The Bible is not like other books. When we finish a novel or biography, we put it down and pick up something new. But many Christians complete a Bible reading and start right in again. For those new to the faith, this may seem strange.
Because frequent rereading of the Bible is not an obvious activity, I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the reasons Christians never really finish reading the Scriptures.
The Bible is a Singular Book
Christians believe that the Bible is God’s Word, that God himself inspired what we read on those pages. This gives the Bible an authority and status unequal to any other book.
While this by itself does not imply we should reread the Bible, it does mean it’s no surprise if we treat it differently than other volumes on our shelves.
We Need to Keep Learning
The Bible gives us instruction, correction, comfort, and hope. This is the infinite, eternal God’s primary revelation of himself, and we finite, fallen humans don’t understand everything about God the first or second or tenth time we read it. Given our limitations and our nature, we will never have perfect knowledge of God in these imperfect bodies.
Because the Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible for us and gives us understanding, rereading the Bible can sometimes feel like reading a completely different book. I’ve talked to many Christians who admit to reading a passage dozens of times—over decades of their lives—before grasping something profound that now seems obvious.
We Forget
The Bible is a long book, containing truths both profound and difficult. Our frail minds do not easily hold all of these truths for long periods of time, especially when only exposed to them once.
We forget who God is and what he has done because we are weak and limited. We also forget God’s word because in our corruption we do not hold tightly to stories that emphasize our dependence and guilt. This is especially true when our lives are comfortable. (See the relevant warning to Israel in Dt 8:11–20.)
Because we easily forget God, we reread his word to remember.
We Are Commanded
Keeping the holy teachings about God top of mind is not just a recommended Christian activity. God commands it!
We are to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Col 3:16). Because we are forgetful, it’s hard to imagine obedience to this command without rereading.
Jesus says that part of the way we abide in him is to let his words abide in us (John 15:7). The words of Christ take up residence with us when we revisit them frequently.
To Grow in Love
Reading (and rereading) the Bible is not an end in itself. There is no heavenly trophy for most times reading the Bible.
We are getting to know a person—God—not a textbook. And we must hold tight to the gospel truths that fuel our love of our neighbors.
We read because we are loved by God. And because God loves us, we read so that we might love him and love our neighbors.
And until we love perfectly, we reread.
My mother told me when I was young that every time I read the Bible, even the same passage, I will learn something new. Honestly, I am not sure that specific assurance is given us, but I do firmly believe that it never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). And, I will definitely attest to how God does provide fresh insight into Scriptures I have read many times before.