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Introduction

What is the Bible?

The word ‘Bible’ is derived from a Greek word ‘biblia’ meaning ‘books’.

Essentially the Bible is a collection of sixty-six books, divided into two sections of unequal length, which Christians call the Old and New Testaments.

In the Bible, the word “Testament” refers to a special agreement or promise between God and His people. The Old Testament is a collection of stories and teachings that show how God communicated with the people of Israel.

It was written by about thirty different writers over a period of approximately a thousand years. Its primary language was Hebrew, the language of the Israelites, although a few short portions were written in Aramaic.

The New Testament purports to be a record of Jesus’ life and ministry and the establishment of the church. It was written in Greek by some nine different writers in the second half of the first century AD.

Whereas the Old Testament was God’s message to Israel communicated ‘at many times and in various ways’, the New Testament records God’s word made flesh in the person of his son Jesus.

The term ‘Bible’ is used differently by Jews and Christians. Jews use the term ‘Bible’ for what Christians call the ‘Old Testament’. Christians use the term ‘Bible’ for both Old and New Testaments.

How was it formed?

Over the course of history, copies of the various biblical writings were made by highly trained and disciplined people. They were diligent to ensure every word and character was accounted for when they made copies.

What we refer to as the Old Testament was compiled and finalized about 200 years before Christ. The New Testament was finalized around the year 400 and then further revised by the reformers in the 16th century.

Historians generally accept that the ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts we have access to today are reliable. Thousands of early copies are available to scholars in numerous languages, as the Bible started to be translated into different languages very early on.

According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, of the over 7,300 languages spoken in the world today, there are 833 remaining that do not yet have a Bible translation project started. Over 2,100 languages are currently being worked on by Wycliffe translators.

Why is it our authority?

It is important to be confident about the Bible as our authority for the right reasons. Many Christians depend on shaky arguments and end up facing a crisis of faith.

Most prominent is the idea of the inerrancy of the Bible. Most take this to mean that there is nothing in the Bible that is wrong in any sense, whether historical, scientific, theological, etc.

The problem with this view of inerrancy is that the Bible was not written with a modern scientific mind and does not answer our modern questions. The creation story in Genesis is not meant to tell us literally how long it took for God to create the universe or the scientific method by which he created it.

The stories about the flood, or the exodus, or the conquering of Canaan as told in the Bible is full of all sorts of historical issues. When Christians base their confidence in the Bible on these stories having literally happened in the way the Bible tells them, we will run into issues when confronted by science or archaeology that says otherwise.

The proper understanding of inerrancy is that the Bible is free from all error arising either from conscious deceit or unconscious ignorance. In this sense, the Bible is inerrant. There is no deceit in the Bible and everything it says is true.

But, where we can go wrong is when we misunderstand the intention of what is written. What is the intention of Genesis 1-3, or the flood story, or the rescue of Israel from Egypt? We need to be mindful of what we think it means for the Bible to be true.

In some cases, things actually did happen exactly as it says. There are stories in the Bible that absolutely have to be true in order for our faith to be legitimate.

But, there are cases in which the purpose of the text is not historical accuracy, but to show who God is and what he is doing to reconcile creation to himself, or to inspire and transform the reader, or to convict or correct our thinking.

We should understand this about how God communicates because of how Jesus communicated through parables. Jesus often used fictional yet plausible stories to illustrate a deeper meaning.

It doesn’t mean that the stories didn’t or could not have happened. It just means that the authority of the stories are found in how they reveal truth, not because they did or didn’t happen.

We can understand the intention of the text by looking at context, style, genre, author, parallel biblical and non-biblical writings, and a number of other things.

The C.S. Lewis Institute website has an excellent article about this issue, in which it states that “The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture, in the original manuscripts and when interpreted according to the intended sense, speaks truly in all that it affirms.”

The authority of Scripture and our confidence in it is based on the fact that there are no truer words about God and salvation than what is in the Bible. If someone says something about God or salvation, it is only true if it aligns with what is in the Bible. And even then, we must be careful in how we interpret passages.

We will see more about the authority of the Bible as we go through our next section. If you want to explore this topic further, let me know.

Why Should I Read the Bible?

2 Timothy 3:14–17

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Scripture is God-Breathed

These verses contain the strongest statement in the Bible about itself. Now, keep in mind that this letter from Paul to Timothy was written before the New Testament was compiled. So, Paul would have been thinking about the Jewish Scriptures, which we refer to as the Old Testament.

Some scholars would say that we should take the passage to include the New Testament, others say we should not. My preference, even though I do believe Paul would not have been thinking about it this way, is to include the New Testament because the point of Paul’s statement is to be shaped by the revelation of God in Scripture, which we as Christians believe also include the New Testament.

The words in the Bible are unlike any other book or text because they are divinely inspired living words. This means that they come from the source of all life. The climax of God’s revelation is in the person of Jesus Christ, who, according to John chapter 1, is the living Word of God.

In the creation story, we read that it is the breath of God that gives life to humanity. Genesis 2:7 says, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

And in John 20:21–22 “Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

This the same idea being used for how God gave life to humans is being used for how Scripture is alive. It is alive because God gives it life.

The authority of Scripture is based upon the fact that it gives life in partnership with the Holy Spirit so that we can be awakened to the truth about God, who Jesus is, and how we are to live.

Scripture Transforms

It is not enough to affirm that Scripture is alive and has authority. The point is to be transformed by it. If you are not transformed by the Bible, you have not given it authority in your life.

We will look at how to read the Bible in a bit, but it is worth mentioning here that the way Scripture transforms us is by getting it inside of us.

I love the phrase, “eat this book,” which is found in two different passages in the Bible.

One is in Ezekiel 3:1–3 “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.”

Revelation 10:9–10 “So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.”

When we read the Bible, it is meant to nourish us, to fill us with God’s life-giving breath, and to transform our minds. When Scripture gets into the deepest parts of us, we begin not only behaving differently, but we begin desiring and pursuing differently.

In July 2020, I decided to try a way of eating that was fairly extreme. I have tried to eat this way several times since then with no success. I eliminated all added salt, oil, and sugar from my diet. Do you know how hard this is? You really can’t eat anything that other people make, especially restaurants.

But, after about 6 weeks of eating this way, my cravings changed. I lost a whole bunch of weight. I had way more energy. I felt really good. I was being transformed from the inside out.

It is really hard to be transformed in such a dramatic way. We want to go back to the way things were. And eventually, I did. I started eating things with added salt, oil, and sugar. At first it was actually a bit off putting, but because I wanted to live a normal life and eat normal things, I got used to regular food again.

And then I was transformed again. My energy went down. I gained weight. I didn’t feel as good.

Scripture is the sort of food that is meant to not only change our desires, but it is meant to set us on a totally new trajectory in life. We are heading toward a new destination.

Scripture Grounds Us

In this way, Scripture grounds us so that we are secure in this new way of life. We can take steps in the way of Jesus as we learn from the Bible and as we take it in to our minds and hearts each and every day.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 tells us that Timothy was encouraged to continue in what he learned from childhood. The Bible gives us a foundation of wisdom to build our life upon. Some of us get this early on in life and some later.

The foundation the Scripture provides us is that of confidence in God’s promises to renew us. I remember sitting at Steve Budd’s bedside days before he passed away. I had a prayer prepared for him that is for those who are ready to face death.

I asked Steve, “Are you ready to pray this prayer?” He said without hesitation, “I’m ready.” He had confidence in what was coming next because he had the promises of God firmly rooted in his soul.

This sort of confidence grows the more time you spend with Scripture. So, with that said, let’s look briefly at three ways we should read the Bible.

How Should I Read the Bible?

Psalm 1:1–3

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

This passage, which is an introduction to the book of Psalms, is referring specifically to the Torah, or the instructions, in the first five books of the Bible. But, the principle behind it transcends its context.

The principle is to delight in the ways of God rather than in the ways of sinful people. We will know the ways of God by reading the Bible. Not just reading it, but meditating on it, or as I mentioned earlier, by eating it. In this way, the Bible is not like any other book.

Unlike Any Other Text

The self-help section of the bookstore seems to grow in size every year. I browse that section from time to time. I own a few self-help books. Mostly, they have not been very helpful. They are full of advice from people who do not know me or my situation. They contain promises and statements that are based upon limited experience and knowledge.

Unfortunately, this is how many people approach the Bible. They see it as a self-help book. Then when they open it up, they cherry pick the verses that are most helpful and ignore the rest.

I have also heard it said that the Bible is like an instruction manual for life. Or a road map on the journey of life.

Please don’t read the Bible this way. It is not a self-help book. It is not an instruction manual. It is not a road map. If you read the Bible in these ways, you will not find it all that helpful. You will be confused by its instructions. And you will get lost on your journey.

This is because by reading it in these ways you will be using it rather than allowing it to transform you. You will be forcing the Bible into your world instead of allowing it to change how you see the world. Instead, read the Bible on its own terms.

The Bible is the story of everything. From creation to new creation, it reveals the truth about God and humanity. But it does not tell it plainly like in a self-help book or instruction manual. It tells the truth through the stories of people, primarily, the nation of Israel.

When we open the pages of the Bible, we enter into a world that is, mostly, quite unfamiliar. The language and images and stories are from a different time and place.

It takes time to get familiar with it. If you’ve ever gone on vacation to a new place and stayed there for a week or more, you probably needed help with getting around for a couple days. By the end of the vacation, it started to feel familiar. The next time you return, you’ll have a head start and will become increasingly familiar with the place.

With Delightful Meditation

Meditation on Scripture is how you become familiar with it. You can meditate on short or long passages. You can read with a journal, writing down notes and questions. You can read with a commentary or from a study Bible with notes.

There are different ways to meditate on Scripture. One of the ways is what Psalm 1:2 means when it uses the word meditate. That whole verse is sort of like a dog with a bone. A dog delights in his bone. He chews on it, obsesses over it, hides it away and treasures it.

Meditation like this is referred to by some using a Latin phrase, lectio devina, which means divine reading. It usually looks something like this.

You choose a passage, usually not a very long one. You read it several times, quietly, out loud, at different speeds. In between each reading, you ask God to speak to you, to highlight something he wants you to notice.

This can take just a few minutes or an hour. You can do this with any passage of Scripture. By reading this way, you don’t pick and choose which passages are most meaningful or helpful to you. You read and pray for God to show you what he wants you to see, hear, and be transformed by.

By doing this, we put Scripture in its rightful place as our authority. It enters into us and nourishes us. It shapes us and brings us to maturity in our understanding of God and our faith in Jesus.

As Your Life-Source

Psalm 1:3 says that the person who delights in and meditates on God’s law is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

When Scripture gets into us, it is like a constant flow of life-giving water. It feeds us when we are feeling empty. It helps us live in the way of Jesus, the way of love and grace.

When Scripture gets into us, our thoughts and desires become life-giving to ourselves and others. We talk and behave in a way that reflects the character of Jesus.

People often talk about how to apply Scripture to their life. Meditation is better than the idea of applying Scripture to our lives. Application is external. Like applying a coat of paint. Scripture is meant to change us from the inside, transform the very place from which our behaviour is driven.

Conclusion

So, in summary, the Bible is our authority and source for life. It is the life-giving word of God. But it will only give us life if we enter into it often.

So here is my encouragement and challenge for you. Try out the practice of divine reading.

Set aside time at least one day this week. A time slot in the morning and evening on the same day. This could be anywhere from 5-30 minutes.

Eliminate distractions as much as possible. Grab your Bible and something to write with. Use non-digital tools such as a physical Bible and paper.

Choose a passage. Don’t spend time choosing one. Maybe you read Our Daily Bread or some other daily devotional. Use that day’s passage. Or, you can text me and ask for a suggestion.

Meditate by reading it several times quietly and aloud, praying through it, and journaling about it.

Ask God what he is saying to you through that passage. It may be profound, or it may be simple. It might be something new, or something old in a new way.

Try to make this a regular practice and allow Scripture to change your life.