It's a book, not a leaflet

It seems these days, everyone considers themselves an expert on the Bible. Some people believe this without ever having picked one up. Some people think that merely reading it is enough. Whatever the case, the Bible is an extremely complex book that is often treated as if it was extremely simple.

The first clue to the fact that the Bible is a complex book is the fact that it isn't actually just one book. Rather, it's a collection of 66 books, most of which are often forgotten. How often do we quote from the book of Amos? Can you remember the key theme of Hezekiah? Who remembers Nehemiah? What, if anything, can you tell me about Obadiah? How many of you picked up on the fact that Hezekiah isn't even a real book?

You would be surprised how many people fall for that last trick. Hezekiah just sounds Biblical (and indeed, is a Biblical figure), and so most people don't even give it a second glance. But the Bible needs a second glance. And a third. And a fourth. In fact, a mere glance is not enough to gain a full understanding. It's not enough to just read the Bible, it must be studied. And that's what Paul tells Timothy to do: Study to show yourself approved by God as a workman able to correctly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

The Bible is so deep that you can literally study it every day for the rest of your life and there will always be something about it you don't know. Even verses you have become intimately familiar with, you could one day see from a whole new angle. Thus, it is never wise to treat the Bible as if it was just a leaflet, reading it once and assuming you know everything you will ever need to know. Rather, the Bible should be read as the book it is, not just being a normal book with a human author, but actually being the very word of God Himself.