can’t live without physically, and the Bible is something we can’t live without spiritually.

In John chapter 5 (verse 39) Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and says,

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” 

Since the New Testament was happening when He spoke these words, Jesus was referring to the Old Testament, showing us that the Old Testament is still relevant, it doesn’t secure eternal life but it bears witness of Jesus Christ. 

Next, what do other Bible passages say about the Word of God?

God’s Word lights the way we need to live. 

Psalms 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

God’s Word is a sword, a weapon in spiritual warfare.

Ephesians 6:17

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

God's Word teached and corrects us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Memorizing scripture will remind us of right and wrong so that we can guard ourselves from sin.

Psalms 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel are commanded to constantly meditate on the law so that they won’t forget it and so their lives will be blessed.

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God's Word is eternal.

Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever.”

We are to live the way God calls us to.

James 1:22

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves

These are just a few of dozens of verses challenging us as Christians to study the Bible. All throughout scripture there are references to studying the Word of God and the power it has. God has given us the Bible as a resource to use in serving Him. It is our job to study and apply it to our lives.

How to start reading the Bible

Psalms 5:3

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.

Building a habit of Bible reading is something that takes time. Some people prefer to do devotions in the morning, others find time mid-day, and still others have more time in the evening. Regardless of when you study your Bible, it is imperative that you do it. Maybe you have never set aside time in your day to spend time with God, or you need to re-prioritize prayer and Bible reading, either way, there are a few different places to start.

The Bible is a big book, and the plain truth is sometimes it’s hard to read. Starting at Genesis isn’t always the best option, even for new believers. It’s also important to read a version that you understand, King James (KJV) isn’t for everyone! My personal favorite is the New King James Version (NKJV), it’s easier to read and understand than the KJV but it still uses “big words” in some places. There are hundreds of versions to choose from but beware, some versions have removed words, scriptures, and even whole passages. 

Here are a few starting points for beginners. 

1. Read the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Start with John. Each Gospel tells a different perspective of the life of Jesus. John's book is focused on who Jesus is which gives a solid foundation for reading the rest of the Bible.

2. Read through Proverbs. Proverbs has 31 chapters. If you start at the beginning of the month and read one chapter every day you will have finished the book! The chapters are a reasonable size and they are filled with life truths and nuggets of wisdom.

3. Read as much as you can understand. Focus on quality rather than quantity. If you find yourself reading a chapter a day but don’t glean anything from your reading, focus on just reading a few verses at a time, or read the same chapter a few times over. Pray for God to give you understanding as you read His word.

If you have established a time for daily Bible reading but are stuck in a rut, or you need new inspiration, here are a few tips!

1. Read to understand. I’ve been reading my Bible daily since I was around 8 or 9, but recently I realized I had started to focus more on how much I was reading, instead of how much I was understanding. I was reading through the Gospels at the time so I started to read just a few verses at a time several times and it really began to sink in. God gave me some great revelations as I began striving to understand.

2. Use this Bible plan to read through the whole Bible in order. It took me close to three years to do this (Mind you, I was younger and less disciplined) but once I finished I felt like I won a trophy. The reason I like this particular plan is that it takes you through the Bible in the order that it happened. If you have ever read 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles, for example, you will notice that they tell essentially the same story. This plan has you read both accounts alongside each other. It is a lot of reading each day, so try splitting it up into a few chunks, or just read a couple of chapters a day. If you want to go day by day as the plan suggests have at it! It also is only 5 days a week if you get behind. 

3. Pick a book of the Bible you don’t know very well and read through it. I’ve been doing this recently and it’s been very enlightening. I’ve learned a lot by being able to focus on one book and ponder each section carefully. 

I hope that if you have not established a discipline of daily Bible reading this will encourage you to do so. If you have implemented this practice, I pray these tips will help you to strengthen your walk with God. One last verse to think about.