4 Reasons to read books that are not the Bible

The Bible is the only book we need! It has all the answers, all the wisdom, and all the truth we need. So why would I suggest you read other books in order to understand the Bible? Acceleration.

You do not naturally have the context needed to fully comprehend every nuance of the Bible. That is ok!

You do not NEED to read other books in order to understand the Bible because the Holy Spirit can explain all things to you. This takes years of devotion and dedication to focused study. 

There are many books that can help us better learn what the Bible teaches. For example, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, and online resources can assist in understanding difficult passages and how others have interpreted them throughout the history of the church.

Always read the Bible first. Books are never a substitute for your Bible reading but a supplement.

HOW BOOKS SUPPLEMENT BIBLE READING: 

1. Your Mindset

   • To renew your mind with the washing of the Word, you must understand the Word. Sometimes you don’t understand what you are reading. 

   • The Holy Spirit leads you in all truth. Sometimes He will lead us to a book, a study, a retreat, a friend who can help you have a new perspective and open your eyes to the real truth of the Word.

   • Reading books that expand on truths of the Bible will aid your comprehension.

2. Your Traditions 

   • Your traditions may unknowingly hold you back. You read the Bible with a lens of tradition and sometimes traditions lead you astray. 

   • The basis for “sola scriptura” came from the Protestant Reformation. The traditions of the Catholic Church had become burdensome and unbiblical.

   • Examples: Lighting Candles, no dancing, not using instruments, teaching that women need to be silent, etc. 

3. Your Culture

   • You are so Americanized that you read the Word with your own culture, lens, and ideas. Reading books about the Bible can clue you into the author’s original intent. 

   • In some cultures, women lead the way while in others they are hardly counted as human. This gives you a clue to how strong culture can be in swaying even Biblical truth. 

   • Example: The men who wrote the Bible were Jewish (other than debated Dr. Luke). You will understanding the Bible and Jesus, who was a Jewish man, as you come to know and understand Jewish culture. 

4. Your Revelation 

   • Your revelation on a subject pales in comparison to someone who has passionately studied it for years. There are men and women who have given their lives to certain subjects. When someone is a master at a subject, they can open your eyes and get you thinking in a way you would never on your own. 

   • Arguing with someone over social media will never change your mind. Reading books on God-given revelation will. 

Note: the words of men will never supersede the Word of God. You must always challenge their words with the word of God. Someone’s preaching should drive you to the Word to see for yourself. Books are a great starting place. This does not replace the sufficiency of Scripture or sola scriptura.

Here are my top 5 favorite books to read on the topic of women preaching:

1. Powerful and Free by Danny Silk

2. Fashioned to Reign: Empowering Women to Fulfill Their Divine Destiny by Kris Vallotton

3. Why Not Women : A Biblical Study of Women in Missions, Ministry, and Leadership by Loren Cunningham and David Joel Hamilton

4. The Handmaidens Conspiracy: How Erroneous Bible Translations Obscured the Women’s Empowerment Movement STARTED by JESUS CHRIST by Donna Lee Howell

5. I Suffer Not a Woman: Rethinking I Timothy 2:11-15 in Light of Ancient Evidence by Richard Clark Kroeger and Catherine Clark Kroeger

Which of these areas sticks out to you as an area you can grow in? Let us know in the comments!