Saving the Bible from Ourselves: Learning to Read and Live the Bible Well

by Glenn R. Paauw

Does the Bible need to be saved? Over the course of the centuries, Bible scholars and publishers have increasingly added "helps"―chapter divisions, verses, subheads, notes―to the Bible in an effort to make it easier to study and understand. In the process, however, these have led to sampling Scripture rather than reading deeply. According to author Glenn R. Paauw, the text has become divorced from the Bible's literary and historical context, leading to misinterpretation and a "narrow, individualistic and escapist view of salvation." Rather than being a culture-shaping force, the Bible has become a database of quick and easy answers to life's troubling questions. But these deficiencies can be corrected by engaging in what the author calls "big readings." In these pages Paauw introduces us to seven new (to us) understandings of the Bible as steps on the path to recovering one deeply engaged Bible. With each "new" Bible presented, deficiencies in how we currently interact with the Bible are explored, followed by recommendations for a new practice. The Bible's transformative power is recovered when we remove the chains Christians have applied to it over the centuries. The Bible does not need to be saved because of any defect in itself, but because we have distorted and misread it. Saving the Bible from Ourselves provides students of the Bible a new paradigm for reading and living the Bible well.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Biblical Studies, Christianity, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion

230 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2016

Reviews

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Glenn Paauw's main point in this book, which is that our Bibles are long overdo for a makeover so that we can actually enjoy reading them like we can do with any other book. But I did have some misgivings about the book when the author started getting into theology.

Paauw points out that the cheap way most Bible's are mass produced, the overwhelming presence of tiny numbers and cross references, tiny print, thin pages, and the over-all poor appearance contribute to the general abandonment of Bible reading in our culture.

Paauw makes his point with elegant, winsome, and sometimes hilarious writing. He even puts his book together to image in a way what a beautifully crafted Bible might look like (with colorful headings, quotes or poetry set apart and formatted correctly). He also builds the structure of the book in a Hebrew chaism. The book was a pleasure to read because of these as well as his gifted writing ability. There was also some fascinating history that Paauw gave, like the fact that the New Testament was originally set in 3 parts in order to match the "First" Testement's 3 parts: Gospels-Acts | Pauline | Catholic Epistles-Revelation in the NT, to match Law | Prophets | and Writings in the OT respectively.

However I also had some reservations about the book. At times the author presents his theological views as simply correct without much engagement of the Bible on them. For example, he seems critical of justification by faith and supports the new perspective on Paul in a way that doesn't really engage those on the other side. He presents a bit of a straw man and then does not back his position with the Bible itself. He also posits the monistic soul sleep after death position as opposed to a belief in heaven after death. He presents the view of heaven as more or less rediculous and only from Greek philosophy as opposed to the Bible. He quotes Alistair Begg here as an example of wrong thinking. He doesn't in all this speak of the alternative, and more biblical position of heaven as an intermediate state, which is after death, but before the creation/restoration of a new earth and the future resurrection. He also in places seems to undermine preaching itself and as far as I can tell, instead endorses only public Bible reading in it's place. All this being said, this is the flavor of the book while reading. However I don’t want to emphasize these points too strongly, because Paauw is always a little cryptic about his own beliefs. I couldn't in the end get a sense of what theological tradition Paauw himself was from, or whether he was or was not in fact evangelical in his Christian views. Not that any of these things matter as far as his main argument is concerned. But when he starts getting into theology it seems to me he could present his position with more clarity and evidence and with more fairness to the other positions.

Over all, this really was a great and engaging read, and Paauw had some excellent wisdom on how we can be better at crafting the good book. I changed my Bible reading habits as a result of this book (more reading of whole books!). A worthy read for anyone interested in the Bible, our intake of it, and it's physical form.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glenn Paauw observes that the Bible is not only the best selling book of all time, it is also the best selling book every single year (13). There are Study Bibles with shiny new notes and cross references; there are patriotic Bibles, 'wilderness' Bible's, and a host of other Bibles for every variety of our Chicken Soup souls. Yet despite the ubiquity of the Bible, there is not a 'deep awareness of the themes, stories and truths of the Bible' (ibid). We tend to read the Bible in increasingly atomistic ways—mining the text for timeless truths totally disconnected from biblical history, canon and context. Scripture Mcnuggets™.

In Saving the Bible From Ourselves, Paauw aims at a recovering a "big reading" of Scripture:

My core argument is  that for most of us, most of the time, small readings prevail over big readings. "Small" and "big" refer to more than the length of the passage we take in. I define small readings as those diminished samplings of Scripture in which individuals take in fragmentary bits outside of the Bible's literary, historical, and dramatic contexts. Also implicated here is a corresponding meager soteriology—that narrow, individualistic, and escapists view of salvation so common among Christians. (11).

In contrast, big readings result when "communities engage natural segments of text, or whole books , taking full account of the Bible's various contexts" resulting in an "apprehension of the story's goal in a majestic regeneration that is as wide as God's good creation"(12).  Paauw aims at moving us beyond our highly individualized consumption of 'Scripture Mcnuggets,' and welcomes us to the feast of Scripture.

Paauw presents his argument in the form of a chiasm (making this book one long chiastic utterance). Here is a look at the overall structure:

The Elegant Bible (chapters 1-2)

The Feasting Bible (chapters 3-4)

The Historical Bible (chapter 5-6)

The Storiented Bible (chapters 7-9)

The Earthy Bible ( chapters 10-11)

The Synagogue Bible (chapters 12-13)

The Iconic Bible (chapters 14-15) (p.19).

Chapters one and two describe the 'Elegant Bible.' Paauw traces how Study Bibles and Chain Reference Bibles, and the like, suffer from biblio-clutter, distracting readers from the words of Scripture in favor of  the commentary. Even chapter numbers and headings divide the text and distract us from engaging the world of Scripture. Paauw argues for an  "extreme Bible makeover"—a Bible excised of distractions, highlighting the words and message of the text.

Chapters three and four describe the need to move beyond our tendency to snack on the Bible (i.e. ripping positive, encouraging verses from context to apply them to our own individual lives). Paauw warns:

Modern consumers are individuals first and foremost, centered on their ability to make choices as independent, self-determining entities. Since most people don't buy what they don't want to hear, this filter prevents our constant search for pleasant verses and favorite passages from ever introducing us to the real Bible. We too easily end up seeing a Cheshire-cat-Bible—all smiles and no body. We find encouragement, but no correction, we heap blessing on blessing and promise on promise but fail to be challenged. This fragmented Snacking Bible fails us, because we have prevented the Bible from being what it is, and turned the Bible into something it is not. How can the Bible possibly do its work? (61).

Against fast-food- Bible-conumption, Paauw invites us to feast on the totality of Scripture. In chapters five and six, Paauw tackles how our dualistic  search for 'timeless truths'  obscures the 'time-full' historicized Bible which speaks to our past, present and future and God's actions in the lives of His people.

The centerpiece of the book is "The Storiented Bible" described in chapters seven to nine. Paauw urges us towards a historical and genre sensitive reading of scripture which has an eye on the Big Story, and our place in it. This involves a canonical sensitivity to the big picture,  reading whole books of the Bible and a commitment to live in creative fidelity to Scripture's grand narrative.

Paauw revisits his earlier themes in the latter half of the book. The historicized Bible is "the Earthly Bible" immersed in the particularities of earthy life (chapters ten and eleven). The privatized "Snacking Bible" gives way to the communal engagement of the Synogogue Bible (chapters twelve and thirteen). The cluttered ugly and over-complicated TMI Bible, gives way to the elegant Iconic Bible (chapters fourteen and fifteen). Paauw makes a strong case for us to recover the particularlity of the Bible,  the communal context of Bible reading, and to make the words of Scripture beautiful again.

Paauw is not alone in his call for us to revolutionize our engagement with the Bible. He draws on the work of N.T. Wright, Christopher Smith, Peter Enns to help us move beyond our atomized biblicism to the big story. He has given us an engaging, well written case for enlarging the Biblical frame and offers a strong critique of 'biblical aids' (i.e. Study Bibles, devotionals, cross references) which distract us from the Word of God itself. I highly recommend this book for anyone. Students of the Bible in Bible College or seminary would do well to imbibe Paauw's perspective. As would pastors and regular lay folk. This is a popular level biblical hermeneutic An enthusiastic five stars. ★★★★★

Note: I received this book from InterVarsity Press in exchange for my honest review.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years back, Adam Greene created a new Kickstarter campaign called Bibliotheca. The purpose of this campaign was to create a Bible as it was meant to be read. The books of the Old Testament are ordered the way they are in the Tanach. In both Testaments, the chapters and verses are removed and the literary styles within the Bible are acknowledged. (Poetry is arranged as such, songs are in stanzas, etc. I don't know if chiasms are made visible.) The book also does not use the cheap binding and thin paper found in so many other mass produced Bibles. Greene's Kickstarter campaign became one of the most successful ever. It pulled in almost 15,000 supporters and more than 1.4 million in contributions. Why was this so successful? Why have there been so many similar style Bibles created in various versions over the past few years?

Glen Paauw answers those questions and more. In a very coherent and readable way, he brings his decades of years in the Bible publishing world to bear in explaining this. This book itself has paired chapters with the first presenting a problem and the second offering a solution (the complicated vs elegant Bible, the snacking vs feasting Bible, the otherworldly vs grounded Bible, etc.).

This is quite possibly the best book outside the Bible that I've read all year. GP has put his finger on a bevy of pet peeves and frustrations I have had. He has given me words for what I have been feeling and ideas for how it can change. I don't 100% agree with his theology at some points in the middle, but it is never anything serious. I find more to disagree with at TGC website or many of the pastors I regularly listen to. Also, he is primarily talking about a physical Bible in most places whereas I am a global nomad and my library is all digital. Even so, this a book that every pastor, every church leader, and every Christian who does not want the Bible on their shelf to collect dust ought to read.

[Phil Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave all three stars for the first 3 chapters of this book. If the writer had stopped there I'd have given him 5 stars. In fact, I thank God for the first 3 chapters; reading them was a huge "A-ha" moment for me. As a result, I've taken up the discipline of reading a Bible with no chapter / verse divisions (a so-called "Reader's Bible"), and in much larger portions ... entire books at a sitting when possible. And I have found it such a fruitful practice.

Neverthless, there are moments when one gets the impression that Paauw's concern to swing the pendulum back the right way results in him (inevitably?) taking it too far. I can think of several reasons why chapters and verses DO have their place. At some points he so emphasizes the meta-narrative of Scripture that it sounds as if God's Word is being mishandled if studied at the level of words, phrases and sentences. Surely the Bible stands up to all scrutiny, both at the telescopic and the microscopic level.

Then, unfortunately, from chapter 4 onward the writer takes a left-hand turn and pushes his own theological biases. He implies these are self-evident and that we'll all come to these positions simply by reading the Bible correctly. Including (1) the "new perspective on Paul" championed by N.T.Wright, and (2) a historicist eschatology.

At one point he even suggests (although it's not original with him) that Luther's doctrine of justification was simply an overreaction. (Quote:) "Tutored in a late-medieval piety and theology focused on personal holiness and introspection, the Augustinian monk struggled deeply with his plagued conscience. The well-established system of Penance and Indulgence ... only fed his tortured preoccupation with his own status before a perfection-demanding God." He suggests that Luther, therefore, came to the Scriptures predisposed to looking for a particular view of justification.

Wow. And there we all were thinking that the Reformation was God actually restoring the core of the gospel to the Church. Apparently it was all just a bit of a misunderstanding because Luther was depressed!

So, I HIGHLY recommend the first 2-3 chapters of this book. That will be enough to really challenge the reader and provide lots of food for thought. Then lay it down and go read something more profitable ... there's plenty out there.

[Becky Pliego · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some points the author makes are super good and worth considering. For example, he insists that we should read all the Bible in bug chunks and talks about the benefits of doing this vs the dangers of just reading the Bible as if all the verses were "McNuggets." I wholeheartedly agree with this and I have actually been doing this for several years now and see all the benefits in it. The first three, maybe four chapters are really good, but you could easily skip the rest.

I must say -just for the record- that I very much disagree with some other points he makes. Including the title of his book.

[George P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is the Bible? What are we supposed to do with it?

The standard way to answer these questions is to outline what Scripture says about itself. A key prooftext is 2 Timothy 3:15–17. According to Paul, Scripture is “holy” and “God-breathed.” We’re supposed to use it to “make [us] wise for salvation” as well as for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training” so that we can be “equipped for every good work.” Wayne Grudem’s classic article, “Scripture’s Self-Attestation and the Problem of Formulating a Doctrine of Scripture,” assembles a formidable array of such prooftexts and is well worth reading.

Glenn R. Paauw (pronounced “pow”) takes a very different approach in his thought-provoking book, Saving the Bible from Ourselves. He begins with how publishers format our Bibles rather than how Scripture speaks about itself. Why? Because, to borrow a phrase from Marshall McLuhan, the medium shapes the message.

To see this, take out the copy of the Bible you read and open it. My guess is that it has, at minimum, two columns per page, chapter and verse numbers, headings, cross-references and footnotes. If it is a study Bible, it has all that plus book introductions, thematic articles, study notes, maps, diagrams, charts, tables, pictures and a handy concordance at the end to help you find the verses you’re looking for. Chances are, there are more words per page devoted to commentary on Scripture than Scripture itself.

I don’t know about you, but the only kinds of books I read that have all those features are textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, technical manuals and the like — reference books, in other words. If the medium shapes the message, then how publishers format our Bibles subtly but persistently teaches us to approach the Bible as a reference book. Approaching the Bible as a reference book is both overwhelming and underwhelming for readers, however.

The more information publishers cram onto a page the more overwhelming Bible-reading becomes for the average reader. As Paauw puts it, “We have effectively buried the text and blinded readers with data smog.” I didn’t realize how smoggy my Bible was until I started using the ESV Reader’s Bible a couple years ago. That version presents the biblical text in a single column on the page and deletes chapter and verse numbers, headings, cross-references and footnotes. Prose sections are formatted in paragraphs, and poetic sections are formatted in stanzas. The result is a Bible that is beautiful and pleasing to read.

Paradoxically, however, the reference-book Bible is also underwhelming to the average reader. The standard Bible-publishing format has taught us to think of God’s Word as an encyclopedia of divine quotations organized around topics. Want to know what the Bible teaches about X? On this approach, all you need to do is look up X in the index — I mean, concordance — and find every verse where Scripture mentions it.

The problem is that not every bit of the Bible is as inspirational or as quotable as every other part. My dad graduated from a Christian college. Many of his friends signed his yearbook with a biblical reference, for example, “Jane Doe, John 3:16.” They didn’t quote the verse because most of the time, it was so well known that they didn’t have to. My dad — kidder that he is — signed his name with Exodus 22:18. Had anyone bothered to look up that verse, they would’ve found that it read, in the immortal words of King James, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

My dad’s antics make me laugh every time, but they also raise a serious question. If we have been subtly but persistently taught to read the Bible as a reference book of inspirational quotations, what do we do when discover that it contains Exodus 22:18? Or long stretches of ancient history? Or laments and imprecations? Or hard words from Jesus? Or challenging theology in Paul? Or the entire Book of Revelation?

Rather than approaching the Bible as a reference book — which both overwhelms and underwhelms the average reader — how about approaching the Bible without all the reference-book paraphernalia and the interpretive assumptions that go along with? What might reading such a Bible look like?

Paauw describes the resulting Bible this way: “a Bible that is presented as literature, eaten in natural forms, grounded in history, inviting in its narrative, restorative in its theme, engaged in community and honored in its aesthetic presentation.”

In other words, it’s a Bible with clear, easy-to-read pages rather than data smog. It’s a Bible attentive to the fact that prose looks different on the printed page than poetry, and that different literary genres have different interpretive rules and practices. When we read it, we encounter what Karl Barth called “the strange new world in the Bible,” attentive to the fact that God revealed himself to particular people in particular times and particular places, but in such a way that He changed them, their age, and their culture. Reading becomes a matter of seeing the Bible’s individual stories (about Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul) contributing to the Big Story (creation, fall, election, redemption, glorification) that touches on every aspect of our lives. Moreover, rather than reading the Bible as isolated individuals, we remember that God desires to save a people for himself, and thus read it as a fellowship of the redeemed.

You’ll need to read Saving the Bible from Ourselves to understand what Paauw is proposing in detail. Speaking for myself, I found his book eye-opening, thought-provoking, and habit-reforming. I recommend it highly, and I’ll no doubt read it again.

But before you go out and purchase Paauw’s book, let me encourage you to pick up a reader’s version of the Bible. Crossway publishes the ESV Reader’s Bible. Zondervan publishes The Books of the Bible , which uses the NIV. (Paauw served as a consultant on this project.) If not a reader’s version, at least pick up a single-column Bible that isn’t a study Bible. If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll find it easier to read the Bible for longer periods of time, and you’ll start to notice details that had escaped you before.

Second Timothy 3:15–17 is right, of course. The Bible is “holy” and “God-breathed.” It is “useful” in equipping us “for every good work.” Unfortunately, we’ve smogged up God’s Word with all the human additions we print on its page, making it harder to read and understand. It’s time to save the Bible from our well-intentioned publishing efforts, and Glenn Paauw’s book is a big step in the right direction.

_____
P.S. This review was written for InfluenceMagazine.com and appears here with permission.

P.P.S. Check out my Influence Podcast with Glenn R. Paauw.

P.P.S. If you found this review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon review page.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every Christian. Whether you love the Bible and/or don’t know what to do with it, read this. If you say you take the Bible seriously, read this. If you’re struggling with how to interact with the Bible, read this. If you hate how the Bible has been used and abused, read this. If you want to deepen your spiritual formation, read this.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful engaging look at the way we relate to the Bible and how that has changed for the worse over time. It is not a book about how we should "read the bible more" though author Glenn Paauw does encourage that. And it is not a book about how to make the Bible easier and more accessible. If anything it does the exact opposite. This is a book about how we try to make the Bible something that it is not and how that leads to misunderstanding and misapplication. Paauw weaves together a broadly reformed theology, the current discussions about narrative and Christ centered hermeneutics (led by NT Wright) and years of experience in printing Bibles to challenge the way we see our scriptures. Paauw believes that we have created an ugly Bible. Our Bibles are printed in columns with individually numbered verses, chapter headings and notes which break up our reading into little thought units. Such a format flattens out the natural rhythm of a narrative, the meter of a poem or the overall structure of a letter. It does not let the bible be what it is, a collection of books written in different genres to different people in different cultures yet crafted so as to reveal the story of God redeeming the world. Our Bible are collections of verses which we take out of context and treat as stand alone propositions, magic formulates or timeless promises. Thus we misunderstand, misapply and quickly become disillusioned. Beyond that we tend to read very small pieces of the Bible in isolation since the chapters and subject headings encourage that. The answer to the ugly bible is the elegant Bible free of distractions, notes and verse marking speaking with its original rhythms and narrative structure. Instead of snacking on the Bible we can feast. Instead of isolated verses we read narratives, songs and letters of real people in a real world that God is recreating. There is much more here including insights about individualism, consumerism, beauty and community. Perhaps no one has spent more time thinking about the Bible as a real, physical object with a divine message than Glenn Paauw. This valuable book is the fruit of his labor.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. Seriously.

[David Mosher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read one of the best books written this year, “Saving the Bible From Ourselves” by Glenn Paauw. While I have spent considerable time studying the bible, I don’t think I have read anything more informative in so few pages. Whether or not you are familiar with the history of the bible, it will truly move you. I must say, there was an overwhelming sense of guilt rising in me as I was reading the book, “were supposed to read the bible this way?” That guilt quickly manifested into inspiration, inspiration to see the bible in a whole new light.

The bible is the magnificent story of creation and redemption, it is God’s story told to us through a series of people and events. Why don’t we treat it that way? Why don’t we see it as the thing of beauty that it is. The glorious story! The main reason? Two words - chapters and verses. While chapters and verses were introduced in the last 400-600 years, the early manuscripts available do NOT include chapters and verses. You might be thinking to yourself right now, “wait, what?” Those were added much later, over a thousand years later. The bible scholars out there are saying to themselves, “everybody knows that!”. The reality is no, not everyone who reads the bible understands the history of the bible. That is what makes Paauw’s book so important.

It is easy to understand why chapters and verses were developed, it makes for quick reference and study. It also allows what Paauw says is the “snacking bible” concept. We just snack on the bible, when we really should be feasting on the bible. Just think about all of the verses that are pulled out and placed on commercial items, most are taken out of complete context. It is easy to see how chapters and verses have led to snacking on the bible which has led to the commercialization of the bible which has led to millions of bibles just sitting on the shelf. The bible, when set in our current format, doesn’t necessarily motivate you to read it. We have killed the absolute joy the bible is supposed to bring. We have chopped the bible into 30,000+ verses and we knock people upside the head verse by verse. Take a little from here, a little from there and use it as you see fit. That is not how it was designed.

There is a better way and Paauw has some simple solutions for us. One is to seek out a reader’s bible. Like many others, I purchased several copies of Bibliotheca and to date, they have yet to ship. We are now being told they will ship in early December. Rather than waiting, I purchased Crossway’s 6 piece reader set in the ESV translation. I will never read the bible the same way again. All chapters and verses have been removed, paragraph breaks have been realigned and all printed on European material. The paper feels great, the ink and font look amazing and the binding is well done. Now, this is the bible.

The set came just a week ago, so I decided to crack open the letters from Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude first. I have been able to get through Paul's letters to the Romans, Corinthians and Galatians. Reading Paul’s letters in the format they were written (or at least close) has brought a new appreciation to God’s Word. You gain a deep appreciation for what Paul was saying to the churches. In our current chapter/verse bibles, it is very difficult to see the entire train of thought. We also tend to lose focus because just as you really get going, there is a chapter, title and verse break. Done, time to close the bible and move on to something else. But what if you were reading Paul’s letters like a real letter? Your ability to absorb and retain the information rises significantly. You also have a real desire to continue reading, much like you would a regular book.

Paauw also recommended Makoto Fujimura’s The Four Holy Gospels, an illuminated version of the four gospel accounts. It is a stunning display of beauty and while it does have chapters and verses, they are extremely subtle leaving your eyes captivated on the images and style of the book itself. An absolute treat to read the gospel accounts in this manner. Another, inexpensive option, recommended by Paauw is The Books of the Bible by Biblica. We picked up a used copy of that and it is definitely worth the few dollars it will cost you.

[Teresa Forsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There are many things I liked about this book, although they were almost lost in the length and repetitiveness of the message. The main premise of the book is that the author believes the current format of our Bible (verse, chapter, headings, cross references, etc) was not the intended nature of the Bible and takes away from the story of the Bible. While I believe the author is right in that there is a tendency to snack on small portions of the Bible, I don’t believe taking away from our current structure will open doors for people to read the Bible more.

Here are the things I enjoyed about this book: the Bible should be read as one book with one story that is told throughout. The Bible should be read in context of whom it is speaking to and the historical context. People do have a tendency to latch on to familiar verses without looking at context. But I have been able to apply much of what the author is concerned with, even while utilizing verses and chapters and understanding the literary form.

Things I would like to see more of based on things the author presents: I loved his idea of the Bible being read publicly and at length (reading a whole epistle as it would have been read to the original churches). I also was struck by the idea of studying the Bible as a group (not studying individually and then coming together as a group to discuss).

Overall, his concept was well presented. But I don’t think it is necessary to take away the format that makes verses easily accessible in order to accomplish much of what he presents. That being said, if he published a Bible in the format he presented, I might buy a copy for times when I wanted to read through the Bible in a year.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has done more to change my way of thinking about the Bible than anything I've read in the last several years. Here are a few of the main points that the author made that stood out to me:
1. The Bible must be understood on its own terms. While it is a timeless book in that it speaks to all people in all ages, we cannot simply read it as if it was written by a 21st century English-speaking author.
2. The Bible presents its information and truth in a particular format, and we need to understand this in order to gain a proper understanding of what God is saying through it. While there are things that have been changed about the format of the Bible to help us (for example, the addition of chapter and verse numbers), if we begin to see those helps as more than just helps, we are in danger of losing the meaning of the original text.
3. Just like a favorite song that one listens to over and over with fresh joy each time with the discovery of new facets of the song and renewed experiences with the familiar melody, so should be our reading of the Bible. The Bible isn't a textbook, or a compilation of truths, but a collection of writings with various genres and authors fitting into an overall narrative.

I desire to love the Bible; I long to read the Bible not because it is something I must do, but because I love doing it. The fresh perspective on the Bible I gained from reading this book gives me hope that this can happen. I've already begun reading a Reader's Bible, and the way I read it has already changed for the better.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paauw writes a compelling book from an usual starting point. Paauw works in the Bible publishing industry and yet turns his attention to what contemporary atomized Bibles (chapters and verses, study notes, etc) have done to our ability to read the Bible.

The presents a variety of needs/solutions in the form of "Bibles" we have and what he would propose. His premise is that we have stopped reading the meta-narrative in favor of Bible McNuggets (a quote from another author). He is, without question, compelling and convicting.

What he offers in return -- An Elegant Bible--back to a script only (no helps--no verses, chapters, notes, etc) so that we will read in context. He consistently affirms and exemplifies his choice by never using chapter/verse references but refers to textual information in contextual reference.

I believe this should be required reading for all Bible students. If nothing else, it would remind us that the queen/king of principles is context and force readers to deal with Scripture in a far healthier fashion.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glenn R. Paauw, has written a book about Saving the Bible From Ourselves: Learning to Read and Live the Bible Well. And it is about time I read a book about this, so I can do what it recommends to do. I am also, including the Bible in this. Everyone in Christianity looks at the Bible and holds it. But, do we tightly hold it with our agendas and debates, or hold firm to the story and beauty of the Bible? When we go back to the Bible, what is the motive for doing so? Yes. This book is important on this level and many others. This is why time reading this book and the Bible must be done slowly.

Readers of the Bible, must slow down and appreciate the historical context and literary genres. Since God is taking time to communicate in this way, we must understand the flow and movements of the text. According to Paauw, the Bible is not a fortune cookie, where we can pluck thoughts and motivational sayings from. This is doing the Bible--and God--an injustice.

The Bible is God's word to us, and how we read it and take time with it is important to God.

[Grace Boone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt it was a bit repetitive and pushed the "no one in the entire universe is doing this correctly" narrative a touch too hard at points, which was a little off-putting. I admire a lot of individuals who DO read this Bible for what it truly is in essence of being the Word of God. Of course I don't doubt the author conveyed this semi condescension on accident; he just came across ever so slightly aggressive (not to be mistaken with righteously passionate!), especially as the book progressed. It felt like his truth is THE truth - I had issues with that.

Ah, now that the negative is out of the way, this was remarkably compelling! I agree with many other reviewers that the first couple of chapters were the absolute strong-suit of this book. We've made the Bible regal in all of the wrong ways, and Paauw is advocating for a re-do or doing away with of many of these aesthetics. Absolutely on board with this. Haven't encountered a book like this before, so I am very pleased I picked this up. No doubt I'll return to it.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began to study ancient history and cultures in our homeschool I did not expect that it would effect the way I read the Bible. But it did. Reading individual books of the Bible with some knowledge of the cultural and historical context added perspective and understanding.
On another note, as I continued to learn about and see the broad range of literary devices used throughout the varied works of the Scriptures my appreciation and respect for the Bible grew. It is a work of art, even in its present form.
I suppose those experiences prepared my heart for Glenn R. Paauw’s book.
He covers much more than the two things I mentioned. I hope you will not be put off by the title. Along with a history of how we have arrived with the Bible in its present form, he gives valuable instruction on how to read it well.

[Shauna Trotzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paauw writes a compelling argument of how to read the Bible or without bringing our own thoughts, ideas and prejudices to this beautiful, holy book. We need to come to this holy scripture and give it the dignity it is worth. Rather than cherry picking verses to meet our current needs, we should be reading the Bible slowly, deeply and for large chucks of scripture. What a profound way to approach the Bible; to come ready to receive what it has to give rather than come to the text and manipulate it to say what I need to hear.

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are we distorting the Bible with all our modern additives? Are there better ways of reading scripture than what we currently teach and attempt in our current western culture? Glenn R. Paauw has been in the Bible publishing business for a long time and has a lot of knowledge on the subject. Here he outlines several different ways we should be approaching the Bible, each in contrast to what is generally popular. He has some interesting things to say, things I have been mulling over, but I couldn't quite get it out of my head that he sells Bibles, and this started to read like a list of reasons to buy a new Bible. One that doesn't do this or that, or have this thing or look like that. Even when he was talking against consumerism, I still kinda felt it. 😅🤷‍♀️
Still, a thoughtful read with some ideas I liked and some I didn't but overall it made me think and that's what I wanted from it.

[geoffrey ellerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!!!

This book is a powerful and dynamic instrument to show us how we are to read the greatest Book ever written. I highly recommend that you read this book before you read The Book as it will serve as a guide to understanding the Message contained in the Scriptures. You won't regret doing so!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a remarkable book; a call to reading the story of God not though individual eyes, but through the eyes of the community of God. This is a book I will return to again because it challenged me in two I read the Bible and how I understand the story God is writing.

[Tony Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good, the bad, the ugly

A book with a lot a great tactics to be a better student of the Word. But its strategy of creating meaning and biblical purpose based on what we do with it creates the postmodern dilemma it purports to avoid.

[Jon Box · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changed my ways of reading the Bible and looking at it,bl particularly regarding community reading ... So glad I discovered this book and considered it's teachings! Now to put it's ideas into practice ...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Highly recommend for anyone sensing that there is more to reading and living the Bible well than we might have yet experienced. Love all of the author’s suggestions for fresh ways in which the Word can be read.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read on how to approach the Bible in many years. So important and helpful. Looking forward to helping others read long portions of Scripture in community with open discussion.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It challenged the way I approach scripture and has changed the way I read my bible.

[Steve Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very timely.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the topic, but this is one of those books that he could have made his point in 1 or 2 chapters. By expanding it into an entire book, it became quite repetitive.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 21st centuries premier entry text for understanding the bible. Should be a primer required reading for all who are dealing with the Christian scriptures.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend has been walking our SS class through this insightful book. There are parts I'd argue with, but there are more parts to which I will say a resounding ,"Amen!"

[Kyle Haack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenges the way we read the Bible, seeking a better way.