Discipline of Scripture Reading

What is considered Scripture?

Scripture is the the Bible. It consists of 66 distinct sections called books. You have it is broken down into different genres of writing and each serves a purpose in revealing truth about God, humanity, history, and future events.

If you look at the Bible’s in front of you you will see that there are 39 Old Testament books while there are 27 New Testament books. the Bible we have now is considered to be the Canon of Scripture. Another way of thinking about this is that through extensive research and historical facts Church leaders established a set of rules that determined which writings were to be included within the Biblical Canon. The leaders responsible for doing so, we believe were divinely inspired to do so and it was God’s will for his Word to be preserved. They did such a good job that none of the current books are debated for inclusion. Therefore, Scripture is the Bible.

What is a good Bible translation?

Over the last roughly 2000 years, we have gained a multitude of translations. One of the earliest English translations is the King James Version. There are many Christians which will only read the King James Version. While it is a solid and good translation overall, its ancient English makes it much harder to understand and can be mundane to read for some, although, the poetry passage of scripture retain beauty and elegance.

What is a good translation for students and families?

There are several great modern translations that hold to the original Scripture as it is written.

One of those translations is the ESV. We use this translation in here and Bro. Kyle uses it on Sunday Morning’s. Without boring you with all the details, it uses some of the best translation methods available. A second translation which does an impeccable job of helping the reader understand the original meaning with modern language tools is the Christian Standard Bible which I use for my devotional time with the Lord .A few others which are good overall is the New King James Version and the New American Standard Bible.

As for which I would encourage families to use in their homes and for family devotions, I would point you to the Christian Standard Bible it is fluid and easy to read and is approachable for all ages. However, you cannot go wrong with the ESV it is just written with a much more advanced vocabulary and is for a reading level of an 11th grader. Thus, it is less than ideal for families or students in their quiet times.

Why do we read Scripture?

In order to know God While we know there is a creator because of creation (Romans 1:20): “20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” We have rejected God. It is through the preaching of the Word of God, through reading his Word, we begin to understand and get to know God as a person. Without Scripture, we do not know that God loves us. We cannot know that Jesus came to the earth to die for us. Without reading Scripture, we do not know how God has worked through wicked people to bring about his glorious plans of redemption to us all through saving faith in Christ Jesus. It is through the Word of God, we see that we are in desperate need for a relationship with God because he is a good father. In order to know God’s Will When we read scripture we learn God’s desires for people. For example: God wants us to love him (Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”)God desires for us to love others (1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.)God desires for us to live peacefully: (Romans 12:18: If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.)God desires for us to live Holy Lives: (Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.)

And the list goes on, the fact is that it is through God’s Word we see our desperate need for salvation from our sins.

We cannot save ourselves. (Titus 3:5: He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,)We cannot be saved by anyone else: (Acts 4:12: And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”)We all can experience saving faith if we will trust in Jesus and confess him as Lord: (Romans 10:9: Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.)

We are just barely scratching the surface on this subject here. But we see through scripture God’s will to save us and to give us a future:

1 Thessalonians 5:18: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.Ephesians 5:17: Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. . In order to know God’s Word We read Scripture so that we know God’s word. There are many benefits from knowing God’s word. Here are a few:God doesn’t change. (James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.)God keeps his promises: (2 Corinthians 1:20: For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.Since God keeps his promises, we hold onto the truth knowing that every bad thing we experience ultimately works together for good! (Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.)

As a result, we know there is a major importance in reading Scripture for many reasons. Due to time restraints, we will have to move on quickly but these are just a few.

Listen to this word from Paul to Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:14-17: 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are several benefits Paul outlines of reading Scripture in this passage:

It is able to make you wise for saving faith in Christ JesusIt is breathed out by God, it is his Word even though penned by men.It is profitable for teaching.It is profitable for reproof.It is profitable for correction.It is profitable for training in righteousness.It enables us to be complete in God.It enables us to be equipped for good works.

Therefore reading scripture is not a negotiable subject for the believer, it is a necessity for Christ centered living.

What do we believe about Scripture?

We believe that Scripture has authority!All Scripture is God’s Words, thus it has AuthorityScripture affirms Scripture. We believe that Scripture is inerrant!Because God is without error, his Word is also without error. We believe that Scripture is sufficient! Scripture is all we need from God in order to rightly know how to be saved, live holy lives, and to trust God in all aspects of life. We believe that Scripture brings clarity! All people who read the Bible can understand scripture rightly as long as they are prayerfully reading scripture and allow the Holy Spirit to lead them through the Word of God. This does not mean one will have perfect understanding that is where good sound Biblical Scholarship and pastors aid the believer in rightly understanding difficult passages. We believe that Scripture is a necessity!It is necessary to understand the Gospel! (Romans 10:13-17)It is necessary for us to maintain our spiritual life. (Matthew 4:4, Deut. 8:3)It is necessary for understanding certain knowledge of God’s will.

How do we read Scripture?

Digital is convenient but Physical is superior.

If you know me at all, you know I am a tech user and enthusiast. Yet, I will be the first to tell you that if the only Bible you are touch is the one on your phone, tablet, or computer, you are not reading Scripture as effectively as could be and need to be. Research has proven that when we read digitally, we read with a scanning eye. We are prone to missing important details and ultimate miss the benefits of deep reading. Without getting into to much detail, the best readers are ones that have the physical copy before their eyes.

I tend to read both physical and digital copies of the Bible at different points in my day. Let me also say, reading digitally is better than not reading at all. However, if we are going to build a firm foundation of biblical reading, we need to ground ourselves into a physical version of the Bible.

Reading is important but Note-taking is transformative.

We can read scripture and read it widely and grow in our faith. Yet, when you take the time to take pen to paper your time with the Lord will radically transform. Some people struggle with journaling while others excel at it. The fact is that writing, journalling your time with the Lord allows for you to process the information deeper. We call this meditating on the Word. You will find that your daily reading remains with you for a far greater length of time than before. Another aspect, you are able to keep yourself accountable. If you miss journaling in your notebook. You see how long you have been away from prioritizing your time with the Lord. Furthermore, when you journal you are able to look back at all the answers to prayer you have had from God over the years.

Reading big chunks of Scripture is not provide more advantages than reading with intentionality.

I believe that reading big sections of Scripture has its place and benefit. It allows us to see the larger picture of a passage of Scripture. It empowers us see the overarching theme of a book of the Bible. However, it also leads us to being less focused and pointed with our time with the Lord. It can lead us to develop bad habits of skimming instead of reading with a purpose to commit the passage to memory and mediation.

Reading Scripture without a prayer filled mind will be less productive.

When you sit down to read Scripture, you need to spend time praying before opening the Bible.

Ask for forgiveness for any sins, ask God to reveal them.Ask for wisdom to understand the passage you will be reading.Ask for a heart sensitive to areas you need to change.Ask for a good time with Him this morning. Then Read!

Read Scripture with a pen and or highlighter in hand, don’t be afraid to mark your Bible up!

Your Bible should have stains, the pages worn from being used every day. If you have a hard time marking in a “nice Bible” then get a cheap one that you can mark from cover to cover. You can get journalling Bibles that are designed for this purpose.

When reading Scripture ask questions!

Ask who, what, when, where, how questions.Have a good study Bible to reference when you have questions.

When you read your Passage Journal using the H.E.A.R model.

Highlight:After reading the passage of Scripture, Highlight each verse that speaks to you by copying it under the letter “H”. Include the book, chapter and verse(s).Explain: At this stage you will EXPLAIN what the text means. You will ask why it was written, and what is the author trying to say to the original audience. Be sure to pay attention to the context (verses before and after) to help you understand the meaning.Apply: Now it is time to write down how this passage can apply to your life. How will this passage change the way you think about God? How will this passage inform your practice as a Christian?Respond:Write down a prayer or an action as a result of what you have just learned. Be specific and carry it out.