Mom, My Bible is Boring
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
Why do many people believe the Bible is so boring? I wish I could sugarcoat it like some other religious leaders try to do. I wish I could say it was as easy as memorizing some key verses and repeating them in every situation that comes up in modern life. Darn it, I cannot. The Bible appears boring because it is so darn hard! It was written over the course of thousands of years. We do not have the “original” manuscript of any of the “books” of the Bible.
To unpack the inspiration of the Bible, we must learn as much as we can about the culture, politics, literary works, and other religious traditions of the era and area in which we are reading. It is also essential to know one’s Bible well enough to evaluate a passage in light of its distinctive cultural context. It is a tall order, but no one ever said God would make it easy for us. I believe God intended the Bible to be overwhelmingly complex so we would spend our lives learning and growing in our knowledge, wisdom, and faith.
Further, if we could determine God’s intentions solely by reading, we would not need to rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Prayer is a fundamental part of the Biblical process. That is why pastors pray before or after the reading of Scripture so that they can receive illumination from the Spirit. Not even the most intellectual scholars in history can come close to unlocking the Bible’s wisdom. Only the Holy Spirit can take us to a new understanding.
Today, take a little time and pick a passage of at least two paragraphs. Pray over the passage before you begin reading, and pray again when you are through reading. Then ask yourself questions like, what was the author attempting to introduce by sharing these words? You might even take an hour and go to a church library and look up biblical reference material that can help with your understanding of your particular passage. A biblical understanding requires diligent study of historical and literary-critical methods, along with other interpretive processes. Yet, that shouldn’t get you down. The more you read your Bible, the more the Holy Spirit will bring wisdom and truth to your life. Pretty soon, the Bible will come alive, and you will try to remember why you ever thought it was boring.
