Study the Bible, Know the Bible

-Bill Petite

It’s just my opinion and it might be correct but, I think there are far too many Christians in this country, the USA, who don’t spend any great amount of time reading the Bible. Christians fill up seats in churches all across this country on Sunday mornings and if they hear anything from the Bible while they are there, that is all the Bible they will get all week, all month and for many months. For many reasons, Christians just don’t make time or take time to read their Bibles at all.

These numbers are from Lifeway Research.

Among people who attend church at least monthly:

·        61% read the Bible regularly

·        Breakdown:

o   31% daily

o   30% a few times a week

o   14% weekly

o   11% a few times a month

o   5% monthly

o   9% rarely or never

The most accurate summary is: About 1 in 3 Christians read the Bible daily, about 2 in 5 read it weekly, and engagement is rising again after a long decline.

From the stats above, if 31% of Christians are reading the Bible daily, that means 69% are not. Some might see 31% and think that is good but the 69% not reading daily is the real important number. Now go to the 9% number; That’s the number of church attenders who read the Bible rarely or never. This is the number church leaders and pastors should be concerned with. If that number is the result of 100% of church attenders, and I’m not say it is in this case, there is a serious problem. That would mean that 91% of those attending churches rarely or never read the Bible. Their entire Christian life is based on what they hear on a Sunday morning unless they are attending more than one service a week. But then the only Bible they know about is what they hear in a church service and that’s if the pastor is teaching anything from the Bible and not a sermon based on a few verses.

There are many reasons why Christians don’t read the Bible. Many will say they don’t have time to read it. Okay, so what is filling their time which doesn’t allow them any time to read the Bible? Most will say their job, their children’s activities, their own activities, can’t get up early enough in the morning and too tired at night. There are many other excuses or reasons but the bottom line is this: How does a Christian’s relationship with Jesus survive if they don’t know anything about Him? Also, how can they tell anyone anything about Jesus if they don’t read the Bible and learn all about Him? But I think the biggest reason these Christians don’t read the Bible is because their interests are focused more on this world and its activities than on God’s word. They have no desire to read the Bible and it has taken a backseat in their lives.

They have been saved and are satisfied believing they have their fire insurance, or are safe from not going to hell, and they are happy with that. If they are reading the Bible all the time, their unsaved friends are going to think they are religious fanatics or Jesus freaks. Well, guess what? If you’re a Christian, you should be a Jesus freak. And also, Jesus paid a serious price for your salvation and eternal life with Him. When these people were saved, they should have had a mentor who would have helped them understand the importance of God’s word, a healthy prayer life and fellowship with other Christians. They should have learned the importance of church attendance at a solid Bible teaching church and Bible study throughout the week. Then as they matured in their Christian faith, Bible reading and study would have become a natural activity for them.

Another reason many say is that they don’t understand or can’t comprehend what they are reading. First, the Christian must have a Bible version they can easily read and understand. Now, I’m not referring to some paraphrase Bible; that’s not a version or accurate translation.  Some of the more accurate and reliable translations or versions are the New King James Version (NKJV), the New American Standard Version (NASV), The English Standard Version (ESV), the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT). The NLT should not be confused with the Living Bible which is not a word for word translation but is a paraphrase Bible. There are some other versions but the ones listed here are the most commonly used versions or translations.  

For those Christians who say they have a difficult time comprehending what they are reading, there are many different Bible helps available. A good Bible commentary can help with explaining those difficult passages and verses. Also, a good Bible dictionary is helpful. But if a Christian purchases a really good study Bible, it will be loaded with helps. I have recently noticed several ads attempting to sell material to help Bible readers understand and know what they are reading. Some of these will sell for $35-$60 but if you have one of those good study Bibles, all of that information is placed right before each book in the Bible. So, don’t spend money for something which you already have. Allow me to give an example.

I have a Life Application Bible that I will use in this case in order to prove you don’t need to buy information which you already have in your study Bible. Let’s look at the book of Romans which might be the greatest theological writing ever. First, in this Bible, there is an overview of the book. It is like a mini commentary which presents what the book is about. Before you even begin to read chapter 1 of this book, you will already have an idea of what Paul is writing about. Next, you have the purpose for the writing, the author, who the audience is, the date it was written, the setting, the key verse, key people, key place, special features. There is also a blue print which includes verses pertaining to what to believe and how to behave and finally there are megathemes which pertain to the book. That’s a format used by The Life Application Bible. Other study Bibles might have similar information but with a different format but it’s everything you would be getting from one of those booklets you would pay for. You don’t need one of them since you already have it in your study Bible.

These study Bibles also have reading plans which guide you through a daily reading plan or reading the Bible in a year. There are other study helps in these study Bibles which are really a big help. That’s why they are referred to as a study Bible. So, don’t waste your money on material you already have in your study Bible.

I use a very simple reading plan for reading the Bible in a year. I read three chapters a day on each week day and four chapters a day on each weekend day. That’s 23 chapters a week and will take you through the Bible in a year. Regardless of how you read the Bible in a year, it is a great familiarization tool. You will become very familiar with the whole Bible as you read it through year after year. And, this is simply a read through plan and not a study plan. If you are reading through and something really catches your attention, jot it down and come back to it later and dig in. Do your study on what it was that got your attention earlier.

Studying the Bible is a process you as an individual must find out what works for you. What I mean is you will have to develop a process that allows you to dig into scripture using a variety of study tools such as commentaries, dictionaries, original language dictionaries and word studies and even a Bible atlas if it helps. If using a computer or a similar device, there are apps which can be downloaded. Just be careful with what is included and how reliable it might be. Whatever works just do it; read and study the Bible and put yourself in a position to be ready when someone asks you why you believe what you believe. Be ready when you are asked about a certain verse or passage in the Bible. You don’t have to be a pastor or seminary grad to know the Bible and be able to tell others all about it when they ask. How can you defend your faith in Jesus and His word if you know nothing about it? If you are in the 69% who is not reading daily, make time right now and begin to read it. Start with a daily plan whether it’s a plan included in your Bible or the one I am using. If you miss a day don’t try to make it up just keep moving forward. Remember, it’s a read through, not a study.

The worst thing you can do is to sit down and just open your Bible randomly. That’s not a reading plan, that’s confusion. However you decide to read and study the Bible, the most important thing to remember is, just keep doing it. And talk with other mature Christians who have been reading and studying the Bible and share your findings and the stuff which has you stumped. It’s a great source of fellowship and learning. Read the Bible and know the Bible.