Reading the Bible in Community

In a smartphone world, reading the Bible is becoming increasingly individualized. While there are tremendous benefits to carrying Scripture everywhere you go, chances are that most of us read the Bible alone instead of in community.

Christianity Today (May 2018) recently featured an interview with early church scholar Brian J. Wright, whose recently published book Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus detailed how reading Scripture in the first century church was entirely a communal experience.

Although many factors gave rise to this practice, the goal was always community transformation. By sharing Holy Scripture, believers were aiming to become more like Christ…together.

The possibilities are limitless whenever God’s Word is open before God’s people, and they are actively engaging together around it. What are the Scripture sharing practices of your congregation? How could new habits be formed? What results might be expected?

Check out this guide for reading the Bible in community. It’s designed for small groups and serves as a pattern for ordering community around Scripture. It could be a tool for your church that gets used for transformation.

Please share with us any best practices that your church uses to promote the discipline of reading Scripture together. We would love to hear from you!