How Do I Read My Bible?
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
As Christians, we are people of the book. Reading is a requirement of God’s faithful. Christians reading? It sounds obvious, but meaningful reading requires more than just memorization of a few phrases. Reading requires context, knowledge of genre, intent, historical background, understanding of original languages, and more. Reading the novel, Doctor Zhivago, believing it’s setting was in Ankeny, Iowa in 2023, instead of a story about a Russian physician and poet, living through the Russian Revolution and World War II. And, while the book addresses historical themes, to treat a novel like a historical record would be a false reading.
Now, instead of reading about taking place about a hundred years ago and spanning 40 years we are reading a book spanning thousands of years, different languages, and cultures, utilizing many genres. Interesting reading often requires further study to understand the author’s message at a more meaningful level. Dan Pederson’s article “12 Things You Should Know Before Reading The Bible” addresses the challenges that lay before a person who wants to read the Bible with integrity.
I believe, from reading other works by Pederson, that his intent is to discourage belief in those who believe. Yet, instead of his 12 arguments creating doubt, his appropriate questions actually guide our reading of the Bible to a deeper level of understanding. Here are Pederson’s 12 concerns when reading the Bible. 1. People living in ancient times had very little understanding of science. They had a tendency to explain natural phenomena as divinely orchestrated events. 2. Ancient people often used metaphorical language and exaggeration to illustrate a point. 3. The Bible was written in in Hebrew and Greek, not English. 4. Jesus spoke neither language. 5. Many of the Biblical stories were part of the oral traditions and were not written down for decades, or even centuries. 6. When the stories were written down, they were copied many times over by hand. 7. We have no surviving original documents of the Bible. 8. The people who claim to have written the books in the Bible were often not the actual writers. 9. There were other documents written around the same time as our canonized New Testament that were not included in our Bibles. 10. The four gospels contradict each other in several places. 11. It was not God but Patriarchs living hundreds of years after Jesus who determined what was included in the New Testament. 12. The Book of Revelation was a metaphorical depiction of the conflict happening at that time, rather than a predictor of our era.
Pederson’s 12 concerns will only cause doubt and loss of faith if we do not read the works of knowledgeable teachers. Pastors address these issues in his sermons and in their classes. For Christians to be faithful readers of the Book, we are required to be faithful readers. We are called to be inquisitive and discerning. Today, think about ways you can advance your understanding of God’s Word. A start would be to get an instructive Study Bible. Three I recommend is the HarperCollins Study Bible, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, and The New Interpreter’s Study Bible.
It is important to read, not just the Biblical passages, but the introductions to each book, the notes, and the articles that are included. When you read the articles and notes, you will answer these 12 questions and many more. Do a little reading every day, and soon, you will have a deep breath of understanding.