Helps to live in the Kingdom life. Chapter 23. Bible Study and Reflection. If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible, expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. A. W. Tozer. Nothing is so likely a means to fill us with Christ's Spirit and dispositions as to be frequent in reading the Gospels, for they contain the history of His life and behavior in the world. William Law. J. C.
Ryle said, "Next to praying, there is nothing so important in practical religion as Bible reading." He spoke wisely, for one of the primary ways God speaks to us today is through our reading and meditating on the Scriptures. Matthew Henry writes, "God has something to say to us as a friend every day by the written word, in which we must hear His voice." Reading the Scriptures is the most accurate way to consult the mind of God. Counsel from other Christians may be in error.
Subjective feelings can easily be our own imaginations rather than God speaking to us. However, when we read the Scriptures, we know God Himself is speaking to us with infallible words. Tozer observed, "God did not write a book and send it by a messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds.
He spoke a book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years." So when we read the Bible, we should approach it as a book that is now speaking to us, not something that was once spoken and is now only history. Reading Daily. As we've discussed, we should read the Scriptures daily as part of our devotional time. Those who live the Kingdom life would never think of letting a day pass without praying to God.
They should likewise never let a day pass without letting God speak to them through His word. Committed Christians often look to the Bereans as an example in Bible reading, and rightfully so. Have you ever noticed how often the Bereans searched the Scriptures? The account says they "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Acts 17:11.
Jesus pointed to the essential nourishment from Scripture when He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. Have you ever thought about the Bible that way, as something essential to life? Do you nourish your soul on Scripture each day the way you nourish your body with food? One secret of the Kingdom life is to develop the habit of reading God's word every day.
It needs to be as much a part of our daily routine as eating, dressing, washing, and sleeping. I've suggested that you make it part of your devotional hour with God. However, it may work better for you to read the Scriptures at some other time. At first, you may find reading the Bible a drudgery that you can't wait to get over with. You may have to force yourself to stick to a regular reading schedule.
However, unless there is something in your life impeding the Holy Spirit, you will eventually find incredible joy in reading the Scriptures. You'll find you can't wait to find out what new thing you will discover each day in Scripture. I don't mean you'll find a new theological doctrine, but rather a new understanding or conviction that had previously escaped your notice.
You'll be like someone who has read midway through a mystery novel and looks forward to every opportunity to pick up the novel and continue reading. Cherishing the Bible. When you embark on your daily Bible reading, don't approach the Scriptures as dry, dusty tomes. Rather, read the Bible the way a young adult reads a cherished love letter. I realize that in today's world, letters have been largely replaced by emails, tweets, and text messages.
Nevertheless, picture a young man from another era as he anxiously waits for the mail each day, hoping it will contain a letter from his beloved. When he goes to his mailbox and finds the expected letter, his eyes widen as he rips open the envelope. He devours the letter, whispering each word aloud as he reads. He's not satisfied to read it just once. The first day, he carries it with him as he travels to work. On the bus, he pulls it out and reads it again. He smiles as he reads over special parts.
Throughout the day, he carries the letter next to his heart and ponders some of the things his beloved has said. He reads it again on the bus ride home and thinks about it as he lies in bed that night. That is exactly how we should read the Bible: as a letter from our beloved. God's word gives us precious insight into His nature and character. Through the pages of Scripture, God tells us how much He loves us. He also gives us exciting insights into the invisible realm of heaven and the angels.
He warns us of spiritual dangers. He sets forth our rights, privileges, and responsibilities as citizens of His kingdom. He points out who and what our enemies are and how we can defeat them. Finally, He clarifies what we must do if we are to spend eternity with Him. So when we read the Scriptures, we might want to imagine ourselves sitting at the feet of Jesus or one of the apostles or prophets, learning from them and drinking in what they have to say.
Before reading, we should ask God to help the pages of Scripture become alive to us. Reading for Spiritual Nourishment. Many Christians read the Bible primarily for head knowledge. They have a long list of carefully worked-out theological doctrines for which they seek reinforcement every time they read the Scriptures. They have memorized an assemblage of selectively chosen proof texts for their positions, with which they'll bombard anyone who dares to challenge their theological fortress.
Such people acquire masses of knowledge each time they read Scripture, but little spiritual nourishment. Despite all their learning, they know little about the Kingdom life. This is not surprising, for those very same Scriptures tell us, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." 1 Corinthians 8:1. Therefore, if you're seeking the Kingdom life, don't read the Bible primarily for head knowledge. Read it for spiritual sustenance and life. Read to learn what kind of person God wants us to be.
Hear our God of love speak to you. Learn from Him how to grow in His image. Learn about the fruit He requires and how to produce it. Read with attention and reverence to learn how to live the Kingdom life. Remember that the Scriptures were given to us for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16. So we should use the Scriptures as a mirror to measure our own lives and our growth in Christ.
William Law said this about the Bible writers, "Receive their sacred words with as much attention and reverence as if you saw their persons and knew that they had just come from heaven on purpose to teach you the way that leads to heaven." Pondering the Scriptures. As we read, we can each ask ourselves, "What do these words mean in my life? How does God want me to live? How can I constantly enjoy His favor? What spiritual dangers is God warning me about?
What are my privileges and responsibilities as a Christian?" As we've already discussed, when we read God's word, we should also be constantly praying, praising God, confessing disobedience in our lives concerning the things we read, making commitments to live by what we're reading, and asking for power to live by the teachings He has given us that day through the Scriptures. The commitments we make to God as we read should be more than just general resolutions. Instead, we should make them very specific.
"Father, I resolve with Your help to quit allowing myself to become angry at Pete's rude behavior at work." Or, "Father, I've been harboring resentment toward Susan for years because of the hurt she caused me. I confess this and I hereby forgive her.
And I resolve, with Your power, to bury this matter permanently." William Law writes, "When men retire into their studies to change their nature, to correct and reform their passions, to find out the folly and weakness of their hearts, when they read and meditate to fill their souls with spiritual wisdom and to raise their hearts unto God, when this is learning, then learning will lead men unto God." In chapter 8, we talked about the victorious cycle and the necessary interaction among prayer, obedience, and faith.
We now need to insert Bible reading into that cycle. How can we obey Christ if we don't know what His commands are? Bible reading enables us to know how to live, which in turn makes our prayers more effective. Stripping Away Our Blinders. Sadly, many, if not most, Christians miss the rich spiritual treasure they can find in the Scriptures. Why? Because they read the Bible with blinders on. The blinders are our preconceptions.
Most of us have already been thoroughly indoctrinated in what the Bible teaches long before we ever read the Scriptures for ourselves. So when we read the pages of Scripture, instead of hearing God speak, we typically hear the indoctrination given by our instructors. So here is another secret of the Kingdom life. In order to hear God speak to us through the Scriptures, it's essential that we read the Bible with a blank slate. But how can we do that since we've all been indoctrinated in various ways?
The way to get past our preconceptions is to read the Bible as would a new Christian who has not yet been taught any of the truths of Christianity. This untainted Christian reads the Scriptures without any previous knowledge of what they say. He has nothing to prove, and he has nothing to defend. Of course, few of us are such untainted Christians.
So when we read, each of us should ask the question, "If I didn't know better, what would I think this passage is saying?" Jesus told us, "Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Mark 10:15. So read the Scriptures as a little child, taking Scripture at face value. Unless you're reading an apocalyptic book or an obviously highly figurative passage, assume the passage means exactly what it says, regardless of whose theology it steps on.
Not that you're reading for theology. However, when you read with a blank slate, you can't help but notice that today's theology of easy believism negates many of the commands and other teachings of Scripture. As you read through Scripture, particularly the New Testament, make a list of all of the commandments, instructions, and insights on the Christian life. Assume those passages mean just what they say. Go back over each commandment or instruction and ask yourself, "What is the purpose of this command?
Why did God give it? What does this tell me about the character of God?" Sometimes the surrounding verses will provide some clarification. Other times, you will simply have to prayerfully reflect on the matter. The important thing is to obey it, regardless of whether you understand God's purpose behind it. However, reflecting on the purpose of the commandment is one of the things that sets apart those who live the Kingdom life.
When you read the Bible in this manner, you are certain to come across new truths and teachings you never noticed before. I'm sure I have read most New Testament passages at least a thousand times throughout my lifetime. Yet every day when I read Scripture, I notice something new that has escaped me before. I don't mean that the actual words on the page have escaped me. Rather, the significance of certain statements has. Read the Bible expecting to find new blessings every day. Removing the Human Influence.
When we read the Scriptures, we should be reading because we want to hear the words of God, not the words of man. But learning to set aside our indoctrination and preconceptions is only one step in removing the human element. The truth is that man's fallible influence is on every page of our Bibles, even though most of us don't realize it. "How," you might be asking, "I don't use a study Bible. I just read the Word of God itself." But do you?
I assume the Bible you read is divided into chapters, paragraphs, and verses. All those divisions are man-made. God didn't give us His Word partitioned, crisscrossed, subdivided, and demarcated. Each book of the Bible, except the Psalms, came as a packaged whole without any paragraphs, subheadings, chapters, verses, or other subdivisions. Stephen Langton, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, created our New Testament chapter divisions in the year 1227.
Robert Stephanus divided those New Testament chapters into verses in 1555. The subheadings and paragraphs came even later. They're usually added by the modern translators or publishers. Many Christians think they're imitating the Bereans when they look up all the Bible citations given by a speaker or writer. However, when the Bereans checked Paul's teaching, they had no chapters or verses in their Bibles. They had to read through an entire Bible book or scroll to find out if what Paul was saying was true.
This meant they were forced to take notice of the context of the passages they were reading. Chapter and verse designations are handy for cross-reference. However, these subdivisions heavily influence how we understand the Bible. For example, most Christians mistakenly think the passage in the New Testament concerning the head covering, 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, pertains to conduct in church. However, nothing in that passage limits the instructions to church services.
The reason so many Christians imagine the covering applies only to church is that in our Bibles, the passage on head coverings is grouped with Paul's discussion of the Lord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, and the two are combined into a single chapter. Since the Lord's Supper concerns church conduct, the reader is naturally drawn to the conclusion that the instructions on head coverings pertain to church conduct. Chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians pertains to everyday meals and other matters outside of church services.
So if Archbishop Langton had included the head covering instructions in chapter 10, most readers would no doubt assume that the instructions on head coverings apply in all situations. In short, the chapter and verse divisions sometimes influence how we interpret Scripture. Ignoring Chapters and Verses. Therefore, when you read the New Testament, I encourage you to read an entire book in one sitting. This is achievable with most of the epistles.
As you read, ignore all subheadings, paragraphs, and chapter and verse divisions. Instead, carefully follow the line of thought from sentence to sentence. Often, the first parts of one chapter belong to the last parts of the preceding chapter. Ignoring the chapter divisions allows you to read the epistle as an entire unified message, as God intended it to be read. I realize that you probably will not have time to read the larger New Testament books in one sitting. The same is true of most Old Testament books.
So with the larger books, try at least to read an entire block of related chapters together. For example, read the entire Sermon on the Mount in one sitting. Similarly, when reading the Gospel of John, try to read the entire accounts of the Last Supper, John 13-17, in a single reading. If you're using a study Bible, ignore all human interpretive commentary. At the same time, some study material is very helpful, such as cross-references, maps, and explanatory notes on money and units of measurement.
Translators' notes are helpful when they explain to the reader that a given phrase or word can be translated in more than one way. Such translators' notes help put us on the same level as the original New Testament audience. The other human factor we want to remove is our own flesh. The New Testament contains many commandments and instructions that require denying ourselves and carrying our cross. To those not living the Kingdom life, such commandments may appear to be heavy, oppressive burdens.
So the human tendency is either to ignore them or to explain them away as we read. More than likely, others have already explained them away for us, making it easy to simply read their adulterations into the text. However, when we live the Kingdom life, we want to know what God requires of us. As we've discussed, we know He gives directives because He loves us and wants to gently mold us into the image of His Son. So we don't want to find a way around God's laws.
Rather, we want to embrace them as fully as possible. We look at the Bible and its commandments as a blessed help to live in the Kingdom life. Now let's look at another help God has given us: the church.