The book What to Expect When You are Expecting is a perennial bestseller, read by many expectant mothers (and many expectant dads under the encouragement of mom!) and inspiring other “What to Expecting” books and even a movie back in 2012. I’ve yet to see a book called “What To Expect When You Read the Bible” so I thought I would offer some thoughts that might help you as you read the Bible – highlighting 4 things that I think the Bible tells us to expect when we read it.
Expect…to Be Confused
Many people get frustrated when they find themselves confused while reading the Bible, but it is something that is normal; in fact, it is actually something that we should expect. For one thing, we are reading texts that are almost 2,000 years old, or older. Most of us don’t find ourselves reading such texts on a regular basis and likely find texts that aren’t even as close to being as old as these to be confusing (for example, the works of William Shakespeare). There are going to be places and customs that are not familiar to us when we read something this old. In addition, the style of writing likely will differ much from what we see today, especially in this age in which we find ourselves reading more things on the internet and less things in books.
Not only should we expect to be confused at times when we read the Bible because of its age, we also find that the Bible tells us things are confusing. One example I like to point out is in Acts 8, when an Ethiopian eunuch is reading a passage from the book of Isaiah and is asked by Philip if he understands what it says. His response is, “‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:31). This shows that at times, we will read something and not understand it, and that God provides others to help us understand it. They may be pastors or authors, or it might be a friend who is reading the same passage and has some information that might help you.
Another passage in the Bible that tells us that we might be confused at times is found in 2 Peter 3:16, “[Pauls] speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them.” If Peter found Paul confusing, then it is okay if you do too! Peter’s words here then point out that some people will twist the words that Paul wrote, which didn’t just happen back then but continues today. Therefore, our confusion in reading means that we need to ask God and others for help, and also remember that people (including ourselves) might twist things to say what they want them to say for various reasons.
Expect…To Be Challenged
Something else that we should expect when we read the Bible is to be challenged by it at times. I say this because of 2 Timothy 3:16, which says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” Scripture teaches us things that we might not otherwise know, but we read here that it also rebukes us and corrects us. This means that when we read the Bible, we should be challenged to see if it aligns with what we think and if our lives reflect what it teaches. When we find our beliefs or actions in disagreement with the teaching of the Bible, it is the Bible – not our opinions or desires – that wins.
If you read the Bible and always find it reaffirming what you believe and how you act, I think that you are probably not reading the Bible correctly. While I suppose that there is a chance that it means that you have become so familiar with it and have become such a “doer” of what it teaches that there is no need to growth, I think it would be very unlikely in light of the way that the power of sin continues to deceive us and blind us to truths. We should expect that the words of the Bible will confront our beliefs and behaviors, and we should thank God for doing so as we seek to align our thoughts and actions with the truths that it teaches, truths that come from God since it is “inspired” (which means “Breathed out by God”).
Expect…To Find Connections
I recently had to get a new vehicle after a deer ran in front of the one I had been driving for over a decade. I had never noticed how many people drive the same model of car that I got before! I might think that my purchase of a Hyundai Sonata has increased its popularity on the roads, but I know the truth is that I am now noticing them because my eyes are looking for them. Something similar is true when it comes to the Bible and connections to everyday life. Some people think that because the Bible is so old, it has no relevance to everyday life. This belief likely leads people to ignore the Bible or read it only as a historical document. However, if you approach the Bible believing that it continues to have relevance to the world today, then I believe you will find connections between what it teaches and our everyday lives.
The Bible affirms that what is written in it is not just entertaining accounts or a simple recounting of history, but stands to help us think about our own lives. For example, in 1 Corinthians 10 Paul talks about some events that happened to people of Israel in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Numbers (books that many people think are irrelevant for today) and then says, “These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come” (10:11). He goes on to add, “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it” (10:13). The Bible will connect to our lives because times might change, but people do not. The precise nature of temptations might have changed over time, but the fundamental truth of it remains the same.
We find many other Bible verses that point to the fact that because it comes from an eternal being, it is timeless. For example, Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Bible continues to speak to the hearts of women and men today because it is the Word of God. And then there is one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” It is not just that the Word of God will continue to be copied and spoken of until the end of time, but that its truth and relevance endures in all ages. Expect to find connections not just to our world today, but also to your own life.
Expect….To See Christ
In addition to having connections to the world today, the Bible is something that connects to itself. As you read the Bible, you will find recurring motifs and patterns. You will find the New Testament citing and alluding back to the Old Testament, and even within the Old Testament you will see people refer back to previous events and teachings. The Bible is not a random collection of writings; it connects writings from different authors and different places. The fundamental thing that connects it all together and provides cohesion is not a thing but rather a person – Jesus.
This is something that Jesus taught, as he says in John 5:39, “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me.” In Luke 24:44-47, we read how Jesus tells a couple of individuals walking on the road to a place called Emmaus of how the “Law, Prophets, and Psalms” wrote about him – showing that the Old Testament points us to Jesus. When we read the Bible, we should expect it to point us to the person of Jesus and to His work on our behalf. It should point us to our need for a Savior and what is true in light of his life, death, and resurrection. The thread that links it all together is the Son of God who came to save us from our sins.
Applying the Expectations
I’m guessing there might be more things that you should expect when you read the Bible, but I hope that these four I noted help you, whether Bible reading is something new you are doing (or want to start doing) or have been doing for many, many years. You’ll be confused and challenged as you read this book that has truth that is relevant to our lives today and points us to Jesus. May these thoughts help you as you read the best-seller of all time.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
