Bible Study 101 Why Bother Reading the Bible? Five common questions

 

Why Read the Bible? 

Is it enough to read about someone to consider them your friend? 

What about listening to a podcast or sermon about them. 

Is that enough to consider them your friend?

Isn't a relationship more than that?

Five common questions I'm asked about reading and studying the Bible

1) I'm a good person. Why bother with all those laws and rules?

We need to know His laws so we can know His will for us and stay away from sin.

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11

We need it to be able to do kingdom work.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, 

for rebuke, 

for correction, 

for training in righteousness; 

so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, 

equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16,17

2) That sounds like a lot of work. Where's the fun in that?

It's actually a delight to read and study the Bible.

"If Your law had not been my delight,

Then I would have perished in my affliction." Psalm 119:92

"I delight to do Your will, O my God;

Your Law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

3) But the Old Testament was written so long ago. Wasn't the Old Testament written for that time, not now?

It's for us, too at every age. It brings hope to read about other people who have lived following God. It also helps us understand the ways of God. 

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

4) How do I know the Bible we have all these years later is still His Word?

God preserves His Word. He watches over it to perform it. He delivers on all His promises in His Word.

“You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” Jeremiah 1:12 

He is preserving His Word. 

"The words of the LORD are pure words;As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever." Psalm 12:6,7

 

5) Isn't that just for those extreme Christians who want to push their religion on everyone else? 

Christianity is more than a religion. It is a relationship with God Almighty, the one true God. Christians are excited about that and want others to share in that faith. The Bible, His Word, explains about  salvation.

 “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

“WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:8-10, 13, 17

God wanted the Bible to be preserved for us all. 

The words in the Bible are more than a list of laws to obey. 

They are a way for us to get to know God 

and the salvation He provided for us.

 

"This will be written for the generation to come, 

That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD." 

Psalm 102:18

I'm praying you will hunger for the delight of spending time with God, reading His Word and those words bring you closer to Him. I pray you will praise the LORD with every page.