4. Bible Reading

John J.L. Han

For a Christian, Bible reading is extremely important. Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Just as food is essential to human survival, the word of God is also essential. After you become a Christian, you are born again with a new life (John 3:1-8); that life is your spiritual life. Just like your life in the flesh, your spiritual life also needs daily nourishment.  Bible reading and praying to God regularly (if possible every day) are essential for your spiritual life to stay healthy and grow.  In Matthew 13:1-23 (the parable of the sower), Jesus taught us that some may ignore the gospel, some accept it but fail to hold it, while some grow and become true children of God. I hope that every one of you grows in spirit and enjoys the presence of the Lord.  

Understanding the Bible can be both easy and hard at once. The Bible is a collection of 66 books spanning more than one thousand years. Its authors range from kings, officials, and scholars, to lowly farmers and fishermen. Some passages of the Bible are easy to understand while others are very difficult. Do not be discouraged if you cannot understand some passages in your first reading. In fact, no ordinary person can understand every page of the Bible; only God can. If you keep working on it, God will give you sufficient understanding that you will not walk in the dark. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. You should start from relatively easy parts of the Bible. For example, you might try gospel Mark. (I have written a concise note about Mark which might be useful to you http://jialianghan.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/gospel-mark.html.)  

The earliest books of the Bible were attributed to Moses between 1,400 B.C. to 1,200 B.C. The last books of the Bible were written in the first century A.D. Due to diverse authors and long time span, it is difficult to understand some passages of the Bible, especially for a beginner. The following techniques might be useful. First, like any classical book, in order to understand the original text you need to know its background, such as when it was written, the author, its purpose, and so on. For these you may consult many reference books. The internet also has vast information (beware of errors). Second, you may consider joining a Bible study group. This approach has pros and cons. Third, you may ask questions from someone knowledgeable (pastors, scholars, other Christians, etc.). Fourth, one’s understanding of the Bible is an ever deepening process. This in part is due to the fact that your knowledge of the Bible and God grows along your spiritual life. 

Fifth, only a believer can truly understand the Bible. Matthew 13:13 (the parable of the sower) Jesus said “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” The Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 2 Tim.3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. A non-believer might understand the words but will not be able to understand the real meaning. One needs the Holy Spirit to understand the Bible. I Corinthians 2:12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, Understanding the word of God is really the gift of Holy Spirit.  

My own journey of Bible reading could be useful to you. God had mercy on me and showed me miracles several times when I was in the dark. I came to study in America in 1981 and became a Christian in 1983. At the time of my baptism, I vowed to read the Bible every day. I also went to church on most Sundays. However, my understanding of the Bible had been slow. It took me many years to truly understand some Christian doctrines. Starting from 1995 I came accross Watchman Nee’s books. Nee explained many biblical truths well. His book, How to Read the Bible, was especially helpful to me. To understand the Bible, the book claims that first, you need to prepare your heart. In other words, to remove sins. Knowing the Bible, Christ, and God is really a gift from God. To receive the gift, you should confess your sins and be ready for God’s gift. 2 Corinthians 3:13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. Then the veil will be removed and you may see God face to face. The word of God will be alive to you. 

Why did it take so many years before I started making good progress in Bible reading? Below I try to reflect this. First, I grew up in Communist China, thus having acquired a worldview that in conflict with biblical truths. Even though I already had discarded Marxism long before I started reading the Bible, my previous worldview still influenced me in the background. For example, many terms and concepts in China in fact have very different meanings from Western culture. This caused confusion in Bible study meetings and my own readings. Some terms and concepts used among Christians have meanings somewhat different from their secular meanings. Second, there are many different denominations and churches. There can be doctrinal and interpretational differences among them. For a new believer, it can be confusing and/or overwhelming. Third, different spiritual maturity may have different requirements. Some Bible verses mention immature believers need milk not hard food. This also can be understood in terms of one’s spiritual development. In my early Christian life I participated in Bible study groups. The above three problems were perhaps why my spiritual growth was slow. 

Besides his extensive writing, Watchman Nee established a vast Christian assembly in many provinces which are independent of current denominations and foreign influence. After reflection of his work, I think we can help new believers grow much faster and more efficiently. This is especially so for someone of a different cultural background. This is what these New Believers series are for. The following aspects are considered when drafted. First, remove any denomination bias so that only essentials are covered. These essentials are likely to be universal among all orthodox Protestant denominations. This provides a starting point for new believers, or someone from other churches. Second, help a new believer to develop a Bible reading, praying routine. There is a well known saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Instead of teaching what good Christians do, teaching him/her a method. Third, explain how to verify one’s own Bible interpretation being in Christ. This will be the focus of the next class. In the meantime, I list some references that you may 

There are so many important things regarding the Bible. The Word of God transforms a believer. We all need to be transformed. But this process is a process. This process can be a positive cycle. Matthew 13:12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. I will have more to say in the next class: Interpretations of the Bible. For now I give reference books that might be useful to you. I highly recommend The Bible, an owner's manual [1]. It was used as a textbook for an entry level course in a 3rd class American university. Not from the top level university could be a plus because it is easier to read. [2-4] explain world major relations which you may wish to compare when studying the Bible and Christianity. [7] is an excellent theology textbook which you may find useful from time to time. Many wish to know the relationship between sciences and religion. [8] examines some grand scientific topics and religion. 

References: 

[1] Robert R. Hann, “The Bible, an owner's manual” : Paulist Press, c1983. 

[2] John Dickson, A spectator's guide to world religions : an introduction to the big five. Lion Hudson, 2008. 

[3] Christopher Partridge (Editor) “Introduction to World Religions,” 3 ed. Fortress Press, 2018.  

[4] Ninian Smart, "The World's Religions", 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press, 1998. 

[5] C. S. Lewis, "Mere Christianity," HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.  

[6] John Dickson, A Doubter's Guide to the Bible, Zondervan, 2015.

[7] Alister McGrath, “An Christian Theology,” Wiley-Blackwell, 6th Edition, 2016. 

[8] Alister McGrath, A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity, and His Surprising Thoughts on God, Tyndale Momentum, 2019.