Need a real challenge for your Bible
reading? How about 10 chapters a day from 10 different sections of
Scripture?
Grant Horner is a professor at the Master’s College in Southern Califonia. Here is what he has to say about his plan:
I have more wisdom than all my teachers,
for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Psalm 119:99, right-hand page,
left-hand column, dead center of page. Many people ask me how it is
that I know precisely where virtually *everything* is in my Bible. The
answer: this system. I began in 1983 (adapting and tweaking the basic
design of another system) as a brand-new convert; within 3 years I knew
the text of my Bible very well. Twenty-five years later it is
essentially imprinted on my mind and heart. I have been all over the
country and have taught this system in many churches. I have done
open-microphone Q&As on Bible and theology — with 1200 people in
the audience — as well as cultural-analysis live radio shows where you
have to think fast — and it has been the “imprinting” value of this
system that has helped me provide quick, clear, heavily contextualized
scriptural answers (I Peter 3:15; right-hand page, right hand column,
1/3rd way down). I have no Seminary degrees, no Bible-college or
Christian school education — hey, I never even went to Sunday School
(the first church I went to, just months after my conversion, threw me
into Sunday School– to teach!!! *BIG* mistake, by the way…) All I DID
have was a chair, a lamp … and my Bible.
This is *not* merely a speed-reading program, nor is it a ’study’
system. Read the 1-page description provided here to see how it works.
(I’d also recommend you look at my first few posts in the Discussion
Board ‘Starting Up’ below as well, for more thoughts.) DO NOT be
intimidated! I was a college drop-out, ex-heavy-druggie when I started
it. If I can do it — so can you!
TRY IT FOR A MONTH. Then tell me what is happening!
Join if you wish to try it; stay if you keep it up for one month!
And make posts about your struggles, the effects it is having on your
biblical understanding and discernment, and to encourage others.
HERE IT IS:
* PROFESSOR GRANT HORNER’S ‘TEN LISTS BIBLE READING SYSTEM’*
Each day you will read one chapter from each list, in order. THAT’S
RIGHT — *TEN CHAPTERS PER DAY*!!! Use ten bookmarks or sticky notes
with the individual lists on them to keep track of your locations.
(LOOK BELOW at the Wall for several posts on Feb 1 2009 and you will
find links to handy bookmarks made by users.) On day one, you read
Matthew 1, Genesis 1, Romans 1, and so forth. On day 2, read Matthew 2,
Genesis 2, etc. On day 29, you will have just finished Matthew, so go
to Mark 1 on the Gospel list; you’ll also be almost to the end of 2nd
Corinthians and Proverbs, you’ll be reading Psalm 29 and Genesis 29,
and so forth. When you reach the last chapter of the last book in a
list – start over again. Rotate all the way through all the Scriptures
constantly. Since the lists vary in length, the readings begin
interweaving in constantly changing ways. You will NEVER read the same
set of ten chapters together again! Every year you’ll read through all
the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times
each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least
twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way
through the OT History and prophetic books about 1 ½ times. Since the
interweaving is constantly changing, you will experience the Bible
commenting *on itself* in constantly changing ways — the Reformer’s
principle of ’scriptura interpretans scripturam’ — ’scripture
interpreting scripture’ IN ACTION!
After you’ve read any particular book once or twice, your speed in
that book usually *doubles or triples* because you’re familiar with it
and can move quickly and confidently — because you are no longer merely
decoding the text but thinking it through in the context of all of the
scripture! Acts 20:27. Even an ‘average’ reader, if focusing on moving
through the text, rather than trying to figure everything out, can
usually do this in about an hour a day – 5-6 minutes per chapter. If it
is taking you longer, then you are ‘reading wrong’ – stay relaxed,
focus, and just keep it moving. Moderate but consistent speed is the
key. This is “gross anatomy” — looking at the whole body; you’re *not*
closely studying organs or systems or tissues or cells — it is *not*
microbiology. BUT
– microbiology and the study or organs makes more sense when you know
what the *whole* structure of the human body is like, and how all the
parts, large and small, relate in perfect interdependence. After just a
few days the reading gets *much* easier; in a month it will be a habit,
and in six months you’ll wonder how you ever survived before on such a
slim diet of the WORD. And then — you’ll tell others to start the
system!
I began in 1983 as a new Christian and have now read (most of) the
Bible hundreds and hundreds of times. You also need to get ONE Bible,
keep it, and do all your reading in it, so you learn where everything
is. I’ve had the same Bible since 1983 and I know it intimately. If you
keep switching Bibles, you ‘lose’ this intimacy with the text. Find a
translation and format you like and stick with it. THIS IS CRUCIAL.
When I was flown out by Masters for a 3-day
interview/theological-grilling process, the culmination was of course
being ushered in to Dr. John MacArthur’s private study, which is where
he asked me this one question: “Can I see your Bible?” I thought he
would be horrified, because it looked like it had been through a
typhoon — it looked unloved and neglected. Something from a dumpster.
It was unbound, with stringy mess and paper debris hanging out. I was
so embarrassed. I thought he would chastise me and recommend I get a
new study Bible if I was serious about the Word. (No doubt which study
Bible he would recommend!!!) He flipped through it and handed it to his
wife and said “If your Bible is falling apart, you probably aren’t.” I
was basically hired on the spot.
Your Bible is the only thing on Earth that, as you wear it out, will actually work better and better.
THE TEN LISTS:
List 1 (89 days)
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
List 2 (187 days)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
List 3 (78 days)
Romans, I&II Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, Hebrews
List 4 (65 days)
I&II Thess, I&II Tim, Titus, Philemon, James, I&II Peter, I,II&III John, Jude, Revelation
List 5 (62 days)
Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
List 6 (150 days)
Psalms
List 7 (31 days)
Proverbs
List 8 (249 days)
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I&II Samuel, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
List 9 (250 days)
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah,
Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
List 10 (28 days)
Acts
If you are wondering why you should read Acts (or Proverbs) all the way through *every single month* then
– you’ve just shown that you NEED to read them that much!
*Put these instructions in your Bible and review them from time to time*
SECRETS TO SUCCESS WITH THIS SYTEM:
• Read one chapter from each list each day, in one sitting or two.
At the end of a book, go to the next book. At the end of the list –
start it again. Do it in the order given above.
• Read quickly (without “speedreading”) in order to get the overall
sense. Read as fast as you comfortably can with moderate retention.
You’re not studying deeply or memorizing; shoot for 5-6 minutes per
chapter. At the end of a chapter, move immediately to the next list.
• GET THROUGH THE TEXT – no dawdling, back-reading, looking up cross-references!
• There are different ‘kinds’ of reading: super-quick skimming, careful
moderate-paced, studying the text, deep meditation. You should be
between the first and second kind.
• Most people decrease their time spent and increase their retention
after just two-three weeks! I now read and retain the entire text of
Matthew in 35 minutes, Romans in 20, Genesis in *one hour*!
• Don’t look up anything you ‘don’t get’ – real understanding will come
through contextualizing by reading a LOT of scripture over time. Get
through the text!
• If you miss a day or two – ok, get over it, then keep going. Don’t
cover yourself in sackcloth and ashes and quit! Move the bookmarks
along, to find your place(s) quickly next day.
Heb 4:12&5:11-14; Eph 5:26&6:17; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 3:16; Ps 119; Ezra 8; Prov 3: 1-2, 10:14; Dan 1
The goal of this system is simple, and twofold: To know scripture, and to love and obey God more!