Bible Study as a Work

As a young person attending a small Christian school I memorized (as a requirement) Psalm 119. In the KJV.

Passages such as “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By keeping heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9, KJV), or “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” (119:105 KJV) were hammered into my brain. I have, on occasion, responded to someone who was boasting about Bible memorization with the question, “But have you memorized Psalm 119?”

Rabbit trail: As I was checking my memory 55 years after the fact using BibleGateway, the displayed Verse of the Day was Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (NIV). Source of spiritual pride? I remembered the text, the punctuation, and the reference perfectly. (See below.)

Spiritual Study

I have a pamphlet and infographic titled “Seven Barriers to Hearing the Word.” This one isn’t on it, though it is closely related to #3, “Scholarly, not spiritual.” I would note that study can be both scholarly and spiritual. The problem would be in leaving out the spiritual side.

Works-Based Righteousness?

Any good thing can become a work intended to earn one’s way to righteousness (more simply, make God like you). Bible reading is no different. Ask yourself why you read your Bible. Or in many more cases, ask yourself why you don’t.

Here are some critical questions:

1. Are you discouraged because of your failure to read enough? Whether you are not reading at all, or reading diligently at every opportunity, the problem may be that you’re reading as a duty, something you do to earn God’s favor. Relax. Don’t let other people put you down. Don’t condemn yourself.
2. Are you discouraged because it’s hard to understand? You may be forcing yourself through passages at a pace that isn’t right for you. If you’re not reading now, it may be the result of such difficulties in the past.
3. Are you feeling pride at how much you’ve read and/or memorized? See my note about Psalm 119. I am glad I memorized it. I’m not pleased that I have used that fact to shame others. That was spiritual pride talking.

Diverse People, Diverse Approaches

Is there an answer?

I’d suggest there are many answers. God created diverse people. We don’t all function in the same way.

Think about these points:

1. God already loves you. You don’t need to earn it. He’s not keeping score of your Bible reading.
   This is a tough thing for someone like me, who wants people to read the Bible more. But works based salvation, though it sounds paradoxical, does not work. It doesn’t even produce very good works.
2. How do you best take in information? You may want to look for an audio Bible or a multimedia Bible. I am currently listening to Robert Alter’s translation of the Hebrew Bible via Audible while I walk on my treadmill. I don’t normally like audiobooks, but oddly enough, this has become a new way of hearing the word.
3. Look at spiritual practices that keep you close to God. For me, the Bible is that starting point. I find it easy to read and to spend time. My most God-filled (by my perception) moments come while studying God’s Word. My wife spends time with praise and worship music. Note that we each find the other’s approach helpful from time to time. Prayer time is important.
4. Don’t be pressured to read specific books. Let God lead. My theological ideas are heavily centered on Leviticus, Ezekiel, and Hebrews. Those are not books that most people want to start with. The Bible is a diverse book. Find out where you best connect with it.

Conclusion

Do check out my Seven Barriers materials. They look at a list of things, often good things, that can still be barriers to you hearing the Word yourself.

Let me suggest an earlier post of mine on approaches to Bible reading, and the Fast Tracts booklet I Want to Study the Bible. These are both written for beginners.