Jennifer, I think we all need to hear it, at least I do too. That's why I have close friends (brothers in Christ) who can say anything to me w/o hurting my feelings. So they ask me what God's given me from His Word -- I gotta read it to have an answer ready! lol ... 

Sue, hehe, what you don't know is, most of my blogs trip up on #15, so forget about "ideal". So what's a little #16 between friends! :-0  Actually, to fit the definition of "pleading" I might have to tweak the wording just a bit...

> I have found that there is a night and day difference between reading the Lord’s commands
> myself in scripture, alone in God’s presence, VERSUS sitting in a room with a bunch of other
> people hearing someone talk about the Lord’s commands.

Logically, it is difficult to understand why, but in practice, this is without a doubt a fact.  One of my human heros, Ravi Zacharias, spends two hours a day in private scripture reading, despite his overloaded and busy schedule.  He understands the power and essentialness of God's Living Word.

This blog is for those who are reading "spiritual" books like the PDL in place of the Bible.  Hey, I fall in that trap too.

Also, understanding the power of the Living Word of God, when witnessing, I try as hard as possible to encourage the person to open the Bible and read it for themselves. 

One time on flight I sat between two Jewish students.  The one on the left was reading from a textbook and the one on the right was reading from the midrash (standard Jewish commentaries about what the Bible says). I struck up a conversation with them that lasted the entire flight and even extended into baggage claim.  (At one point a non-Christian in the seat behind us chimed in with criticism of my Christian interpretation of Isaiah 53, but he ended up listening throughout the flight.)  Toward the end of the flight and into baggage claim, I repeatedly encouraged them to read the scripture for themselves, for I know only God has the power to transform.  I knew I wasn't going to convince them.  Only God's Word can.  And plus, with these Jews, I was encouraging something they would endorse anyway!

I agree so much.  I think though that to a new Christian, it can be a daunting proposition though - it's a BIG book and it's hard to figure out where to start.  I have found several sites that help with my study of the Bible.

www.biblegateway.com (you can choose your version of the Bible and even do keyword or topical lookups)

www.blueletterbible.com (lots of references if you want to see what someone says about the passage when you've read it) 

There's also ways to sign up for a Scripture of the day in your emails, things like that.

Early in our Christian walk we were fortunate to be under a pastor who encouraged us with almost every sermon to not just "take his word for it", but to study the Word ourselves.  I see the daily Bible time being the daily bread; totally necessary food.  Other books - even if scriptural - are just dessert.  If you want to stay "healthy", you'd better mostly be eating the "real food"!

Another thought:  Have you ever seen a copy of a copy of a copy?  It doesn't look nearly as good as a copy made from the original document.  When we go with secondhand, and then maybe disciple someone else with secondhand, and then they do the same, those "copies" aren't going to have the clarity that would come if all went directly to the original and made their "copy" that way.

Good one, Mike! 

Hi Mike,

Like Jen above, I am fortunate in that I too am under a pastor who encourages us to search things out in God's Word for ourselves and not to rely on the writings of others for instruction in righteousness.  Did you ever play that old game, I believe it's called 'telephone'?  The first person in a group whispers a phrase into the second persons ear, the third whispers the same phrase into the fourth persons ear and so on....by the time you get all the way through the group the original phrase is usually pretty messed up.  I think you get my drift.

Far be it from me to discourage individual Bible reading, especially given the verses such as Hebrews 4:12 which already have been quoted. But...

Ephesians 4:11-16 says that God has given ministers (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers) to "equip the saints," etc. "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine..." Certainly Paul's list includes the apostles and prophets who wrote the Scriptures, but it is not limited to them. Not everyone is one of these kinds of ministers that Paul lists; God has arranged it so that the church "depends" upon them just as they depend upon us and individuals in the church depend upon one another, meaning that God distributes his gifts so that we all would care for one another (see also 1 Corinthians 12). In particular, we should not despise pastor/teachers in favor of a "just me and my Bible"-type Christianity, but rather we should both read our Bibles and pray that the pastor/teachers we have would be faithful in their callings to minister God's Word effectively.

Besides, isn't it ironic to bemoan the lack of unity and the many denominations/confessions/doctrines in the church today and then say "I just need me and my Bible"? 2000 years of church history is full of people who came up with crazy ideas and sometimes spiritually deadly heresies based upon their own private interpretations of the Scriptures, and we are sinners, too. America, in particular, has seen its own explosion of denominations and non-denominational churches that don't agree with one another "in the unity of the Spirit" (Ephesians 4:3) but will claim to be "biblical"; consider, for example, the Restorationist movement of the 19th century. More immediate to our own situation here, why talk to one another about the Scriptures here on MyChurch? Isn't that just settling for the "secondhand Word"? Again, we will not achieve unity without the Bible (or we will, but it will be an anti-Christian type unity), but God will achieve that unity through the work of faithful ministers and individual Christians speaking His Word to one another. (As an aside, note that we could not even read our Bibles today if it were not for faithful ministers/translators/etc.)

Finally, I noticed that there implicitly seems to be an equating of "God's Word" with "the Lord's commands" in the third paragraph of the original post. We all recognize, I know, that God's Word has both commands and promises, both Law and Gospel, and that the central message of Scripture is not a message of Law given for us to obey but rather a message of faith and hope in "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2, Luke 24:25-27, Luke 24:44-47, John 5:39-40). God grant that through our personal Bible reading as well as our speaking to one another and listening to pastor/teachers that Jesus Christ always would be glorified and kept central!

Great! I'm glad that there is so much agreement on these things!

Just to pick up a little bit on Mike's comment "The Bible is a pretty meaningless book if..." I think we agree regarding "doing" if we understand that to mean not just obeying commands such as "thou shalt not steal" but also trusting God, hoping in God, etc. As Kathy points out, the Bible is a "rich compilation of all kinds of writings," and when we read it God does more than just give us "marching orders" for the day. He inspires us to revere Him for His holiness, praise Him for His beauty, thank Him for His goodness and call to Him for His salvation. Certainly He commands these things of us, but through the stories of His faithfulness to His own Word---centered, in particular, upon Jesus Christ and Him crucified----He also invites and encourages these things from us. And, we never will truly obey God apart from His Spirit, who was given to us and continues to be given to us through the Gospel (Galatians 6:1-6).

Also, I'd like to re-emphasize my point regarding the Bible being "mediated" in an important sense. The Scriptures are God's Word---breathed out by God, do not err, etc. (2 Timothy 3:14-17). They also were written by people who lived in time and space, transmitted by copyists over thousands of years and translated into many languages (including our own). So, I would not say that when we are reading the Bible we are "directly" hearing from God (something I would equate with hearing Him speak directly to me audibly or with being beamed messages directly from Him into my brain). Even our Bible reading is a "mediated" encounter with God. So, we should pray that God grant us faithful translators, faithful dictionaries and study guides, etc. so that we understand His Word correctly when we read the Bible. As we all agree, we are not "lone rangers."

There have been many people to whom God has given gifts of the Spirit over the centuries in order to give us the Bibles that we have on our shelves today. He "breathed out" His Word through apostles and prophets who infallibly wrote the Scriptures in their own languages and styles; He provided copyists, monks and benefactors (of money, protection, etc.) who copied and preserved the Scriptures; He provided translators that understand the languages of the Scriptures and translate the Scriptures into our own language. Also, He provided teachers to teach us in one way or another what the words of the Bible mean (as Kathy just said). Yes, God Himself does live with us and in us, but in speaking to us in our personal Bible reading He has included many human hands.

This "mediation" is a characteristic of God's process of speaking to us that is in common with personal Bible reading as well as hearing His Word from the pulpit, hearing it from various books, hearing it from friends and fellow believers, etc. Because all people except Jesus have been/are sinners, there is the danger of the Devil coming in and messing with the process in one way or another; unfortunately, as many of us here have pointed out, there have been many wrong and confusing voices over the years.

Therefore, let the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teachers and others all have their say in God's way---according to their gifts and vocations. Read the Scriptures in English; read many translations of them; read them in their original languages (if you're willing); read Bible dictionaries; read commentaries, catechisms, and confessions of faith and compare them to the Scriptures; listen to your pastors and ask them your questions about the Scriptures;read blog posts and compare them to the Scriptures, etc. God has been and will be at work in all of it!

I'd hate for us to go around and around in circles unnecessarily in this discussion. We agree that God speak to us through the Scriptures during our personal Bible reading. We agree that we should test by the Scriptures what is said to us in church, on websites, etc. And, we agree that we should not be "lone ranger" Christians. But, it strikes me that the overall impression that is being conveyed in this blog is that if we really want to encounter God, if we really want Him to reveal Himself to us, if we really want to grow spiritually, then personal Bible reading is where all (or nearly all) of the real action is.

I don't know what all people read. I don't know what all happens at the churches that people here go to. During the Sunday services at my church, God speaks to me through the three Scripture readings, the sermon, the Words of Institution during the Lord's Supper, and other parts of the liturgy. When I go to private confession (blog plug!), God speaks His forgiveness "directly" to me through the pastor's words to me. So, I'm saying "three cheers for personal Bible reading," but at the same time I'm trying to emphasize its commonality (God speaking to us through means) with other things, including what happens (or should happen, anyway) at our church services.

Jam, it strikes me that we're started to get worked up over something very subjective, the degree of emphasis we place on personal study. I'll give it to you that it differs for each of us. Two things I would stress are, the ultimate source of all spiritual growth is God, through the person of the Holy Spirit. Whether alone with Him or in groups, whether in prayer, reading the Bible, commentaries, etc. It's always the Spirit dwelling in us that reveals God's truth to us, regardless of the tools He uses. I don't argue that there isn't mediation.

Second, for me and I'd suggest other believers as well, time spent alone with the Spirit is the time of greatest personal focus, the time of greatest potential for application of God's Word to our own lives individually. Generally speaking, the more time we spend 1-on-1 w/God, the greater the potential for growth. Far too long I deprived myself of this privilege. The message I was trying to get across with this blog is that hopefully others won't make the same mistake I did.

Thanks for your excellent commentary and valuable insights, jam (and others).  ~mike

Mike n

This was a good post. I spent years not in organized Bible study to my own detriment. It is so easy to get off into newspaper exegesis or into commentaries or into sidebooks ABOUT the Word and not study the word. I have a friend about 3 years that challenged us in a men's retreat to study God's word daily.

I have tried to apply this fairly solidly for the last 3 years (as of late I've had a slacking off...no excuse but school) but I would say it has been an excellent way to get nearer to the Lord. To me the best way to do this is via the Bible, one book at a time, straight through (as Kathy proposed).

I really am amazed at how many brothers and sisters don't read or study the word but just listen to preachers or read books about the word. I'm not saying this was all I did at all but the daily Bible study is what was lacking and only time and diligence can make this happen in one's life and no one can do it for us!

Jesus spent so much time in private with the Father and sometimes well before morning light. It just takes diligence and maybe a little less TV? 

Wow ! Amen and thank you for posting this blog. I am that one person you were talking about and Yes I did hear it. I have been struggling with the very same issue. I am not much of a reader but want to start reading the Bible everyday. My only worry is that I will not understand everything I am reading and lose out on an important message. That is why I enjoy hearing my Pastor explain it better and then I understand it and have a better appreciation for it. It is so funny that I read this blog because I just finished chatting with Sue about that very same struggle I have when it comes to reading the Bible. I even went to the bookstore at my church and purchased a small Bible that is supposed to be easier to understand. It is translated in today's words. I am hoping that helps me a little better to understand. Thank you so much. It is so funny because if you read one of my previous blogs you will see that I feel that God talks to me alot and in amazing ways. He has been trying to get this point in my head and He has kept putting it in my heart. Look at how funny... I read someone's comment on Sue's blog that got me thinking about my struggle again and now your blog! How funny but how wonderful is God to give me these signs. Thank you for blessing me today!

God Bless,

Diana

sweet sauce!!!

Have fallen into the trap of reading books about God, and books about particular books of the Bible,or people in the bible, etc.It's just not the same as sitting down and reading it straight from Gods book.These other readings may give additional insight to a particular subject,but it's not the same as sitting down with Gods written word in the quiet of the morn. with a cup of coffee.Wish I'd have known this truth earlier on in my walk with Christ, would have grown a lot faster in Christ.

This is great advice Mike. I usually take the date for example today is the 5th and multiply it by 5 to determine which Psalm(s) to read. So today, I would read from Psalm 5 x 5 or Psalm 21-25. Tomorrow from 26-30, etc. I also read the Proverb via the date, so today I read from Proverbs 5 because it is the 5th of July. This is not a legalistic thing but just an easy way of consistently reading the Psalms and Proverbs over time with regularity and over the years you get to know these books.

As to other Books, I like to do as Kathy suggested and take a book at a time straight through with a Strongs and/or electronic sword of the Lord with NO commentary help.

I think Jam above is referring to the need to sit under Church officers and I concur, However, good Bereans will always examine even Apostles if you will to see if they are in the truth.

What I see more often is Christians that will not even hardly read the Bible themselves and, in fact, never study. They rely on these "leaders" often, TV or radio and trust virtually anything and everything that they say...this is dangerous, IMHO. And, many of these Christians are friends of mine.

For personal Bible reading, I recommend using either a study bible or an online Bible with study tools (such as this one). Yes, commentaries are not free from error, but they can be very helpful in clearing up what certain confusing passages are saying. At minimum, the tools can give the reader a better sense of who wrote a given book, when he wrote it, who his original audience was, what his overall purpose in writing was, what the outline of the book is, what it has to do with Jesus Christ (see Luke 24:25-27, Luke 24:44-47, John 5:39-40), etc.

For example, I recently read the Book of Ruth. It's a wonderful story about a faithful woman. But, it also took place in history and is filled with theological significance. I won't reproduce everything that my study Bible says in its introduction to the book. But, here and here are links to what an online Bible dictionary has to say about who Ruth was and what the book was about. Having this information helps me to understand some of the names and places mentioned in the book as well as understand how it fits into all of "salvation history," so that I can see not only how it describes a faithful woman who we would want to emulate but also shows how God used her (a Gentile) to bring forth King David and ultimately Jesus Christ in order to save both Jews and Gentiles.