Covenant Presbyterian Church

As a child I was encouraged by pastors and teachers to read the Bible. The exercise in itself was profitable, for early and long exposure to Scripture exerts a powerful influence upon the life that far surpasses the immediate effects. I would occasionally find a subject of particular interest, but like many I read in fits and starts, usually motivated by guilt, sometimes by an inexplicable compulsion. Something happened when I was about thirteen or fourteen. After having struggled along with various Bible reading programs, I heard a well-known Bible teacher give an energetic and compelling message about Bible memorization. This changed the Bible for me. It changed me, for I began to learn to chew.

"Read your Bible" has become something of a mantra in evangelical circles. But this advice is problematic in an age that generally does not read, scores very low in reading comprehension, and has a flickering attention span. Hence, telling someone to read the Bible is like telling a baby standing before a banquet table to enjoy the feast. Babies cannot chew; feasts are worthless to them. And this is the way it has become for many believers. They cannot handle milk; how can they be expected to chew, to handle the strong meat of Scripture?

Learning to chew is a process. First, it requires that we do not approach the Bible as a magical book. Reading it quickly, waiting for a flash of spiritual illumination, seeking that pithy principle de jour is how most read the Bible. They quickly burn out. It is important that we approach the Bible as God’s word, the revelation of his character and will for our lives. It is not a Reader’s Digest to be scanned quickly but en encyclopedia to be absorbed, carefully and loving read, thoughtfully and honestly applied. This attitude about the Bible is inseparable from a high view of its authority and inspiration, and it is why the church has ever resisted the tendency to lower the claims of either. It has not been to defend a tradition; it has been to honor God and keep the soul of man from withering up and dying. Accordingly, learning to chew begins with right views of Scripture: that is from God, was given by the direct and immediate work of the Holy Spirit, is perfect in all its parts, reveals life and salvation through Jesus Christ, and is the heavenly manna that feeds us and nourishes us unto eternal life.

Then we must come to Scripture in the manner God intends. Though the Bible is his word, he revealed and had it written in human language. As such, we must take the single sense of each passage as it stands - not isolated from the remainder of Scripture or from the immediate context - but as a statement, command, question, or exhortation that expresses the will of God. Each text of Scripture has a single sense or meaning. While each text is capable of many applications, each application we draw must be consistent with the single meaning of the text we are reading. There are not multiple layers of meaning: the plain meaning, an allegorical meaning, etc. There are also no hidden meanings, texts, prophecies, or messages in Scripture. As the imperative revelation of God to sinful men, it would be beneath God to hide messages in a fashion accessible only to those that find the code. I assure you that the Bible is rich enough as it stands written to justify and reward a lifetime of careful reading, study, meditation, and application. It cannot be exhausted, for the mind of the Spirit is the mind of God. It is thus critical for believers to develop their reading and grammatical skills, appreciation of historical narrative and events, reasoning ability, and comprehension. The latter involves attention more than anything else. We will not derive much benefit from Scripture if we come with a television mentality or a "Cliff Notes" approach to literature. Biblical religion and the entertained mind are antithetical. The entertained mind seeks to escape from reality; the Bible brings us back to reality, which is often painful, rarely tidy, and always challenging.

Having prepared our "teeth," i.e., understanding our food and how to eat it, we must chew. Consider James 4:1,2: "From whence come wars and quarrels among you? Do they not come from hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not." The single sense of this text is that the conflict and quarrels that exist among men come from inner sin: lust, murderous thoughts, unsatisfied cravings, prayerlessness. Fighting and hostility among men are not the result of poor communication techniques, legitimate aggression against intrinsically unfair social arrangements, male aggression, or because "Men are from Mars and women from Venus." They come instead from the sinful desires of the heart: anger, lust, lack of communion with God, hatred. This is the single sense of James’ words.

Chewing them a little will bring out a host of applications for our own lives. Our first thought may be to apply this to the political scene for the mention of "war" so inclines. But the immediate context indicates that while James’ words can legitimately be applied to this sphere, it is not his first concern. Throughout chapter three and into chapter four, he is dealing with interpersonal relations, especially the evil, destructive influence of our words upon others. We must first look, then, at our human relationships. We think of our present relationship with our spouse and children. Are these relationships marked by bickering? Inability to communicate lovingly with one another? Dissatisfaction? Perhaps we have read books on better communication techniques or gone to counseling. Nothing changes. The reason is found in this text, and a little chewing will reveal the personal and painful answer. We are sinners. We make idols of our own desires, fighting for them, demanding them, and living in frustration when they are not satisfied. We have hatred and bitter envying in our hearts rather than love and the desire to serve. We do not take our legitimate desires to God and ask him to fulfill them in his time; we do not repent of our illegitimate, selfish, sinful desires and ask him to sanctify us so that our desires are consistent with the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work. This is the root of every human conflict - in the family, church, community, and society.

Keep chewing. Learning new communication techniques, which are all the rage in evangelical circles, will only teach you to become a better manipulator unless the root of the problem is addressed. James clearly teaches that the problem is within, in me, not primarily in the form of my words, tone, or body language. Yet, how can I change, get within myself to the root of selfishness, bitterness, anger, the desire to have my way? Popular psychology is of absolutely no help here, for it actually encourages self-affirmation, or if it teaches you to look at things from the perspective of the other person, this is only so that I can still get what I want while keeping the peace doing it. The only heart surgeon is God. He is the only one who can smash the idols of the heart, transforming my desires from selfishness to service, lust to love, bitterness to contentment. Hence, we must turn to the Lord. We must repent of our sins, seek constantly fellowship with Jesus Christ, and commit ourselves to walking in the Spirit, who alone can overcome fleshly desires and replace them with the character of Christ.

It is important for you to see that chewing on Scripture will always bring personal confrontation, lead to the conclusion that I am the source but never the solution of my problems, and that only through turning to the Lord and depending on his grace can I please him, find joy in him, and love others. Chewing always leads to Jesus Christ, for whether we are seeking to understand history and doctrine, appreciate love and grace, or build holy relationships, it is only in him that my heart can be changed. Chewing takes time. It profits little to read through Scripture hurriedly, without praying over what we read, examining ourselves in its light. While trying to read through the Bible in a year has its place, it cannot replace chewing upon each morsel, turning it over and over, and thinking of God’s word as daily food for the soul.

I know that we are all in a hurry, almost all the time. We have many responsibilities. But we must eat. You cannot do until you are filled. I would suggest that you always have a snack with you, a verse of Scripture, something to chew on in those brief moments in the car, or between appointments, or when there is a lull between domestic brawls. Make it your goal this year to memorize a verse or two of Scripture each week. Think about it during the day. Pray about it. Ask questions of it. Shine its light into the dark recesses of your heart. You will find that chewing on Scripture in this fashion will fill your soul with heavenly light, your relationships with love, and your home with a little more peace. Learning to chew will not produce utopia, but it will enable you to enjoy a daily feast upon the manna our Savior has provided - light and wisdom, security and peace, conviction and encouragement, boldness and zeal. All because we learned to chew.