Is reading through the Bible in a year a bad thing?
In a thought-provoking post my good friend, Derick Dickens, says that we should stop reading through the Bible in a year. You can follow his reasoning at Complete in Thee. What he is arguing is that mere, casual Bible reading, even annually, will not result in a deep knowledge of God’s truth or a well-developed grasp of Biblical theology.
I don’t think the problem is that so many of us merely read the Bible through every year and, therefore, fail to go any deeper. The truth is few ever read the Bible through even once in their lifetime and, therefore, fail to fully grasp its truth. Since the Bible is all God-breathed from Genesis to Revelation we should aim to read it all, whether annually or otherwise, on a continual basis. We should also recognize that, by itself, casual reading will not suffice for a deep knowledge of God’s word. I make a distinction between reading and studying. What Derick is recommending is Bible study and his method is a good one.
No, reading through the Bible in a year is not a bad thing. Don’t stop reading through the Bible, in a year or in a lifetime, but know that it is not enough.
I say, keep reading through the Bible, but add serious Bible study and don’t forget to make diligent use of the means of grace which includes hearing the preaching of Scripture.