Related Sermons:
The Aim of Christian Exhortation: youtu.be/cJD6-q7G9yY
The Word of God and Us: youtu.be/vx4oTC21k8w
The Believer's Relationship to Scripture: youtu.be/WIY9y44T7ls
Preparing to Receive the Word: youtu.be/vPf4JbJnI2A
Prizing the Power of Scripture: youtu.be/sKvdEVkBsG0
A Doer of God's Word: youtu.be/VDOsNeuXmQI
The Outcome of Our Approach to God's Word: youtu.be/E1AtB5Fda8c
Encountering God's Word: youtu.be/H76sOBNRpl0
The Sufficiency of Scripture - Speaking the Truth in Love Conference 2018: youtu.be/liw62KMxGG0
The Priority of Preaching - Speaking the Truth in Love Conference 2020: youtu.be/mhOa-dzcRIw
The Bible is more accessible today than in generations past. We can read it in printed book form, digitally on our computers, phones, tablets, etc. We even have apps that will read it to us. But just because we have all this access in these various forms and ways, it doesn’t mean that people are actually reading the Bible and understanding it. Based on the current state of evangelical churches and numerous studies and polls, access to the Bible appears to have outpaced Christians reading it and growing in biblical knowledge. Biblical literacy has fallen by the wayside and is suffering greatly. Biblical literacy involves a deep awareness of the meaning of what’s in the Bible. It's not just knowing its contents and facts, but the ability to read and understand the Bible rightly from Genesis to Revelation, able to explain what holds it together from beginning to end – what is the grand narrative. Many Christians who have gone to church their whole lives don’t have a solid grounding in the Scriptures. That lack of knowledge is now being passed down from generation to generation. Why is this so important, and what can we do about it? How can we actively encourage good Bible literacy? This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Philpot asks Dr. Richard Caldwell if he would recommend some strategies or principles for Christians that will improve their biblical literacy. He also asks how parents can best help their children, teens, and young adults with this issue.
Dr. Caldwell says the importance of it is easy to demonstrate. The Scriptures themselves exhort us to know the Scriptures. The example of our Savior exhorts us to know the Scriptures. We see this modeled throughout the entirety of His life. Even the New Testament itself is a model of the knowledge of Scripture because so much of the New Testament Scriptures references the Old Testament; we see how the writers model their mastery of the Scriptures.
So then, how do we do that? How do we get to know the Bible better? The easiest answer, and the one that people really need to hear, is to read it, just read it. There’s a lot of talk that goes on today in our culture about education. But we find more people in our day not just illiterate concerning the Scriptures, but in reading in general. People just don’t read much at all. When it comes to the Bible, you have to know that no video, movie, or even a series on or about the Bible can help you know it better. People will have to overcome their lack of reading, in general, to discipline themselves to pick up and read the Bible.
Dr. Caldwell suggests some practical ways to increase our Bible reading, whether we are a morning person or a night person. Ideally, he says we should aim for reading both morning and evening, allowing for it to be the first thing we encounter in the morning and the last thing on our minds as we go to sleep. We want it to be with us throughout the day, wherever we go, whatever we do, shaping, forming, and informing us in our choices and how we view the world. Another great way to take in the Scriptures is through listening to them as we drive to and from our destinations and as we do our work around our homes.
Additionally, God has ordained that we be taught and learn the Scriptures through His church. Being a good sermon listener is another way we will be able to get to know the Bible better. Dr. Caldwell recommends a book by pastor-teacher Ken Ramey, titled Expository Listening, that will help guide Christians to become better listeners. He tells us that a good part of reading and listening is to always remind ourselves of what we are reading and listening to – this is the Word of God. We want to have a reverence for what we are hearing. The Bible reminds us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. We want to be ready listeners, teachable, and slow to speak against what we are hearing. We don’t want to be put off when the Word of God confronts our lives. We want to be submissive, not angered and argue against it, but be willing to examine ourselves by what has been said and heard.