Reimagining Bible engagement …
The problem with the emphasis of some of today’s Bible engagement teaching is that stress is laid on how often we connect with the Bible and whether or not these connections impact what we think, say and do.
Or, to say it differently, the problem in some local churches, Sunday School classes and Bible agencies is that the underlying agenda is to get us to read/hear the Scriptures so that we’ll gain spiritual insight and understanding that results in submitting to and obeying God’s Word (i.e. acting in accordance with biblical morality).
Now, hear me out. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t engage with the Bible regularly. Nor am I saying that the Bible shouldn’t influence how we live, far from it. But I am saying that when the emphasis in Bible engagement is on regularly reading/reflecting on the Bible and ordering our lives according to biblical morality, then we have a problem. It’s a problem because, in and of itself, it’s legalism.
We’ll struggle to interact frequently with the Bible and live righteous lives if we aren’t first taken up entirely with Jesus. I don’t say that lightly. The focus in Bible engagement must always be on how wonderful, amazing and magnificent Jesus is – nothing less and nothing more!
Now, why do I say that? Why should Bible engagement be first, foremost and always about Jesus? Because in Jesus, “all things (including Bible engagement) hold together” Colossians 1:17 (NIV).
Here’s the rub. When Bible engagement isn’t always about Jesus, our reading/reflecting on the Bible will be done mainly out of guilt or duty and fueled not by love but by fear, shame or self-serving ambitions. And when our Bible reading/reflecting is done out of guilt or duty, we usually dry up or fizzle out. That, or our hearts grow progressively colder and more judgmental – holding to the letter of the law and condemning those who don’t obey God’s commands.
First things first. Bible engagement should always be Jesus engagement. Bible engagement is seeing His glory, knowing His grace, and growing in Him. From beginning to end, the Bible is a window through which we look to see Jesus. So when we read/hear the Bible, it’s about opening our eyes and ears to His unbridled compassion, inestimable salvation, unstinting care, extravagant provision, and infinite mercy.
When we don’t get Jesus first, we’re in trouble. There’s no polite way for me to say this, but when the emphasis is on the regularity of Bible reading/hearing and the importance of moral outcomes, it creates modern-day Pharisees.
Bible engagement without Jesus is a heavy, cumbersome load. When it’s about keeping score of how often we read the Bible or how many right choices we make in a day, we’ve missed the mark and will always miss the mark. That’s because Bible engagement, according to Jesus, is less about what we do (or not do), and more about who He is (cf. John 5:39).
At the risk of repeating (albeit in slightly different words) what’s already been said, loving Jesus should never be absent from our Bible engagement. The measure of Bible engagement is whether we are or are not meeting with Him. When we read, reflect, remember, and respond to the Bible, we must do so in a way that constantly recapitulates our hearts to Jesus and inclines the content of our lives to Him. That’s when Bible engagement takes on a life of its own.
So here’s to reimagining Bible engagement. Let’s read/hear the Word as an encounter with the One who is the Word. For when we meet with the One who is the Word, the rest falls into place. That is, when we make connecting with Jesus and abandoning our lives to Him the priority in Bible engagement, we will commit to regularly reading, reflecting on, and obeying His Word.
Read the related articles to learn more about reimagining Bible engagement.
Related Articles
Bible Reading and Bible Engagement
Kingdom-Focused Bible Engagement
Summary
Reimagining Bible engagement focuses on making Jesus the central priority rather than just reading the Bible regularly or following biblical morality. When we treat Bible engagement as a duty or act out of guilt, we fall into legalism, leading to cold hearts and judgmental attitudes instead of genuine transformation through encountering Jesus. True Bible engagement involves experiencing Christ’s glory, grace, and love, with the Bible serving as a window to see Him more clearly. By centering our engagement with Scripture on Jesus, we naturally grow in devotion, understanding, and obedience.
© Scripture Union Canada
2 Corinthians 4:5
