What did He say?

Every Christian is urged to “Read your Bible.”  Most of us own several of them.  I carry 8 versions in my pocket all the time; on my phone!  But … getting the most out of the Scripture is no easy task. One of the more formidable obstacles, until fairly recently, was the ancient English of the ‘Authorized Version.’  Translated in the 17^th century, the King James Bible, the most commonly available Bible to English speaking people, was full of archaic terms, thee’s and thou’s, and sentence structure that Shakespeare understood but that we don’t!  In the last 50 years multiple translations have become available, some much better than others, that retain the truth while updating the language. (I recommend the NIV or ESV)

We love the Bible until we hate it.  What?  Yes, we love to hear that the “Lord is my Shepherd”  and that “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son.”   We are not so thrilled to learn that God hates divorce, that Jesus commands us to die to Self, that the Lord gave universal and lasting moral directives that are not the “Ten Suggestions.”   Students of the Bible will find themselves conflicted over the message, sooner or later.  The choice?   Accept and obey; or explain it away.  (Or, just don’t read it, at all, which seems to be the choice of many 21^st “Christians!”)

Then, too, there are those issues that just bother us. 

Why does the New Testament seem to tacitly approve of slavery?

How do we reconcile the free will of human beings that is taught in some books with the language of ‘sovereignty’ (God rules it all) found in others? 

What do we make of the different interpretations offered by multiple reputable pastors over issues like ‘the End Times,’  the ministry of the Holy Spirit, miracles, and such matters?

I am not suggesting these are simple matters or even that they do not matter. 

But … will we discard the whole revelation of God because we find some parts of the Holy Book hard to understand?

Strong Christians will read the Bible and anchor their minds in the truth revealed there.  There are some ways to help that to happen, to keep from being discouraged along the way.

First of all, understand the layout of the Scripture.

It’s a library, not a novel!  The Bible not laid out chronologically. It is thematic.  It opens with the story of creation and quickly moves to tell about the emergence of the people of God through Abraham.  The first half of the Bible is largely the history of the Jews, the covenant people of God. The middle books are literature – Psalms, Proverbs.  The prophets are preachers, most of whom delivered their messages about 600 to 800 years prior to Christ’s coming.  Then, you come to the Gospels, that tell the story of Jesus.  Following is the Acts, where we learn about the establishment of the Christian church.  The Epistles (letters) are the sermons of the apostles that shape our knowledge of how to live the Christian life. And the last book is the Revelation, a story of the conflict between good and evil which reveals, in the most colorful language, the ultimate triumph of the plan of God.  Rather than read the Bible straight through, from cover to cover, it is best to read individual books, to mix in a Psalm, to include an Epistle, too.

Second, give yourself time to grasp the historical context into which the Bible was written.

Context is critically important.  It is almost impossible to understand the prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Amos, etc.) apart from understanding the events that were happening to God’s people at the time.  Even the Epistles, the letters of the New Testament, take much deeper meaning to us when we understand the churches to which they were first written and the reasons they were written.  A good study Bible (remember the notes are not inspired) can help with this.

Third, stay connected with a solid church and a good Bible study.

God’s people have always studied the Scripture together, realizing that it protects them from going off into some error. Some of the most twisted heresies and worst episodes of Christian history have come out of somebody deciding that he or she alone knows the real truth, discarding the weight of the church’s understanding and the guidance of the Spirit given to the Body of Christ.

Fourth, develop a habit.

Establishing a regular time and manner for reading the Word will (I promise!) yield amazing and rich rewards. “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.  I will speak of your statutes before kings

and will not be put to shame,  for I delight in your commands because I love them.  I lift up my hands to c your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.”  (Psalm 119:45-48)

Fifth, use technology!

Because of the world we live in, our minds do not always respond to the written page like those of our fathers.  A great way to ‘read’ the Bible is to read while listening to it, too.  You can find many editions to download into your digital devices.  The reader will pace your mind as your eyes take in the written word and understanding will deepen.  There a resource online, too-  https://www.biblegateway.com/

You can read and listen to multiple versions of the Bible, without cost. 

Here is a word from the Word.
"The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes.

God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure." (Psalm 19:7-11, The Message)

So, read it for all it’s worth!