Reading The Bible For Life

I’ve mentioned that I often get Kindle books at a more-than-reasonable price; some under $3.00, others for free. This is one I paid that top dollar to have on hand. I can read it on my PC, my smartphone or on my Kindle.  I can loan it to anyone who has an Amazon.com account and a Kindle app so they can read it. Nice!!

As I select the book cover on my Kindle app, there’s a small bookmark in the upper right-hand corner that tells me how far into the book I’ve read. Right now this book shows 7%. That’s not very far, yet I’ve found information I wish to share.

The author, Dr. George H. Guthrie, is a professor of Bible studies at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, holding a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies. In addition to this book, he has written commentaries on the book of Hebrews and co-authored "The Holman Guide to Interpreting the Bible." The university’s affiliation is with the Southern Baptist Convention.

February 5, 2008, the university was struck by a tornado. Six buildings were damaged, sixteen residence facilities lost. Early in this book, the author discusses with the president what happened the following day:

At 6:00 on the morning following the storm, media from every national network were here … We did a national press conference with MSNBC and then they started talking with our students, just pulling students aside at random.  An hour or so later, one of the major network producers came to talk with me. He said, “Have you prepared or scripted these students? … they’re echoing everything you said during the first interviews.”

The school president’s (Dr. David S. Dockery) answer is one Christ’s followers should be able to give in any situation:

“Our students live their lives grounded in Christ and the Bible, and even in this king of situation, they respond in light of who God is and in light of the bigger picture rather than just out of their own concerns.”

They lived what Paul wrote:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV)

How do we know that’s sufficient?

Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (2 Corinthians 3:2-6 KJV)

Dr. Dockery stated:

We had a common commitment as a community to the Bible as the Word of God. We believe it is an inspired Word, that it is true and trustworthy, and that it has authority for our lives.

He went on to say the Bible gives comfort, guidance, direction. He said, “First we must be committed to the Great Commandment, loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, as well as loving one another as ourselves.”

I believe the Bible does give all Dr. Dockery stated. It says it will, and it shows that it did. We can look forward to learning how, under what circumstances and even why, when when we study. Come, join me in reading God’s word.