Read the Bible for Life by George Guthrie - Introduction - Cameron Jungels 1-6-2013

Read the Bible for Life by George Guthrie Introduction 1. What is the Purpose of the Study? a. To Read the Bible b. To Read the Bible Well c. To Understand the Bible d. To Live the Bible 2. Why is this study necessary? a. It is important that we read the Bible and read it well. i. Everyone needs the Bible. 1. Biblical literacy helps us understand the English language. 2. Biblical literacy helps us understand the history of our culture and how societies continue to be shaped by the Bible. ii. Christians especially need the Bible. 1. The Bible is God’s Living Word (Heb 4:12). 2. The Reading of the Bible should be effecting love for God and life change. 3. Why Should Christians Read the Bible? a. To know the truth (2 Pet 1:20–21). b. To know God in a personal relationship (1 Cor 1:21; Gal 4:8–9; 1 Tim 4:16). c. To live well for God in this world, showing our love for im (John 14:23–24; Rom 12:2; 1 Thess. 4:1–8; 2 Tim 3:16–17). d. To experience God’s freedom, grace, peace, and hope (John 8:32; Rom 15:4; 2 Pet 1:2). e. To give us joy (Ps 119:111). f. To grow spiritually, rejecting the world and conforming to God’s will (Rom 12:1–2; 1 Pet 2:1–2). g. To minister to other believers and to those who have not yet believed the gospel (Josh 1:8; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16–17). h. To guard ourselves from sin and error (Eph 6:11–17; 2 Pet 2:1–2; Ps 119:9). i. To be built up as a Christian community with others in the body of Christ (Acts 20:32; Eph 4:14–16). b. We are not reading the Bible. i. Biblical literacy among everyone, and even church attenders, is down. ii. “Our biblical illiteracy hurts us personally, hurts our churches, hurts our witness, and, thus, hurts the advancement of the gospel in the world.” (p. 8) iii. Why is biblical literacy down? 1. Reading generally is on the decline. 2. Technology may be hurting our ability to read. 3. We are distracted and overextended in our schedules. 4. We don’t know the Bible’s grand story or how its parts work. 3. What does this study attempt to do? a. The focus of this study is to help us: i. Read the different parts of Scripture well ii. Read it for application to the various contexts of life