How Long Does it Take to Read the Bible?
In a previous post I stated that if we read for 45 minutes a day, we could read through the Bible twice in a year.
Of course the goal is not to “speed-read” the Bible, but far too many Christians (including myself) have not even read the entire Bible.
“More than half of all Americans read the Bible less than once a month,” Gallup reports, “including 24 percent who say they never read it and 6 percent who can’t recall the last time they read the Bible.” http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9610/articles/reeves.html
Here we are with God’s written instruction book for life on this planet, and I have not read it completely. How many books have I read about Marketing? Who knows, but it had to be at least 20. Does that mean I place more value in my career than in knowledge passed down from the author of life?
It reminds me of the TV show in the 1980’s “Greatest American Hero“. The main character of the story received a special suit from aliens visiting earth that gave him special powers like flying. The only problem was that he lost the instruction book so the suit would do respond at inopportune moments.
Many times I feel like that character. God helps me to pull it all together at “the end of the episode”, but it is a struggle the whole way. It’s part funny and part sad.
So how long does it take to read the Bible - start to finish?
76 hours.
How do I know? No, I didn’t time myself - like I said, I haven’t even read the entire Bible yet.
I bought a set of Bible CDs, and that is the posted total running time. Zondervan has a version of the NIV Bible. I believe they have it on MP3s, too. I found it the cheapest either on Ebay (if you can put up with the auctions or want the CD version) or Amazon
I have a co-worker mired in legalism who says that listening to the Bible just “doesn’t seem right”. If that is true, then…
- What did people do in the 1400 or so years between when the New Testament was written until the Gutenberg Bible made it more readily available? That’s right - it was shared verbally.
- What do we do when we share Christ with another. Hand them a tract and sit quietly? Of course not, we talk to them and tell them about Christ.
So, this is good news! Reading the Bible doesn’t seem such a daunting task now, does it? Do I have 76 hours over the entire next year to read the Bible? Let’s break this down further…
76 hours divided by 365 days = 12.5 minutes per day.
Better yet, do I have 12 & 1/2 minutes per day for God to read the instruction book for getting to know God, and for how to live this life according to his plan for us.
There is a huge time period before the Gutenberg bible.
In the first few centuries after Christ, hand written scrolls were copied and circulated between churches. This was done on a book by book basis until 325 AD when Constintine commissioned St Jerome to cannonize the bible. This was done in Latin and people would go to church to hear the bible read aloud. The Gutenberg bible was a major step towards availabiliy but the King James Version became much more popular and took a great swing at illiteracy. In the last century oral traditions have dropped dramatically in industrialized nations with the vast availability of printed media.
So yes, oral traditions have always been a primary source of bible teachings, but that doesn’t mean that hearing the bible is as good as reading it for yourself. Yes, faith comes by hearing the word of God (as many will say) but let me ask you, which method will increase your retention?
To talk to your second bullet point, yes the gospel was meant to be preached. But any preacher who has not only read the bible but actually studied the bible will make a far better preacher than someone who has only heard it.
By the way…
Have you read it yet?
Andrew…
Since you’re asking me, that would depend on how a person best retains knowledge. I am a reader and a lousy listener. Some people are amazing listeners and have great difficulty reading.
You use the word studied. I checked the dictionary, and there are 20 definitions for “study”. Only 4 have expressly to do with writing.Do you think any illiterate people know and understand God’s word better than some of us who are literally drowning in God’s word? Why does God give us teachers of the word if simply reading it is enough? It should be enough, but we’re thick-headed and hard-hearted. (whistle) Dude, check my post again and find where I said you shouldn’t read the Bible…