S4E8 - Is Reading Scripture Really This Hard?

Anything worthwhile takes work. That’s a common sentiment. High school teachers use it to encourage their students when they struggle to see the point in what they’re studying. Coaches use it to  inspire athletes to push past their limits. Those words can reframe an otherwise dreaded or seemingly impossible task. But we never think about it in connection with reading the Bible. It’s almost uncomfortable to think of reading the Bible as work. After all, if it’s God’s message to us, shouldn’t it be as easy as a conversation between two people?

If you’ve been listening to our Bible series, you know that really understanding the Bible takes more than reading a few chapters for thirty minutes. Actually, it takes a lifetime of reading and rereading, learning and relearning, interpreting and reinterpreting; meditating on Scripture. And the great thing is that it’s a never ending journey; the more you dig the more you find. The more you listen, the more clearly you’ll hear God’s voice through ancient writers.

In this final episode of our Bible series, we ask, is reading Scripture really this hard? If you don’t have an advanced degree, should you bother even trying to understand the Bible? Isn’t that what pastors are for? What are some avoidable mistakes when it comes to Bible reading and interpretation? All that and more on this edition of the podcast.