I fall in the “tried” category. Growing up I made several attempts to finish a reading plan – each of them haphazard. They all went something like this:
In January, my older brother would ask if us siblings wanted to attempt a reading plan individually, often after some sort of “Kids-this-will-be-a-super-fun-challenge” rollout at our church or Christian school (e.g., “Get Excited! We’re gonna read the whole B-i-b-l-e in O-n-e Y-e-a-r! Readers get free pizza and ice cream!) Never saying no to a challenge – and a seemingly cool one that also involved the favored food groups – I’d agree to join in.
It always went downhill for me early on – like Numbers or Leviticus early (by contrast, my older brother always made it much farther, and I believe he’s completed a plan before). While the programs did not usually go in Book-of-the-Bible order the entire year, from what I remember they did for at least the first five Books.
For me reading the first couple Books about creation, The Fall, Flood and the Exodus from Egypt inspired story-book wonder, but the following parts about genealogies and laws on foods and sacrifices were a tough sell as a kid. I’d get bored, or behind, take one look at the long, 300-odd days still left to read and feel too far back to catch up.
My Turn?
The last time I remember attempting to complete a “thru-the-Bible-in-one-year” read was about 10th grade. Since then it has always been on my list of things to do sometime – at least before I die, but I had made no attempt to actually put the goal in motion. If it was ever mentioned, in a sermon, for example, I’d make one of those half-hearted comments to myself, such as “yeah, I need to do that,” but make no plans to actually complete it.
Then late last year I listened to a sermon challenging a congregation that the Bible could be read in a short period of time – in as little as about 80 hours (e.g., 8 hours a day for two work weeks sitting in a cubicle at an uneventful job) – or as long as one year (about 3.5 chapters daily). It was pointed out that we often clamor about how difficult the Bible is to understand – yet we never really just start digging into it, instead settling for a verse or two from a daily devotional. By contrast, we freely dive into books such as novels. A subsequent message involved testimonies from people who took the challenge and read the Bible in about 80 hours over a couple weeks, or were on their way to doing so.
That sermon charge really resonated with me, but it still did not quite spur me to action (i.e., I heard, but I didn't do, so I didn't hear). However, that also was about the time that God had been convicting me about the need to get deeper into His Word again through Scripture memory, and I responded the first week of this year by starting a memory plan.
God has an awesome way of showing us things when we seek Him. Just when I finally took a step to dig deeper into His Word, at church we started a doctrinal series on the importance of Scripture called "New Thru 30." But New Thru Thirty was not just a sermon series, but also a church-wide challenge to read the New Testament together in 30 days!
New in Thirty
Under the "New Thru 30" Plan, developed by Elevation Church, you read about 13 chapters of the New Testament Monday through Friday, for one month, and get Saturday and Sunday as Grace Days to catch up –or read ahead.
The program started with Matthew, then went to Acts, then back and forth between another Gospel (Mark, Luke, or John) and an Epistle (or letters to early churches, Romans – Jude), then finished the Epistles before ending with Revelation (which also means “Apocalyptic” literature, on the end times in the future).
This time, I took the challenge seriously. I read everywhere – in my room when I woke up; on the Metro to and from work; in my office when I had a lull at work; at the park in the afternoon on a weekend if I wanted to catch up or read ahead; on the dining room table at the end of the day before I turned on the TV (knowing full well that once I did, I would not finish the reading – which happened a couple days!). We finished the plan last week.
Early Lessons
Throughout the process I learned some things about reading the Bible at that pace. When I first started I was concerned with making sure I understood every word I was reading, and kept my commentary with me at all times. However, I learned quickly that a verse I may not have initially understood was often clarified as I continued reading. Also, I learned that in a 30-day read understanding every word is not as important as getting the big picture – which ends up making a lot of sense (although I did use my commentary more heavily in a couple books --Hebrews and Revelation). More useful than a commentary in this context was a study Bible, which provided an overview of each Book, its author, audience and context, before reading.
Take Home
Reading the full New Testament provided a clearer snapshot of Redemption than I typically get from studying just a few verses, or even a Book, of the New Testament.
Grasping the Gospels
One big takeaway was gaining a greater appreciation for how each of the Gospels were written through different lenses, but all tell the same story.
In my family we've had this tradition almost every Christmas of each taking one of the Gospels to read individually and discuss together. However, over the years my siblings and I had pretty much reduced the Gospels to descriptions based on size for reference when dividing the reading as a family: Matthew is "the longest one" (i.e., don’t take that one if you don’t have time to read a lot, or take it if you want the challenge); Mark the short one (not fair to take that one every year); Luke the other one almost as long as Matthew, but more exciting; John being neither the shortest nor one of the longest, and generally "a-o-kay" (I remember rarely ending up with that book, if ever).
During my read of all the Gospels this time, however, I saw them as holding greater distinctions that were unrelated to the number of chapters in each.
For example, I was reminded of how Matthew emphasized Jesus' life as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, while Mark, a more fast-paced account, focused on personal encounters with, and acts of, Jesus during His ministry that really describe His humanity. I also was similarly struck by the personal encounters in Luke, as in the past.
Additionally, I gained a greater understanding of John as distinct from the other Gospels but still fitting in with the collective story. The Book struck me as the one with the most insight into the author’s personal experiences with Jesus. It also provided some details about Jesus’ ministry that the others did not. I love the way it ends:
"This is the disciple who testifies to those things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21: 24-25).After reading the whole book, culminating in that ending, I could not help but write “AWESOME!” in the margin. It reminded me of what wonderful things believers in Christ have to look forward to in heaven, in the presence of Jesus – greater than any this life can offer!
Fancying Faith
I also was reminded about the power of faith in God, and how through it so many in the New Testament were saved. There were ordinary people who had so much faith in Jesus’ power to heal them of their diseases that they knew just touching the hem of His garment or having Him say the word was all they needed to be well - and their faith healed them. Jesus also told His disciples many times that with faith they could do the miraculous. It was such a reminder that we are justified through faith alone- without faith it is impossible to please God; faith makes us righteous. I also was reminded to trust God with all of my life – and others’ too!
Honing in on Hebrews
Another victory was comprehending Hebrews. A few years ago I set out to read the Book cold, without a study guide, thinking it would be great because of several key verses I knew in it that had long resonated with me. However, I had stopped reading when I realized there were a lot of metaphors that I was not comprehending. I found a study companion on the Book but never did it.
This time I understood more clearly that it was written to Jewish Christians who were struggling to hold onto their faith amidst persecution, and had a commentary to translate the use of some metaphors rooted in the Mosaic, Old Testament Law. It also reinforced again the fact that when God’s Word was written, He, speaking through the authors, penned a book that was relevant to the immediate readers, yet also us today.
Paul, Peter and Prophecy
The reading also reinforced my study for the last couple years in Acts and several of the Pauline Epistles (Romans – Philemon). What struck me reading them here, however, was seeing them as fulfillment of Jesus’ words in the Gospels -- first reading of Jesus’ promise while on earth to send a Counselor, the Holy Spirit, the powerful arrival of His Spirit, and fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction that His disciples would do even greater things than he did while on earth, such as how God used Peter during the formation of the early church.
I also got a sharper picture of the Apostle Paul’s awesome story of radical transformation and devotion to God through intense persecution – first reading his conversion and trials and triumphs in spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles, chronicled in Acts, and then using that context to get a clearer understanding of the events surrounding the letters he wrote to churches during his ministry. I was even more deeply moved by His dedication to the Gospel, and his testimony through suffering, particularly these words from prison in 2 Timothy 2 (among others):
"8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory."What an example!
Thoughts on Theology
The Read also reinforced recent study I had done on theological variances regarding issues such as worship; food; drink and dress. Seeing those and other issues from the vantage point of the reoccurring theme of grace from Matthew to Revelation really put them in sharper perspective. It also reinforced the importance of studying God’s Word not only for sifting through the myriad of teachings in our world, but also to live out the practical command of love that binds all other virtues we can express in perfect unity.
Finding a Favorite
Finally, I developed a new New Testament crush (yes, I am serious!). I’ve written about my Old Testament ones – David; Joseph and Daniel, but did not have a New Testament equivalent (although I have deep admiration for the Apostle Paul, but in a different sense, lol).
The new guy? Timothy, Paul’s protégé. Reading this time around I got a much better sense of his personality, and I like it! As I’ve mentioned, I appreciate how he knew Old Testament Scriptures from infancy that made him wise unto salvation through Christ, followed God from youth and had a good reputation. Paul thought Timothy’s walk with God was strong enough that he could be tasked with pastoring the church of Ephesus at a young age. He was instructed, and could be trusted, to treat all of his congregation with godliness - including the young ladies (I like a man who can stand up to temptation!). Paul referred to him as a “dear son” in the faith (2 Timothy 1:2; Phil. 2:22). We also see that Timothy was sincere in his faith and had a deep heart for ministry, as Paul witnessed.
Tidbits also indicate that he avoided trying to come close to crossing the line into any activity that had the potential to hurt his witness. In 1 Timothy 5, in the midst of advice from Paul about matters related to widows, elders and slaves in the church, he tells Timothy: “Do not be hasty in the laying of hands. And do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5: 22). In the next verse he says something I do not remember noticing before: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illness.” (v. 23). My commentary explained:
"This verse may be only a somewhat disjointed bit of personal advice to Timothy or it may flow naturally from the reference to purity in verse 22. Perhaps Timothy was inclined to an asceticism that may have associated purity with total abstention, which in turn led in Timothy’s case to stomach ailments and frequent illnesses, perhaps due to the poor quality of water he drank. Paul thus qualified his exhortation of purity by encouraging Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake, because of frequent illness. This instruction applies only to using wine for medicinal purposes, of course, and therefore contributes little or nothing to either side of the debate over the use of wine as a beverage.” [In other words, any discussion about Christians’ varying view on alcohol is reserved for another time!]David C. Cook. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. p. 760. © 1989.
Although the meaning of Paul’s instruction to Timothy here requires some conjecture, I found it interesting that Paul even had to give it to Timothy at all. Judging from the other characteristics about Timothy in the Bible, such as his knowledge of Scripture and his devotion to Christ – it appears this is another indication that even as a youth he watched his conduct closely, really trying to live out His faith and set a good example – despite the fact that he may have still been navigating exactly what that looked like. And that desire to please Him is part of the “raw material” that God uses to mold us into warriors for Him – another admirable characteristic of this young man.
Additionally, it seems that Timothy may have had to be encouraged to overcome some personal fears in order to step fully into his role as a pastor. Paul reminded Timothy: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Again, the reason for the admonition is open for some speculation, but whatever way it was advice that Timothy needed to face challenges that he may have wanted to run from otherwise (great advice for our lives as well)! I think it would have been awesome to see Timothy grow into an even greater man of God over the years (and perhaps we shall meet in heaven -- will have to look up if there is theological basis - or speculation -- for that wish)!
Next Steps
I’ve decided not to stop with the New Testament, but continue reading the Old, too. While Part 2 of the Bible gave me a snapshot of Redemption, it's not the whole picture. I have found a plan to read the whole Bible in 90 days. Since 30 days and 27 books are under my belt, shortly I’ll begin reading the other 39 Books of the Old Testament over 60 days. Finally I will stop talking about reading the whole Bible – I will actually do it! I also hope to be intentional about doing a one-year plan later as well – in light of my New Testament read, the 3.5 chapters per day no longer seems as daunting.
If you have never read through the New Testament – or the whole Bible – there's no time to consider doing it like the present (or you can do it again – in some other way)! YouVersion.com has dozens of plans to choose from, at different paces (including the Elevation “New Thru 30” Plan).
Why Read?
Every word of a read through the Bible most likely will not be riveting, but there’s more to reading than momentary measure: there’s a power in digging into God’s Word that increases our faith over time. First Peter 2:2 says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (NKJV). God’s Word is His primary way of communicating with us. And we can only learn more about loving and living like Him if we get to sipping.
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