A theology professor has suggested that the first few books of the Bible, especially Leviticus and Deuteronomy, could be hindering Christians from reading the Bible cover to cover.
Chris Hulshof, who’s an associate professor and department chair for Liberty University’s School of Divinity, where he teaches Old Testament survey, inductive Bible study, and a theology of suffering and disability, made the point in a piece in Facts and Trends last week.
Hulshof noted that at the start of a new year, Christians often try to read through the Bible starting with Genesis, but it’s difficult for them to get into Old Testament law when they reach Leviticus.
“The book of Numbers is a little more easy to read because of the large amount of narrative content, but then Deuteronomy becomes as difficult as Leviticus because Moses’ farewell addresses take up the majority of the book,” he observed.
“It seems as if the opening books of the Bible derail many peoples’ attempts to read through God’s Word in a year.”
Hulshof suggested that readers are making a mistake by reading the Old Testament as stories simply meant to teach how to do right and avoid doing wrong.
“It also doesn’t suffice to view Old Testament characters as merely examples to follow with life lessons to either reject or embrace. This type of reading fails to address humanity’s greatest need,” he warned.
“Humans are radically corrupt because of the fall. Our sin problem goes much deeper than any outward, ‘do it yourself’ remedy can fix,” he added.
“What we need most is a rescuer, not a role model. We need a substitute, not a better version of ourselves.”
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SOURCE: Christian Post, Stoyan Zaimov
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