Why and how should we read the Bible?
Two weeks ago we looked at this topic as part of our Alpha course. We began by considering what the Bible is, which given that the Alpha group is made up of a mix people from all sorts of backgrounds, at varying stages of belief and faith, was a very relevant place to start. We began by looking at phrases in modern use that can be found in the Bible:
The skin of my teeth Job 19
No peace for the wicked Isaiah 48
Sign of the times Matt 24
Wolf in sheep’s clothing Matt 7
Like a lamb to the slaughter Isaiah 53
Holier than thou Isaiah 65 (KJ)
My brother’s keeper Gen 4
Doubting Thomas John 2
That last one brought us neatly to how the Bible still influences what names people give their children; not many children are called Judas, or Jezebel perhaps because of the links with the characters in the Bible and what they were like. Bible names are still popular; the top 10 names for boys in 2007 include Jack (a derivative of John and meaning ‘God is gracious’), Thomas, Joshua, Daniel and James.
From this we moved on to consider the accuracy of the Bible, and its many translations and versions. There are over 500 English versions of the Bible, not including some rather strange versions named after misprints. Such as:
The Place-Makers bible of 1562 (blessed are the ‘place-makers’ instead of peace makers)
The Wicked bible of 1631 (‘do’ commit adultery instead of do not)
The Vinegar Bible, 1717, which had the ‘parable of the vinegar’ rather than vineyard
The Wife-hater bible, 1810 – ‘if any man come to me, and hate not his own wife’ instead of life
There are translations of the full Bible available for 438 languages, with translations of one of the two testaments in 1,168 additional languages, and portions of the Bible in another 848 languages. This means that partial or full translations of the Bible exist in a total of 2,454 languages.
My thanks go to Google and the internet for all those statistics – I hope they are all accurate!
When I put ‘the bible is…’ into Google, the box that gives suggestions as to the pages I may like to look at came up with a list which included: ‘the bible is…..’
fake, wrong, right, a lie, the truth, fiction, god’s word
and some others which I couldn’t possibly repeat!
All this goes to indicate that what you believe when you start to read influences the way we read the Bible.
As a Christian, I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, written down over a period of 1500 years, by at least 40 different authors, on 3 different continents and in 3 different languages. It is made up of many different genres of writing, which again affects the way in which I must read. I shouldn’t, for example, be looking for historical accuracy in the Psalms, which are hymns, poems and prayers.
So, here we are, on Bible Sunday, in church asking why and how we should read the Bible. Some other questions first: in a show of hands
Does anyone here think that we should read the Bible? And conversely, does anyone think we should not?
Does anyone here find it difficult to read the Bible?
So, if we feel as Christians, we should read the Bible, we can look to the Bible for answers to the question, why?
Why should we read the Bible?
How do people in the Bible perceive the word of God?
Ps 19 and 119 give us a clue. (Read 19:7-11 and 119:33-36 and Neh 8:9b)
Do we feel the same? How do you feel when you read the Bible? Inspired, comforted, strengthened like the Psalmist, or perhaps like the people in Jerusalem at the time of Nehemiah; appalled, so aware of sin and how we have missed the mark for God, we could weep. Or alternatively, so grateful for what God promises, we could weep.
When we read the Bible with the power of God the Spirit, who helps us to understand (Jn 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.) it can be a very distressing time. How seriously do we take our faith, how much do we want to be changed in to the likeness of Christ, to please our Father in heaven? (2 Cor 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.)
Can we say like the Psalmist – I have hidden your word in my heart that I may not sin against you? We can find great comfort, eternal promises and offer of life in the Bible, but we do it a very great disservice if we do not read it to be challenged and changed in our attitudes and our actions.
This word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12), it is our spiritual sword (Eph 6:17) and we need to take it seriously if we are to live lives, as Christians, the way I believe God wants us to. Hear what James has to say:
1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Those who listen to the word but do not do what it says are like people who look at their faces in a mirror 24 and, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like. 25 But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
So, to the how – how should we read the Bible?
How, practical suggestions:
How – attitude:
Let us pray in the words of psalm 119:169-176
Amen