Pastors are called to disciple God’s people in the spiritual discipline of becoming daily Bible readers who know and love God’s Word.
By Skylar Spradlin
If we could see the Bible for what it is—communication from the living God Himself—we would be driven to it like a man dying of thirst is driven to water.”
– George Guthrie, Reading the Bible Better
Christian ministry is filled with some of the highest highs of life. One of those highs comes from having a front-row seat to someone experiencing the wonders of God’s Word. As pastors, we desire this for all of God’s people. We want everyone to enjoy the benefits and privileges of daily Bible reading. We want everyone to be filled with amazement and awe as the pages of Scripture open before them.
Unfortunately, many people struggle with reading the Bible. According to a 2020 Lifeway Research study, over half (57%) of Protestant churchgoers say they find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own. That means over half of those attending a church service have a hard time reading the Bible by themselves. What can a pastor do to help?
Over half (57%) of Protestant churchgoers say they find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own. Share on XDr. George H. Guthrie has written a wonderfully helpful resource titled, A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better. In this book, he provides helpful tools and guidance to help God’s people read and enjoy God’s Word. For pastors, this book can be beneficial for discipling God’s people in the spiritual discipline of being daily Bible readers.
Where it starts
Guthrie reminds readers of the starting point for reading the Bible. If we are to read the Bible better, we must cultivate hearts receptive to God’s Spirit. Guthrie writes, “If our hearts are not in the right posture, open and made pliable and receptive by the Holy Spirit, reading the Bible will not be the intended life-sustaining delight.… Our ‘practice of Bible reading,’ no matter how well-intentioned, will not last if our hearts are not addressed first.”
Jesus shared a similar principle in His parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23). The seed of the Word requires cultivated soil that isn’t choked out by the cares of this world or hardened by the pressures of society. Pastors can help God’s people read the Bible better by pointing out with Guthrie the importance of having a receptive heart as we come to the Bible. The Christian faith is about the heart. And that applies to reading the Bible as well.
Pastors can use Reading the Bible Better as a resource to begin the conversation and point out the importance of a right heart posture when approaching the Bible. They can let Guthrie initiate the discussion by reminding God’s people that, “Our spiritual ‘heart condition’ influences our heart’s ability to hear and act on God’s Word. Our spiritual condition can facilitate or severely restrict the impact of God’s Word on our lives.”
“Our ‘practice of Bible reading,’ no matter how well-intentioned, will not last if our hearts are not addressed first.” — @GHGuthrie Share on XTools to help
As a pastor, it’s easy to take for granted the accumulated resources at our disposal. Each week we use time-tested habits and patterns to prepare Bible studies and sermons. Many of the tools we use to study the Bible become second nature over time. Because of this, it’s easy for a pastor to forget most people are unaware of basic resources and study habits.
Pastors will benefit from Guthrie’s explanations of Bible translations, Bible dictionaries, study Bibles, reading plans, and commentaries. These explanations can easily be transferred into conversations with church members. Furthermore, Guthrie does the work to encourage readers to utilize these tools so pastors can focus more on the heart and attitude of reading and less on needed resources.
Guthrie also reminds readers of the importance of understanding genre, literary context, historical context, and cohesion. Pastors can help God’s people plumb the depths of the Bible by teaching them how to read certain genres of writing, how to understand and prioritize context, how the behind-the-scenes history can open a passage to greater clarity, and how the whole Bible goes together as one grand story of redemption.
As pastors, we almost intuitively apply these tools and resources to our own Bible reading. We’ve built our study muscles through regular use. But many Bible readers in our congregations have not. Equipping God’s people to recognize and utilize these tools will help the Bible open before them like a flower in the new morning sun, showcasing its beauty and life.
Pastors can use Reading the Bible Better to introduce God’s people to the tools necessary for a richer, fuller Bible reading experience. They can join Guthrie in helping make the Bible come alive through proper study methods and resources.
The reader’s place
If we’re not careful, we can communicate information to God’s people about the Bible without helping them see how it can impact their own experience of the Bible. Reading the Bible Better helps us avoid this pitfall by reminding us better Bible reading involves us entering the story of Scripture. The reader doesn’t belong outside of the narrative of the Bible but within it.
“If we’re not careful, we can communicate information to God’s people about the Bible without helping them see how it can impact their own experience of the Bible.” — @SkylarSpradlin Share on XThis means pastors can join Guthrie in helping God’s people see the overarching storyline of Scripture—God’s grand plan of redemption—and their place within that story. Each believer stands in a long line of other believers testifying to the grace and mercy of God. The God described in the Bible through His words and works is the same God we serve today. The God Abraham, Moses, and Peter spoke with is the same God we pray to today. The story of the Bible is our story as God’s people.
Pastors can use Reading the Bible Better to equip God’s people to make their daily Bible reading personal. As Guthrie helpfully says, “The main point here is to read the Bible actively; ask questions of it as you open your heart and life to its pages!”
Reading the Bible Better can be a wonderful tool for discipleship. It can be the means by which a pastor can help countless people discover the wonder and richness of God’s Word. In doing so, these people will not only gain biblical knowledge and live lives increasingly influenced by the Bible, but they will encounter the living God within its holy pages. There’s no greater calling than to be an aid in the adventure of Bible discovery.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
Skylar Spradlin
Skylar is the lead pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He’s earning his Masters of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is the co-host of “Doctrine & Doxology” a weekly podcast geared toward helping Christians think biblically.
