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We should be reminded that as we read the Bible this year, we don’t just want to read it through, we want to read it well. When we come to a text where we wonder, “How is this useful?” don’t just skim over it. That’ll only reinforce our wrong conception that the Bible isn’t that profitable. Rather, connect the dots. See how the biblical writers alluded to earlier revelation and how the passage we are reading contributes to that theology. The solution is not to skip over passages but to get deeper into them. That’s because the biblical writers are theologians and all that they wrote is theological.
Doing this will make our quiet times more compelling. Figuring out cross references, context, and how all the details of a text build upon the theology of the previous revelation is like solving a puzzle. It keeps our minds occupied with God’s Word. And as we figure things out, it makes us more curious to see what else there is to learn and how everything plays out. All of this will make us go back to read the Bible more, wrestle with the text more, and meditate on it more —the very things we want to do.
Doing this will also make our quiet times more profitable. As we start to learn how everything in the Bible is theological, we see the wisdom of God in how He wrote His Word. Even more, we see how every detail and facet of Scripture announce the complex majesty and beauty of the God of the Word. With that, our lives will never be the same again.
So may we this year not only read the Bible through but well. That kind of time in the Word is truly devotional.
Adapted from Dr. Abner Chou’s article on “Getting Theology from the Text.” Read the article in its entirety by CLICKING HERE.
Dr. Chou is one of the world-class professors at The Master’s University and regularly teaches in the Online, Master’s of Arts in Biblical Studies program.
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