Time Spent Reading the Bible vs. Books About the Bible

How much time do you spend reading the Bible vs. Books about the Bible?

  • 100% Bible vs. 0% Books

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 75% Bible vs. 25% Books

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • 50% Bible vs. 50% Books

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • 25% Bible vs. 75% Books

    Votes: 7 53.8%
  • 0% Bible vs. 100% Books

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 0% Bible vs. 0% Books

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .
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B.L.

Puritan Board Sophomore
Morning PB Friends,

I stepped onto the scale, so to speak, this morning to take inventory of my reading habits and found I spend a disproportionate amount of time reading theological books than I do digging directly into the Word itself. While the two are by no means mutually exclusive and unrelated to one another obviously, I was a little surprised by the realization.

At any rate...this got me thinking about folks here who probably fall unanimously into the category of 'readers' and would therefore provide a decent sample size to conduct this poll.

What are your reading habits when it comes to studying God's Word? Do you spend more time mining the scriptures for yourself? More time reading what other's have gleaned and commented on in theology books and commentaries?
 
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Morning PB Friends,

I stepped onto the scale, so to speak, this morning to take inventory of my reading habits and found I spend a disproportionate amount of time reading theological books than I do digging directly into the Word itself. While the two are by no means mutually exclusive and unrelated to one another obviously, I was a little surprised by the realization.

At any rate...this got me thinking about folks here, who probably fall unanimously into the category of 'readers' and would therefore provide a decent sample size to conduct this poll.

What are your reading habits when it comes to studying God's Word? Do you spend more time mining the scriptures for yourself? More time reading what other's have gleaned and commented on in theology books and commentaries?
I think our worship services can be instructive in this area. At my church, the sermons are about 45 minutes long, and sometimes extend to an hour or more. By way of contrast, we read two or three chapters of Scripture over the course of the service, probably amounting to 15 minutes or so.

Why do we spend so much more time on the preaching than the reading? Because God has ordained that his people be taught his word by his chosen servants, and not merely that they read the Word so as to come up with their own private interpretations.

The best books of theology, the best commentaries, etc., are extensions of the ministry of godly ministers, and they are given for our instruction and edification.
 
I stepped onto the scale, so to speak, this morning to take inventory of my reading habits and found I spend a disproportionate amount of time reading theological books than I do digging directly into the Word itself. While the two are by no means mutually exclusive and unrelated to one another obviously, I was a little surprised by the realization.

Now, in my older years, I read the Bible at about 25% and books, mostly commentaries, cover to cover. However, I should add that there were many years throughout my life, where the percentages were reversed. For years I read through the Bible perhaps three to three-and-a-half times per year. I think I've read the Bible close to a hundred times. But now I find I need much help in understanding the information I have taken in over many years. That's why I voted for 25% Bible and 75% books.

One more note that might be of interest. I think I shocked some people in the adult Sunday school class I attend when I said that I read at least three times as much from the Old Testament as the New Testament. After a puzzled look or two, and one woman mouthing the words, "No! That's wrong," I added that I do so because the Old Testament is roughly three times as big as the New. The New Testament without the old is wanting. My advice is to learn the Old Testament through and through for a richer understanding of the new.
 
My advice is to learn the Old Testament through and through for a richer understanding of the new.
Just this morning I read the following:

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."
(Acts 17:2-3)

Paul explained all of this from the Old Testament...
 
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