Bible Matters

UK pastor Tim Chester is one of the most straight-forward, reliably orthodox, and inspiring authors I have read in a long time. In Bible Matters: Meeting God In His Word, he encourages love for the Bible, not as a book, but as a direct line to the voice of God. He says that he wants readers "to realize that every time you read the Bible, you're hearing the voice of God--just as surely, more surely, than if you have some kind of dramatic experience."


Chester's deep love of the Bible comes across throughout Bible Matters. It's not a matter of idolatry of a book, but love of Jesus. "I love to hear [Jesus'] voice. . . . [The Bible] enables me to hear my Savior's voice." He supports the use of Bible reading plans, but encourages us not to see them as a list to check off. (I have been guilty of that!). I love his suggestion that as we read, "turn what you read into prayer." I have found this to be a great way to engage the scriptures and personalize God's word for me.


He takes a hard line against the tendency to reject the teachings of scripture in favor of cultural trends. For personal and/or cultural reasons, Christians sometimes will selectively read the Bible, choosing what they want to obey or recognize as authoritative. "Most Christians are happy to accept the authority of the Bible until it teaches something they don't like."


Bible Matters is a great resource for reinvigorating your love of the Bible, and reminding you why you read it. I enjoy Chester's style of communication and the unyielding faith and confidence in God and his word that he conveys. I recommend Bible Matters for all Christians, no matter where on their walk of faith they are.



Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Tim Chester has the uncommon ability to write in an accessible yet thoroughly scholarly and trustworthy way. Here, he sets himself the challenge of answering some major objections to the authenticity of the Christian holy text, and of encouraging the faithful at the same time. One of the interesting things I found about this book is that he quotes liberally from some heavyweights of church history and theology. Helpfully the quotations he selects from the likes of John Calvin and Tyndale are instantly readable and easily understood.
This is a great book for anyone who has not much familiarity with the history of the bible, or for the searcher of truth. That is not to say it is of no benefit to the scholar or bible student, on the contrary, as Chester says in one section, the reader needs to be reminded of many things he has already heard before, there is nothing new here to be found, but it is freshly said and moves along with some pace.
This is an easy but informative and stimulating read whether you're a believer or just curious. I recommend it highly.

First sentence of introduction: Let me tell you about an amazing experience I had just this morning.

First sentence of chapter one: Tell me about the book you’re reading. You’re only a few words in, but you already know a fair bit about it.You know it’s about the Bible—the title is a bit of a giveaway.

In Bible Matters, Tim Chester shares with readers WHY he loves the Bible. He writes, "My number one aim for this book is this: I want you to realize that every time you read the Bible, you’re hearing the voice of God—just as surely, more surely, than if you have some kind of dramatic experience. Reading the Bible is a dramatic Spirit-filled experience. The God who spoke and brought the universe into existence speaks to you. The God whose voice thundered from Mount Sinai speaks to you. The God in Christ whose words healed the sick speaks to you. I’ve read lots of things about the Bible that I’ve agreed with. But very few have captured how I feel about the Bible and why.That’s what I’ve tried to do in this book."

In chapter one, Chester examines HOW God speaks to us. God talks to us in creation, in history, in his Son, and in his Word--the Bible. He writes, "We can know about him because he speaks to us. But God remains in control of the process. We talk about “grasping” an idea. But we don’t “grasp” God—not even when he reveals himself." He reminds us all that, "just because we’re not listening doesn’t mean God’s not talking."

Three chapters address God speaking in the Bible. The first of these chapters addresses how we got the Bible and the authority of the Bible. He concludes, "Other books can have a big impact on your life. And sometimes their impact is more immediate than the Bible. But that impact will fade. One day they’ll be out of date. But the Bible is never out of date. It’s important to have a sense of this. Why do we love Christian books? Why do we sometimes prefer to read them rather than the Bible? Perhaps because they offer a quick fix. They’re like sugary cereals compared to oatmeal. Sugar gives us a quick high but soon leaves us feeling hungry again. If you want to develop as a person or acquire a new skill, then other books might produce more immediate effects. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to develop character that endures, then read the book that endures. If you want to become a person of real substance, then read the book of real substance. Let the enduring word of God shape who you are."

The second of these chapters is about the present-ness of the Bible. God SPEAKS, present tense. He writes, "The Bible—read, preached, chatted about, or summarized—is what God uses to awaken faith in the hearts of unbelievers and strengthen the faith of believers." This chapter includes two sober warnings, "If we try to “make” the Bible relevant, we open ourselves up to two dangers. First, we might misapply it. We make the Bible say something contemporary. But when you “make” the Bible say something, the chances are you’re communicating your thoughts rather than God’s thoughts. The second danger is even more significant. If we think the Bible isn’t a contemporary word, then we’ll be tempted to update it. We’ll select from the Bible or reinterpret it to make it fit our culture."

The third of these chapters focus on how Jesus is the Word of God, how the Bible--cover to cover--is about Jesus the Word made flesh. Chester writes, "Red-letter Bibles print the direct words of Jesus in red so they stand out to give them special status. The irony is that this is self-defeating, for red text is less legible than black text, so the effect is actually to make the direct words of Jesus less significant! More importantly, it assumes that the rest of the Bible is not the words of Jesus. But Jesus is the Word of God. All revelation is in him and through him. All the words in the Bible are the words of Jesus about Jesus." If you've ever found the Old Testament frustrating, this chapter might help. He includes some helpful tips on how to read the Bible and understand it. It also addresses the question WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The next five chapters address the PURPOSE of the Bible. Titles include: "The Bible is Relational," "The Bible is Intentional," "The Bible is Enough," "The Bible is Reliable," and "The Bible is Accessible."

The final chapter is "Dying to Read the Bible." This is one of the most thought-provoking chapters I've read in quite a while. Chester writes, "Every day we experience death as we die to sin and self. And every day we experience new life as we’re renewed by God. The death and resurrection of Jesus have their fingerprints all over the Christian life. And that includes reading the Bible." He challenges us to think about reading the Bible in a whole new way, with newly shaped expectations and approaches.
"The Bible brings death and then brings life. The Bible wounds and then heals. The Bible judges and then justifies. The Bible exposes and then clothes. The Bible crushes and then revives. The Bible unmakes and then remakes. The Bible unmasks us and then gives us a new identity."
There is a right way and a wrong way to approach the Bible.

Chester concludes with a short chapter on "Why I Love the Bible."

I definitely loved reading this book. I found it both practical and thought-provoking. Some of the chapters cover the basics--like many other books about the Bible. But other chapters cover Bible reading from a fresh perspective and challenges readers to approach the Bible in a new, more biblical way.

I love the Bible more so today than ever. I agree with him, I “have to” read His Word or I get a bit bent out of control. I love that God truly does speak to me through His Word. So I just want to say amen to this book and the teaching behind it. This is a great resource for someone who wants to read the Bible for their own soul but might have questions. He is very practical and honoring in what he desires to communicate. I trust Tim and his ministry so please allow him some room to teach you about why God’s Word really is important for you and how to read it for your soul..

Lately we have seen a resurgence of hard questions against the truth of the Scriptures. Many people say that this book is just a religious invention that springs from fear. But Tim Chester does a masterful job of showing us that the Scriptures are the mind of God.
Honestly it is a book that will guide us to love the Scriptures even more, it will increase a desire to deepen and live the Word of God.

The author begins his book with a fundamental idea: God speaks. God speaks through the Scriptures, therefore Christians can approach and hear God. To deepen our confidence in the sacred book, Tim Chester presents some essential characteristics of the Bible:
- The Bible is Relational
- The Bible Is Intentional
- The Bible Is Enough
- The Bible Is Reliable
- The Bible Is Accessible

Finally, the author encourages us to go to the Scriptures and delight in the mind of God.

It seems to me a very important book for the new generations that are growing in a postmodern society and they need to base their lives on the Word of God.

I really liked the style of the author, very accessible, direct and entertaining. You can read this book in three days. And without a doubt you will jump with more encouragement to seek the Bible and hear the voice of God.

Thanks to IVP for the electronic copy to review.

Bible Matters
Making Sense of Scripture
by Tim Chester
InterVarsity Press

IVP Books
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 23 Jan 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Bible Matters through InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:


This book reminds us that although we should read the Bible sometimes it does feel like hard work. That there are times we seem to solely read it out of a sense of obligation. And there are times we give up reading the Bible entirely out of sheer frustration.


In this book Tim Chester reminds us that when we read The Bible we are hearing the voice of God. We are hearing the voice of the one who spoke the universe into existence, the voice of the one who healed the sick and whose voice echoed off Mount Sinai.


This book includes a Bible study that allows for either individual or group study.


I give Bible Matters five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A detailed, encouraging guide on Bible reading practices. There are great nuggets of wisdom in the book and I enjoyed it, but felt that it was a little all over the place and tried to throw in "everything but the kitchen sink" about the Bible without the organization needed to support it. I'd recommend reading it for a solid overview of how and why to read the Bible.

The bible is given to us by God with intent. And for it to achieve that intent, its overall message must be clear. It's not written in code, nor in such sophisticated language that only an elite can understand it. The clarity of Scripture is ultimately rooted in God himself and his saving purposes. God wrote the bible to communicate and so it communicates clearly.


Because there is a correct way of reading the bible, we can easily read the bible incorrectly. So we need to answer the why for our motivation and why the bible matters. If our attitude toward the word of God is not one of awe and with the motivation to know him, we will not get much out of it. The catch is our need to get something out of it might not be the right need. Our need is salvation. What keeps us from desiring the things of God? The bible when read correctly, confronts our desires. We know the saying and have probably experienced the pull of our heart. The heart wants what it wants. We can desire good things but with the wrong motivation. The bible addresses our heart. The pride and the brokenness of our hearts.

The 10 chapters will introduce and begin a foundation of how we approach the bible and stay in the word.

The God Who Speaks
God Spoke in the Bible
God Speaks in the Bible
God Speaks Jesus in The bible
The Bible is Relational
The Bible is Intentional
The Bible is Enough
The Bible is Reliable
The Bible Is Accessible
Dying to Read the Bible.

Reading the bible is so important to faith. It keeps us grounded when we need it most. We know God reading the word. In knowing God, we begin to know our selves. We do not know God by knowing ourselves first. The bible is not about us but it is for us. It guides us to respond to God in his glory and place as creator. It guides us to know who is our neighbor and how we love sacrificially. How we serve others that they can respond to God in faith. The bible is not our best life now but the life that given to us in Christ.

A Special Thank You to Intervarsity Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.