Testimony: Listening to the Bible
I wrote a quick article on one of my other sites just before Christmas that I wanted to re-publish here. It seems like I am becoming more and more convinced that we need to hear the Bible more these days. While it is preached in strong churches around the country and read by most Christians (I hope) on a regular basis, I wonder if there is not also a place for simple vocal presentation of the scriptures? Read about some of my recent experiences below and see if you don’t agree.
Several weeks ago I ordered a GoBible Voyager. It came pre-loaded with a King James Version audio Bible read by Alexander Scourby. I can honestly say it has been a fantastic purchase that I have used nearly every day since it arrived.
Before I was in high school I discovered, after a series of surveys, that I was an auditory learner. I think those surveys had some validity, because in the years following I have increasingly begun to understand that I retain far more of what I hear than read. This can make things especially tricky when I am trying to learn and retain Bible narratives.
When teaching on the difficult doctrine of sin recently for Sunday School, I found myself reading key passages perhaps a dozen times and still not totally capturing the meaning. It seemed no matter how much I attempted to concentrate I still didn’t feel comfortable that I could rehearse details accurately in my class. At that point I began reading some of the passages quietly to myself. It felt a little awkward, but seemed to help.
I have also become a voracious consumer of mp3 sermons. When I hear a pastor teach through a particular passage, reading and explaining it, I almost always retain the details. I cannot say the same of a scripture reading session, even if I outline the section with pencil and paper.
These were discoveries about myself that I could no longer ignore. Therefore I began to think over how I could go about increasing my retention of the Bible passages I wanted to learn better. After seeing the GoBible several times I decided it was worth a try.
While I would like to say the device has revolutionized my Bible study experience, I am not sure it has…yet. With that being said, I am seeing some hopeful signs.
The first is my ability to remember timelines. I have struggled mightily with getting Old Testament people and events set in the proper order in my mind. If a question of when something happened came up, I would frequently need to look it up in order to find the answer. After recently listening to the books of Kings and Judges – then being asked a simple question about their details during a church Bible study, the order of events seemed clear. I don’t remember ever having this confidence, even on a familiar passage.
The second has been my retention of obscure names. Reading a name over and over has literally never helped me to learn it. Two recent occasions have proved that hearing the names is a different story. As I worked my way through audio versions of the minor prophets a few weeks ago, I found I remembered names days later. Another new experience that makes me think there might be something to this!
Check out my review of the GoBible Voyager and let me know what you think. There are a whole host of other ways to listen to the Bible as well. If you experience any of the difficulties with reading that I do, you might want to give listening a try. It could prove to be a valuable part of your Biblical education.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.
Suggestions | Chris | 
January 6, 2010 12:21 am | 
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