• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Church Leadership Discipleship A great reminder about Bible reading

A great reminder about Bible reading

Posted on January 21, 2016 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment


Bible ReadingI recently read Question 157 in the Westminster Larger Catechism which asks,”How is the word of God to be read?”

I found the answer to be both challenging and helpful. Here it is:

The holy scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very word of God, and that he only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence, and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.

When I open my Bible to read it, is it with high and reverent esteem for the text? Or am I merely doing it out of a sense of obligation?

Am I conscious that it is the very word of God as I read it (even those boring bits that I have a tendency to skip over)?

Am I seeking the Holy Spirit to enlighten me as I read?

Am I reading with a desire to know, believe and obey the will of God that is revealed in the text?

Am I reading with diligence and attention to the matter or am I merely getting a check in the box?

Do I meditate on what I read so that it can be applied to my life?

Do I have an attitude of self-denial and prayer as I read?

Some of the time the answer to these questions is yes. There are times when I am engaged in the way the catechism prescribes. But too often, I am going through the motions and not very engaged.

I suppose the good news is that even if I am not fully present in my Bible reading, some good comes from the exercise. But how much better would it be to be fully present every time I take up the Bible to read it.

One of the most surprising statements in the answer to this question is the encouragement to self-denial. I had never thought of self-denial in the context of Bible reading. But a brief meditation on this reveals the wisdom in it.

One of the struggles of the 21st Century church is the tendency for the reader to stand in judgment on the text. When this happens, we find ways of explaining away the bits of Scripture that we don’t like. The antidote to this is self-denial.

If I approach the text with humility and self-denial the result will be much different than if I approach it with a sense of superiority and judgment.

I hope that you are encouraged and convicted by this reminder to take Bible reading seriously and to approach it with the right frame of mind.


Filed Under: Discipleship Tagged With: Bible, reading, Scripture

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

I have the opportunity to go to Istanbul, Turkey this summer to minister to Syrian refugees. If you would like more details about this trip, please use this link Mark McIntyre - Istanbul, Turkey Please note that this trip is fully funded, but I would appreciate your continued prayer. The trip will take place June 27 - July 6, 2025.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Intentional

Intentional about Grace

The Church of Jesus Christ should be the most gracious place on the planet but often it is not. If we are not consistently preaching the Gospel, if we are not reinforcing our need for a savior, if we are not intentional about living under grace, then we will become what the world thinks we are.

Scarlet Oak

Like growing oak trees

If you are a church leader and you are frustrated with how fast growth is taking place in your church, think of an oak tree. They do not grow fast, but they are strong. If you are a small group leader or Sunday School teacher, think of that oak which slowly absorbs the nutrients and water and grows as a result.

On Biblical Joy

In a sermon not long ago, I heard a definition of Biblical joy that I would like to share with you: ”Biblical joy is the conviction that God sovereignly controls the events of life for his glory and our good.” I think of the words in James, “consider it all joy when you encounter various […]

Staying on Track

The danger of relying on talent

King Jeroboam is an example of what happens when a man relies on his own talent rather than on the God who gave him the talent. The result is not pretty. We face the same choice today.

Gasoline engines running on diesel

“From a very early age our souls are taught there is a comfort and a discomfort in the world, a good and bad if you will, a lovely and a frightening. There seemed to me to be too much frightening, and I didn’t know why it existed.”

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
July 2025
SMTWTFS
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031 
« Jun    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in