As a pastor, one of the things that I regularly encourage people to be doing is reading the Bible. We live in a day and age where access to the Bible is really not that big of an issue. I've downloaded a few versions on my Kindle, and can pretty much access any translation from the internet. So it's not that access is an issue as it has been in centuries past, where literacy was low and books were practically non-existent.
But over the past few years, I've given a lot of thought to this issue. Why do we encourage people to read their Bibles so much? In part, we really do want people to know what God says. It's far easier to interact with people in their spiritual needs when they have an idea of what God has really said on the pages of the Bible. Sure, they may not like what it says, or disagree with what it says, but it's known, and that makes the discussion at least a little bit easier.
However, I have found that this emphasis has also had an unanticipated effect. On occasion, there have been those who would say that such an emphasis actually served to create a greater sense of guilt, since it wasn't their habit. And some of these are long standing church people. As I have encountered that on occasion, it also makes me wonder if an emphasis on reading the Bible is a good thing if it only serves to grow people's guilt.
On top of that, we also face the reality that there are many things in the Bible that are not easily explained, and that the Bible itself is structured in such a way that a straight-through reading likely won't make the most sense to someone who doesn't know it well. (Plus, it's a big book, which makes it a challenge to read through the whole thing anyway.) A guide often proves to be a helpful thing, but still fails to paint a complete picture of everything that God says, and often doesn't give answers to the questions that people have as they read through it.
Finally, I wonder if such an emphasis is mostly a modern "problem" that hasn't had to be addressed by God's people over the course of time. I say it's a modern problem because most of the time between the writing of the Bible and now has been marked by illiteracy. People knew what they heard read to them during worship times. Very few individuals had the ability to read, much less access to books or scrolls. Would we say that those people were "less" Christian because they didn't have the ability to read the Bible? I would hardly say so.
In my mind, that's why it is appropriate to encourage people to read their Bibles, but to understand that the vast majority of learning God's word is still going to take place in what is read during worship times together, and in the preaching that takes place. God's Word was given as a spoken word, and only after it was spoken did it become a written word. The "spoken-ness" of God's Word should always have priority. That places a great deal of emphasis on what is preached, and so a well-constructed sermon will always be the best vehicle for the Spirit to do His work as God's Word is preached and expanded upon for God's people. It's not wrong to encourage people to read, but overall, we face the reality that the preached and spoken word will continue to have more far-reaching impact than any amount of encouragement to read on their own.
But over the past few years, I've given a lot of thought to this issue. Why do we encourage people to read their Bibles so much? In part, we really do want people to know what God says. It's far easier to interact with people in their spiritual needs when they have an idea of what God has really said on the pages of the Bible. Sure, they may not like what it says, or disagree with what it says, but it's known, and that makes the discussion at least a little bit easier.
However, I have found that this emphasis has also had an unanticipated effect. On occasion, there have been those who would say that such an emphasis actually served to create a greater sense of guilt, since it wasn't their habit. And some of these are long standing church people. As I have encountered that on occasion, it also makes me wonder if an emphasis on reading the Bible is a good thing if it only serves to grow people's guilt.
On top of that, we also face the reality that there are many things in the Bible that are not easily explained, and that the Bible itself is structured in such a way that a straight-through reading likely won't make the most sense to someone who doesn't know it well. (Plus, it's a big book, which makes it a challenge to read through the whole thing anyway.) A guide often proves to be a helpful thing, but still fails to paint a complete picture of everything that God says, and often doesn't give answers to the questions that people have as they read through it.
Finally, I wonder if such an emphasis is mostly a modern "problem" that hasn't had to be addressed by God's people over the course of time. I say it's a modern problem because most of the time between the writing of the Bible and now has been marked by illiteracy. People knew what they heard read to them during worship times. Very few individuals had the ability to read, much less access to books or scrolls. Would we say that those people were "less" Christian because they didn't have the ability to read the Bible? I would hardly say so.
In my mind, that's why it is appropriate to encourage people to read their Bibles, but to understand that the vast majority of learning God's word is still going to take place in what is read during worship times together, and in the preaching that takes place. God's Word was given as a spoken word, and only after it was spoken did it become a written word. The "spoken-ness" of God's Word should always have priority. That places a great deal of emphasis on what is preached, and so a well-constructed sermon will always be the best vehicle for the Spirit to do His work as God's Word is preached and expanded upon for God's people. It's not wrong to encourage people to read, but overall, we face the reality that the preached and spoken word will continue to have more far-reaching impact than any amount of encouragement to read on their own.
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