On Reading through the Bible
If you desire great significance in pastoral ministry, I can offer and you can find no better advice than the following.
This year read through the entire Bible.
When you are done, repeat the same (at least) once every year for the rest of your life… on earth. No other single activity will enhance your ministry more than this. You will not find anything closer to a silver bullet!
The following are good reasons not to read through the Bible at least annually:
Okay, I can’t think of one.
By reading through the Bible I do not mean studying the Bible. Certainly, you should examine in greater detail certain smaller passages of the Bible. Studying the Bible and reading through the Bible are different but not altogether separate exercises. Nor do I mean your “professional” reading the Bible for sermon or Bible study preparation. Certainly preparation for preaching and teaching duties should be deeply bathed in reading the Bible. Professional reading the Bible and reading through the Bible are again different but not altogether different exercises.
Reading through the Bible is to go from the front cover to the back cover—every word.
I know that this Pharisees made their stock and trade in the Scripture; they were known for knowing the Scripture inside and out. Don’t worry that aggressive Bible reading will turn you into a Pharisee. The problem with the Pharisees was not their discipline but their hearts. Remember, abusus non tollit usum!
In an interview with a potential staff member I asked, “What does it mean to have a passion for Jesus?” The answer I wanted was something like “working really, really hard in service to him”—passion in the sense of willingness to suffer. His answer was better, “To be passionate for Jesus is to be passionate about his word, for that’s where he is found.”
I like that.
Do we believe that Word of God is Jesus? John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Do we believe that to have a life and ministry centered in Jesus is to have a life and ministry centered in the Word because the Word centers in Jesus?
Do we believe that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit? Ephesians 6:17, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” What in the world would ever convince us to go out into the world unarmed? What soldier goes to battle without his weapon? A doomed one!
Do we believe that the Word of God is light for our path? Psalm 115:105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” If the word is light, why would we stumble through our ministry in the dark? Only foolish campers leave their flashlights home in a drawer when they go exploring in the woods.
Do we believe that the Word of God gives us life in a way that is even greater than that life sustained by air, water and nourishment? John 20:31, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” You wouldn’t last too many weeks without food; you’d last only days without water and minutes without air. Not only would you grow weak without air, water and nourishment, you’d grow dead! If the word provides greater things than these, what would ever keep us from reading at least a little bit of the Bible every single day?
Do we believe that the Bible is the Word of God? Cover to cover?
I do.
And in just 20-30 minutes a day you can read it cover to cover in a year. Your faith, life, marriage and ministry will never be the same.
There are tons of plans and editions you can follow. Some Bible plans split the Bible into four daily readings: Old Testament, Epistle, Gospel and Psalm. There is one edition out there that has cut and pasted the entire Bible into chronological order. A friend of mine uses what I’ll call the Mehren’s Method: (step 1) find the page number on the last page of the Bible, (step 2) write that number down, (step 3) divide that number by 365, then (step 4) read that many pages daily—this method has to be adjusted during leap year.
Experiment with different translations through the years.
This is a good time to brush up or off your Greek. One year read all the Gospel passages in Greek. The next year try the Epistles. Or throw caution to the wind and read all the New Testament in Greek. Overachievers can add some Hebrew.
Do not let me put this on you as a burden. Rather let me capture your imagination. What will ministry be like long term if as a pastor you determine to read through the entire Bible annually your entire ministry? If you are in your mid-20’s, do you think having read through the Bible 15 times will make you more effective in your 40’s than you are right now? And what impact will having read through the Bible 35 times have on your ministry in your 60’s.
In preparing this material I found a quote by Luther that suggested twice a year…
There is no silver bullet to guarantee significance in ministry, but this comes close.