Since the Bible is meant to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths, and since we’re not supposed to live by bread alone, but rather on the Word of God, then it seems beneficial for us to know it. But for many of us the Bible is an intimidating book and trying to learn it’s teachings can be an overwhelming prospect.
It doesn’t have to be. You too can learn the Word of God and know how to apply it to your life. It’s not hard and you don’t have to go to seminary or Bible college to do it. But before I offer some suggestions, you need to make two decisions:’
1. That you are going to get to know the Bible. You’re not the exception. You need God’s Word in you and you can learn it. Decide today that you’re going to.
2. Pray every day about learning God’s Word. Ask God to help you better understand his teachings. Ask him to help you think biblically. That’s a pinpoint prayer he loves to answer.
So, here are three simple ways to increase your understanding of God’s Word.
1. Read it. That may seem obvious, but I’m still shocked at the number of people I meet (Christians and spiritual seekers alike) who never read the Bible. It’s hard to know what it says if you don’t read it. Find a good Bible reading plan (I will post my own next week) and a translation you understand and then just read the book! You’ll be amazed at what you will learn just by reading 20 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week. And if you keep that pattern up over the years, you’ll gain a healthy respect for and understanding of God’s Word.
2. Listen to it. This is how most people learned God’s Word before printing presses–they listened to it. This is why Paul told Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of scripture–because we learn it by hearing it. This is why my friends in Nicaragua, many of whom are illiterate, know the Bible so well. They’ve grown up hearing it taught and read. Build into your life a steady diet of listening to the reading and teaching of God’s Word. I listen to it in my car everyday. We’ve got no excuse on this one. Resources for hearing God’s Word are everywhere, including this blog.
3. Speak it. Along with reading it and hearing it, speaking God’s Word out loud is another easy way to learn it. Try this. Here’s a simple verse from the Bible that teaches a profound truth: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. I want you to say it out loud about 100 times today. As you do, emphasize different words or phrases each time. By the time you’re done, you’ll not only know the verse, but its powerful truths will forever be etched into your soul. You’ll never forget it.
Friends, learning the Bible is that easy. All it takes is a little effort. Ready to learn–Read it! Listen to it! Speak it!
This must sound crazy to some, but after almost 45 years of attending church and not being able to read the Bible, I came to my senses and accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord.
And tried reading the Bible again. And again and again. Then one day as I was considering the story of the two in the Garden insisting they were naked, God asks, “Who told you that…” going on to refer to their claims. But rather than thinking about the Deceiver, I started thinking more about what God had asked, “Who told you that….” And I realized, that was how He chose to communicate with His creation, He had others offer their thoughts. With that, I began looking for the thoughts of others and – more importantly, considering His responses. Did they correspond?
Fascinating adventure. First thing I knew I was at Malachi and starting over.
To me, that first “lesson” in Genesis is the basis for the whole Bible. “Who told you that…?” Well, I have to ask, “Who told Will Davis that? It is good to know I know that answer as well…
I want to know honestly, why you don’t also suggest they read ABOUT the books of the bible. Do you help your sheep understand Q? and therefore the true nature of the gospels? Do you expose them to the factual changes that have occurred in the bible (like the mistranslated word for virgin and differing actions of jesus towards lazarus depending on which book you choose to recreate the bible from)? Or that Paul may never have read the Gospels as he didn’t seem to know much about jesus in general? Do you consider this important in any way?
I would proposed there is a fourth mandatory way to truly know the Bible and that is to do what you read in the Bible. The book of James talks about man deceiving themselves when they read only and don’t do the Word.
It would be very difficult indeed to follow the word. As most of the scripture is simply illegal now. Aside from that, you are asked to take no heed for the morrow, sell everything and venture forth in jesus’ name. Please tell me you aren’t so holy that you’d leave your family to their fate in the name of a stone age fairy tale.
Pastor Will,
I work in a maximum security prison for women (through a prison ministry). I’ll be speaking this Saturday to the inmates and would like to use this devotion about how to learn and study the bible effectively. This will help the inmates tremendously. Your PRAY BIG website ministry is awesome. I live on the other side of the country and will never be able to attend your church but your congregation is so blessed to have you as their spiritual leader. God bless you and your family. I’m buying Susie’s book as soon as I can get to the bookstore. I already have “10 things Jesus Never Said” and its amazing. thank you.
Lori, I’d be honored for you to use it. Thanks for writing! Will
Fantastic idea, Will. I have just started reading the Bible cover to cover this year and am finding it fascinating. I couldn’t wait to find up what Jacob was up to (even though I knew the story!).
I also learned that what I thought I learned about Job wasn’t necessarily accurate, based on my reading of the Scripture. That, in turn, has inspired me to do some research on my own about Job. (I am pretty confused about it based on the text alone.)
I am inspired by those who actually have read the Bible and know the Bible, and scripture and verse roll right off their tongues. (Anyone met my husband?)
Nonetheless, I am frustrated by Christianity’s detractors who have not read the Bible. When the detractors raise a complaint or criticism about Christianity, I ask what is the scriptural basis for what they are complaining about. Invariably, they have no idea.
I need to know the Bible better so I can tell the detractors the scripture and verse that responds to their complaint.
Thanks for reminding.
Detractors don’t care about you quoting scripture and verse – that wouldn’t even make sense as they know it to be fiction.
But interestingly enough they do in fact have a scriptural basis for this thinking. it is that the historical record of the bible is replete with rewrites and misconceptions. Maybe you think Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their gospels. Well – you’d be wrong about that. They were written a century and a half later and in Greek rather than Aramaic. many scholars postulate that there is actually an additional text from which those books are at least partially plagiarized.
So if its a FACT that the scripture is in error (because of mistranslations and hand copying) then how do you know it’s not badly in err? if it’s badly in err, how do you know it’s actual intent.
There are literally over a HUNDRED THOUSAND translation errors between historical copies of the gospels. By far, most of them are insignificant entirely. But there are some dramatic ones – such as the original texts not indicating Mary as a virgin – and the mistranslation that creates the modern day confusion.
Additionally, the scripture takes all sides of every issue. it’s self contradictory in the extreme and ahistorical even between the gospels. Do yourself a favor and read the gospels simultaneously – read each major even in each gospel and the incredibly number of discrepancies will startle you.
Finally, in addition to the translation and copy errors and self contradictions, add ons and deletions that Will – if he’s honest about it – will admit to, there are no atheists who actually consider the bible to be moral in any way.
We consider it entirely stupid that a creator would make beings who didn’t know right from wrong who … ate a fruit and talked to a snake and because of this their children are punished through perpetuity. At which point he had to make a human version of himself to sacrifice him to himself so he could forgive you for what Adam and Eve did and spare you the punishment he has in mind for you. For this, you need only telepathically communicate with this meglomaniacal, murderous, jealous, petty, hateful being and promise to be his thought slave here in life and in perpetuity in the afterlife.
There, you have it now. The scriptural basis for atheist criticism. Immorality, ahistorical garbage, self refuting scripture and legacy of hate, murder and torture from its constituents.
Don’t have wave this argument away. Take it in, be honest about it and think on it.
I’m afraid you are sadly misinformed, my friend.
By all means, inform me.
The creator chose to create man that could choose freely. Why would He create a being that would always choose Him? Because of free will we had to have a choice other than Holy. Right and wrong is determined by Him not us so your idea of what is right and wrong is not the definition of Holy. I think the biggest issue atheist have with Christianity is that they alone want to decide what is right and wrong so that they can live their lives in any way that they choose without consequences. But we all know what happens without consequences. When I lived many years without God in my life, I always knew what was right or wrong but many times I just tried to justify it or not think about it. I did not know that God was more than a judge but a loving creator who wanted me as His own. He was the perfect father that I needed, who would love me regardless of my imperfections or everything wrong I had ever done or would do. Until you start to see the Bible as a love story between a creator and his creation, I guess I could see why it’s very existence would threaten or “annoy” you. However, if you don’t believe in any of it, I’m also not sure how it can consume so much of your time.
In regards to discrepancies, I would say there is more similarities between so many authors over 400 years of writing. If you had 4 people in the same room and you asked them to record what they saw over the course of 3 years, there is no way they would account for every detail exactly the same way. This does not prove the actual events to be fiction or fabrication. The events were recorded through each authors frame. Life is not in a laboratory. Not everything is controlled and during a time or crude technology it would be a miracle to have 100% accuracy amongst 4 different people.
Your response is worth discussion, but first I wish to do away with the oddly self-deprecating notion that a life without god is without consequence and moral. The strangest thing about about this claim is it is self evidently false as most of the world doesn’t believe in God and most of the world got along fine without him.
Is it really your contention that without God you’d be mad raving and running naked through the streets raping and pillaging? This is hardly case i’m sure. Atheist simply do not believe God has a good definition of moral.
God has genocided the planet, toyed with his creations, serves them up to his more favorite creations for death en masse. He asks you to fear him and love him. The definition of sadism. This is the actual reason why atheists find him immoral. Had you or I been there the fateful day of Christs crufixion, we would have been duty bound to stop. Instead, as it stands, you are told that a human sacrifice thousands of years ago may pay your penance and absolve you or your responsibility. The odd result of this being that you belong to a death obsessed cult of human sacrifice, some members of which feign the practice of cannibalism every Sunday.
So now that we can put the silly notion of the “atheist for the purpose of sin”, let’s move on to your more interesting arguments. As I see it, you want to argue that God allows us to fail on purpose (or else what’s the point) and that it’s not surprising to find the bible is mistranslated. Ok, in their order then.
it’s highly debatable that you actually have free will, not that this says anything about the need for consequence. The reason is you simply can’t have a thought before you have it. Name a famous person. Why didn’t you name a different one? You didn’t choose which famous person to think of. You’re asking that if you rewind the clock and all the physical processes of the universe were as they were exactly, then something new would occur.
But let’s assume that there may in fact be free will, after all what choice do you have in the matter? it still doesn’t excuse the utterly bizarre nature of God sadistically forcing you to love him on pain of eternal torture. it doesn’t apologize for punishing all of man kind for all of history because the devil himself outwitted the most naive of us. It can’t explain away sacrificing himself to himself so he doesn’t have to inflict this pain upon you.
it simply can not be believed by a thinking person.
Regarding now the problem of historical inaccuracy of the text of the bible. You agree apparently it’s quite altered but want to lend credence to it because it is still somehow intelligible anyway. What a strange notion indeed. Aside from not dealing with the argument that you can’t know the extent of the errors and therefore can’t know the intent, it is CLEAR and DEFINITE that passages are amended and deleted.
Here are some examples. In early versions of the bible, Jesus is apparently very angry at the leper, and heals him anyway. This didn’t seem to make sense to a later copier so he simply omits it. This in itself isn’t a big deal but it is striking anyway that he should attempt to alter the text to make Jesus suit his mood.
The beloved fable of the harlot being saved when Jesus says, “Let he who is without sin …” doesn’t occur in the early bible and is simply added in hundreds of years later and is written in a very different prose that before. This is a pretty HUGE addition.
Now, finally regarding the FACT that MMLJ didn’t write their gospels, and that they only occur 150 years later, and that each embellishes on the last … well there is a name for writing someones name on your work. It’s called forgery.
And dgw, if you want to know it consumes my time it’s because people like you force it upon me. http://i.imgur.com/mpQA0.jpg
I find your graphic equally disturbing but that does not explain your infatuation with voluntarily coming to this blog and arrogantly and condescendingly putting down anyone that does not share your beliefs including the author. While I pray that you will one day understand the same people your mock and come to know the peace and love of a God they worship, I still don’t see how they are shoving anything in your face.
In regards to this comment:
The strangest thing about about this claim is it is self evidently false as most of the world doesn’t believe in God and most of the world got along fine without him.
Getting along fine and living life to it’s fullest is another thing. Learning to love others and turn the other cheek is a altogether differently than getting along. By the way, just because I know what is right or wrong, does not mean, even now as a Christ follower, that I do these things each day. In fact I fail to put my pride aside, avoid lustful thoughts, be truthful in all circumstances, etc. Raping an pilaging is not the only forms of sin. They certainly are the most hated from a worldly perspective but my God requires Holiness. Unfortunately I am not capable of that on my own. I need Jesus to represent me before the good judge. It seems as though from your comments you don’t believe in Him, but if you do that you do not see Him as a good judge. Well for example, if someone you loved was murdered and the murderer was set free by a judge then you probably would say he was not a good judge. Well in God’s eyes all of our sins deserve judgement. And like I said in my original response, I think most non-believers do not like God’s definition of sin because they want to not be judged on those terms. You not believing it doesnt make it not real.
dgw,
You might say I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Will’s blog. I continuously generate more comments than he does and at least when you read my text, you start to think.
Regarding right, wrong and holiness. Let me draw an analogy here. Suppose I am a Muslim and I tell you the teaching of the Koran are of the upmost important, and you will surely burn in hell if you don’t believe them. It is likely you will find no loss of sleep over this threat. This is exactly the way I feel about all religion. If you can understand why you don’t find zeus an appealing idol, then you will understand why I don’t consider God or Jesus one either. What this means is that you are quite capable of judging a self authorizing text without regard to its holiness first. You are quite capable of considering its moral claims and making a judgement on them.
The fact is most of the holy actions in the bible are quite illegal today. This is because we know as time goes on how immoral many of the actions of the old and new testament really are.
Where payment of a fine by a rapist to his victims father was meant to ensure a penalty to the rapist, it can’t be considered in any serious way today. Like wise you are commanded in the bible to sell your items all together and take no worry for what tomorrow brings, but you are unlikely to do this either. This shows you are quite capable of judging the bibles moral code correctly as well.
In fact you hardly learn a moral code in christianity do you? You learn to be a thought slave and to embrace stockholm syndrom, but you are n’t given a real code to follow. The 10 commandments are universal (at least the ones that matter) and predate God. Actually to tell you the truth, those aren’t even the real 10 commandments. The 10 commandments as labeled by God after Moses destroys the original tablets have more to do with celebration and cooking goats.
So it’s fine and well you say you need God to define Holy so that you can be Holy, but it’s quite clear you don’t actually consider Holy and moral to be the same thing. Nor do you have the guts to trust in his wisdom because you know you’ll quite quickly end up in prison for it.
This is the case for judging the judge. And it needs addressing by any serious person. Moreover I remind you that just because you believe in something also doesn’t make it true. What I do note however is you’ve given up entirely on responding to the forgery claims, the immorality of human sacrifice and your moral imperative to stop it, the absolution of responsibility and not just forgiveness, and quite malignant personality of the creator in general.
Oh and with respect to living life to the fullest you might take note that the full life of the religious person includes being the leading cause of death for most of history. Religions fullness of life set us back 1000 years of advancement during the dark ages. If we weren’t so fully alive in the spirit, we’d be exploring the stars by now.
How timely! I was feeling frustrated this morning and knew I needed to dig back into the Bible, but didn’t know where to start. Thanks for the encouragement and direction!
Will, yet another good topic.
It has been a bit since I have responded to one of your blogs and after I read this one my head has many thoughts on this subject today.
First I am very much a person who needs to know what is happening historically in the bible. Wars, relationships, culture, foods, etc….to know time frames and facts makes the bible come alive for me and it helps me understand it. So I have two exceptional resource books that I use truly on a weekly basis. I love the pictures and the way this author writes, it is brilliant! I always say to people when I don’t understand something, “Talk to me like I am five, make me understand it.” Those books do that for me with the bible.
Second I am thinking of your Pray Big book. I was never one to make BHAP’s, I was taught that it was better to pray for others…praying for yourself is selfish. As I grow I understand it is quite appropriate to pray for me because it is really me and God that really know what it going on for me with struggles etc. An important thing I learned early on in your book was to make sure your prayer is based on “biblical ground”, that makes you get in the Word for sure. I am still on that book, near the end, and it has been a great tool to get my nose in there and read some promises and hopes.
Third and lastly, for me personally, reading His Word is like a love letter most times. I am wowed sometimes and moved to my knees when I really know He hears me and He is present with me. The other night I was doing a bible study and it brought up some childhood stuff. One of the questions posed was “Did you ever think how Christ felt when something was happening to you?” To which my response in my journal was, “No. And honestly never really thought about it.” Then the next question was “How did you feel in your family?” To which I wrote, “Like the black sheep, a misfit.” Then immediately and so loudly (yet there were no audible words) in my chest I heard Him say….”Robin, you are MY sheep”. Oh, it took my breath away. I sat there and a warm sensation engulfed me, and I was wowed. My Lord was listening, responding and nurturing me as I was in an odd place thinking back. And He was not done…I just happened to read the next title of the scripture I was studying and it said: Story of the Lost Sheep!! Matthew 18: 12-14. Holy!
I realized that Christ does feel when something is happening for you, both good and bad. I also realized I am so stinkin’ special to Him…I am His sheep. Had I not been reading the bible I would have missed out on His love, I would have missed out on that grace and the high only He can give me…..I would have missed out on a healing I didn’t even realize I needed so badly after so many years. My Dad was telling me through His Word to us that I am his kid and I fit in just right and if I go astray, He’ll come looking for me and rejoice when He finds me….I will not perish.
Do I hear an Amen, Hallelujah and Holy! Holy! Holy! ?