As we continue our sessions through the book of Multiply by Francis Chan, we now begin section III on How to Study the Bible, and specifically this week on “Why Study the Bible”. It gets interesting in the context because all us have a concept of the Bible, many of us have multiple Bibles and now electronic apps of the Bible, and we have developed a mindset of our own about what the Bible includes, what it is used for and actually have a relationship with the Bible. Some might even have a relationship with a particular Bible.

Each of us have developed a behavior with our Bibles. We might have a particular Bible for a particular situation. We might have one sitting in our living room or office that does not move because we use it specifically for a quite time.  Some of might have a special Bible that was given to us by a special person and it is put a side for safe keeping or special occasions.

Regardless of how many bibles we physically have or how many electronic devices we have to read the bible, we all get to a point that triggers us to read the Bible. It might be on Saturday morning before coming to our gatherings. It might be Sunday afternoons after hearing a church message. It might be about every morning before work. What ever our habit and behavior, there is a motivation or a trigger that kicks us into reading our Bible.

Examine your motivations for studying the Bible? Or what is your perception for why you should study your Bible?

Our Motivations

The fact of the matter is that most Christians study the Bible for the wrong reasons.  There are three main motivations for studying the Bible that Francis indicates we need to move beyond.

Guilt

We go to church and we believe we are Christians so it seems like we should read the Bible. It is just what Christians do, because that is what they have been told to do. It is right there on the list of things to do… go to church, tithe, don’t cuss and read the Bible.

Many times we don’t associate our behavior with guilt, but from time to time we catch ourselves. We declare we are going to read the Bible every morning, or start a reading plan and we begin with good intentions, then we get to a point where we know we better read today, because we will get behind. We better read because if we get too far behind we might as well change the plan.

A culture of guilt is formed, a culture where “good Christians” read their Bibles because they’re afraid not to, and “bad Christians” fell guilty about not meeting their Bible-reading quota.

Status

There sometimes seems to be certain status or position for those that know the Bible. It is good for all of us to know the Bible.  There is a personal motivation, that can stem from pride, where we want to know the Bible to appear intelligent. There is sometimes a desire to be the ‘go-to-guy’ during community group or family gatherings. A failure to meet our own expectations can even throw us back into the guilt situation. (Why aren’t we the ‘go-to-guy’?)

Too often Christians are motivated by status when we should be motivated by a desire to know God, to be change by His Word, and to love and serve the people around us.

Teaching Material

Then there are other times when we are asked to lead a study session or community group and we know we need to be prepared.  This seems like a good motivation and definitely is not a bad use of the Bible, in fact it is necessary.

The problem begins when we begin to approach the Bible only as a source for teaching.

What has been your experience with studying the Bible? Which of the wrong motivations are you guilty of? Can you think of any others?

God’s Motivations

We all have our motivations and they might even change from time to time. But the fact is that God also had intentions for giving us the Bible. He has motivations behind us each having the Bible. Some of his motivations might be obvious, and yet others might be a new concept to some of us.

To Teach Us about Himself

God wants to describe himself to us. From the beginning to the end of the Bible, God is the subject. God wants us to know certain things about Himself, and He uses Scripture to reveal these things. Because God is clearly defined in the Bible, we are left with no room to formulate our own version of Him.

We should all study in order to understand God better. We search diligently to know the truth about God and to rid ourselves of any misconceptions we are told or hold about Him.

To Teach us about Ourselves & the World

We are self-centered in nature and to be able to know about who we are and the world we live in is a great narrative that sucks each of us in. The whole idea of where we came from, why the world is the way it is and where everything is headed swirls frequently in our lives.

Rather than trying to read the bible to get a status or accumulate religious knowledge, we should be learning to live in the world that God made.

Enable us to Live Godly Lives

God gave us the Bible to give us an opportunity to live Godly lives.  This is even specifically stated by Peter’s second letter…

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3 ESV

We all have a priority list and our reasons to study the Bible is no different. We need to have living godly lives near the top. We should study to be godly.  Paul even puts this into perspective in his letter to Timothy.

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

Many times we hear those verses and we get overwhelmed with verse 16, and don’t even grasp the reasoning provided in verse 17. We have been given the Bible by God so we can be complete and equipped.  We should keep those verses close to our heart for motivation and encouragement.

God gave us the Bible so that we would be complete, mature people who are equipped and ready to do anything God asks us to do. This means that we study the Bible looking for change. (Not studying the Bible to justify staying the same). If we find ourselves reading the Bible and not changing, then we can be sure that our we are approaching the Bible in the wrong way.

To Facilitate a Relationship with God

God wants us to know know him and have a relationship with him. All relationships require communication. Loving expression of each person’s thoughts, emotions, concerns and dreams. The Bible is God’s means of sharing His thoughts and desires with us.  He chose specific words to say to specific people at specific times. He wrong 66 books to preserve for us so that we could know him better. A good example that draws this relationship out is a book by Larry Crabb titled “66 Love Letters”, and it is literally an illustration of this relationship between us and God through the whole Bible.

Every time we read the Bible, we strengthen our relationship with God, unless we do approach it with the wrong motivations. If we approach the Bible with humility, eagerly listening for God to speak to us, waiting to hear what God has to say rather than what we want to hear, then we are drawing closer to the one we were made to be in relationship with. True Bible study must always have intimacy with God as the primary goal.

To Exalt Jesus

All of the events in biblical history point to Jesus, God’s son. The law was given to show us our sinfulness and our need for Jesus. The Gospels record the loving words and actions of Jesus. The epistles explain how it is only through Jesus’ work on the cross that we can be saved from sin and filled with the Spirit. Revelation shows how Jesus will one day return to judge and restore the earth, and reign with His followers forever.

To Prepare Us for Our Mission

There is a reason to God’s plan and our part in it. Abraham was blessed so he could be a blessing to all of the nations of the earth. Israel’s mission was to show the world who their God was. We are not on this earth merely to enjoy our own personal relationship with God. We are here to be God’s servants, His ambassadors.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Why do you think God gave us the Bible? How should these things affect the way we think about studying the Bible?

Every time we read the bible we need to have the mindset that we are approaching the mind of God. Every time we open the Bible, we ought to prepare ourself for an encounter with the Creator of the universe.  To do this the key is humility. We always need to position ourselves with God in humility. When we read the bible with humility we assume the role of student, not teacher.  Too often we search the Bible for to find agreement with the views we already hold. Reading with humility means laying our agenda aside and looking for what God will teach us.

How do you tend to respond to the Bible’s teaching? Would you say that you approach it humbly with a desire to change? How do you need to adjust your approach to studying the Bible?

The right motivation makes all the difference.  We should never be reading the Bible to get weapons to tear down and destroy others. We are to learn how to build up one another and spur one another on to “wholeness”, godly. Tragically, Francis points out that the act of studying the Bible has produced some of the most arrogant people this world has ever seen.

Do you think your approach to studying the Bible has puffed you up? How has studying the Bible changed you? Are you more arrogant, argumentative, or judgmental? 

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – 1 Peter 2:1-2 ESV

What would your life look like if you desired the Word as Peter described?

As we conclude this session, it should provide some new insights for our approach to Bible reading.   Now that we have learned the “Why” about the Bible, this coming week we are going to read and learn about the “How”.  Please engage in this weeks reading in Multiply (Part III: Session 2) and to help out, the following Scriptures are in the reading plan.

• James 1
• James 2
• James 3
• James 4
• James 5
• Proverbs 1

This weeks supporting video…

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.