This story was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Informer is a member).
From family heirlooms to hotel nightstands, the Bible is everywhere. It is the life manual and guidebook for those who claim Christianity as their faith, and a great collection of literature for those who love to read.
The 66 books in the Bible — divided into two testaments — contain law, history, poetry, doctrine, daring feats, and drama. Some call it God’s love letter to his people.
It’s no wonder, then, that it holds the title as the best-selling book in history, with an estimated 5 to 7 billion copies sold worldwide. The King James version, with over 1 billion copies sold, is still the most popular version globally, while the New International Version (NIV) is the best-selling translation in the United States. And in the United States, it’s estimated that Bible sales top $425 million annually.
But with so many copies being sold all the time — 88% of American households own at least one copy, and the average household owns four — the question is whether or not they’re actually being read.
It turns out, only 11% of Americans report reading it daily. Is it difficult to fit Bible reading into our daily schedules? Is the Bible too hard to read? Does it not hold our interest?
I posed these questions on Facebook, and several people weighed in.
Sherry Hunt replied that she’s reading the Bible right now, specifically, the book of Judges, “Whew! Pray for me,” she requests.
Sounds like a challenge.
Reading the Bible Daily
J.C. Ryle, a 19th-century Anglican bishop, said, “Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive reading.”
Theologian A.W. Tozer, in complete agreement, said, “Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”
The Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, famously encourages all who listen that reading the Bible will make you a better Christian.
And there’s hope: “Our youngest adults show signs of interest in the Bible, curiosity about it, and transformative interaction with it,” ABS Chief Program Officer John Farquhar Plake, editor in chief of the “State of the Bible” report, told Religion Unplugged. “Last year, 50% of Gen Z adults (ages 18-27) agreed that the message of the Bible has transformed their lives. This year, that number rose to 54%.”
Have You Read the Bible Cover-to-Cover?
A 2016 Lifeway Research Study revealed that about 20% of Americans say they have personally read the entire Bible at least once, with 9% saying they’ve read it more than once. But do folks read it cover-to-cover?
“I have NOT read the Bible cover-to-cover although I am a committed student of the Bible. I have preferred to study as I have been led, rather than reading sequentially because I am strengthened by a method of study to which I feel called,” says Charlene Ndi.
Ndi also says that reflecting on Bible-reading habits “prepares us to give account for the spiritual lives we live.”
While Rusty Saunders, minister of music and arts on The Hill, hasn’t read the Bible cover-to-cover, he says: “But I’m sure I will be attempting this task again in the future,” he said.
Juanita Shields says she’s tried several times and is still working toward the goal.
“And I’m going to try again,” she says, “and get back to you!”