Reading a whole book of the Bible in one or two sittings
The Bible is a library: each book has its author, its audience, its purpose. Yet we often read it in fragments, as if it were a collection of quotations. This quest offers you another way: read a whole book, in one or two sittings, then sum it up in three sentences.
What it looks like in your day
Here are the steps of an overall reading:
- Choose a book of reasonable size. Less than an hour of reading in total. A few suggestions: Galatians, Colossians, Titus, 1 Peter, Jonah, Habakkuk, Esther, Mark.
- Prepare the ground. Read a short introduction: who is writing, to whom, for what reason?
- Read in one go. Without stopping to dig deeper. The way you would read a letter or a story.
- Spot the words that recur, the themes, the structure: the main parts, the high points.
- Sum up in three sentences. One for the subject, one for the central message, one for what it changes for you.
An example with the letter to the Galatians: "Paul writes to churches that are falling back into legalism. He reminds them that we are saved by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. The freedom Christ gives is a freedom to love."
If you are in a hurry, choose a book of four chapters. If you are a beginner, start with Jonah: a short and surprising story. If you are shy about a whole book, remember that the first reading doesn't have to be perfect.
What the Bible says
In Nehemiah's day, the people gather to hear the reading of the law. The text explains how the reading went:
“So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”
Notice the words "distinctly" and "sense": they read the whole thing, then explained it. Reading a book in one go, then reflecting on its meaning, is exactly this approach. The letters of the New Testament were made to be read all at once to the whole assembly. Paul asks:
“I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.”
"That this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren": the whole letter, before everyone. And to the Colossians, he says that it should circulate among churches (Colossians 4:16). Reading an entire letter is therefore the natural way of receiving it.
Pitfalls to avoid
Reading too fast, without attention. Reading in one go is not skimming. Keep a speed that lets you follow the argument.
Wanting to resolve every difficulty. A whole book contains obscure passages. Note them, and keep going. They will become clearer with the rest.
Forgetting the historical context. A book was born in a specific situation. Without the introduction, some passages seem strange.
Summing up vaguely. "God is good" is not enough. Look for what is specific to this book: its message, its vocabulary, its angle.
Always choosing the same books. Dare to step out of your preferences: a prophet, a book of wisdom, a little-known letter.
This week, choose a short book. Read it in one or two sittings, then sum it up in three sentences.