Least Important Books Of The Bible

[Yolette Langevin]

The3rd, 4th, and 8th least popular books with Bible Gateway readers, with brevity perhaps being another factor. At a mere 25 verses, Jude is still almost as long as the other two put together, but more controversial because of its direct quotation from an apocryphal text. All three were at least somewhat disputed in their canonicity, in the Early Church and again during the Protestant Reformation, with Martin Luther taking this famously view of Jude:

The book of numbers should rank somewhere in the least popular books of the bible.People become weary of the endless genealogies and numbers listed in this book, which are keys and clues to the understanding of the New Testament.

Suppose a Christian were stranded on a deserted island and could only select 12 books of the Bible from which to read. Which books would be most valuable? Which books are most important for understanding the character of God, the person of Christ, how God redeems a fallen world, the mission of the church, and the daily life of a believer? Pause for a moment and consider which 12 books you would select in such a (terrible) situation. Not which books you like best, but which are the most important.

Matthew: One of the three Synoptic Gospels (the others are Mark and Luke). It was the most-used of the Synoptics in the early church, thus its selection over Mark and Luke.

The claim in my title might seem like nonsense to some people, because maybe they\u2019ve tried to read the Bible and just can\u2019t engage it very long or with much interest. I can imagine pushback from someone who says, \u201CSome people like fish; some don\u2019t. Some people like watching baseball; some don\u2019t. Some people find the Bible interesting; some don\u2019t.\u201D

But I\u2019m contending that my claim isn\u2019t subjective in the way that a food preference or a sports interest is subjective. I\u2019m saying that, objectively, the Bible isn\u2019t boring. It is the revelation of the living God to us. If we find the Bible dull or boring, the problem is with us and not with the Bible.

Fifth, maybe you\u2019re unaware of certain historical matters. No matter what chapter or book you open in Scripture, you are thousands of years removed from the composition and content of what you read. You should expect, then, that more understanding about certain historical places or customs or laws would fill in the gaps in your mind.

But how curious are you? Learning about biblical background issues takes work, some research, some resources. There are atlases and commentaries and study Bibles that can illuminate what seems perplexing at first glance. So be a curious reader. Ask yourself, \u201CWhy is this here? What role does this passage/chapter play in the surrounding flow of Scripture? What details about ____ do I not know and need to investigate further?\u201D

Sixth, maybe you\u2019re reading too quickly. Bible reading is not a race. What if you slowed down? Goal-setters can sometimes have trouble with this because they\u2019ve made a commitment to go through a certain amount of Scripture. Or those who read quickly might do so because they\u2019re short on time. Did they wake up late? Did they plan poorly? Did they get distracted by something else?

There is a connection between meditation and delight, and meditation takes time. Are you prepared to set apart the time necessary to reflect on Scripture? Remember the kind of book it is. The goal isn\u2019t to read quickly through a passage so that you can check a box and say, \u201CI read my passage today!\u201D You will benefit from reading and re-reading a passage, reflecting on the content and logic of what\u2019s there. Consider the value of slow reading in order to absorb and process the passage better.

Seventh, maybe you\u2019re reading inconsistently. A vague familiarity with Scripture will not produce a love for it. Have you ever grown to enjoy a relationship because you got to know the person better? Have you ever developed a skill because you were consistent and persevering, even though learning it seemed hard at first? Think of Scripture as the kind of thing that you won\u2019t love if you simply read it occasionally or randomly.

Play the long game. Don\u2019t you want to become a better Bible reader? Don\u2019t you want to understand Scripture more, love it more, and remember it more? You need to read consistently. Your Bible reading habit (or lack thereof) won\u2019t increase or decrease God\u2019s love for you. But your spiritual discipline will very much affect the warmth of your heart toward truth. Your devotion to Scripture will very much impact your delight in the glories of Christ and the gospel.

Eighth, maybe you\u2019re reading prayerlessly. This possibility comes last but not because it\u2019s least important. This final point may be the most important of the eight. You shouldn\u2019t try to form a plan of consistent and meditative reading that\u2019s void of prayer. The fittedness of prayer with Bible reading has been noted by many people, including Donald Whitney in his tremendous book Praying the Bible.

You should pray when you read Scripture because the Holy Spirit is real and active. Do you believe that? Do you pray like you believe that? The Spirit grants understanding and illuminates your mind. The Spirit prompts you with conviction or joy or peace. Your growth and maturity are not apart from the Spirit\u2019s work but are the result of the Spirit\u2019s work. When you open your Bible, pray for focus and delight. Pray for insight. Pray for the Spirit\u2019s fruit. Don\u2019t read the Bible prayerlessly. God will show himself faithful and gracious as he nourishes our souls through his Word.

In Genesis 5:21-24 we are told that Enoch walked with God. In my research I have found the book of Enoch. I have read it over and over and found it to be very moving and very inspiring. It was the very key to bring me back to our Lord and Savior. It is a blue print of all things past, present, and future from Genesis to the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) our Messiah, to the secret day of judgment. It is almost the whole Bible in one book. My question is, why isn't this wonderful book in the Bible?

While the book is fascinating to read, it is important to note that the first book of Enoch is not Scripture. That is, the book is not inspired by God. The book was quoted in the Apocryphal book of Baruch, and in several early church manuscripts: Barnabas 16:5, Idolatry 15:6 (Tertullian), and Eccl. Proph 3 (Clement of Alexandria). Some have speculated that Jude 14-15 is a quote from the book of Enoch and concluded that Jude regarded Enoch as Scripture. The following two quotes compare Jude 14-15 to the suspected passage in the book of Enoch.

. . . Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. (NASB) Jude 14-15

Since the book of Jude was written by Jude under the influence of God the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), we conclude that the book of Jude is truth. It does not matter if Jude knew about the non-canonical (non-biblical) source. What is important is that God the Holy Spirit guided Jude to write truth because God is truthful (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 6:18). Therefore the first book of Enoch is wrong with regard to some facts and Jude can be trusted. Because Jude quoted the prophet Enoch we can know what happened historically.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has recognized the book of Enoch as Scripture.8 But the book of Enoch was never referred to by Jesus or any of the New Testament writers as Scripture, and the book was not included in the New Testament by the apostles. It is commonly misunderstood that the content of the Bible evolved over time. But the New Testament clearly tells us that the apostles were identifying Scripture as it was being written (2 Peter 3:14-16; cf. 1 Timothy 5:18 and Luke 10:7 ). The New Testament books were being distributed by the apostles to the various churches to be read (Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 3:14). By the time the apostles died, the New Testament had been written and its books were known. The Muratorian Fragment and several of the early fathers have left us a list of books that were identified as belonging to the New Testament. The book of Enoch was never included in the Roman Catholic or Protestant Bibles. Some books were challenged later but never with success.

Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . . . Jeremiah 9:23-24

Chad is owner and publisher at Harrington Interactive Media and serves as a deacon of teaching at Harpeth Christian Church in Franklin, Tennessee. He holds degrees from Ozark Christian College and Asbury Theological Seminary and is a coauthor of The Revolutionary Disciple and Dedicated and the author of Your Spiritual Formation Plan.

Chesterton has been vital for my spiritual development so I must include his Orthodoxy. For me, he lays out the basics of the gospel in this book, and he lands in a refreshing place about the role of beauty and mirth in the life of a Christian. Journey with Chesterton, a friend and mentor of sorts for C.S. Lewis, as you read this intriguing book.

A short classic on Christian community, Life Together provides the basics of how we must live together as disciples of Jesus. This little book serves as a sort of handbook to get you ready to enter into a deeper life of fellowship with other Christians. Bonhoeffer wrote this from the perspective of a member of the underground church in Nazi Germany, but his principles still translate well to our lives today.

3a8082e126