Gifts for Moms, Dads, and Grads
Gifts for Grads
3 Misconceptions Your Kids Might Have About the Bible
Help Kids Have the Right Expectations of Scripture
The Bible is a big book. It is complex and can be overwhelming. But the message of the Bible can be summarized simply: God has revealed his plan to save his people from their sins through Christ’s death and resurrection and the power of his Spirit.
As a parent, grandparent, pastor, and seminary professor, I have a vested interest in what the church thinks about the Bible in 2050. If we can clear the ground of misconceptions that kids (and perhaps parents and children’s ministry workers) have about the Bible, we can help kids appreciate both the complexity and the simplicity of God’s word as they grow to know him.
Misconception #1: I should read the Bible slowly, meditating on every word.
This sounds spot on. Some parents and children’s leaders will encourage kids to take this devotional approach to the Bible, not because they wish to do kids a disservice but because they want kids to value and treasure God’s word. And they can cite passages like Psalm 1:2, where the psalmist states that the man is blessed who meditates on the law day and night.
But that does not necessarily mean that he reads slowly or meditates only on a small section of Scripture. While the slow-reading framework may ensure that no verse goes unapplied, it will not help kids grasp the big-picture narrative of the Bible and how it fits together. One of the best practices we can deploy in training kids is helping them see the coherence of Scripture. This is so for two reasons. First, it will defend them from theories they may one day encounter that try to pull the Bible apart. Many of the heretical trends of the last 200 years result from teachers who attempt to isolate sections or genres of Scripture as authentic and others as illegitimate. By helping kids see the coherence of Scripture, we prepare them to see the holes in such theories. Second, we give kids an appreciation for the Bible as a book. By reading larger chunks, even two or three chapters at a time, kids will see the narrative punch of various historical accounts and instructions. Kids will see that the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 is not just a cool story but also the first activity David accomplished after Samuel anointed him as king in 1 Samuel 16. David trusted God for victory from his first days!
10 Questions About the Bible
Todd R. Chipman
Presenting 10 questions in 30 readings on one important faith topic, this 10 Questions volume helps young readers understand the origin of the Bible, how to read Scripture, why they can trust God’s word, and more.
Misconception #2: Difficult passages should be ignored (or get all our attention).
I once attended a church where a particular small group studied Ezekiel and Revelation back and forth for what seemed like decades. Philippians or Ruth was nowhere to be found in their Bibles, it seemed. That kind of mindset can also surface in children’s ministries. We are so concerned about training kids in apologetics so they can defend the faith that we give careful attention to difficult passages. Our time and energy are on supposed inconsistencies in the accounts of Jesus’s resurrection, the ways that numerals function in apocalyptic literature, and the true height of Goliath, such that we miss the broader literary flow surrounding the difficult passages in view.
We can easily go to the other extreme, avoiding difficult passages altogether. I urge kids, parents, and children’s leaders to study passages they might not (yet) understand, considering them within the context of what is clearer to us in Scripture. By training kids to read larger units, even several chapters or books of Scripture, until they read the whole book, they can understand the difficult passages in their literary context. This will guard kids from giving too much or too little attention to the more difficult passages and give kids clues about how those passages function within the wider narrative of Scripture and God’s saving revelation of himself in Christ and the Spirit.
The Bible exposes our need for God and that we must come to him on his terms.
Misconception #3: Reading the Bible will make life happy and nice.
We are often too sentimental in children’s ministries, especially when we talk about spiritual habits like Bible reading. My aim is always to help readers reflect on the clarity, coherence, and blessings of reading God’s word as well as its burdens. As we read Scripture, we come into the light. Human weakness, selfishness, and insecurity are exposed. I like to help kids think about why so many people don’t read the Bible. One reason is that the Bible reads the reader. The Bible exposes our need for God and that we must come to him on his terms.
Some kids may read the Bible thinking they can find ways to improve their lives, just as they would take advice from a teacher or friend. But the Bible is not an add-on for human happiness. Nor is the act of Bible reading a vending machine for a good day. While the principles of God’s word provide wisdom for a better life now, Scripture reveals the gospel of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with the triune God. It is God’s revelation of his loving plan to bring sinners into his eternal kingdom through Jesus’s death and resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The message of the Bible might make life more difficult, not easier. Repentance is not easy. Friends and even family might reject them for faithfulness to God. But no happiness in this life can compare with the joy of forgiveness and life with our eternal God. We should seek to help kids find happiness in God and his word forever!
Give Them a Foundation for Life-Long Learning and Eternal Worship
What kids think about the Bible today will bear fruit in the church and in the world in the decades to come. Parents, pastors, and children’s ministry workers have a great stewardship. As we train young minds in what they should expect from God’s word, we give them a foundation for learning from him in every season of life and the hope of forever worshipping the God who will reveal himself to his people for all eternity.
Todd R. Chipman is the author of 10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families.
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