Common reading of the Scriptures is useful even today

Mikuláš Török, 04.01.2009

1 Timothy 4:12-16 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15 Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all. 16 Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee.

Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.

Acts 1:16-20 Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry. 18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take.

Common reading of the Scriptures may seem useless, because everybody has his own Bible and the selection of translations is very wide. But common reading can be useful even today. People are getting used to audiovisual aids and they are giving up reading. A lot of people read very little and very slowly, and that's why they don't know the Scriptures well. It's also connected with exaggerated expectations of revelations and similar things, which may distract one's attention from the content itself.

These problems are not concerning only the marginal church members, but we can see that even in some preachings and Bible interpretations. The preached word or the interpretation are often based on segment of text which is put out of its context. Sometimes, the verses from the Scriptures are chosen specifically just to support a "revelation" of the speaker. It's undoubtly important to interpret the Scriptures, but no interpretation can be raised above the Scriptures themselves. Even in the Scriptures we can see some interpretations based on short quotations (for example Acts 1:16-20), but these interpretations were always made by the people, who knew the Scriptures really well.

We need to make sure that believers know the Scriptures, understand them and so they could judge every situation on its basis (Acts 17:11). Common reading of the Scriptures is one of the ways to achieve that.


Home page New Life Church Tenets of our faith Testimonies Goodwill Services schedule Contact us	Common reading of the Scriptures is useful even today Mikuláš Török, 04.01.2009 1 Timothy 4:12-16 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 15 Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all. 16 Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee. Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few. Acts 1:16-20 Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this ministry. 18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.) 20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take. Common reading of the Scriptures may seem useless, because everybody has his own Bible and the selection of translations is very wide. But common reading can be useful even today. People are getting used to audiovisual aids and they are giving up reading. A lot of people read very little and very slowly, and that's why they don't know the Scriptures well. It's also connected with exaggerated expectations of revelations and similar things, which may distract one's attention from the content itself. These problems are not concerning only the marginal church members, but we can see that even in some preachings and Bible interpretations. The preached word or the interpretation are often based on segment of text which is put out of its context. Sometimes, the verses from the Scriptures are chosen specifically just to support a "revelation" of the speaker. It's undoubtly important to interpret the Scriptures, but no interpretation can be raised above the Scriptures themselves. Even in the Scriptures we can see some interpretations based on short quotations (for example Acts 1:16-20), but these interpretations were always made by the people, who knew the Scriptures really well. We need to make sure that believers know the Scriptures, understand them and so they could judge every situation on its basis (Acts 17:11). Common reading of the Scriptures is one of the ways to achieve that.	Newsletter subscription If you want to receive regular newsletters, please fill your e-mail address into the following field. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your e-mail address:
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