8 UCW JULY 12-18, 2017
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
Who Studies the Bible?
Lots of people enjoy reading the Bible. Pastors
spend a lot of time studying the Bible in prepara-
tion for Sunday's message. But others who teach
the Bible, like Sunday School teachers or small-
group leaders, also spend a lot of time thinking
about the Bible. You don't have to be a teacher
to study the Bible. In fact, all Christians should
study God's word.
Should I study one book or read it all?
Reading the entire Bible is a worthwhile en-
deavor. But let's be honest, that's a lot to bite off
at once. Besides, there are a lot of historical and
cultural issues to study so that you can under-
stand all the Bible. Granted, every Christian
should seek to read the Bible at least once and
maybe even once a year.
It's also beneficial to study a single book of the
Bible. Focusing on one book allows the reader
to understand the original author's purpose. It
takes time to study the background of a book,
but it's important to know the author, audience
and occasion of a book. It is also helpful to study
"Chapter 3" after reading "Chapter 2." It did
come in that order for a reason!
Where Do I Start?
is question often baffles Bible readers. With
66 different books, is it better to start with the
Old Testament or the New? Maybe a Gospel
about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
Or perhaps a shorter book like Philippians?
If you are ready to jump into a Bible book
study, where do you start? Right now, I am work-
ing through the Gospel of Mark. It's a relatively
short book at 16 chapters. Plus, there is a lot of
action. But there are shorter books, like Philip-
pians, Colossians and 1 John.
A goal might be to read and study all 66 books
of the Bible. But if you're interested in getting
a full sweep of the entire Bible, consider study-
ing a shorter list of specific books. For example,
the book of Genesis is important to the entire
biblical story. Many Christians have found great
comfort in reading the Psalms. e Gospel of
John displays the story of Jesus's life beautifully.
Studying some of these major books helps put
the entire Bible into context.
Bible book studies are important. Our Biblical
Studies degree requires students to take courses
in the following books: Genesis, Daniel, John,
Romans and Hebrews. We believe these books
are significant in understanding the Christian
faith and doctrine.
For more information, visit www.ccbs.edu or
give us a call at (910) 323-5614.
Which Books of the Bible Are Best to Read First?
by DR. CHRIS DICKERSON
BIBLICALLY SPEAKING
DR. CHRIS DICKERSON, Dean of
Online Studies, Carolina College of Biblical
Studies. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom-
ingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200.
Genesis, Daniel, John, Romans and Hebrews are significant in un-
derstanding the Christian faith and doctrine.
