All preachers and teachers have hobby horses, topics they come back to over and over again. Read the Word, and be saved by grace alone, are two of my hobby horses.
I am a big advocate of Christians reading the Word. I’ve been known to repeat the mantra “Read the Word. Read the Word. Read the Word.”
There are several reasons I think reading the Scriptures is important.
Firstly, it’s God’s instruction book to us. It tells us who He is, what His plan for us is, and how we should live.
Secondly, you’re never going to hear the Scriptures preached on a Sunday Morning. If the preacher read three new verses every Sunday morning, neither he nor you would live long enough. It will take 200 years of Sundays.
Thirdly, you can’t evaluate the merit of preaching or teaching properly if you don’t actually know what the Word says. You read the Word, so you understand the context of what is being discussed, and its place in the overall Scriptures. Plenty of times the scriptures are taught out of context or to make a point, rather than let the Scriptures bring the message.
That’s why I’m a big fan of expository preaching, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. Proper exposition in the sense of whole book preached in context, and the Scriptures speak clearly. There is a time and place for seasonal or topical preaching, but I believe they should be the exception, not the rule.
Now, I will confess that I can’t point to a Bible verse that says, “Read the Word.” However, even a cursory look should show that the Bible calls out to be read.
Here are a few samples. I’m sure you can find more on your own.
Now it will be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes. Deuteronomy 17:18-19
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:3
The Bible often frames it as “hearing,” “meditating,” or “searching” the Scriptures, the clear expectation is that God’s people actively engage with His Word regularly.
Be blessed
Kevin
Summary
This article argues that Christians must personally read and know the Scriptures, not merely rely on sermons or teachers, because the Bible is God’s instruction to His people and the standard by which all teaching should be judged. While Scripture may not explicitly command “Read the Word,” the consistent pattern throughout the Bible is that God’s people are expected to read, hear, examine, and meditate on His Word regularly.
Key points:
- The Bible is God’s revelation of who He is, His will, and how believers are to live.
- Christians cannot properly discern good teaching or recognize Scripture taken out of context unless they know the Word themselves.
- The author strongly advocates expository preaching because it allows Scripture to speak in context rather than bending passages to fit topics or agendas.