Developing a Habit for Reading the Bible
One of the most important practices in the Christian life is developing a regular relationship with the Bible, yet many believers struggle with consistency. God loves you even if you never read his word, but you will not know about his love or experience it fully without it. As 1 John 2:5 says, whoso keepeth his word in him the love of God is perfected. Satan attacks your time in God’s word, so as we move into a new year why not set some good habits around reading the Bible?
The Importance of Regular Bible Reading
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV)
Ninety-five percent of Christians do not have a regular relationship with the Bible. Many people open their Bibles only on Sunday and not from one Sunday to the next. This is not to condemn anybody. Any true Christian has a desire to spend time in God’s word. There is a level of frustration and self-condemnation when we do not. Yesterday is gone—this one thing we do forgetting that which is behind. In the last week of the year let us set parameters for reading the Bible.
Choosing a Main Bible
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)
There is something powerful about having a main Bible your favorite Bible the one place you are going to read that you write in it and make notes in it and underline it. God’s word is God’s word. Muslims get all bent out of shape if somebody ripped a page out of the Koran. God’s word is not paper. God’s word is not leather. God’s word is not ink and it is not a cute little ribbon that hangs over the side. God’s word is God’s word. You could burn a thousand Bibles—it would not touch God’s word. Do not get holy and weird. The less revelation we have the more superstitious we become. We do not need holy beads and holy crosses and holy water. This is not a holy book. The truth contained in it is holy. If I had a booklet that contained the times tables and I ripped it up that would not change mathematics—two and two will always be four. It does not matter what we do with the paper which it is written on. God’s word it is not paper. God’s word is God’s word. There is a written word there is a spoken word there is Jesus the word the spirit of truth. Get a Bible that you like. Get a Bible that you can read that you can actually read without a magnifying glass get a Bible that you can underline that you can make notes that you can circle things. Add what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through that book and make it your main Bible.
Types of Bible Translations
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV)
There are three different types of translations from the Greek and the Hebrew that most of us have available. The first ones are called formal equivalent. This would be Bibles like the King James or the new King James which would be the main one I would read the NASB the ESV the RSV. Formal equivalent means that they took the original text and they tried to translate them word for word. To the very best of the ability of the translators they have translated from the original literally word for word and obviously made changes. You cannot always say every word in the order it is in. I speak fluent French. Often in French words are mixed up in a way they would not be in English. If I said in English I love you. If I said in French je t’aime I am literally saying I you love. I am putting the verb at the end. Formal equivalents would try to translate the Bible word for word. Dynamic equivalents this would be Bible versions such as the NIV the NLT the CSB the good news translation. They would try to translate the Bible thought for thought. I would personally say that is a lower level of truth because you are getting more of the interpretation of the translators put in because by definition if I am a translator and I have the job of translating word for word then the weak point in my translation will be how well or how poorly do I actually know the original language that was spoken. If I am translating the Bible thought for thought I am trying to read a verse in Greek or in Hebrew understand the thought and then put that in an applicable English thought then the problem is I have to understand what the thinking was behind those the original Bible verse. If the translator does not understand God’s thoughts or the original thought of the writer or what the intent was he can often put himself or his own theological background into the thoughts of the translation. To be fair most translators do not try to do that they are coming at that with good faith. But a thought for thought translation is not as accurate as a word for word but it is actually more readable. There are times if you are going to read a longer harder book let us say you are going to read Ezekiel. There are books in the Bible which are more boring than others more narrative than others and there are some books or portions of the Bible it is easier to read in more of a flow than an accurate study in that sense.
Paraphrases and Their Use
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NKJV)
The third category is called paraphrases. These often get a bad rap but we should understand what they are. A paraphrase would be versions like the message translation the living Bible the passion translation the mirror translation. Some of these people really get angry about. What is usually happening with a paraphrase is you have often got one person a man or a woman usually a man who is taking the original text and literally writing it in their own thoughts their own ways in a way that is much more applicable to our day and our generation. There is much more freedom in the art of paraphrasing. If I am to paraphrase you if I hear you and I try to convey word for word what you said that is word for word. If I listened to a conversation and said well I cannot remember all the words but this was the thought for thought. If I am paraphrasing I am actually taking much more of a fifty thousand foot view and saying I think this is the heart and the intent of what was actually said. The weakness in any paraphrase is that you are seeing the word of God very much through the lens of the person who is writing the paraphrase Eugene Peterson with the message Brian Simmons with the passion translation. There are many videos critiquing paraphrases and people who say you should not read them or whatever. I think they are useful but you should know what they are before you read them. You should know the strengths the weaknesses and the limitations. I see a lot of young Christians in that category. I know Brian Simmons personally. He is the first person who ever invited me to preach in America. He led a church in Connecticut. I spoke in many times. Personal friend. He wrote the foreword of my first book. I would tell everybody all my revival junkie young Christian friends do not have the passion translation as your main Bible. Get a new King James get an ESV get something more solid as your main Bible but then absolutely go and use Brian’s wonderful paraphrase to supplement that at times to give light at times to show you a different angle and a different thing like that. If you came to me and said ice cream we should not eat ice cream I would go well ice cream should not be your staple. You should not eat ice cream three times a day three hundred sixty five days a week but an ice cream once or twice a week great. If you know what it is if you know what it is for it is actually really useful. Another critique and this is a valid one and of many paraphrases is that by definition you have often got the perspective the slant the lens the theology of the paraphraser the translator in the text of the document. I think Brian Simmons is probably more post-millennial in his eschatology and I think that bleeds through. I know some people who are really futurists dispensationalist who read that and get really angry about it. I am okay with people being exposed to different points of view but my point is know what you are seeing that. To be fair a lot of people critique the passion. I love the passion translation. I have seen a lot of people critique that because they have a low view of scripture they are cessationists who do not believe in the miraculous power of God the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They do not believe healing is for today. When they see somebody writing who clearly does believe those things and the power of God the revival presence of the Holy Spirit is present in how they understand scriptures they get angry and annoyed but they are really getting angry at the fact that they themselves have just torn pages out of the Bible metaphorically speaking and they do not believe in many things that we should believe in.
Recommendations for Bible Versions
“Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV)
My point with these things is have a range of Bibles. I have a main Bible a new King James I will use. I will read things. I am not a big fan of the NIV for a whole bunch of reasons I will not go into but can God use it? Yes he can absolutely. I think the ESV is good but it is a little bit more reformed in its thinking. I actually personally love the new King James because I grew up reading the King James. I have learnt thousands of verses in the King James but I do not want to do thee thou and verily and I do not think it helps to speak Elizabethan English that nobody speaks any longer. We are blessed in the English speaking world that we have so many more resources. It is not the case in France I know whereof I speak. I would say to anybody get audio Bibles. I have Kindle electronic Bibles on my Kindle electronic reading device. I have several audio Bibles. You can get most of the main versions of the Bible on audible.com for around about ten dollars. There is often like sixty hours of reading in that and that is a great thing to have on in your car to have on in the background use those resources. Do not become an expert in studying them use them. The best camera you have is the camera you have. It is the camera you actually use the camera you have in your pocket not the wonderful one that you aspire to have or have on your desk or on a shelf somewhere. The best version of the Bible is the one you actually read. I actually love the amplified or the classic amplified. It often has a way of taking a Bible verse and then expanding it and adding other words to help us. Sometimes there is a word that makes perfect sense in one language but you are putting it in another you need two three four words to qualify. I actually really enjoy reading the mirror translation. It is incredible. Encourage everybody to get one. I would not make it my main Bible version but it is powerful and the translator a South African guy lovely guy got some amazing truth in that version. Encourage everybody get mirror translation.
Let that truth settle in your spirit.
Selah.
Scriptures for Further Study: Psalm 119:105, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, Romans 15:4, Jeremiah 15:16, Psalm 119:11, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2-3, Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3, John 5:39, Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:130, Proverbs 2:6, Isaiah 55:11, Ephesians 6:17, Colossians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:2, 2 Peter 1:19, Psalm 119:18, James 1:22-25, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 5:12-14, 1 Timothy 4:13
10 Questions for Reflection:
- How can I develop a regular habit of reading the Bible?
- What version of the Bible do I prefer and why?
- Have I been superstitious about the Bible itself?
- How does a word for word translation differ from thought for thought?
- What role do paraphrases play in my Bible reading?
- How can audio Bibles help me engage with Scripture?
- What is my main Bible and why?
- How does knowing the types of translations affect my study?
- Have I limited myself to one version or explored others?
- What would change if I read the Bible daily?
