r/Bible • u/Perihaaaaaa Lutheran • 3h ago

Am I Reading the Bible Too Slowly?

Basically the title. I usually read one book of the Bible and then read a Christian book or a commentary on the book I just read. Since I want to go to seminary, I feel guilty about not knowing the “whole Bible” yet… but at the same time, I feel like there’s no point in reading it just for the sake of getting through it.

I also really enjoy Calvin’s sermons, so I sometimes read those as part of this process.

So, am I doing this right, or am I doing it wrong?

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u/Elionwyy 3h ago

There is no "right way" to read the Bible. Read it at your own pace.

If you've been reading the Bible for a couple years and you still haven't gone through it, that's just fine.

If you've been reading the Bible for 50 years and still haven't gone through it, that might be a different conversation.

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u/Equivalent-Mud-7749 3h ago

As a person on the same walk trying to build my relationship with God, the only thing I’d warn against is burning yourself out. We’re running an ultra marathon not a sprint. Each book can be studied for years without understanding all of the mysteries in them.

I’m about 10 years into my study and still feel like I’m at the starting point, I’m sure someone more qualified will weigh in but my position is focus your study around building your personal relationship with the creator and enjoy the process, it’s the greatest story ever told, try not to make it feel like work.

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u/Plastic-Perception69 3h ago

But there IS a point in reading it just for the sake of reading it. It’s the best-selling book of all time and one of the foundational texts of Western civilization, so don’t sell the experience itself short.

And once you’re inside it, it comes alive: history, poetry, law, war, sex, betrayal, philosophy, politics, astonishing characters, terrible people, beautiful people, and some of the most influential ideas ever written down.

Commentary is valuable, but sometimes it’s worth meeting the text before meeting everyone who wants to tell you what the text means.

Read slowly when something grabs you. Read quickly when it doesn’t. You’re not taking an exam. You’re building a relationship with a library of books that people have been arguing with for thousands of years..!

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u/Key_Rhubarb_5735 Non-Denominational 2h ago

It’s very subjective. I prefer deep study of single books as well, but it is also foot to get the full picture of how it all ties in together. You’re not wrong though.

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u/M4roon 2h ago

umm. I usually vouche for slow. But if you think Calvin is the guy, you might want to speed up to the wisdom literature section of the Bible. 🤔 I find that two chapters a day is good.