Read the Book

If a text can only be considered a text if it is read by someone, in proportional terms, we could say in Brazil, there are not many texts. The survey Portraits of Reading in Brazil, carried out by the Instituto Pró-Livro (IPL), in its fifth edition, showed that 48 percent of the national population is not used to reading. In other words, about 100 million people don't know the delicious taste of letters linked together in a good book.

It is true that part of this number includes people without access to books due to social, financial, or even health reasons. However, research shows that even many who could have a reading habit choose not to develop it. Access to technology, with its emphasis on entertainment, appears more like a competitor than a partner to reading.

Benefits of Reading

This reality is worrying because with reading, we can have access to more refined ways of interpreting the spirit of the times. Without reading, the possibility of traveling through important areas of life and decoding relevant information is lost. In general, those who read acquire new knowledge, which normally would not be found otherwise. A rather uncomfortable result of the absence of reading is the lack of interpretive skills. Many people fail to understand important things in life because they do not know how to read effectively. Decoding letters does not mean understanding exactly what the letters put together in words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs mean. Text is only text when it is actually read.

In addition to all the innumerable benefits of reading, it is important to realize God chose to reveal Himself to us in a cognitive way through a book. If there weren't all the other reasons to enjoy reading, that fact alone should be enough. Whoever reads the Bible with intention and pleasure finds the path to knowledge that is transformative.

The Book of Books

The Bible is not merely an instruction manual with prescriptions and straightforward solutions to everyday problems. In fact, in it, we find the personhood of God—His character, actions in history, interaction with humanity, and promises presented in an artistic way, intertwined with literary refinement. In other words, in contact with God's revelation in His Book, we are exposed to the eternal and unchanging principles of divine character, presented with unparalleled literary complexity and beauty. Thus, reading the Bible not only has spiritual benefits but also intellectual and emotional benefits.

The different literary and textual genres of the Book of God, sometimes applying direct and pragmatic language, sometimes establishing strangeness by taking the reader out of the common perspective, sharpen the ability of text interpretation. The language of Scripture will lead the reader to intentions, symbols, and perspectives. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, each biblical author contributed a specific narrative or poetic or prophetic focus. As we read His writings, we are invited to put on special lenses to examine the scenes that are projected and written on the pages of the sacred text. The backstories of the reality of life are interwoven in the text, and interpreting them is the challenge of the sincere and attentive reader of the Bible.

In the company of the Author, it is possible to access deep layers of meaning, understand the clarity of divine thought, and explore the content that has been revealed. Jesus' “search the Scriptures” (John 5:39) statement must be the spiritual and intellectual effort of each person. It is a call to decipher divine revelation as one would decipher a treasure map.

Value of the Bible

In reading the Bible, we find flashbacks and flashforwards that make us transit through its pages, perceiving the textual coherence and intertestamental connections, as a perfectly established stream of consciousness. The intertextuality between the books of Scripture highlights the cohesion that must be taken into account in order to understand their message. When Paul mentioned that “whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4, NKJV), he was not using a figure of speech. In addition to the message itself, the apostle's all-encompassing tone also refers to the form of the text and its composition, which convey essential layers of meaning and cannot be disregarded. Reading the text in its entirety is an essential tool for accessing the teaching that God has recorded in the Bible.

It is no accident that the Bible is the best-selling book in the world. Its literary value is much deeper than any analysis or criticism can measure. However, considering the lack of prestige that reading has in our country, which is not very different in most parts of the world, we find one of the reasons why the Bible, although very widespread, is so little understood. In addition to the spiritual aspects involved in interpreting the Scriptures, undoubtedly, the lack of the habit of reading and the great interpretive difficulty of many people create serious obstacles for the message of God to be widely known. If a text can only be considered as such when it is read, it is sad to think that for many people, the sacred text is not a text.

It is essential that we understand the importance of acting intentionally so there is a greater taste for reading among us. People should be encouraged to read, without being dependent on technology, let alone the futility of empty entertainment. Certainly, the most important reason for a culture of reading to become a living reality among us is because God chose to record His message in a book. Discover or rediscover the reading experience. Read good books. Read the Book.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s news site