A few weeks ago, David Plotz of Slate magazine [an online magazine] wrote a brief summarization of an article based on his recently-published book regarding his endeavor to read every word in the Bible. He began the article by asking, "Should you read the Bible?" He then went on to say, "You probably haven't. A century ago, most well-educated Americans knew the Bible deeply. Today, biblical illiteracy is practically universal among nonreligious people ... Even among the faithful, Bible reading is erratic."

I would have to agree with his assessment that Biblical illiteracy is "practically universal" among the nonreligious, but I would add that, even among religious people, Bible knowledge is, to a large degree, still lacking. Many--even among the religious--know some Bible stories, but they would be clearly surprised if presented with some Bible passages. For them, the surprise comes from finding passages that contradict, or flatly refute, what they believe. I am not surprised that so few actually read the Bible well enough to know what it really says.

More than once, during conversations with skeptics about the Bible and/or God, they have told me they do not believe the Bible, and a couple of people ridiculed me because I do. I asked all of them one simple question: "Have you actually read it?" Oops. Every one of them had to admit, "No." At best, a few said they had read a little. Prior to this admission, their criticism of the Bible was harsh, and some were incredulous that anyone would believe it, but it wasn't because they had actually read it. Much of their criticism [by their own admission] came from what they read elsewhere, but not because they had read the Bible itself. Does that sound like fair criticism to you? It certainly doesn't to me.

Can you imagine a book or movie critic writing a harsh critique of a recently released book or movie without ever having read the book or seen the movie? [A similar incident happened recently when a reviewer in a popular men's magazine criticized a musical release from a band before it was actually released; he had never heard it.] If there is any fairness in such a scenario, that critic will be fired, and his future reviews will be received with skepticism by any readers who are aware of his past history. So why is it that modern critics can pan the Bible and its contents without having actually read it?

I fully expect atheistic unbelievers to level such criticisms at the Bible; they often do not want to believe it, anyway, and I would not expect their criticisms to be fair. But it is outright troubling to hear supposed believers--often religious leaders in denominations and liberal churches--direct such unfair and biased criticisms at the Bible. Often, those criticisms are not based on what they actually read in the Bible, but on what they read in another person's commentary on the Bible. I sometimes wonder if some of the commentary authors have even read the Bible, or if they are merely reading what others have written about it!

In Plotz's article, he concluded: "Everyone should read it--all of it!" While the reasons he gave are different from mine, I can't argue with his exhortation to "read it--all of it." He and I agree that you are shortchanging yourself if you have not taken the time to read God's book. I believe you should read the Bible because within it, as Peter said of Jesus' words, are "the words of eternal life." (John 6:68) They are the words by which we may be saved (Acts 11:14); and they are, as Paul wrote, the words that, if followed, are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

If you don't read the Bible's words, if you don't diligently seek to discover what God has revealed for your own spiritual good, and if you never attempt to integrate those words into your own life, how can you know what God has in store for you? How can you benefit from what He has revealed? And, for those who are so quick to criticize, how can you criticize what you do not know or understand?

I have also met people who have read the Bible--but only to find fault. They were not interested in learning what it says for any spiritual good it might afford them; they simply wish to justify [in their own minds, at least] themselves and give some ostensible reason for rejecting it. In every case I have experienced so far, though, they had rejected the Bible before they ever picked it up and were only seeking ammunition to justify their prejudices against it. Such behavior reminds me of the Pharisees who had predetermined who the Christ would be. When He came and failed to meet their criteria, they rejected Him out of hand, never stopping to actually listen to what He said and glossing over the irrefutable evidence that proved He was who He claimed to be.

Imagine having that mind set and enrolling in a class at a university. How much would you learn if you had decided ahead of time that the teacher was a fraud, the material was also fraudulent, and that anything you heard in the class would be of no use in attaining your life goals? I'm sure we can all agree that if a student who has that mind set enters a class, he will, in reality, learn nothing because he is unfairly biased. Yet how many people reject the Bible and God in this same manner? How many are quick to criticize and malign it and its Author as fraudulent without having ever reading it or considering what it teaches within its pages? How many listen to other Bible critics simply to justify their own preconceived ideas, to justify their ignorance of what it actually contains, or to ease their consciences should someone remind them that they haven't even bothered to pick it up and see what it actually says?

I urge all who may be reading this to take time--make time--to pick up the Bible and begin reading it; and if you're already reading it, read it more often. If you're uncertain where to begin, feel free to contact me, and I'll be glad to sit down with you [if you are in the area] or send you some information about where to start and how to approach your study. [Yes, it is also important to know how to study; haphazard study is of little benefit to the student. If you don't believe me, try skipping back and forth through a trigonometry textbook. See how much you understand when you start halfway through the book, skip ahead a few chapters, go back to the beginning, then just jump around without following any particular order or plan.] The Bible's words teach one some very important things he needs to know about his spiritual condition, but he also needs to know where those things are, the context in which they were written, and to whom they apply.

I wrote this article hoping that if some of you have unfairly rejected the Bible [before having read it], I can convince you to give it a chance. Numerous critics have actually taken up the Bible hoping to find faults, but have come away believers. Their honest hearts allowed the Bible to speak for itself, and they were persuaded that their former prejudices were unjustified. You might also be convinced. There is enough evidence to convict an honest heart (cf. John 20:30, 31), but not if you refuse to read it.

One Bible writer said, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame." (Proverbs 18:13) It would be a shame if you made up your mind before hearing what God has to say!