Bible reading Plan – TGN

What To Bring To a Bible Study And What To Leave Behind

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 07:41:32 +0000

We love our action heroes. Growing up, my siblings and I loved the “Journey to the West” adventure series. A few times, we feigned illness just to skip church and watch the weekly episodes. Diabolically, the weekly series streamed on Ghana Television was moved from its previous week-day slot to Sunday mornings at 11 am! The Monkey King was brilliant at Kung-Fu, but then he was pretty vengeful and disagreeable, at one point invading “heaven“ and picking a fight with even the heavenly residents!

Western movie stars were also quite famous among my peers. I remember a time when several of my schoolmates and I wrote to Van Damme and got an autographed photograph in return! We loved the Van Dammes, Rambos and Commandos. They captivated most of us with their strength and bravado. Today, a fresh set of action heroes continue to thrill millions.

Understanding preunderstandings

The norms depicted in movies we’ve seen, our family background, societal values and heritage form a powerful influence that impacts how we interpret Scripture. We call this preunderstanding. In this case, our cultural influence is the main force we contend with. For example, when we read Jesus’ words in in Matthew 5 where he says, “43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.‘ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,“ we subconsciously contrast this with what prevails in our culture.

“How did Van Damme react to the bad guys who broke into his home and killed his wife and family dog?“ Our society says, “once bitten, twice shy“. So, even though Jesus says to forgive seventy times seven times (Matthew 18:22), we subconsciously set a limit to “loving our enemies“. If people offend us once or twice, it’s okay to forgive; but if they did it three or four times, that’s it – we’ll cut them off from mercy for the rest of our lives!

In our previous article, we encountered another subtle influence of our culture on Scriptural interpretation: filling in the blanks where Scripture is silent. We saw this in the assumption we make that Mary traveled to Bethlehem on a little donkey, although the Christmas narrative never mentions a donkey. It is not hard to see that this idea is suggested by the Christmas chorus “Little Donkey Carry Mary Safely on Her Way!“.

In their book, “Journey through God’s Word“, Duvall and Hays illustrate the cultural influences we bring to Scripture. What do you see when you picture Jonah in the great fish’s belly? Chances are, like me, you envision a rather big stomach large enough for a boat to fit in, with way more room for a large man and a little boy to also fit comfortably in rather than a squashed-up Jonah pressed against the digestive tract of the great fish. As Duvall and Hays point out, this image likely comes from the Pinocchio movie by Disney; which immediately fills in the blanks when we read the story of Jonah being swallowed by a fish.

Preunderstandings go way beyond our cultural influences, however. Other aspects of preunderstanding worth watching out for include previous encounters with the text, which tend to breed familiarity (the assumption that we know and understand the text already), and therefore limit our expectation to be impacted by the Biblical text in fresh ways). It can also take the form of preconceived opinions and ideas from sermons we’ve heard before, lyrics of gospel songs, stuff we may have picked up from Sunday school (children’s and youth services), jokes and other forms of literature besides the Bible.

Not all these influences may impact our study and interpretation of Scripture negatively; some may, in fact, be good. For instance, if you grew up in a loving family, with parents whose lives modelled the gospel in the way they loved, encouraged and disciplined you; and where siblings were respectful, caring and nurturing of each other, these may serve as good and beneficial cultural influences in your ability to grasp the concept of God as a loving heavenly father and the body of Christ as a family closely knit together by their Union with Christ. If, however, you experienced an unhealthy family relationship growing up, then that may in contrast, serve to hamper your view of God as a loving father, as outlined in Scripture.

Submitting to the Biblical text instead of standing over it

So, how should we approach Scripture, given all our preunderstandings? As we mentioned in the previous article, we must resolve to consistently come to God’s Word ready to submit our preunderstandings under God’s Word rather than letting it stand over it. Put another way; we must allow Scripture to critique our preunderstanding and not the other way around! As we grapple with Scripture, we must be prepared to allow it to change and modify our preconceptions in light of the plain teaching of Scripture.

Unlike our preunderstandings, there are things we need to bring along to our study of God’s Word. We call them presuppositions.

Biblical presuppositions

Presuppositions stand opposed to preunderstanding in that they do not change with each encounter with the Word. These presuppositions serve as foundations on which to build our study of the Bible. They include our faith in the God of the Bible, our relationship with Him, and what we believe about Scripture as a whole.

For example, we believe that:

1. The Bible is the Word of God. In it, God communicates of Himself and His will to us. Although God used men to bring them to us, they were carried along or taught by the Holy Spirit such that the words they produced are at one and the same time the words of each author and the exact words of God Himself. Therefore, Scripture carries all the authority God’s speech conveys (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

2. The Bible is trustworthy and true. As Jesus himself attests, “Scripture cannot be broken“ (John 10:35). As God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29), so does every word of God prove true (Proverbs 30:5).

3. The Bible never contradict itself. Despite consisting of diverse books, it is a unified revelation. Although there are some ‘tensions‘ and a ‘mystery‘ to the Bible, that is to be expected, as God is way bigger than us, and our puny minds cannot always understand him. As Augustine points out,

“The Scriptures are holy, they are truthful, they are blameless… So we have no grounds at all of blaming Scripture if we happen to deviate in any way, because we haven’t understood it. When we do understand it, we are right. But when we are wrong because we haven’t understood it, we leave it in the right. When we have gone wrong, we don’t make out Scripture to be wrong, but it continues to stand up straight and right, so that we may return to it for correction.“

Notes:

1. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Journey into God’s Word: Your Guide to Understanding and Applying God’s Word.

2. The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, Part III: Sermons, 23:3; available at https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Sermons-20-51.pdf

3. For a detailed treatment of Preunderstanding and Presupposition, see Preunderstanding, Presuppositions and Biblical Interpretation by Thomas A. Howe, Bible and Biblical Languages, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, USA (https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1206) and Grant Osborne’s The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation Paperback – Special Edition, December 4, 2006.

The post What To Bring To a Bible Study And What To Leave Behind appeared first on TGN.

Take Up Your Bible And Read

Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 10:10:25 +0000

“Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege!” (“Take up and read; take up and read”). These are the words of St. Augustine recounting his conversion in his most popular work, Confessions, where, in a state of weeping and brokenness of heart, he hears a voice echoing from the neighbouring house to pick up his Bible and read. Augustine would recount how, upon reading Paul’s words in Romans 13:14-15, “instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”[1]

This event was pivotal in Augustine’s conversion to Christ, as is the preached word in the conversion of sinners. The believer is born of the Word of God (Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23) and sustained by the same Word. Moreover, Jesus said that the Word of God is the agent by which the on-going sanctification of the believer comes about (John 17:17). Perhaps one of the best statements of the indispensability of the Word of God in matters of faith and life for the Christian is found in the following passage which prefaces Gideon’s International Bibles:

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.
Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

“No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word”, says Donald Whitney. “Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.” [2] As true as this is, yet how many Christians read the Word of God every day? How many have attempted to read all of it? A study that was conducted nearly three decades ago showed that less than two out of every ten professing born-again believers read their Bibles every day, and–even more depressing–another one in four had never read the Bible before the time of the study. [3] What might your response be if you were to partake in a similar survey today?

Read Your Bible Every Day

In Secondary School, the Scripture Union (SU) had a motto which said, “read your Bible, pray every day if you want to grow”. From this was coined the sub-motto which is captured in the acronym, NBNB, “No Bible, No Breakfast!” It was customary at the time for any fellow member of the SU you met to ask, “what did you have for breakfast today?” to which you were expected to share a summary of what you learned from your Bible during your morning devotion or “quiet time” as it was termed back then. Recognising the importance of Bible intake to the spiritual growth of a Christian, a great deal of emphasis was placed on daily personal Bible study and sharing what one gleaned from God’s word with others.

Regrettably, this discipline is fast dying out among professing Christians today. It has been remarked that the biggest dust storm in history would occur if all the church members who were neglecting their bibles dusted them all off at the same time! “Oh, but very few people use hard-back or leather-cover Bibles these days”, chuckled someone. Therein lies the greatest irony. Today, more than ever before, the Bible is perhaps more accessible than it has ever been in the history of the Christian church. We have it readily available on our phones, tablets, and computers, yet we read so little of it! We carry our phones literally everywhere, we have Bible apps installed on our phones, yet we would rather spend hours in a day browsing social media than turn to our Bibles. Our lethargy to God’s word is truly lamentable—and this accounts largely for the superficial Christianity that is so prevalent in the Church today.

That we need to read our Bibles every day is quite indisputable. John Blanchard, in his book “How to Enjoy your Bible” is very convicting in putting it across this way:

Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D. L. Moody put it, “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”[4]

Read All of Your Bible

The question remains: why do we read so little of our Bibles? The answer, in my honest opinion, is simply that we lack the resolve. Tape recordings of the entire Bible are readily available today from most bookshops in various versions. These have shown that the Bible can be read through in only 71 hours [5]. Fifteen minutes of reading a day is enough for one to get through the 1,189 chapters of the Bible in less than a year; five minutes a day is enough to complete the Bible in less than three years.

“But”, says someone, “I don’t want to read the Bible like a storybook. I want to take my time and study it.” That’s a fair point. However, I fear that this pretext has been the undoing of many a Christian in never reading their Bibles from cover to cover. Bruce Ware, in his online article “Advice for Another Year of Bible Reading” shares how much Christians stand to benefit if we trained ourselves to read the Bible in two different forms: in a fast-paced manner, and in a slow-paced reading. Fast-paced reading, says Bruce, is necessary if we are to cover the whole of the Scriptures at some kind of regular interval. Reading through the Bible is done at this pace. Slow-paced reading, on the other hand, allows us to “soak in and glory in the beauty and texture of so many passages of Scripture.” This is the pace at which in-depth study and memorisation of Scripture are done.

“But is it necessary to read through the entire Bible?” asks another. The answer is an emphatic yes! If we believe that the entire Bible is the inspired word of God (2Tim. 3:16), then we would do well to read all of it, from cover to cover. Jesus certainly would have expected us to read all of it when he said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Will you discipline yourself to read it? There are several Bible reading and study plan options worth considering. These will help you stay focused and consistent in your daily Bible intake.

Let me conclude with these words from King Josiah.

And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. (2Chron. 34:31).

My prayer is that King Josiah’s resolve in the verse above will be ours in 2018. So, take up your Bible and read!

Notes:
1. Aurelius Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine, translated by Edward Pusey. Vol. VII, Part 1. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/7/1/, Book Eight, Chapter 12, Paragraphs 27-28.
2. Donald S. Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, NavPress, Colorado Springs, 1991, page 28.
3. Bookstore Journal, as quoted in Discipleship Journal, issue 52, page 10
4. John Blanchard, How to Enjoy Your Bible, Colchester, England: Evangelical Press, 1984, page 22.
5. Donald S. Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, page 33

The post Take Up Your Bible And Read appeared first on TGN.

Planted In The House Of The Lord

Andrews Ampomah — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 08:17:39 +0000

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God”. Psalm 92:12-13, ESV

A cursory look at Christian programs on TV reveals a worrying trend in our churches. Almost every Christian channel one turns to has material prosperity as the content of its message. One wonders if the gospel is only about material prosperity. The teaching of the unadulterated word of God has been replaced by an undue emphasis on the “non-weightier matters”. While I am not against material prosperity, I believe true Christian prosperity — which is not limited to material blessing — is being rooted in the Word of The LORD.

We are still in the early days of the year, it is essential for us to reflect on our walk with God and seek to be grounded in our relationship with Him.

In this beautiful Psalm of thanks and praise to God, the Psalmist describes the righteous as flourishing like a palm tree and growing like a cedar in Lebanon (v.12). He continues in v. 13 by saying they are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.

What does the Psalmist mean by these Agricultural analogies?

In describing the believer’s life, the Psalmist uses terms that symbolizes growth and thriving. And he does so by using two of the toughest trees one could find. These trees have very unique properties that speaks volumes to the believers’ life. They both grow strong and firm in the ground. They can withstand harsh conditions without withering. Unlike the wicked, who are compared to grass that sprouts and withers, the righteous will flourish. Notable also is the longevity of the Palm and Cedar trees and their continuous bearing of fruits.

These analogies describes the life of a Christian in terms of growth, maturity, holiness, fruit bearing and eternal life. How sad we hardly hear about being planted–growth, maturity, holiness, and fruit bearing– on many pulpits.

How Can We Be Planted?

The most reliable source to keep us planted in the house of the Lord is the word of God. Growth and maturity in Christian living do not come by accident. They require deliberate effort and empowerment by the Holy Spirit. The story of Joshua has much encouragement for us as we seek to be planted in God’s house. Joshua was given the mandate to lead God’s people to the promised land. He accepted the task with much uncertainty and fear, having seen first hand the stubbornness of the Israelites under the leadership of Moses. But God reassured him and pointed him to His word:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’ (Joshua 1:8).

The command of God to Joshua in not allowing His Law to depart from his mouth, but to make it his whole life preoccupation is something that holds instruction for us. J. C Ryle, has said ‘the Bible is the true lantern for a dark and cloudy time, let us beware of travelling without its light’. There are many things that will seek to take our focus away from God each passing moment, but it is the Word of God that will stamp our persuasion in Christ Jesus.

Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church admonished them to “…keep the ordinances…”(1 Corinthians 11:2, KJV). He says to the Corinthian church as he does to us to hold fast the whole body of truth of the Gospel as has been delivered to us in the Bible.

A lot of false teachings abound that seek to take the focus away from Christ Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. It behooves us to keep the Word of God, to be planted in the house of God. Make the word “a lamp to [your] feet and a light to [your] path.(Psalm 119:105).

The post Planted In The House Of The Lord appeared first on TGN.

The Resolution Every Christian Should Make in 2016

Enoch Anti — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 17:31:46 +0000

In just a few days, we will be entering a new year–2016. It is that period of the year, when New Year resolutions are made. Resolutions are good; they give us the opportunity to make adjustments to our lives.

I am convinced you are going to — if you have not started already–write down resolutions for 2016. I will too. I especially desire spiritual growth and maturity; and one of my resolutions will be to read through the Bible–old and new testament–in 2016. Is it something you would want to consider? I think you should.

For the believer, new year resolution is an opportunity to evaluate our lives and see how God glorifying we have been with our lives–time, gifts, opportunities, work, etc.

Socrates, the Greek philosopher said “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Paul said “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2Corinthians 13:5). Examining our lives doesn’t only involve evaluation of past events in our lives. It also involves planning and making decisions for the future (Proverbs 6:6-11, Luke 14:28).

You see, one of the many areas believers falter in our walk with the Lord is diligent Bible reading and study. But as believers, Scripture is the only credible source of truth in our walk and we must as a matter of duty, read and study it.

As one theologian puts it,

I could plead with you to study the Bible for personal edification; I could try the art of persuasion to stimulate your quest for happiness. I could say that the study of the Bible would probably be the most fulfilling and rewarding educational experience of your life. I could cite numerous reasons why you would benefit from a serious study of Scripture. But ultimately the main reason why we should study the Bible is because it is our duty. ~ R.C. Sproul ¹

In a recent blog post, I wrote a two part series–Regaining Lost Passion for The Bible One & Two — and I wish to adapt from that post as a guide to help you if you making a resolution to study and read through the Bible in 2016.

1: Desire to Study.

A lack of desire is one major reason most of us don’t study or read the Bible. Many of us know the significance of the Bible in the believer’s life, but somehow, the desire to study or read it is absent. We live in a busy and competitive world. Nothing around us suggests “read your Bible”. The cares of the world clutter our minds and the Bible seem not a priority. But, it should be, if we are going to make any progress in our walk of faith and please God. In 2016, desire to read and study the Bible. There is no source of intimate fellowship with God apart from time spent in His word and prayer. So, as the deer pants after the water brooks, our souls must thirst and pant after God through His word (Psalms 42:1-2). You however can’t by your own will power create this desire. You should pray to God that through the Holy Spirit, a desire will be stirred up in your heart to study and read the Bible this coming year.

2: Make The Time To Study

A desire only is not enough. You can have the desire, but if you don’t make the time to study and read, you will make no progress. You must seize time, set it aside for use in studying the Bible. The best time, in my opinion to study the Bible is in the morning. This might not work for everybody because of time schedules, but I believe it is the most reasonable time. In the morning, our mind is fresh and alert. In Mark 1:35, Bible tells us about Jesus’ devotional life: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Rising up early to pray and read is a good practice, yet a difficult one. But once the habit is formed, a successful Bible study plan will follow. You must labour to study. Make the time.

3: Have A Plan To Study: Study Systematically

You have to open the Bible and read it in a systematic way. Not cheery picking verses from different places in the Bible every day. What I mean by systematic is simply in an orderly manner. With this organised reading, you will grasp the whole storyline of the Bible. You should follow a systematic pattern through the Bible. Here are a number of bible reading plans you can adopt.

4: Keep Notes

For the study of the Bible to be fulfilling, keep a note book and a pen any time you are reading. Make notes, write things you believe God is communicating through His word. A study Bible will be helpful. Also, make some investments in Bible commentaries, Bible reference materials, bible dictionaries, etc. If God is that important to you, you must spend to know more about him through Bible reading. Also use more than one Bible translation if possible.

5: Meditate on The Word

Desire and studying Scriptures alone will not produce the full benefit of the word in your life. We have to take desire and study to another level—meditation. Meditation is contemplation and reflection on the word we have read. Meditation allows the word to settle in our hearts and become part of us. It is said, if you know how to worry, you can meditate on the word. Just worry about the word. Ask questions in your mind. Turn the word around. My most favourite explanation of meditation is the analogy with a ruminant chewing its cud. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1:1-2).

6: Obey The Word

Studying and reading the Bible must not be an end in itself. Bible study must lead to living the word, obedience to the word and fruitfulness in our Christian living. In the Bible, we encounter God and our lives are changed.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18).

There are indeed many benefits to reading through the Bible. Here are a few articles you can refer to: Daily Bread, 5 Reasons to Read the Entire Bible in 2016. If you have questions as to why you must read through the Bible, this FAQ will be helpful.

We at The Gospel Network wish you a Happy and fruitful New Year as you take steps to master the Bible for it to master you.

Notes:

The post The Resolution Every Christian Should Make in 2016 appeared first on TGN.