I know quite a few people these days that are diligently reading through the Bible in a year. You know ... they have a plan to follow that will give them maybe a chapter in the New Testament, several Old Testament chapters, and likely a Psalm. There is an organization called The Bible in 90 Days that offers you a schedule to read the whole thing in three months. There's another that offers a 6 month program. Lots of options.
I've never done any of these programs. Don't misunderstand. I'm not opposed to them. I just don't want to do them. And I am certainly in favor of reading the entire Bible. Every Christian should. No doubt about it. But I'm not happy with a "Read the Bible in a year" approach, and the 6 month and 90-day plans just get worse ... again, for me.
To me, reading the Bible in a year is like touring the country in a month. Sure, I can see the sights of America in a month. I might even be able to visit every state in a month. I could probably hit a few special highlights depending on my preferences. You know, an entire day at the Grand Canyon or a trip to the Statue of Liberty or some such. Fine. But when I'm done, could I say that I know America? I could truthfully say I know it better than those who have never done it. That's true. But I wouldn't know America at that rate. And I wouldn't know God's Word at that rate, either.
My preference is to dwell there. I prefer to take my time, to stay in a place, to examine it, get to know it. I'm talking here about Scripture, not travel. But, like travel, if you spend some time in a place, you'll know it far better than if you drive through it quickly. So I like to read a portion of Scripture and turn it over and find where it cross references and maybe figure out what some of the original words meant and how does it all fit and ... well, you get the idea.
Like I said, I'm in favor of reading the whole Bible. If you never do, you cannot say you know God's Word. And for those who like to do their rapid tours of the Word, I'm quite sure there is value in it and I'm not opposed. But I hope you don't mind if I tell you it's just not for me. I want to spend time savoring, soaking, enjoying the nourishment. I've read through the Bible this way and I will keep going. I just prefer to do it at a slower pace. Is that okay?
4 comments:
Stan,
I have read the whole Bible, but not in a year. The only way I would consider it is if I had time to study (read a portion, look up original words, context, commentary analysis, etc.) and then read the larger portions necessary to accomplish the task (4 or 5 chapters total per day, probably) at another time each day.
I also would encourage anyone to do it if they were excited about the idea so long as the intention was to get a better feel for the whole of scripture and how it all fits together. If reading through the Bible in a year amounts to no more than a badge of honor, then there might be a problem.
To each his own is fine so long as his own is striving to bring glory to the One who owns him. Or something like that.
Yeah, I think I expressed it as my preference: "For those who like to do their rapid tours of the Word, I'm quite sure there is value in it and I'm not opposed."
I think there is great benefit from reading through the whole Bible quickly, say for a year.
There is a great tendency to rip individual texts out of the Bible's grand story-line. This means that they are ripe for misunderstanding/misuse.
Reading right through (at least once!)does mean that when you come to chew on single verses or text, you can do so with a sense of how the parts and the whole relate. This is perhaps critically true of individual books of the Bible which should be read right through first - especially the epistles! But is also true of the whole of scripture too.
1. Reading right through gives a better understanding of God's sovereignty - not just the details of the lives of the individuals concerned.
2 It makes the whole narrative of the Bible (and the world!) clearer for handling the individual parts.
3.Some ideas develop as scripture goes on, the parts don't always make complete sense without the whole.
Finally, if I can use the analogy of scripture being like a mighty oak tree - it's sometimes great to climb into it, and see the shape of the individual branches or even to hold a single leaf under the sunlight and examine its every detail. It's also great to climb down - step back and admire the shape, structure, outline, grandeur and majesty of the whole.
The first commenter is right though - the 'honour-badge' mentality is a non-starter. It's the crushing legalism of the prodigal's big-brother.
I absolutely agree that the Bible needs to read in its entirety, and that there is a real danger in ripping stuff out of context. Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture, and that on the whole as well. One thing I certainly do when I start a new book is to read it through first, then go to smaller pieces. I'm also in the habit of reading ahead, backing up, and following cross references.
Of course, another factor is time, isn't it? Like a child in school, you learn "2+2=4" before you learn "2x2=4" before you learn "a+2=4". You build over time.
That is, if you take the Word seriously.
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