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Commit to Read Through the Bible with CBT in 2018

Vitamins are called supplements for a reason. They were never meant to substitute for a well-balanced meal, but to replace small, but important, nutrients missing from the meal.

Similarly, the writings of Christian authors offer much blessing and instruction to God’s people, but they cannot displace the steady diet of the story of God’s interaction with man—God’s Word. Many Christ-followers seek to subsist, however, on a diet of man’s books instead of God’s. It’s no wonder that many are spiritually malnourished.

Israel’s history reflects a tragic but regular pattern of abandoning their healthy spiritual eating. They sought to live on that which cannot satisfy while neglecting their true bread.

When God commanded Moses to record history (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) He commanded Israel’s leaders to read out-loud the entire Book of the Law to the gathered congregation over the course of a week every seven years (Deuteronomy 31:9-13). God linked Israel’s spiritual vitality to Bible literacy (Deut. 32:41-47). Bible literacy would remind Israel of God’s original purpose for His image bearers; the Word would also show how the first couple’s failure introduced sin and death to all their descendants. Bible literacy would fuel their faith by keeping hope alive that God would send the promised Head-crusher to defeat death and redeem humanity through that Seed. The text would tell them that He would proceed from Abraham’s descendants. God also commanded each of Israel’s future kings to take a copy of the Book of the Law from the scribe, write his own copy, and read it all the days of his life (Deut. 17:18-20). That reading would keep them from evil and remind them that they were no better than their fellow citizens, thus keeping them humble in leadership.

Tracking Israel’s commitment to Bible literacy reveals the dire consequences of their failure. In the absence of Bible literacy, violence, idolatry, and sexual brokenness soon characterized God’s errant people. Scripture records only three periods in Israel’s history where reading the Book of the Law was practiced.

1. Under Joshua’s leadership all Israel gathered to hear the Book of the Law read (8:30-35).
2. Nearly 800 years later while cleaning idols out of Jerusalem’s temple the Book of the Law is found and brought to Josiah, Judah’s king. After reading it Josiah repents before the Lord, reads the Book of the Law to the people, and leads Judah to repentance (2 Kings 23:1-2). After Josiah’s death Judah returns to gross idolatry. Twenty-three years later Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babylonians and Judah is taken into captivity.
3. Seventy years later Judah returns to the land of Israel. They rebuild the Temple and recover Bible literacy. Ezra the priest gathers together all the people and reads them the Book of the Law (Nehemiah 7:1-8).

Systematic Bible reading became the practice of the Jewish people during the inter-testament period in their synagogues after it was translated from Hebrew into Greek (language of the masses) Sadly, over time the Jews began to adhere to the interpretations and teachings of the Rabbis instead of the Book of the Law. Supplements become substitutes for God’s Word. We shouldn’t wonder why the Jewish people weren’t prepared for the coming of their Messiah!

Paul urged the early church to the devotion to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching (1 Timothy 4:13). With the spread of the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire, the Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) were translated in most of the major languages of the region and eventually into Latin (language of the masses).In 382 Jerome provided a definitive Latin version. Jerome’s Vulgate became established as the Bible of the whole western church until the Reformation. Its Latin was understood only by priests; the peoples of Europe spoke many other languages.

God raised up John Wycliffe and others to translate the Scriptures into English; their work initiated the Reformation. Now, no longer dependent upon the interpretation of corrupt priests the people could read the Scriptures in their own language. A short time later Martin Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German. Nearly a decade later Luther translated the Old Testament into German. Thereafter, an English scholar, William Tyndale, translated the New Testament into English, followed with an English Old Testament translation. In 1611 the Authorized Version (King James Bible) was completed.

Christianity exploded across the globe during the 19th century when the Scriptures were translated into more than 400 languages. Bible Literacy drives spiritual health and vitality.

Sadly, towards the end of the 20th century Bible reading began its decline in the West as Christians substituted systematic reading of God’s Word with the writings of popular Christian authors. The lack of Bible literacy, similar to Israel, creates a vacuum where idolatry and sexual sin thrive. It is true, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). One only needs to pay attention to our broken culture and the Bible illiteracy among many professing believers to understand that the 21st church faces a critical challenge. Without Bible literacy there is no One to believe in.

A course correction requires a return to Bible literacy, both personally and communally.

How CBT website promotes Bible literacy

CBT begins with a commitment to personal Bible literacy — students read through the entire Bible chronologically. CBT integrates personal Bible reading with small group Bible study with the goal that every disciple develop the skill of retelling the grand narrative of the Bible. As students engage in CBT, they come to know the character of God through His story as the Creator-Redeemer who acts in human history — both in the story and in the lives of contemporary believers. CBT should result in the ability to appropriate faith in everyday life, share the gospel more effectively, and think more deeply about the theological underpinnings of Scripture.

Chronological Bible Teaching provides resources to help you grow in your faith PERSONALLY and to strengthen your faith COMMUNALLY. Below are descriptions of each resource.