Whenever a book has been around for more than 1,000 years I read it, regardless of how interesting I think it’ll be or how little I feel I’ll agree with. The Bible is no exception, it’s a book I’ve read through twice through my life with different versions. And something I plan on reading again someday with a third version. But anyways why would one who is not a Christian read the Bible? What would they get from it? Isn’t it just a bunch of old religious tales and stories that have no bearing on the modern world and modern life?
That’s what I thought for awhile but it was only after diving into the thing (especially the Old Testament) that I found out I was wrong and that there was much value to be had in the Bible but that you had to get it out yourself and not rely on others to understand, warp, and interpret it for you or to their own ends. It’s a very interesting book and one that becomes more interesting the more you put it into context.
Another reason I like reading different versions because you get a better ideal of what was being communicated (at least if you get good translations). But anyways I want to lay out three reasons that I think everyone should read the Bible at least once, even (or maybe even especially) if they’re not a Christian. The book has more value than simply a religious text and contains knowledge about a good many things. Let’s get started.
Reason To Read The Bible #1 – Story Telling
I think it’s safe to say that there are few books out there that have had as much influence on the world’s literature as a whole as the Bible. It’s stories have been told and retold millions of different times in thousands of different ways. Now you could say, well that’s because it’s a religion and I agree but I think that it’s more than that. If you’re looking how to tell a story the Bible is one of the first places that I would go to. I remember when I first read the Old Testament by myself (as opposed to a preacher interpreting bits and pieces “for me”) and I was surprised at what I found.
When reading it I thought that a lot of the stories were actually very interesting and had a lot of mythic and symbolic meaning to them and how the world works. I don’t read them literally but I think they contain more truth that the vast majority of non-fiction out there, if that makes sense. Whether it’s the Garden of Eaden, the great flood, angels and the daughters of men mating, or whatever else there is a richness to it.
Telling a story is the most effective way to get a point across to someone and learning from some of the first stories ever told is not a bad way to go about learning it. Mythic structure, relations between God and man, the fall from perfection, the redemption of that fall, and so on and so forth. The Bible is rich with deep stories that you can learn a lot from about how to tell a story yourself.
Reason To Read The Bible #2 – Human Nature
You’re learn more about human nature from fiction than you ever will from non-fiction, at least from good fiction. The great novels of this age and ages past tell you more about man that the latest pop-psychology book or whatever the latest nonsense ever could and the Bible is no exception. It seemed like most Christians throughout the ages had a tragic view of man (and I would say more accurate one). Man was only redeemable by and outside supernatural source, a perfect source. Something that was beyond man itself.
And this is/was because man is fallible and mankind is not inherently good but rather inherently evil. Human nature is not a pretty thing. It is something to be contained and constrained to be led along a specific path to produce anything good and anything of value. Whereas the modern view is that human nature is inherently good and is also perfectible leading to all sorts of nonsense. But beyond the “tragic” (and accurate) view of human nature and history you also get stories of kings, prophets, warriors, and a whole lot more that reveal the nature of man, both good and bad.
These myths and stories were meant to convey truth about humans and human nature, among other things. By reading these stories you get a deeper feel for how man is and how he acts. You see individuals who rise above their nature and go to higher things and those that sink and wallow in it. There are winners and losers, saints and sinners, and everything in between. Really an epic of sorts.
Reason The Read The Bible #3 – How A Culture Was Formed
If you want to understand Western culture as we know it today you then reading the Bible will give you a huge leg up. It’s interesting how much was drawn from it in creating the Western world as it was up until say 100 or so years ago. Now I know that there will be people who have a chip on their shoulder against Christianity that will say that Western society was formed by Asatru, the Druids, and things of that nature but I’d say history paints a different picture.
According to history, Europe was a land of barbarians living in huts until Rome conquered it, you can say this was a good thing or a bad thing but the fact remains. Civilization came from the Middle East and spread out from there from what we can tell from history. History is obviously a fickle thing but from the looks of it that’s what happened. And Christianity conquered Rome and then conquered Europe and it established much of what would make Europe, Europe (for better or for worse).
Then this culture was transferred to the new world and sticks with us today. My main point with this is that is you want to understand the Western world and how certain things came to be then understanding the Bible is a great first step. And if you live in that culture, are a part of it, or want to support it then understanding a huge part of its roots is going to be worth doing. It’ll open your eyes to a lot of things that’s for sure.
What Version Of The Bible Should You Read?
I’d recommend against the newer ones such as the NIV and especially nonsense like The Message and the like. If you can understand it the King James isn’t horrible and the New King James will do. I personally used Rotherham’s Study Bible and enjoyed it. There is also Young’s Literal Translation which seems like it might be interesting. Do some research and figure out which ones are closer to the original texts. Just get what you understand and that isn’t too far from the original translation as possible. Easier said than done but worth the time just read a different translation each time if you go through it more than once.
Anyways something a little bit different than usual but that I thought was interesting, hope you enjoyed and got something from it.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
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