Bible Matters: Making Sense of Scripture

by Tim Chester

The Bible is God's Word. The Bible teaches us how we should live. The Bible is something we should read every day. The Bible is something we should delight to read. Most of us agree with these statements. At least in theory. But what's our reality? Sometimes reading the Bible is a delight. But if we're honest, many other times reading the Bible feels like hard work. We read out of a sense of obligation. And some of us have given up entirely. Tim Chester reminds us that every time we read the Bible we hear the voice of God. The One who spoke and brought the universe into existence, whose voice thundered from Mount Sinai, and whose words healed the sick is who speaks to ustoday. So as we read the Bible we don't merely learn information about God-we hear his voice and encounter his presence. Including a study guide for group use, this book helps us approach reading the Bible with an eager anticipation, expecting to hear God's voice and meet him in his Word. It's up to us to listen.

Genres: Christian, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2017

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Gwilym Tudur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I became a Christian 11 years ago, I’ve read various books about the Bible - its inspired, infallible nature and how to read it and apply it to our lives as Christians. But this one stands out. There is something fresh and inspiring about it. I was genuinely moved to read more of my Bible on account of this great book. Chester writes in an accessible way which intertwines the theological with the personal. This is a book that makes you yearn to see more of Christ in his word.

‘“Have we brought enough food?” The word ‘enough’ can have the sense of the bare minimum. We scrape by with enough. But when we say the Bible is enough, we’re saying something a bit more like, “Enough! I couldn’t possibly eat any more.” The Bible is not meagre rations, enough to get us through the day. The Bible is a feast that satisfies us deeply if only we would sit down intent on enjoying ourselves’ (p. 101).

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Chester reminds us that the Bible is active, alive and contemporary. It's the job of the Bible to master us (not the other way around) and we are to submit to God's clear and perfect teachings. I am sure I will keep coming back to this book in years to come.

"If you want to develop character that endures, then read the Book that endures.
If you want to become a person of real substance, then read the Book of real substance." (pg 32)

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bible is given to us by God with intent. And for it to achieve that intent, its overall message must be clear. It's not written in code, nor in such sophisticated language that only an elite can understand it. The clarity of Scripture is ultimately rooted in God himself and his saving purposes. God wrote the bible to communicate and so it communicates clearly.


Because there is a correct way of reading the bible, we can easily read the bible incorrectly. So we need to answer the why for our motivation and why the bible matters. If our attitude toward the word of God is not one of awe and with the motivation to know him, we will not get much out of it. The catch is our need to get something out of it might not be the right need. Our need is salvation. What keeps us from desiring the things of God? The bible when read correctly, confronts our desires. We know the saying and have probably experienced the pull of our heart. The heart wants what it wants. We can desire good things but with the wrong motivation. The bible addresses our heart. The pride and the brokenness of our hearts.

The 10 chapters will introduce and begin a foundation of how we approach the bible and stay in the word.

The God Who Speaks
God Spoke in the Bible
God Speaks in the Bible
God Speaks Jesus in The bible
The Bible is Relational
The Bible is Intentional
The Bible is Enough
The Bible is Reliable
The Bible Is Accessible
Dying to Read the Bible.

Reading the bible is so important to faith. It keeps us grounded when we need it most. We know God reading the word. In knowing God, we begin to know our selves. We do not know God by knowing ourselves first. The bible is not about us but it is for us. It guides us to respond to God in his glory and place as creator. It guides us to know who is our neighbor and how we love sacrificially. How we serve others that they can respond to God in faith. The bible is not our best life now but the life that given to us in Christ.

A Special Thank You to Intervarsity Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[bex 🌱 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend, helped me love and understand the Bible more

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: An introduction to understanding the Bible, exploring the nature of this collection of books, what Christians believe about it and why, and how God speaks to us today through the Bible.

Many people think the Bible is an important book to read, particularly if they identify as Christians. But sometimes, understanding parts of the Bible is difficult and reading it raises as well as answers questions. Tim Chester wrote this book to help anyone who resembles this description. He is motivated because he believes that the Bible is not only God's communication to the first readers of scripture, but also to us. Most crucially, the Bible, from cover to cover, speaks Jesus to us.

He then explores the nature of this book, a vital discussion for making sense of this book. He asserts that the Bible is:

*Relational: its varying styles of communication are meant to lead us into relation with God.

*Intentional: the books of scripture are written with purpose, and thus asking "why" is vital in our reading and leads us to understand the covenant character of our relationship with God.

*Enough: all we need to know and obey God.

*Reliable: addressing some of the questions that arise about contradictions and inaccuracies, Chester demonstrates the Bible as a trustworthy account reflecting the trustworthiness of God.

*Accessible: Chester offers six principles for making sense of scripture.

Chester concludes this brief work first with a chapter on our disposition as we approach the Bible, which he believes the most important issue in making sense of the Bible. He contends we need to "be dying to read the Bible"--dying to ourselves, our ways of doing things, willing to turn from our sins and anticipating hearing from God. He concludes by writing of his love for the Bible:

     "What's the Bible? It is good, merry, and joyful tidings. Why? Because it tells how Christ has overcome sin, death, and the devil. It tells how Christ has overcome sin, death, and the devil. It tells how those in bondage to sin, wounded with death, and overcome by the devil have been set free by Christ. It tells how we're restored to life, brought to liberty and reconciled to God.

     How should we respond? We cannot but be glad and laugh from the very bottom of our hearts. We praise and thank God. We're glad, sing and dance for joy. There are only two times when I dance: when I'm with small children, and alone in my study when God's word grabs my heart."

Through a conversational style, personal stories as well as clear explanations of things like "plenary inspiration," Tim Chester contagiously shares his love for the Bible, and how this book, through which God speaks, can set our hearts and feet to dancing.

The book also includes a group study guide of seven studies including a "getting started" discussion, a scripture text and discussion questions on the text and questions to go deeper and apply its meaning. This book is a good resource for the person exploring faith, a young Christian just beginning to develop habits of reading scripture, or for a group who want to enrich their understanding of the Bible.

____________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence of introduction: Let me tell you about an amazing experience I had just this morning.

First sentence of chapter one: Tell me about the book you’re reading. You’re only a few words in, but you already know a fair bit about it.You know it’s about the Bible—the title is a bit of a giveaway.

In Bible Matters, Tim Chester shares with readers WHY he loves the Bible. He writes, "My number one aim for this book is this: I want you to realize that every time you read the Bible, you’re hearing the voice of God—just as surely, more surely, than if you have some kind of dramatic experience. Reading the Bible is a dramatic Spirit-filled experience. The God who spoke and brought the universe into existence speaks to you. The God whose voice thundered from Mount Sinai speaks to you. The God in Christ whose words healed the sick speaks to you. I’ve read lots of things about the Bible that I’ve agreed with. But very few have captured how I feel about the Bible and why.That’s what I’ve tried to do in this book."

In chapter one, Chester examines HOW God speaks to us. God talks to us in creation, in history, in his Son, and in his Word--the Bible. He writes, "We can know about him because he speaks to us. But God remains in control of the process. We talk about “grasping” an idea. But we don’t “grasp” God—not even when he reveals himself." He reminds us all that, "just because we’re not listening doesn’t mean God’s not talking."

Three chapters address God speaking in the Bible. The first of these chapters addresses how we got the Bible and the authority of the Bible. He concludes, "Other books can have a big impact on your life. And sometimes their impact is more immediate than the Bible. But that impact will fade. One day they’ll be out of date. But the Bible is never out of date. It’s important to have a sense of this. Why do we love Christian books? Why do we sometimes prefer to read them rather than the Bible? Perhaps because they offer a quick fix. They’re like sugary cereals compared to oatmeal. Sugar gives us a quick high but soon leaves us feeling hungry again. If you want to develop as a person or acquire a new skill, then other books might produce more immediate effects. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to develop character that endures, then read the book that endures. If you want to become a person of real substance, then read the book of real substance. Let the enduring word of God shape who you are."

The second of these chapters is about the present-ness of the Bible. God SPEAKS, present tense. He writes, "The Bible—read, preached, chatted about, or summarized—is what God uses to awaken faith in the hearts of unbelievers and strengthen the faith of believers." This chapter includes two sober warnings, "If we try to “make” the Bible relevant, we open ourselves up to two dangers. First, we might misapply it. We make the Bible say something contemporary. But when you “make” the Bible say something, the chances are you’re communicating your thoughts rather than God’s thoughts. The second danger is even more significant. If we think the Bible isn’t a contemporary word, then we’ll be tempted to update it. We’ll select from the Bible or reinterpret it to make it fit our culture."

The third of these chapters focus on how Jesus is the Word of God, how the Bible--cover to cover--is about Jesus the Word made flesh. Chester writes, "Red-letter Bibles print the direct words of Jesus in red so they stand out to give them special status. The irony is that this is self-defeating, for red text is less legible than black text, so the effect is actually to make the direct words of Jesus less significant! More importantly, it assumes that the rest of the Bible is not the words of Jesus. But Jesus is the Word of God. All revelation is in him and through him. All the words in the Bible are the words of Jesus about Jesus." If you've ever found the Old Testament frustrating, this chapter might help. He includes some helpful tips on how to read the Bible and understand it. It also addresses the question WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The next five chapters address the PURPOSE of the Bible. Titles include: "The Bible is Relational," "The Bible is Intentional," "The Bible is Enough," "The Bible is Reliable," and "The Bible is Accessible." Here are some of my favorite quotes:

*To trust God’s word is to trust God. To disobey God’s word is to disobey God. Adam didn’t say to God in Genesis 3, “I know I doubted your word, but I still trust you.” No, he hid from God in shame because he had disobeyed God’s word. Tim Ward says, To put your trust in the words of the covenant promise God makes to you is itself to put your trust in God: the two are the same thing. *Communication from God is therefore communion with God, when met with a response of trust from us.
*God himself in the person of the Spirit ensures that we meet God himself in the person of his Son when we read the Bible.
*The Bible means what it says, not what we read into it. So reading it is an intellectual process, not in the sense that it can be done only by intellectuals, but in the sense that we need to use our minds as we read it. Reading the Bible is never less than an intellectual process. But reading the Bible is more than an intellectual process. We are not just reading about God. We hear the voice of God and encounter his presence through his words.
*God’s words are spoken with intent. He has a purpose for them.
*The most appropriate question to ask ourselves when we open Scripture to read it is: What is God wanting to do to me, and in me, through the words I am reading? When we read the Bible we must be ready, in the first instance, for God to act on us and in us. For, as we encounter his words, and as we encounter the actions he performs by means of them, we are encountering God himself.
*God’s covenant changes our identity. If you respond to God’s covenant promises in the Bible with faith, then your identity is changed. You become part of God’s people and God becomes your God. *Reading and rereading the Bible with faith reinforces that covenant identity and covenant security. The Bible, then, is intentional in the sense that it’s written with intent. God uses the Bible to achieve his purposes.
*The Spirit opens our blind eyes to see the glory of Christ in the pages of the Bible. Our job is humbly to immerse ourselves in the Bible while praying for the illumination of the Spirit.

The final chapter is "Dying to Read the Bible." This is one of the most thought-provoking chapters I've read in quite a while. Chester writes, "Every day we experience death as we die to sin and self. And every day we experience new life as we’re renewed by God. The death and resurrection of Jesus have their fingerprints all over the Christian life. And that includes reading the Bible." He challenges us to think about reading the Bible in a whole new way, with newly shaped expectations and approaches.

"The Bible brings death and then brings life. The Bible wounds and then heals. The Bible judges and then justifies. The Bible exposes and then clothes. The Bible crushes and then revives. The Bible unmakes and then remakes. The Bible unmasks us and then gives us a new identity."

There is a right way and a wrong way to approach the Bible.

Chester concludes with a short chapter on "Why I Love the Bible."

I definitely loved reading this book. I found it both practical and thought-provoking. Some of the chapters cover the basics--like many other books about the Bible. But other chapters cover Bible reading from a fresh perspective and challenges readers to approach the Bible in a new, more biblical way.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Chester has written the perfect book to help people approach the Bible. Though it would help Christians at any point of their journey, it’s especially instructive to those who are new at wrestling with the Bible. Along the way, Mr. Chester will both enlighten the reader on the doctrine of the Bible and give some guidance on how to properly study the Bible. Through quality writing and timely illustrations, he helps you see that the Bible is no mere book, but a word from God to us.
Though he covers a lot of ground you will find in other books about the Bible, he certainly traces out his own path. Still, he begins by explaining that the Bible is from a God who speaks. Next, he gives us a particularly helpful chapter on how God spoke in the Bible. This chapter will answer a lot of questions. In the third chapter, on God speaking in the Bible, he explains the Holy Spirit’s role. In chapter 4, he sees Jesus as a key theme of Scripture.
Though it is often overlooked by other writers, Mr. Chester explains how the Bible is relational. This chapter really helps you to get your head on straight about the Bible. Likewise, the chapter on the Bible being intentional proves what many critics denied. I enjoyed the chapter explaining that the Bible is enough. You wouldn’t think that would have to be explained, but many Christians need to hear that message.
In chapter 8, he finally gets to the chapter that’s going to be in any book on the Bible – one discussing its reliability. He does a fine job with that subject, but appropriately uses Spurgeon’s analogy that a lion doesn’t need defending! The chapter on the Bible being accessible will help those who are always looking for some messaging code. Hint: it’s not there. He rounds out the book all a chapter about reading the Bible and a short conclusion on why he loves the Bible.
There’s a substantial study guide at the end of the book. With that resource, every chapter could be turned into a study group discussion.
This book is profitable and is worthy of a wide audience. I highly recommend it.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bible Matters
Making Sense of Scripture
by Tim Chester
InterVarsity Press

IVP Books
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 23 Jan 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Bible Matters through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:


This book reminds us that although we should read the Bible sometimes it does feel like hard work. That there are times we seem to solely read it out of a sense of obligation. And there are times we give up reading the Bible entirely out of sheer frustration.


In this book Tim Chester reminds us that when we read The Bible we are hearing the voice of God. We are hearing the voice of the one who spoke the universe into existence, the voice of the one who healed the sick and whose voice echoed off Mount Sinai.


This book includes a Bible study that allows for either individual or group study.


I give Bible Matters five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Jonathan Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really helpful book for people as they are first trying to read the bible for themselves. I would recommend this to anyone new to faith, as well as those who are desiring to go deeper in their bible time. I love how it gives both theological reasoning and also practical tips as to how to encounter God through the bible. Gives a fairly protestant Sola Scriptura theology but makes it a very understandable theology for those less theologically inclined

[Shannon Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed, encouraging guide on Bible reading practices. There are great nuggets of wisdom in the book and I enjoyed it, but felt that it was a little all over the place and tried to throw in "everything but the kitchen sink" about the Bible without the organization needed to support it. I'd recommend reading it for a solid overview of how and why to read the Bible.

*This review is based on a free digital advance copy provided by the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Daniel Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory book into opening the word of God.

[Asher Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess it's nothing groundbreaking, but this is a really really good book about the basics and I would commend it to every Christian.

[Kenson Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately we have seen a resurgence of hard questions against the truth of the Scriptures. Many people say that this book is just a religious invention that springs from fear. But Tim Chester does a masterful job of showing us that the Scriptures are the mind of God.
Honestly it is a book that will guide us to love the Scriptures even more, it will increase a desire to deepen and live the Word of God.

The author begins his book with a fundamental idea: God speaks. God speaks through the Scriptures, therefore Christians can approach and hear God. To deepen our confidence in the sacred book, Tim Chester presents some essential characteristics of the Bible:
- The Bible is Relational
- The Bible Is Intentional
- The Bible Is Enough
- The Bible Is Reliable
- The Bible Is Accessible

Finally, the author encourages us to go to the Scriptures and delight in the mind of God.

It seems to me a very important book for the new generations that are growing in a postmodern society and they need to base their lives on the Word of God.

I really liked the style of the author, very accessible, direct and entertaining. You can read this book in three days. And without a doubt you will jump with more encouragement to seek the Bible and hear the voice of God.

Thanks to IVP for the electronic copy to review.

[Russell Threet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plain and simple truth about this book.: If you believe the Bible to be the Word of God you will love this book. Chester gives us in this book a deeper appreciation for the fact that the God of the universe wrote a book and gave it to us. This book is really a reminder to the Christian what a treasure they have in Scripture. I cam away from this book more excited to read the Bible and any book that can accomplish that is a must read by my standard.

[Brent Johnson]

I heartily recommend this book on the Bible. Chester must be a wonderful teacher and preacher of the Word of God.

Read page 106, the mother telling her daughters to go to bed and their responses to get a taste of his humor and insight into how we read the Bible.