Monday, January 6, 2014

Book Review: Studying Your Bible

Bruce and Stan's Pocket Guide To Studying Your Bible: A User-Friendly Approach. Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz. 2001. Harvest House. 112 pages. [Source: Book I Bought]

A note from the authors:
Millions of Americans turn to one literary source for guidance. Some do it daily; others read it only once a week (often on Sundays). To the novice reader, this literary work may seem complicated and intimidating--with references that range from historical to contemporary, spiritual to practical, and serious to comedic. But the diligent reader will be rewarded…
Of course, we are talking about the weekly TV Guide. But you knew that. People are much more anxious to read about the plots and schedules of their favorite television shows than to read the Bible. 
It's short. It's basic. It's reader-friendly. The approach is super casual. It was written in 2001, so some of the social references are a bit dated by now, but, it is not in any way intimidating.

The book is divided into four chapters: "Why Read the Bible When You Can Watch A Video Instead?," "So Many Bibles! Which One Is Right for You?," "So Many Verses! Where Do You Begin?," and "How To Make Sense Out of What You Read."

The first chapter talks about the Bible, about why it is important for every single believer to read the Bible for themselves, the benefits of Bible reading, etc. The second chapter focuses on the tricky subject of translation. The third chapter focuses on the story of the Bible, of finding the big picture, of making connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, of weaving the 66 books into a whole book. The fourth chapter focuses on studying the Bible, methods of interpretation, emphasizing the need to dig deep and reach the objective truth.

It works as an introduction to those that have never acquired the discipline of reading or studying the Bible.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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