Bible Discussion Thread

Reading vs Studying. Many have a desire to read through the Bible in a year's time yet I ask, are you reading it or are you studying it? Many treat the Bible like a novel yet learn nothing from it. My desire is to study intensely 2-3 verses per day. As if I were to read 2-3 verses per day then I would not remember nor correctly apply those verses in my life.

It's a lifelong journey . I try to read five chapters a day, I read a book at a time . It took me years to start to feel confident that I was getting a good grip on the truth , it's like any other relationship , the more effort you put in , the more your efforts are rewarded , we have to commit ourselves to a long relationship . I think some people are impatient and expect to put all the pieces together instantly and then get discouraged when that doesn't happen .

Good Morning Rugged Christian,

I do agree that the Bible should be studied and not just read. However, as with the study of any subject, it is helpful to do a read of an entire chapter or book to get the overall sense of a passage and then to go back and study verses or paragraphs or sections to bring forth the meaning and truth of the writer. So, if one wishes to read the entire Bible through in a year (or two) or New Testament, I think that is a good thing to do initially, but then one does need to study the Bible more deeply and take time to understand through the wisdom given by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who guides us in our intake of Scripture and one should be sensitive to His promptings as to how to approach the Scriptures as pertaining to method and section.

But, again, I agree, we do need to work with the Holy Spirit to gain proper understanding of the passages and books we are reading.