By Marek Zabriskie
Studies reveal that the number one way by far to develop a stronger faith in God is to read Scripture regularly. No spiritual practice does more for us.
But reading a document that is in many cases more than two thousand years old isn’t easy. Hence, we can benefit from some help.
At Christ Church Greenwich we have over 250 members reading the entire Bible or the New Testament, Proverbs, and Psalms in 2025. The former takes about 30 minutes a day and the latter only takes 10 minutes a day to accomplish.
We invite you to join us. You can visit our website at: www.christchurchgreenwich.org to learn how you can easily join The Bible Challenge, find our reading plans and tips for how to get started.
Those who sign up to participate will receive a weekly email from me. We also are offering small group support and Sunday forums with outstanding scholars from Yale Divinity School.
Reading the Bible is not easy. The Bible speaks often in symbolic or imaginative language as it conveys truths that are beyond the grasp of words, logic, reason, and science.
The true authority of the Bible is discovered in holiness and as we commit ourselves to living out God’s teachings. These teachings open our eyes, and God becomes a present reality in our lives.
Faithful interpretation comes from faithful performance. As we live the Scripture, the Scripture comes alive within us. When we fail to obey and follow Scripture, the Bible does not speak to us.
But the Bible speaks not in one but in many voices. Some of the voices of the Bible are complimentary. Many are discordant. They broaden our vision and force us to rethink entrenched positions.
As we read the Bible, we learn that all biblical texts are not to be treated as equally valuable. Some are more important than others. Most pale in comparison to Jesus’ vital teachings such as when he commands his followers to love their enemies and forgive those who have hurt them.
While not all Bible verses are of equal importance, God can speak through virtually every biblical text to reveal truth to us. Thus, a Bible passage that we may have read many times before may suddenly speak to us know based on what is currently going on in our life.
We profit from reading the Bible slowly. If you are proficient in a second language like French or Spanish, try reading the Bible in that language. Words will jump off the page as you slowly read them in a less familiar language. You will hear them as if reading them for the first time.
Reading the text more slowly is essential for learning to love the Bible and to receive the wisdom that it seeks to impart. We love best those things that we must give regular, close attention to, like watching a baby, caring for a pet, assisting an aging parent, or tending a garden.
Throughout the Bible we encounter a cast of fascinating and bizarre characters. They are constantly changing and are substantially different at the end of the story than they were at the beginning of the story, which is not true for the characters in most Greek literature.
For example, in the Book of Job, Job is initially portrayed as an uptight father, who anxiously seeks to ward off any harm that might come to any of his party-loving children. By the end, he is transformed into a carefree father, who bestows on his daughters frivolous names and contrary to patriarchal custom an inheritance.
In the Bible, many characters undergo what the Greeks called “metanoia” and the Jews called “teshuvah” or “turning away” from their previous life and “repentance.”
The Bible is a story of people who are transformed: Abrahm becomes Abraham; Sarai becomes Sarah; Jacob becomes Israel, meaning “one who wrestles with God.”
Simon is renamed Peter, “Petros,” which means “Rocky.” Upon Peter or “this Rock,” Jesus will build his Church; and Saul, which means “small,” will become Paul, a giant of Christianity
It’s important to note that every fully developed character in the Old Testament is imperfect. Some are complete schmucks: Abraham was the preserver of self at all costs; Jacob was a swindler; Moses committed murder; David was an adulterer and conniving killer; and Elijah was a wrathful prophet. None of them are flawless, holy men. Yet, God worked through all of them.
As we read the Bible, we must realize that it is not first and foremost about us. Scripture is exceedingly theocentric. It’s about God, who is the principal and most interesting actor of all.
The overreaching story of the Bible is not about salvation, but rather about the nature and the will of God. Again and again, we see a pattern whereby God’s presence is made known to a person. Only then does God’s will become operative in the world.
The first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah, Pentateuch, or the Law, are comprised of 187 chapters of which only about 20 focus on salvation such as the stories of Noah and Exodus.
What dominates the other 157 chapters is the story of God’s character. This is demonstrated in God’s covenant and faithfulness, which is extended to every human being. The revelation of God’s will and the story of Israel’s response to it – both obedient and disobedient – occupy about 120 chapters of the Pentateuch.
As you read the Bible, bear in mind that no biblical text yields only one solitary truth. A text that you read last year or ten years ago will often speak differently to you today and things that didn’t speak to you before will jump off the page when you read it now.
Finally, faithful Bible reading presupposes a community of faith. This is the Church’s book, not our private book. Scripture speaks best when it is read by a believer or group of believers with open hearts and minds. I recommend creating your own support group to discuss the Bible as you faithfully read it.
After reading the entire Bible, one of my former parishioners wrote: “My own bible reading has been nothing short of profound. I am humbled and amazed at just how much this is speaking to me. Each day if I accomplish nothing else, I manage to get my reading done.”
“It has become as vital to me as drinking water. And I am continually amazed at the grace that intercedes each and every time. Alright, I confess that parts of the Old Testament have been wrought with sacrifice that does not resonate with me! But still the word speaks into my living day and the glory is everywhere!”
“If my enthusiasm continues (which I hope and pray it will) I cannot wait to get to the end and do it again. Why, oh why, did I not do this earlier!”
