Why you should read the Bible if you are not a Christian

You don't have to be someone who follows Jesus to know the Bible has impacted western culture in invaluable ways.   More than six billion Bibles have been printed and at least some parts of the Bible have been translated into almost 3,000 languages.   The Bible is comprised of sixty-six different books, written by approximately forty different writers, over 1600 years, on three different continents, in three different languages, on thousands of different subjects, yet with one central theme—God's revealing of Himself to mankind in the person of Jesus.


Now, if you are already one who believes in and follows Jesus, you probably know the reasons you should read your Bible.  But, what if you aren't a Christian--why should you read a Bible? Let me give you two really good reasons.

First, read the Bible so you can know what it says.  One thing I've discovered over the years is that many people think they know what's in the Bible but when pressed, they really don't.  They may have some vague notions but all too often even those perceptions aren't correct.  Too many people think things come from the Bible when in reality they don't.  For instance, here's one I hear often; "God helps those who help themselves."  That's not in the Bible.  In fact, one of the major themes of the Bible is that God helps them who can't help themselves!  Another such saying is, "Cleanliness is next to godliness."  I wish that was in the Bible so I could use it to encourage some folks I know.  So read the Bible so you will definitively know what it says.

A second reason to read the Bible is so that you might be introduced to Jesus.  Just like what's in the Bible, too many people have misconstrued ideas of who Jesus is.  Let Jesus speak for Himself.  He once told people that the older part of the Bible--it's divided into an old and new part--actually points people to Himself.  Did you know that Jesus often hung out with people others called thieves and prostitutes, and that some of His harshest rebukes were for religious people?  Don't go by what you think Jesus was like; read for yourself.

The New Year is often impetus for change or to try something new.   With that thought, I'd like to encourage you to pick up a Bible and read it.  Find out what it really says and let Jesus speak for Himself.  If you do decide to read, know that the Bible isn't like a chronological story that begins on page one and ends on the last page--remember, the Bible is actually sixty-six different books.  So find that divide between the old and the new, turn to the new part and begin reading the first book in that new part--the book of Matthew. It's actually about the life of Jesus.  If you find that interesting and helpful, then turn to the fourth book of the new part, the book of John, and read that.  John records a number of talks that Jesus gave.

My own life story was affected deeply by what I read in those pages.  Maybe yours will be as well.