Why do we need to study the Bible?

 Studying the Bible is crucial. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve flopped the Bible open and spent 30 minutes with no idea what I was reading. Sound familiar?

Well, you’re not alone.

The reality is the Bible is ancient and archaic. Lots of the metaphors and “lingo” are dumbfounding to modern readers. But, this provides an opportunity.

I truly believe the Bible is clearer because it’s ancient, contrasted to more modern storytelling. Anything written in English for example is incredibly ambiguous. Does the word cheese mean cheese or does it mean to smile for a picture? Do you see the problem?

Not only that, but modern contemporary stories are obsessed with the self — nothing like being the protagonist and antagonist all in the same story. It’s insanity when you think about it. Think of the movie Frozen, the princess is simultaneously the villain against the insidious royal chivalry she grew up in, and the hero for “letting go” of what was oppressing her. This is how modern people think.

The Bible couldn’t be any different.

We need to read the Bible not for information but transformation. We need to be transformed by the word, not so we are intellectual light bulbs, but virtuous and lovingly courageous Christ followers.

What the world be like if they truly saw Christ in the Christian?

It would be transformed into the new heaven and earth. A heaven where Christ has come down and intermingles with the world he so desperately loves.

Where do we start?

By being transformed by his word. It is his word after all. It’s not a philosophy or history book, it’s the very words of God.

If it is, don’t you believe it can change you?

We don’t need to read the Bible passively but actively. We need to be active in a participation with what the words declare. The declared word has a lot to say about us, the world, and how God has saved it.

I’ll end with an acronym for why you should study the Scriptures (S.T.U.D.Y.)

• Seep- the idea of seeping conveys infiltration. Think of a flood or dirt getting into a small crevice. Let God's word seep into your heart and mind.
• Trust- trust that God's word is true. God's word is not a portal to truth, it is truth itself. You don’t need to find the hidden meaning within the Bible, there isn’t one. What we need to do, is meditate upon what is revealed. Sometimes, we need to study a context to understand what the Bible is clearly saying. Seek help from others and commentaries when you need to.
• Unify- unify your thoughts to what the Bible clearly reveals God to be like, what you are like, and the solution he has provided to the world. You don’t need to glue the Bible together, let the Bible glue you.
• Declare- don’t just study the Bible, but tell others or study with somebody else. If God spoke it, it’s probably worth speaking it yourself
• Yield- we must yield to the Bible. Sometimes, it won’t make sense and quite frankly our flesh will want to do the opposite. We must yield to the Bible, rather than let our flesh take control.