Apprentice 2 Jesus

“Let me be a man of one Book.” (John Wesley)

Being a person of the Book is so key to powerful Christian living. We need to re-establish a love for the Word of God! We need to unleash the power of the Word into the lives of believers.

A couple of key helps (I hope):

1. Get a good translation to read.

Get past the King James and move into the 20th Century at least…PLEASE.

There are so many translations. Every one of the them has advantages and disadvantages. My favorites are English Standard Version, because it’s a formal translation, and Today’s NIV, because it is better than the NIV and it’s so close the NIV I use it because it’s just what most people have today. (I have a pragmatic side.)

I go with a more literal translation for study so I can get into the words and phrases without being too concerned with a translator’s interpretation of the phrase or word. Literal translations do not afford that completely, but they are better at it than translations like the NIV.

2. Get a few good resources.

A good concordance. A good Bible dictionary. A Bible atlas. Gordon Fee’s book How to Read the Bible Book by Book, as well as How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth are excellent tools to help with a basic understanding of each book of the Bible and how to read each particular genre.

3. Set a regular time for study.

Mark out some good blocks of time on a regular basis to spend in study. Go over a chapter. Make it a goal to study one Book of the Bible for a month or longer. What’s your hurry? Why worry about checking off what you have read (and then forget what you have read). Take your time! Ponder. Reflect. Observe.

4. Get back to Bible memorization.

This is the hardest one for me. I grew up memorizing the Bible. Now, it’s a strain. I need to regain this discipline so the Word of Christ truly dwells richly in me.