READING • PSALM 119:89–112
A lifetime of learning from God’s Word
The Bible is like a deep well of clear water: however long we read it, there is always more to learn. Daily reading keeps God’s purpose before us, strengthens faith and helps us recognise how He wants us to live.
Receiving the Word of God
The New Testament gives two helpful examples of the right attitude to Scripture. The Bereans listened carefully, but they also checked what they heard against the Scriptures. The Thessalonians received the apostolic message for what it truly was — the Word of God.
THE BEREANS
THE THESSALONIANS
“... they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” — Acts 17:11
“... when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God ...” — 1 Thessalonians 2:13
These two attitudes belong together: receive God’s Word humbly, and examine it carefully. Faith is not blind acceptance of human claims; it is confidence built on what God has revealed.
Jesus and the Scriptures
The Scriptures available to Jesus were what Christians now call the Old Testament. His words show how deeply they shaped his thinking. When questions, temptation and danger came, he turned to Scripture.
SITUATION
HOW JESUS USED SCRIPTURE
Marriage and divorce
He went back to the creation account in Genesis: “from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6).
Temptation in the wilderness
He answered temptation repeatedly with the words, “It is written”, quoting from Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:1–11).
His arrest and coming death
He accepted what lay ahead because “the scriptures must be fulfilled” (Mark 14:49).
Growing in the knowledge of Jesus
The four Gospel records allow us to know what Jesus taught, how he treated people, how he obeyed his Father, and how he gave his life for us. The rest of the New Testament explains the meaning of his work and how disciples should live.
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:18 • King James Version
We cannot understand Jesus fully without the Old Testament either. Matthew begins by calling him “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1), taking us straight back to the promises and history recorded there.
Why read every day?
Our bodies need regular food. In the same way, a life of faith needs regular nourishment from the Word of God. Reading only occasionally makes it much easier for other voices and concerns to crowd God’s teaching out of our minds.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”
Matthew 6:26 • King James Version
Daily Bible reading does not earn God’s favour. It is one of the ways a disciple listens, learns, remembers and grows.
All Scripture is profitable
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2 Timothy 3:16 • King James Version
“That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:17 • King James Version
Some parts of the Bible are immediately enjoyable; others are difficult, unfamiliar or disturbing. Yet the whole Bible contributes to our understanding of God’s holiness, human nature, His promises, His judgements, His mercy and His purpose in Christ.
Read the whole Bible
If we only read favourite passages, our understanding becomes unbalanced. Genealogies, laws, historical accounts, prophecy, poetry, Gospel records and apostolic letters each contribute something important to the complete message of Scripture.
Do not skip the difficult parts
When a passage is hard to understand, mark the question and keep reading. Compare it with other Scriptures, use cross-references, and return to it later. Understanding grows over time.
Use a reading plan
A plan helps us avoid reading only the parts we already know. The traditional Christadelphian Bible Companion plan takes a reader through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in a year. Other structured plans can also be useful, provided they help us read the whole Bible consistently.
The important thing is not merely to complete a schedule, but to hear what God is saying. A missed day is not a reason to give up: resume the plan and continue.
A shared habit
Many Christadelphians around the world use the Bible Companion readings. Following a common plan can make conversations, family readings and ecclesial fellowship richer because many believers have recently read the same passages.
How to read well
Daily reading is more useful when we slow down enough to understand what we have read. A simple method is to read a chapter or section straight through, then pause and ask: What happened? What did I learn about God? What did I learn about people? What should I remember or do?
STEP
A USEFUL HABIT
1 Read
Read the passage attentively without rushing to finish the daily allocation.
2 Recall
Close the Bible for a moment and summarise the passage in your own words.
3 Examine
Look again at important words, repeated ideas, commands, promises and warnings.
4 Apply
Ask what the passage should change in your thinking, priorities or behaviour.
Read in context
Chapter and verse numbers are useful for finding passages, but they were added long after the biblical books were written. They are not always placed where the thought naturally begins or ends.
For example, Matthew 16:28 speaks of some disciples seeing “the Son of man coming in his kingdom”, and Matthew 17 immediately continues with the transfiguration six days later. Reading across the chapter division helps us see the connection.
Context matters
Before deciding what a verse means, read what comes before and after it. Ask who is speaking, to whom, in what situation, and what the writer is discussing.
Use cross-references and maps
Margin references can show where the same words, ideas or events appear elsewhere in Scripture. They are especially useful for seeing how the New Testament uses the Old Testament.
Maps can also make the narrative clearer. When places such as Nazareth, Bethlehem and Jerusalem occur in Luke 2, locating them on a map helps us appreciate the journeys involved.
Study notes, dictionaries and other helps can be useful, but they are not inspired Scripture. They should assist our reading, not replace it. Like the Bereans, we should test explanations against the Bible itself.
Read prayerfully
Understanding Scripture is not merely an academic exercise. We come to the Bible because we want to know God and be changed by His Word. The Psalmist therefore prayed:
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
Psalm 119:18 • King James Version
We can ask God for wisdom, humility and concentration before we read, and thank Him afterwards for what we have learned.
Hearing must lead to doing
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22 • King James Version
Bible knowledge is valuable only when it shapes life. Jesus compared the person who hears his sayings and does them to a wise man who built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24–25).
So daily reading should gradually affect speech, relationships, decisions, use of time and money, attitudes towards others, and our hope for the Kingdom of God.
Come with a humble mind
“... but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2 • King James Version
A humble reader does not come to Scripture merely to prove an opinion already held. We should be willing to be corrected. The Bible is not there to agree with us; we are there to learn God’s ways.
Ask questions without losing confidence
It is normal to meet passages we do not immediately understand. Careful questions are part of serious Bible study. Record them, compare passages, seek sound help, and keep reading rather than assuming the difficulty means Scripture has nothing to teach us.
Make daily reading realistic
Choose a regular time if possible, but do not make the habit dependent on perfect conditions. A quieter period in the morning or evening may work well; on other days reading may have to fit around work, travel or family responsibilities.
Consistency matters more than creating an elaborate routine. Even when time is limited, read attentively and return later when you can study more deeply.
A simple daily pattern
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
Pray briefly for understanding and an open mind.
Read the allotted passages carefully; notice context, repeated ideas and links to other Scriptures.
Recall the main message, note a question or lesson, and consider one practical response.
This pattern is simple enough to use every day. On days when more time is available, add cross-references, maps, notes or a more detailed study of a particular passage.
Let the Word remain with you
Daily Bible reading is not finished when the Bible is closed. Carry a verse, promise, warning or example with you through the day. The aim is for God’s Word to become part of the way we think.
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
Psalm 119:130 • King James Version
Over months and years, regular reading builds familiarity with the whole message of Scripture. Passages begin to connect with one another, and the promises, principles and examples become easier to recall when they are needed.
SUMMARY
1
Read every day. Regular contact with Scripture nourishes faith and keeps God’s purpose before the mind.
2
Read the whole Bible. Do not limit yourself to favourite passages; every part contributes to the complete message.
3
Read carefully and in context. Use cross-references, maps and other helps, but test all explanations against Scripture.
4
Read prayerfully and humbly. Ask God for understanding and be willing to be corrected by His Word.
5
Put what you read into practice. The goal is not information alone, but a life increasingly shaped by God’s teaching.
Chapters to read
Psalm 19 • Psalm 119:1–40 • Mark 8:34–38 • Acts 17:10–12
LEARN BY HEART • PSALM 119:33–34
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”
Psalm 119:33–34 • King James Version
CHRISTADELPHIAN BIBLE MISSION • 5
CHRISTADELPHIAN BIBLE MISSION • 1