Over on my facebook page, “Sunflower Faith“, I posted a discussion question asking, “Have you read all of the bible“?, because I was curious how many people have actually read all of the bible and not just favorite books, or bits of passages.
According to “Americans and the Bible:Bible Ownership, Reading, Study and Knowledge in the United States” by Michael J. Vlach, although the Bible is the most revered book in the United States, here are some disturbing facts about American Christians and the Bible:
- 92% of households in America own at least one copy. This included self-professing atheists.
- According to a study on October 2000 (10 years ago), 59% of Americans reported that they read the Bible at least occasionally
- Women (42%) are more likely than men (32%) to have read the Bible
- Only one in seven Americans report an involvement that goes beyond just reading the Bible.
- 37% of those interviewed could name all four Gospels
- 75% believe that the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves
In a disturbing quote that was shared in the article, “George Lindbeck, the famous Yale theologian, has commented on the decreasing knowledge of scripture from a professor’s perspective: “When I first arrived at Yale, even those who came from nonreligious backgrounds knew the Bible better than most of those now who come from churchgoing families.”
Statistics have even shared that, 20-25% (Americans) have read through the entire Bible.
So why read the bible?
Well first let’s go to scripture.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, New King James Version)
By studying His word, we can become familiar with what our Father has to say and not based on what falliable men say. It’s easy for anyone to say anything and take things out of context, but by familiarizing ourselves with His word, not only can we explain why and who our Father in Heaven is, but also we can be able to discern the truth ourselves and not based on a popular writer or speaker or anyone, which leads to:
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11, New King James Version)
I think Grace Points hits it straight on by saying,”Studying the bible helps us know the truth: As students of the bible, we must not trust the authority of man, but search the scriptures to see what God says. We must study the bible with diligence and prayer.”
We also must not take it for granted to always have His word with us when we will need it. How many of us know His word well enough and have it hidden in our hearts that if we are caught without our bibles, we can know if what is saying is His word and not just “words to tickle our ears”.
Not many carry a bible in their purses, though think how more accessible it is to secular magazines or books that speak of things other that our Father’s truth.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1, New King James Version)
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1, New King James Version)
Think of Jesus.
Every word He spoke, every time He dealt with the pharisees and just anyone…He didn’t back up His words on ancient texts written by mere men, or the latest popular speaker, or referenced John the Baptist, or the “cultural relevant”, but used only one source to back His words with….His Father’s words.
How Jesus Used the Scriptures, pointed out that,”The Pharisees’ question, “Is it lawful?” possibly presumed some traditional or rabbinical law, but Jesus clearly and emphatically positioned Himself on the rock of what was written in the Scriptures. There is no other foundation for divine law, and we should seek no other. Only the citations of Scripture have the sound of authority and the obligation of law to disciples of Jesus Christ. Let men deride teaching that cites book, chapter, and verse, but we stress that in doing so they break ranks with God’s Son.”
A good example that was used is Matthew 19, verses 4-6:
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who madethem at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
(Matthew 19:4-6, New King James Version)
This is described as “an example of citing a Biblical example using a direct Biblical statement”. As I would agree with the article, when the writer of this article shared,”When people begin to give new meaning to part of the Scriptures, it’s usually because they are seeking to prove a doctrine that is contrary to God’s law. ”
Or as my train of thought is…if it’s biblical based then it can be backed up by scripture and not by “feelings” or “I think” or what the most popular or culturally relevant train of thought is for the year or decade.
God’s word is ageless and forever.
God’s word is a solid rock that we can trust to build a foundation on and not influenced by the latest fad or world culture’s demands or wants or desires.
If Jesus, God’s Son, held such a high view of the Scriptures, then His disciples must likewise have viewed them similarly. It is a denial of His authority over us and of our own discipleship for us to have a view that is inferior to His. It is also equally incumbent upon us to use the Scriptures as Jesus used them, understanding that proper use of the Bible is the natural and essential consequence of the correct view of it. from “How Jesus Used the Scriptures”
It goes without saying and who hasn’t seen this in some form or saying, “A dusty bible leaves a dusty life”. Notice how quick it is to fall in our old ways prior to being saved, when we shelved the bible and pull out the world in it’s place.
This can be in the form of popular culture, or music or what we watch and it’s not to say, be a hermit, but use sound judgment with sound doctrine and discrenment and be willing to ask yourself, “Is this really edifying?”
You can always use the “Caught Card” too….What is the “Caught Card”?
Well…look at it this way, if Jesus was to suddenly return right now, right here and “caught” you in the middle of whatever is it…will it be something that you can share with Him without shame or would you like a child caught with a forbidden cookie, try to hide it behind your back from Him?
Yet…what makes us think that He isn’t aware already….He isn’t stuck at church and only there for the Sabbath, for He created the world so why assume, “He wouldn’t know just because we may hide it from others” (ref Proverbs 20).
No matter what, studying and reading and knowing the Bible is always cultural relevant.
Via Focus on the Family, “Why Study the Bible“, eight great reasons are given why reading and studying the bible is essential:
- Cultural literacy
- To learn what it says firsthand
- Personal edification
- To help others
- Jesus
- Because it is God’s Word to us
- To know God better
- Avoiding error
So if you haven’t read the bible or read all of the bible, pick it up now and discover for yourself what it has to say.
Before closing, here is a beautiful song that sings about “Dust on the Bible”…is there dust on yours? Time to brush off the dust then, and I always love to hear from you so stop on by “Sunflower Faith” on Facebook and love for you to join in the discussion question asking, “Have you read all of the bible“?
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Dusty Bibles are bad! I just signed up for the next B90Days
Samantha(Quote) (Reply)
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