Food for the Soul
Many people today approach the Bible the wrong way. They see it as an austere rulebook that cuts all the fun out of life. They consider it a dusty, centuries-old collection of fables written by goat herders, irrelevant to modern life. Alternatively, some may view the Bible as a significant tex filled with valuable stories, so they occasionally take it off the shelf, reading a few inspiring verses—perhaps those emblazoned on a coffee mug or recited during Sunday service—but without truly comprehending the immense magnitude and treasure of God’s Word.
Undoubtedly, you've heard the phrase "God's Word" or "the Word of God" before in regard to the Bible. But have you ever taken a moment to really reflect on what that means? We have access to the very words of our God, the mighty, holy Creator and Lord of heaven and earth! So many Christians complain that "they're not hearing from God", or "God seems so silent lately". But they forget that the Bible is God speaking to us! When you open your Bible, God opens His mouth.
"Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scriptures.”
-Martin Luther
The Bible's Vitality to Your Life
Do you ever decide to eat just once a week or once a month? Do you consistently delay eating because you're too busy or something more important comes up? When you do eat, do you drag your feet and dread it? Probably not.
If you are longing for spiritual growth, you must take hold of your spiritual food. The Bible is your source and means of strength, guidance, wisdom, blessing, peace, victory, guidance, growth, salvation- your very source of life. When you neglect reading and studying the Bible, you are starving yourself.
"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your Words became for me a joy, and the delight of my soul."
The Attributes of Scripture
You have likely heard of the "attributes of God". Well, theologians sometimes speak of several aspects of the Bible as the attributes of Scripture. Just as the attributes of God help us learn about Who God is, the attributes of Scripture help us learn about what Scripture is.
- The Bible is completely and totally true, inspired (literally God-breathed), inerrant (without error) and infallible (incapable of being wrong). The doctrine of inspiration refers to verbal inspiration and plenary inspiration. Verbal inspiration means that every single word in the entire Bible is inspired. Plenary inspiration means that Scripture is inspired as a whole, not just the matters of faith but also matters of history, etc. All of Scripture in each and every part is inspired. It is the Word of God (the doctrine of inspiration). Therefore, it is true (the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility.)
- The Bible is authoritative, possessing the authority of God and the right to rule the hearts, minds, and bodies of everyone on earth. The Bible is God's Word. God, as our Creator and Lord, has authority over His creation, and therefore His Word also has the ultimate authority over us.
- The Bible is necessary. This stems from its authority. If the Bible is God's Word and thus has the ultimate authority over the world and our life, then we need to submit to it. It is absolutely necessary that we hear from our Creator. Otherwise, we'd be unfathomably lost.
- The Bible is sufficient. The Bible is all we need for salvation and a life of faith. No other writings or ideas are required to live the way God commanded us to- God is our all-in-all, and His Word need not be added to.
- The Bible is clear. While I don't dispute that there are rather difficult passages sprinkled throughout the Bible, in its foundational message, it is understandable. You don't need a Ph.D to grasp the gospel.
"The Bible contains truths that are so simple even the youngest Christian can understand them, yet so profound that most mature believers cannot fully plumb their depths."-John MacArthur
Immerse Yourself in God's Word
Which Translation?
I would certainly encourage you to do your own research regarding which Bible translation to use, keeping in mind the level of literalness, readability, and exegesis vs. eisegesis. However, a few translations that are widely considered to be literal while still being readable include the English Standard Version, the New King James Version, and the New American Standard Bible.
Studying the Bible
Barrels of ink have gone towards laying out ways Christians can study the Bible for themselves, so I will keep this section brief. Ephesians 6:17 says,
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
It is interesting to note that all armor listed in the famous "armor of God" passage in Ephesians 6 is defensive, except for one offensive weapon- "the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." What ultimately defeats the sin and brokenness in our lives? The Word of God. We must diligently read it, study it, meditate on it day and night. We must not stop at simply reading it occasionally; we must dig beneath the surface and do serious Bible study. There are a variety of ways to do this as well.
Some common examples include studying a specific book of the Bible, studying a Bible topic, studying all the prayers of the Bible, or studying a single character in the Bible who interests you. Topical indexes (such as Nave's Topical Bible), Bible concordances, dictionaries and encyclopedias can all be wonderful aides in your study. But undoubtedly, one of the most important methods of studying the Bible is to study a passage. Reading it over several times, outlining it and studying it verse by verse, and doing word studies are all splendid ways to do so.
To dive deeper into everything we've been discussing, take a look at the following resources.
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