I have spent many hours of my life reading and studying the Bible. I have probably read through the Bible several times, aided by countless devotionals, studies, commentaries, and yearly reading plans. Like most Christians, I have encountered the God of the Bible and been transformed from the inside out by the Bible’s living power and abundant truths.
Until recently, however, I’d always approached reading the Bible in the same way.
Most mornings, I’ll wake up, spend time in the Word, and then ponder and meditate on what I’ve read and prayed about that morning. I may pick a single book of the Bible to focus on, going verse by verse with a good commentary, notebook, and cup of coffee in hand. Sometimes I only get through a few verses a day. It may even take weeks or months to get through a single book of the Bible. Of course, this is all fine.
Most Christians have their own disciplines of devotion. The Bible does not provide a page count, checklist, or quota for how much time Christians should spend each day reading their Bible. Why? Because even Bible reading can become legalistic when we see it as something we must do to merit favor from God (1 John 5:3). What matters is consistency, born from a hunger to know and grow closer to God through His Word (Matthew 5:6; John 10:27; Acts 17:11).
However, in all my years reading the Bible, I realized that one thing I had never actually done was commit to reading through the Bible cover to cover. Last year, I decided to change that, starting with Genesis and reading until the final amen of Revelation.
Of course, this is not the only way to read the Bible. It may not be the most effective or fruitful study method, particularly for new Christians. The Bible is a wonderfully big book, and big books require time, focus, and commitment to complete. However, some incredible discoveries come from reading the Bible cover to cover that aren’t always as apparent from topical studies or shorter devotionals alone.
Here are five of the most relevant:
1. The Bible Is One Story
One of the many differences between the Bible and recognized longer works of fiction such as Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, or Dicken’s David Copperfield, is that the Bible is comprised of 66 smaller books, each written in a specific time to a specific audience with their own historical context, setting, human author, and even genre. In the books of the Bible, we find law, story, history, poetry, prophecy, gospel, and theology for Christian living. The Bible is also not entirely linear or written in chronological order either. For this reason, many readers commit to reading one book of the Bible at a time, sometimes not even that.
Again, every book of the Bible must be studied in its proper context. However, failing to appreciate the Bible as a whole can also rob us of important context and prevent us from making deeper connections and identifying consistent themes found throughout Scripture.
A complete reading of the Bible reminds us that the Bible is not an anthology of 66 unrelated books. Rather, it is a single, God-structured narrative whose individual parts cannot be separated from each other as easily as we often try to do.
In the biblical narrative, we encounter all the features of a great story, perhaps even the inspiration for every great story that followed. In the pages of the Bible, we find setup and payoff, a beginning, middle, and end, an inciting incident, a curse, conflict, stakes, plot twists, themes, a final reversal, and the promised return of the king. There is a pattern, structure, and direction to the biblical narrative that we begin to trace when we read it in its entirety.
Does that mean that every aspect of the Bible is narrative? No. Just because something happened in the Bible does not mean it is how things will happen in our lives.
However, reading the Bible in its entirety helps remind us that the Bible is a unified story authored by a master storyteller who writes His story with a clear vision, clear purpose, and clear theme centered around the redemption of His beloved creation. It is a love story for the ages.
2. God Alone is the Hero of the Story
Many Christians who grew up in the church were taught the stories of the Bible and its heroes when they were younger. Even those not part of the church are probably familiar with the stories of Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath, and Daniel and the Lion’s Den. While there is nothing wrong with these stories and learning from the faith and courage of their heroes, one thing that happens when we read the Bible in its entirety is that we discover just how unheroic many of its “heroes” really are at times.
Unlike many historical texts, the Bible never seeks to cover up or minimize the flaws and failures of its human characters. Abraham lied. David committed adultery and murder. Even the twelve disciples of Jesus abandoned their master, denied Him, or betrayed Him outright. These are just a few examples of the imperfect individuals God, in His mercy and grace, chose to include in His plan and make part of His story (Ephesians 2:8-10).
When we read the Bible in its entirety, however, one truth (of many) becomes clear: while God does call, commission, and redeem ordinary, sinful people, God alone is the hero of this story. We are not.
3. God Is Who He Reveals Himself to Be in Scripture
While it’s true that God has handed His creation a perfect light for how to such a way that is holy and pleasing to Him (Psalms 18:30; Psalms 119:105), the Bible is far more than just a moral code or spiritual roadmap revealing the broken paths, pitfalls, and traps God wants His children to avoid (Matthew 7:24).
While it’s true that God has handed His creation a perfect light for how to such a way that is holy and pleasing to Him (Psalms 18:30; Psalms 119:105), the Bible is far more than just a moral code or spiritual roadmap revealing the broken paths, pitfalls, and traps God wants His children to avoid (Matthew 7:24).
The children of Israel saw themselves as the most blessed of all people because they had been uniquely chosen to receive the very knowledge of God from His own mouth (John 1:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).
Make no mistake, God’s Law is precious. However, what we learn about God Himself from His Word is far more wonderful than His Law. In the Bible, we don’t just discover what God desires for His beloved creation (holiness) and what He expects from us (worship). We encounter the very heart of God.
Many have tried to describe God in their way and on their terms. Even well-meaning Christians may attempt to reason their way to understand God better.
From beginning to end, Scripture reminds us that God is who He says He is, not who we’d like Him to be. And what do we learn about the nature of God from His Word? In it, we encounter a sovereign, holy, just, true, merciful, loving, and good God.
In the end, it does not matter who we think He is. If we want to know God, His Word is the first and only place to start.
4. There Is Nothing New Under the Sun
Many today believe that humanity has progressed beyond its basest desires and evolved beyond the sinful behavior we find in the Bible. And yet, all it takes is one look at today’s headlines and a basic overview of history to be reminded that humanity is still sinful, prideful, rebellious, and in desperate need of a savior.
From Genesis to Revelation, the heart of humanity is on full display. And though the Bible may have been written thousands of years before our time, the same themes, same sins, and same heresies found in its pages are as present in our world today as they were when the Bible was first penned. They may have different names or be masked under new veils, but the Bible reveals that apart from Christ, humanity’s heart has not changed all that much. Neither has the love, power, and grace of God (Hebrews 13:8). As King Solomon concluded, “What has been, it is what will be, and what has been done, it is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
It’s worth repeating that the many chapters of the Bible must be studied in their proper context. However, regarding its relevance, the wisdom and power of God’s Word have proven to be eternal (Psalms 119:86-176). As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
History has proven how tried and tested the Word of God is and how reliable it will always be for those who stand upon its truth (Psalms 18:30).
5. The Word of God Cleanses and Revives the Soul
As R. Kent Hughes writes in Disciplines of a Godly Man, “You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know. If you are filled with God’s Word, your life can then be informed and directed by God.”
Those who spend time reading, studying, and applying the Word of God to their lives can truly testify of its cleansing and reviving power (Psalms 119:25).
Despite the wisdom of a progressively secular world, the Bible is not some dusty, outdated book with nothing to offer us today. The power of God’s Word will never fade because “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Those who love God treasure His Word. Those who treasure His Word commit to doing what it says (James 1:22). Therefore, whether we read the Bible in parts or commit to reading it through from beginning to end, the radiance of God transforms us from the inside out, and only through constant exposure can our lives begin to reflect His glory.
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