Reading the Bible

We live in a dangerous age because people aren’t interested in the truth.

In generations past people sought to understand the world and the way we should live in it. This shaped my identity, my worldview and my virtues. This is why the Bible played a major role in the shaping people’s lives. Not anymore.

Today people decide the values they’ll live by without reference to the outside world. There is a celebration of freedom to do what you feel is right (which is also matched by litigation when your freedom impacts on me).

In this age the Bible seems irrelevant, archaic. Why read it? The are two answers given by preachers (which I don’t like):

1) Pragmatism

If you follow the advice from the Bible and it works then maybe it does have value.

2) Therapy

In our individualistic, ant-establishment age, we can feel alone. We look for comfort. If the Bible can provide this, then it does have value.

So my aim in reading the Bible is to see if it says something about the narrative of my life. To do this we’ll probably use either an allegorical or moral method. Let give an example. If you’re reading about rebuilding Jerusalem (like in Nehemiah), what does that say about your life? It could refer to your ministry at church (allegorical) or picking up the broken pieces of your soul (moral). If you can see your life in the text then you are filled with joy.

This is not how we are meant to read the Bible. The Bible is God explaining Himself, His creation and our place in it. Rather than the Bible being a narrative about MY life it is a narrative about GOD’S world. Instead of asking, “What does this say about my life?” the question is “Where do I fit in God’s plan?”

So how do you read the Bible? You read it in context, in history and as a whole. You read it to understand where we have come from and where we are going. You learn about where we have gone wrong and the new life we are meant to live. You’ll read sections that don’t directly relate to you because you need to see the bigger picture.

Life is not all about you. So if you want to understand how to live well, read your Bible thoughtfully.