Believers who are serious about following Jesus need to understand Scripture. That’s the view of the author of The Bible I Never Knew, subtitled: A Closer Look At Christianity’s Main Themes. Dr. Peter Bylsma, a lifetime Christian who has worked in most sectors of business, industry, non-profits and ministries, aims to help combat the growing trend of Biblical illiteracy — especially for readers pressed for time and challenged by the complexity of Scripture.
The Bible I Never Knew shows that the Bible’s main themes relate to current world events and personal struggles. The book’s 19 chapters and 10 appendices present basic facts about the Bible. Dr. Bylsma claims they look deep into Biblical stories and teachings, giving readers new insights into the Bible’s messages and including cultural facts to help clarify their context.
A survey by the American Bible Society found a majority of Americans wished they opened their Bibles more often. The State of the Bible analysis showed more than half (52%) of Americans aspire to reading Scripture more regularly. More than a quarter of them, though, said they just “don’t have enough time” to do it.
“Perhaps even more concerning is only 6% of professing Christians hold to a Biblical worldview, with the overwhelming majority (92%) choosing syncretism — a “term used to describe a customised blend of philosophies of life that a person pieces together for their own satisfaction,” the survey explained.
Dr. Bylsma told CBN’s Faith vs. Culture program that failing to study and understand the themes of the Bible shows a lack of seriousness about following Jesus and adhering to Christianity.
“Our culture is working against us. In fact, we don’t even realise we are in a culture that is influencing us in different ways. For a person to take on a different perspective based on Scripture [you need] a network of people who are thinking like you and can support one another because the message of the Gospel and the message of the Bible are counter-cultural and that is hard to live in today’s society,” he explained
He is also concerned about New Age philosophies creeping into Christianity. A Pew Research Center survey found six-in-10 Christians believe in at least one of four of the New Age themes it outlined: “Believe spiritual energy can be located in physical things,” “Believe in psychics,” “Believe in reincarnation,” and “Believe in astrology.”
A YouGov poll backed that up, finding 87% of Americans believe in at least one belief that falls loosely under the umbrella of “new-age spiritualism.” The study found more than half of respondents (55%) said they believe karma is real, with 41% believing in hypnosis, 39% believing in UFOs and extraterrestrials, and 29% believing in the “law of attraction,” known by many as “manifesting.”
CBN News writes: “It’s often a failure to understand Scripture and the tenets of the Christian faith that result in those who claim to follow Jesus, espousing beliefs antithetical to Christianity. While many come to faith without a deep knowledge of the Bible, it’s critical that upon salvation, they invest in understanding Scripture and the teachings of Jesus.”
“We usually come to Christ in a simple way, usually not having counted the cost, usually not having a knowledge of what you’re getting yourself into. You jump in and then you have that relationship and then you think that’s enough. And I would say the church doesn’t really do a good job of nurturing mature Christians,” Dr. Bylsma contended.
“Some of the churches I go to kind of have the same themes over and over. I would say it’s elementary; it’s almost spiritual milk. And there really needs to be a deeper dive into the concepts and the themes [of the Bible]. Twenty minutes once a week just doesn’t do it,” he continued.
“It’s tempting to feel satiated in just knowing a handful of Bible passages. But those who believe they are saved and are desiring of a relationship with Jesus need to go further, ” the author added, pointing to the teachings of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:11. “Paul wrote: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me (NIV). Paul’s point was that, as believers continue in the Christian faith, they should mature spiritually.”
“The central — and most important — theme of the Bible, of course, is the message of Jesus. Everything throughout Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, points to God becoming a man, taking on the insurmountable debt sinful humanity could not pay by dying on the cross and rising from the grave three days later,” Dr Bylsma asserted.
“Believers who have accepted Jesus as their saviour ought to invest time in truly understanding the whole of Scripture, knowing that it is fundamentally transformational. It is, as Hebrews 4:12 explains, alive and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (NIV),” he underlined.
Peter Bylsma has previously written The Short Bible that offers basic facts about the Bible, discusses the development of the modern Bible, and reviews its themes. He summarises all the books of the Old and New Testaments in 25 chapters. But of course, nothing beats reading the original for a true understanding of its Scriptures, and hence maturing spiritually.
