I used to think that I did not need to read the bible because I grew up in the church and had heard all the stories. So what is the point in reading them? When I began to read them for myself in 1999, I found that I had not heard all of the stories nor were the stories that I had heard written the way I had heard them. Here are some examples that may entice you to read them for yourself.
Did you know there is a story about Isaac in the bible? Not a story about Abraham and Isaac. Not a story about Isaac and Jacob and Esau. A story about Isaac, as the leader of the clan, after Abraham and before Jacob and Esau. If not, then there are stories in the bible that you have not heard; see Genesis chapter 26.
Did you know that Jesus was not born in a manger? I still hear “Jesus was born in a manger” frequently in Sunday School. Go look it up; Luke 2:6. The manger is a feeding troth not a building.
The Ten Commandments are written in Ex. 20. If you read Ex 19 you will not see Moses on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. You will not see any reference to 2 stone tablets. No writing on tablets with the finger of God. You will see God coming down on the mountain and speaking the Ten Commandments to the people. Where did the tablets come in? Read the rest of Exodus and Deut. 5. By the way, there are two sets of two tablets.
The Garden of Eden story is interesting. Remember the story? God created Adam and Eve and told them not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. They ate and were kicked out of the garden. Is that right? If you read it for yourself you will find that there are two trees of importance in the garden and that one of them pops up again in The Revelation.
You have heard that the bible says, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” Well in Matthew 19:30 it says, “But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first.” There are actually four different times this line appears in the Gospels. It is interesting to see all four in their different forms and the differences between other translations.
There are many other interesting things waiting for you in the bible. I hope that these have sparked an interest in you.
Something More
Having good bible knowledge is cool but I found that something more happens when you read the bible for yourself. I have found that you begin to change from the inside out. I am fully convinced that the bible is the anointed Word of God. If you get His Word in you for the purpose of knowing Him more fully then His Holy Spirit uses those words to recreate you into the image of Jesus Christ.
You no longer have to try to be a good person because “you are a Christian and you are supposed to be good.” What happens is you become a good person. You get the spirit of Jesus Christ in you and you become more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. You do not become perfect but you will notice that you are changing and growing into His Perfection, which will be completed on that day when we meet Him face to face.
