Category: Bible - Build Your Bible Understanding

Why don't people read the Bible? Part 4 of 5

1/12/2013

True, there are some who don’t believe the Bible is worth reading. There are certainly those who are intimidated and afraid of the Bible. There are others who are in denial: either believing they are safer not knowing what is in there, or believing they get all they need at church. There is another group that doesn’t read and study the Bible like they should and even those who do are tempted to be in this group. This is the group that just can’t find the time.
Life is busy. There is school, then college, then work. There is a house, a yard, or maybe a garden to keep up. For families with children there is always something going on either with school or an extra activity. Retired people seem to have as little time as before they retired, I guess that is why they say “retired” means “tired again”. Grandparents are kept busy keeping up with the grandchildren. There are clubs and groups of all kinds, even churches, demanding our time in a variety of activities that don’t include sitting quietly, reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. Don’t forget about keeping up with the news and favorite television programs.
These are not necessarily evil things, but they do take time. The fact is that we do find time for the things that are important enough to us. Did you know that an average reader could read most of the chapters in the Bible in 5 minutes or less? Did you know that the Bible is available to listen to in many kinds of recorded format? Did you know that about 15 -20 minutes a day would get you through the whole Bible in 1 year? More next time. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

Why don't people read the Bible? Part 3 of 5

1/11/2013

The last two articles dealt with some of the fears that keep people from reading the Bible, but today let's look at a different reason.
Some don't read the Bible . . . because they go to church! You might think that people who go to church are more likely to read the Bible and perhaps that is true for many, but there is a large group that attends church, but doesn't read their Bibles. Even though one survey reported that 75% of US adults say they have read a Bible passage in the last 12 months, only 21% of church goers read their Bible daily and 57% read occasionally or hardly ever. I think many of these don't read their Bibles because they believe they are getting enough at church. They may think that their preacher, pastor, or priest is telling them what they need to know from the Bible.
There are two big problems with this thinking.
1) Odds are the pastor has not read the Bible either. One survey suggest that only 38% of preachers study the Bible outside of preparing a lesson and some suggest, though there is no data to confirm it, that 9 out of 10 "pastors" have not read the entire Bible through.
2) Even if the teacher is well-studied and knowledgeable, there is not enough time in a short lesson of 20-30 minutes once a week to deal with much of the Bible. I know of one church that had a sermon that only had 1 Bible verse in it each week. At that rate they could go through the New Testament in 153 years. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

Why don't people read the Bible? Part 2 of 5

1/10/2013

We last looked at the fact that many believe the Bible is hard to understand and there certainly are some parts that are. The Bible is written in such a way that small children can get some good things out of it, teenagers can get more out of it, adults can gain even more, and it can still be challenging for the scholar who has studied it for a lifetime. Feeling that it is difficult puts you in a group with the apostle Peter who said that some of the things the Apostle Paul wrote were "hard to be understood" - 2 Peter 3:16.
Having said that, we must realize that difficult is not impossible. Jesus said that we could know the truth and that it would set us free, John 8:32, but to know it we have to continue in his word, John 8:31. We can't give up simply because something is hard. None of us would be walking today if we had given up the first time it was difficult and we lost our balance and fell.
There is another reason that some don't read the Bible. They live under the misguided idea that what you don't know won't hurt you. One poll showed 57% believe the Bible should shape their daily lives " a great deal", but how can it if it is not read? Some are afraid that they will find something in the Bible that will force the choice between doing what the Bible says and continuing to live as they are against the Bible teachings. More next time. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

Why don't people read the Bible? Part 1 of 5

1/9/2013

It is sad that the Bible is the #1 best selling book of all time, but many have not read it. Even of those who own one or maybe several copies a large percentage has never read it at all and even more have not read it all. A Gallup poll found that while 92% of homes had at least one, only 25% had read the whole Bible. 72% of those who admitted they had not read the Bible said they want to before they die.
Though there are some who just don't think the Bible is worth reading, that is only about 21%. They may be atheists or of some religion that has its own book that is held as sacred. If 25% have read it and 21% don't want to that leaves 54% that say they want to but haven't.
Of that group most are probably intimidated by the Bible. It is a large book and believed by 56% of Americans to be hard to read (some translations are more difficult than others). If you are in this group don't allow fear of the unknown to keep you from some wonderful truths. As we begin reading anything that is unfamiliar it may be difficult, but with practice and experience it becomes easier. Don't worry about the weird names either, even the scholars don't know how to say some of them. If you have trouble understanding get help like the man in Acts 8:30-31. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

Restoration or Reformation

7/10/2012

While I was with my wife in the hospital after the birth of our twins I had the rare opportunity to see what was on TV. Looking at the TV Guide channel I saw there was a show called "American Restoration" and went to see if it might actually be about the American restoration movement to bring us back to the Bible and the New Testament church. I did not really expect it to be, but wanted to know what it was if it was not. Of course it had nothing to do with Christianity at all, but with a guy named rick who takes old junk and "restores" them. I watched and thought it was kind of interesting. What was most interesting to me was how often he would say that they had changed something or added something, painted it a different color than it was when it was new, etc. It seemed like on almost every item they "restored" it differently from what it was like new. In one case they took a Coke vending machine and "restored?" it to be a Pepsi one. What they did was fascinating and I watched longer than I would have under normal circumstances, but I think they mistitled the show it should have been "American Reformation" because that is what they were really doing. It was impressive that they were able to put some of those things together at all, one had to be nearly rebuilt from the ground up, but there were very few that they actually restored. Now I am not talking about the fact that they used modern painting techniques in place of old or that they used modern tools that did not exist 100 years ago when the item was new. You can use new methods and tools and still restore the original, but they changed the item itself on several occasions.

I think about what has happened with the church in the past few decades. The church in this country has made the same mistakes that Rick and his restoration team make. We are supposed to be the New Testament church we should be restoring New Testament Christianity, but too many times we want to change something, add something, leave something off, and still claim to have restored the body of Christ. That is reformation and we don’t need another reformation there has already been one of those and it was a disaster that left the world with hundreds of denominations. What we need to do is strive to exactly replicate the church as blueprinted in the Bible in our modern society. There are many who believe that because we teach the Bible plan of salvation or have eliminated worship elements that were traditions of men that we have arrived and all is restored. The problem is that in too many cases a denominational tradition has been removed only to replace it with another extra-biblical tradition. In other cases we have decided that certain aspects cannot or should not be recreated and we are satisfied to leave them out. I realize that no congregation is perfect, just as no congregation in the first century was, the question is are we still endeavoring to restore New Testament Christianity?

Answers to What's in the Bible Quiz

6/3/2011

YES, MATTHEW 19:26 (1) With God all things are possible.
NO (2) The Lord helps those that help themselves.
YES, MATTHEW 5:20 (3) Jesus said, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
NO (4) Consistency thou art a jewel.
YES, ECCLESIASTES 11:1 (5) Cast thy bread upon the waters.
NO (6) Jesus said, my Father shall save all them that seek Him through the divers paths of wisdom revealed unto them, and not only by my path.
NO (7) Cleanliness is next to godliness.
YES, MATTHEW 10:6 (8) Jesus said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
YES, PROVERBS 11:22 (9) As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
NO (10) The Lord moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

READ THE ARTICLE

Do You Know What is in the Bible? or What's Not

5/27/2011

I wrote an article yesterday and used one of my favorite quotes from the Bible. I have been quoting it for 20 years and just knew it was in Proverbs, but as I searched for it in my concordance, Bible software, multiple translations, and even the internet it slowly began to dawn on me that this wonderful passage of scripture didn't exist. Now I still like the quote, but it is not so great as it once seemed now that I know God never said it. It does not mean that it is no longer true or that I will stop using it (I left it in the article). There is truth that is not recorded in the Bible, just no truth that is contrary to the Bible. I believe the concept behind my quote are taught in scripture, just worded differently. Sometimes things sound catchier one way than another, and God was not writing a book of one-liners and catchy slogans. Of course some of the things in the Bible might have sounded quite catchy to the people who spoke and understood the original languages in which it was written. Maybe they have lost some of that catchiness in our translation process.

So, let me ask you. What do you believe is in the Bible that really isn't there. The only way to find out is to keep studying what is there. You may be surprised not only by the things that are in there, but also by some that aren't. I know I was. Here is a little quiz for you (quiz = nothing but your personal knowledge). Which of the following are in the Bible(King James Version) and which are not:

1) With God all things are possible.
2) The Lord helps those that help themselves.
3) Jesus said, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4) Consistency thou art a jewel.
5) Cast thy bread upon the waters.
6) Jesus said, my Father shall save all them that seek Him through the divers paths of wisdom revealed unto them, and not only by my path.
7) Cleanliness is next to godliness.
8) Jesus said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
9) As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
10) The Lord moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.

Answers

What is the Bible?

5/21/2011

THE BIBLE IS NOT:             BUT IT CONTAINS ACCURATE:
A History Book                         History
A Biology Book                          Biology
A Geography Book                   Geography
A Physics Book                          Physics
A Math Book                               Mathematics
A Grammar Book                      Grammar
A Psychology Book                  Psychology
A Man’s Biography                   Life Accounts
A Medical Textbook                 Medical Information
A Military Tactics Book          Military Tactics
A Philosophy Book                   Philosophies
A Storybook                                Compelling Stories
A Poetry Book                             Poems and Songs
A Geology Book                          Geological Events
An Economy Book                     Financial Advice
A Political Science Text           Governing Concepts
A Sociology Book                        Healthy Society Rules
A Health Book                              Health Benefits
A Joke Book                                  Humorous Events
An Architectural Text              Building Plans
Constantly Updated                  Up-to-date Information
Continually Changing               Ideas for a Changing World
A Logic Book                                Irrefutable Logic
A Love Letter                               Expressions of God’s Love
A Parenting Manual                   Parenting Principles
A Marriage Manual                    Marital Standards

    Just think about a single book that has all of that in it even though that wasn't the primary reason it was written. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" This verse does not mean that God has given us every detail of physical life (He does not give us a list of all the poisonous plants or tell us that we can drown if breathe under water or die if we fall off a cliff.), rather that we have everything we need spiritually to live a life pleasing to Him.
    Even though the Bible never specifically says precisely what it is, we can know from reading it that it is in essence God's Autobiography chronicling His creation of mankind and His dealings with that creature. It is not intended to be a full autobiography of God's existence because it only begins when God begins the creation process. It also concludes once God has completed His perfect plan to redeem mankind and restore the relationship that He once had with humanity when He walked and talked with them in the Garden of Eden. In the Bible we get a small glimpse into the life of God, but more importantly we learn what He wants us to do to please Him. I challenge you as you read your Bible to ask two questions with every verse, sentence, paragraph, and chapter that you read. 1) What can I learn about God from this section? and 2) What does this passage tell me about how I can please God better?
    As we continue to look at the Bible we see that it is THE WORD OF GOD according to 2 Timothy 3:14-17 "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; {15} And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. {16} All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17} That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
    We learn several things about the words God breathed in this section here are a few:
        1. CALLED SCRIPTURES AND HOLY - V. 15,16
        2. CAN BE LEARNED AND KNOWN - V. 14, 15
        3. ABLE TO MAKE WISE - V. 15
        4. ABLE TO SAVE THROUGH FAITH - V. 15
        5. GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD - V. 16
        6. PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE - V. 16 (TEACHING)
        7. PROFITABLE FOR REPROOF - V. 16 (POINTING OUT ERROR OR SIN)
        8. PROFITABLE FOR CORRECTION - V. 16(POINTING OUT HOW TO CORRECT THE ERRORS OR SINS)
        9. PROFITABLE FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - V. 16 (CHRISTIAN LIVING)
        10. WILL MAKE US COMPLETE (PERFECT)
        11. WILL THOROUGHLY FURNISH FOR ALL GOOD WORKS (IF WE CAN'T LEARN ABOUT IT IN THE BIBLE IT IS NOT ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS GOD EXPECTS US TO DO, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERYTHING THE BIBLE DOES NOT SPEAK OF IS SINFUL.)
What other things can you see in those scriptures? Remember the two questions to ask yourself.
    Some of the other things that we learn about these words that God wanted written down are that they are:
        1. PERFECT - James 1:25 "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." and Psalms 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."
        2. TRUTH - Psalms 119:151 "Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth." and John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
        3. EVERLASTING - Psalms 119:152 "Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever." and Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
        4. THE SOURCE OF FAITH - Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
What other things does the Bible say about itself and the words that are written in it?