Reading the Bible
I have been reading an article by Jeffrey P. Greenman titled, Life in the Spirit. He discusses several challenges of Evangelicals and lists one of those as biblicism. I had to reflect:
Have I allowed my Bible reading to transform me or have I reduced it to a matter of word processing? Greenman is warning readers to stay away from some common evangelical challenges which typify modern spirituality. The reading of the Word of God has always been considered a key part of the evangelical experience. However, we must be careful not to regard the words of God as something that is common. Greenman notes that,
typical patterns of evangelical engagement with Scripture can easily devolve into an information-orientated rationalism wherein the Bible is “word processed:” in a mechanical way…”[1]
I read out of the Bible every day. Am I giving the Bible its due respect or have I become so accustomed to its company that I do not give it due reverence? I remember hearing the stories of the Gideons; men and women who distribute copies the Bible around the world. They tell stories about villages that are so desperate for God’s word that they will tear pages out of a New Testament book and take turns reading them in various homes. How many Bibles do I own? How many are with me in this very room?! I must allow my time in the Word to change me. This will most certainly change the way we read.
How would you read the Bible differently if your goal was transformation instead of information?
[1] Greenman, Life in the Spirit, p. 28.
