Tuesday, May 10

Tuesday

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  

– 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Yesterday we saw in the passage above that Paul tells Timothy to “continue” in what he has learned – the truth of the holy Scriptures.  But how or from whom did Timothy learn this?  It would be natural to assume that Paul was the one who taught him about the truth of God’s word.  After all, Paul took Timothy with him on several missionary journeys and no doubt instructed him along the way.  However, the Bible tells us that it was actually Timothy’s mother and grandmother that first introduced him to the Scriptures and taught him about God’s word. 

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 

–      2 Timothy 1:5

Think about this, two ordinary women raising a young boy and teaching him about who God is and what God wants for his life!  Just in case any moms out there are wondering if raising kids and trying to teach them what is good and true really matters, grandma Lois and mom Eunice got to have their names mentioned in the Bible for their efforts with Timothy! 

So Paul says to Timothy (in effect) “your momma and gramma raised you right and taught you about God, but you must continue with what they started in you.”  It is not enough for any of us to rest on the lessons we learned at home or in Sunday School or youth group when we were younger.  We must continue on and grow in the knowledge and practice of God’s Word.

My college football coach used to say; “Men, today you are either getting better or you are gonna get worse, there is no such thing as staying the same!”  I admit that at the time I really didn’t get it, I thought he was just trying to motivate us to work hard.  Now I see the principle he was trying to impress on us; that doing nothing is a guarantee that you will begin to regress.  I think he was right, and I think his words apply to our spiritual growth as well.  Far too many Christians are resting on what they used to know, they are not progressing, they are not continuing in what they have learned.  They have stopped reading God’s word and when their spiritual lives grow stale they wonder why God doesn’t seem real to them anymore.

Okay, so Paul says that we should “continue” in the reading and study of God’s word.  Most of us already have a vague sense that we should know God’s word better, or at least that we would like to.  But many of us just aren’t quite sure how to get started.  It might sound a little silly, but really, the Bible is a pretty big book with a lot of stuff going on in it (some of it is pretty hard to understand), how should you start reading it?  Is there a right way?  Is there a wrong way?  Should you just start at the beginning in Genesis?  Should you start with Jesus in the Gospels?  Can you just jump in anywhere?

The truth is that any Bible reading is better than none at all.  However, there are some good principles that will help you if you are new to regular Bible reading.

If you’re digging in for the very first time, my suggestion is that you start with the Gospel of Mark and then go on to John.  Why start in the New Testament?  Martin Luther said that the Bible is the “cradle of Christ.” All biblical history and prophecy ultimately point to Jesus. The book of Mark is quick and fast-paced, while John focuses on the things Jesus claimed about himself. Mark tells about what Jesus did, while John tells about what Jesus said.

Obtain a whole Bible in a version you are comfortable reading. You can do a lot of short reading stints online or on your iphone, but you will want to have your own actual book copy.  I like to read and preach out of the New International Version (NIV).   However, the New Living Translation (NLT), The English Standard Version (ESV), The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), are all good translations.  In fact there are a myriad of translations available to the Bible reader.  It is important to choose a translation that combines both readability and accuracy.  A translation designed for readability and the best general meaning can get you through large chunks quickly, while a more literal translation lends itself to word accuracy at the price of smooth reading.

Get some handy help - Use a study Bible or a simple Bible handbook that offers an outline and a brief introduction to each book of the Bible library.

Don’t read alone!  Find a friend or join in with a group of people who are also interested. Find a small-group Bible study that is serious about digging into these books and other parts of the Bible.  Read with your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, etc.

Get organized - Find a routine. Here is a link to a few Bible reading plans to get you started.

One final note of encouragement: as exciting as the Bible is, staying fresh can become a problem for many readers, especially when they find themselves in the middle of long lists of genealogies and ceremonial laws. Don’t worry; God isn’t grading you on your ability to recall detail. He wants you to meet him in his Word.

Jeff Frazier