READING AND UNDERSTANDING

1. Many years ago a teacher recommended a book—an unusual book.

2. This book has one theme: how readers should read a book.

3. For whatever reason, I have never been able to read this entire book through.

4. Not long ago I noticed that others are saying this volume is a very good book.

I STILL DO NOT KNOW THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOK THAT TELLS READERS HOW TO READ BOOKS, BUT I DO KNOW THIS MUCH: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETEWEEN READING AND UNDERSTANDING.

a) Reading is good; reading the Bible is certainly not wrong.

b) At various times Jesus spoke about “reading.”

c) In Mt. 12 the Lord was out with the apostles and they were hungry.

d) They saw some grain, took the grain and ate it.

e) Pharisees saw what was being done and they objected.

f) Jesus asked the Pharisees a question – verse 3 – READ.

2) Jesus wanted the Pharisees to answer whether or not they had read their Bibles.

3) This question must have gotten their attention, and then Jesus asked this question a second time.

4) Verse 5 – READ.

a) When we think about reading the Bible we may instantly think of non-Christians.

b) Do non-church members read the Scriptures?

c) This is a good question to ask.

d) In Mt. 12, Jesus was speaking to religious people.

e) Asking these Jews if they had read their Old Testament stories must have angered them.

f) Yet, what Jesus asked was and is a legitimate question.

g) Do we read the Bible?

h) Do we physically get out the Bible and read it?

i) There are those who prefer to hear information instead of read it.

j) We have the ability to listen to the Scripture or even access the Bible electronically.

k) Is there some way that we regularly expose ourselves to God’s word?

5) Jesus believed in reading (being exposed to) the Bible.

6) A little later in this same book (Mt. 19) there are some questions about divorce.

7) Jesus asked the people (verse 4) if they had not “read” what God had said in the Old Testament.

8) Twice in the book of Matthew we see Jesus placing a premium upon reading God’s word.

9) Matthew didn’t stop with the information in Mt. 12 and Mt. 19.

10) When we come to Mt. 21 we again find references to reading the Bible.

a) Jesus asked if the people had “never read” a certain section of the Scriptures.

b) In verse 42 Jesus once again turned the people’s attention back to reading the Bible.

c) He again asked if they had “never read” part of God’s word.

d) At least one more time (Mt. 22:31) Jesus asked if people had read the Bible.

e) On this final occasion Jesus joined Bible reading with information about the resurrection.

11) Jesus pictured reading the Bible as a natural part of life—it is as natural and rising and sleeping.

12) He associated Bible reading with spiritual knowledge.

a) I have not seen any statistics, but reading would seem to be at an all time high.

b) More and more people are using the Internet and that means reading.

c) More and more people use e-mail and that means reading.

d) Billboards are paid for along various roads because people read them.

e) On our list of reading material should be the Bible.

f) If we prefer audio input, we can listen to the Scriptures.

13) Jews were accustomed to both reading the Bible as well as hearing it read.

14) Acts 13:27 says the Scriptures were “read every Sabbath.”

15) Acts 15:21 makes this same basic point. Portions of the Old Testament were read on a regular basis.

16) When Christianity came along, the New Testament Scriptures were also read.

17) The Colossian letter (4:16) was read to the congregation.

18) Such was also true of the Thessalonian letter (1 Thess. 5:27).

19) There were surely times when passages were read but there was not a full comprehension.

a) I sometimes had meetings at ** where I read things.

b) I was able to read the words, but comprehension was not always present.

c) Not long ago I was heard the words “black diamond.”

d) I was able to read those words as well as any engineer, but I could explain them.

e) It was not the right time to ask what those words meant so I just filed them away.

f) We may sometimes read but not always understand.

A FIRST STEP IN REALLY BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH GOD AND CHRISTIANITY IS SIMPLY EXPOSING OURSELVES TO THE SCRIPTURES.

a) If we do this, we will gradually grow in our understanding of spiritual things.

b) In Mt. 15:10 Jesus said “hear and understand.”

c) We could just as well say, “read and understand” as this is also heaven’s goal.

2) A classic example of this comes from Philip and the eunuch in Acts 8.

a) Here was a man who was on a trip; he was reading the Bible.

b) A religious man was exposing himself to the Word of God.

c) Even though he was considering part of God’s word, he was having difficulty.

d) A preacher arrived and asked if he “understood” what he was reading.

e) The man doing the studying had to say “no.” He did not fully grasp the information.

f) A preacher helped him come to an understanding of what he was reading.

3) Today we can profit from both reading and understanding.

4) We can read by simply opening up the Bible.

5) We can understand by applying some common sense principles.

6) A good first step to understanding the bb is to select a passage.

a) There are people who pick up a Bible and want to read it, but they can’t find a starting place.

b) They flip here, there, and then somewhere else.

c) We need to pick a spot and start there.

7) After a passage has been picked and read, we might read a large section of it—perhaps the whole chapter.

8) If there is time on the day we read a selected text, go back and read it a second time a while later.

9) Sometimes people seem to look at the Bible as a novel or newspaper.

a) A page is read and that’s it – turn to the next page and keep going.

b) God’s word is in a different category; it is good to re-read it.

c) As a passage is read a second time we might branch out and ask some questions.

d) What happened in the previous chapter, and what happens in the following chapters?

e) Many Bible have “section headings” that give us a general preview of various sections.

f) After reading something the second time, our understanding will likely increase.

g) After that second reading, we might sit down with the text a third time.

10) This is one technique for a single chapter.

11) A similar approach can be used with an entire book.

12) We may read an entire Bible book through (perhaps a one chapter book such as Jude).

13) Or, we may sit down and read all four chapters in Philippians or Colossians.

14) Then we read it again later in the day or the next day and we begin to look for a theme.

15) What is a key subject in the book?

16) What points of application can be made for today?

17) As we dig into a book or chapter we can divide our time into two parts.

a) Perhaps the first segment of our time with the Bible will be just to read.

b) We are concentrating less on understanding and more on reading.

c) Our second half of the time will be devoted to study—digging out all we can get.

18) As we learn to read and study, we can apply what we learn to both testaments.

19) Sometimes people just study the New Testament; that is unfortunate and a mistake.

20) Most of the study techniques we use for the New Testament will work for the Old Testament.

21) Both testaments deserve to be read and studied.

22) One of the things that may greatly aid us is some peace and quiet.

a) If we are trying to study, loud environments are usually not the best place.

b) A similar thing may be said concerning the times when we are tired.

c) We may read when we are tired, but that is not the best time to study.

23) There are some clear differences between reading and studying, and both things will help us.

a) If we have a textbook on advanced math, we will probably not “read” that book.

b) Advanced textbooks are not treated like a magazine. We study textbooks so we understand them.

c) Magazines treated like a carefully detailed instruction manual.

d) Magazines are often read but not poured over like a technical schematic.

24) A lot of the books in our world fall into one of two categories: they are for reading or studying.

25) When we look at the Bible, we find something unique—a very special book.

26) It can be read, and reading the Bible is profitable.

27) Reading is ultimately not enough; the Scripture also need to be studied.

a) Heb. 4:11 speaks about being “diligent” in the Christian life.

b) Part of that diligence is the careful examination of God’s word.

c) Peter said diligence plays a part in making “our calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10).

28) Paul knew the value of reading and also understanding the Word of God.

29) He spoke of this in Eph. 3:4.

a) There the apostle spoke of “reading and understanding.”

b) This is to be our goal of Christians.

c) A man in Acts 8 read and when he understood, he was thrilled.

d) Such should be our reaction as well.

30) If we can read the Word of God of God, and we understand it, we are blessed.

31) The first part of the process is reading.

32) Have we ever really stopped to read God’s word?