It is always beneficial to read and study the Bible. But it is prudent to know our purpose of reading it before we begin. The answer is in the Bible. As Jesus speaks to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, he teaches us the whole Scripture is about himself. In other words, the primary purpose of the Bible is to reveal who Christ is. However, even many scripture scholars forget this truth. Many of them dissected the Bible into groups of ancient literary genres. They claimed that they demystified the Bible and provided it with cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Indeed, the knowledge of ancient cultures and languages helps us read the Bible as if we were in the biblical scenes. But their demystifying efforts confused Christians and even themselves about the authorship of the Bible. Many Christians educated of biblical studies no longer consider the Bible as divine revelation but as an anthology of ancient legends.
Following the teaching of Christ, the Church has been teaching that the Bible is a work of the Holy Spirit as the ultimate author who inspired different contributors and editors. All the writings and traditions of the Bible show how God prepared for man's salvation from creation. Thus, the whole Bible focuses on the Saviour of mankind, namely Christ Jesus.
We read and study the Bible to know Christ. Then, we may listen to his voice and message to us. The Scripture is not a collection of dead stories but the voice of the living Lord. That is why we can read it over and over. The Lord has no limit of his goodness. Whoever humble enough to open his ears may hear his voice and draw the life-giving water from this living book of life.
