In his classic book on reading, Mortimer Adler comments, “All reading must to some degree be active…. The more active the reading the better.” His single prescription for active reading is “ask questions while you read—questions that you yourself must try to answer in the course of reading.” Later, he continues, “reading a book should be a conversation between you and the author…. Marking a book is literally an expression of your difference or your agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay him.”
I believe we can measure how much we are actively engaging with Scripture by what we do when we read. I believe that good reading goes beyond only reading. Good reading asks questions. Good reading annotates. Good reading takes action.
This post is different from what you normally find on Rooted Thinking. This time it’s a personal challenge. I’m offering to your consideration the book of Colossians in graphic form. I’m inviting you to walk through the book and evaluate whether this captures the book or not. I’m soliciting your interaction to see whether I’ve understood the book yet or not. And I’m asking you to personally, actively wrestle with a book of the Bible until it has become your own.
I believe that…
- The book is split between theology / salvation in the past (1:1-2:5) and application / Christian growth in the future (2:8-4:18).
- The crossroads of the book is also the very first command—“as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
- That means that the entire book has Christ at its center. Christ is the truth that transforms the world. Christ transforms our lives.
- That means that our Christian growth started with our new birth and both work the same way. How did you receive Jesus? Ok—so now walk like that too.
The best literature demands our best reading. Why not give Colossians your focused study and let the centrality of Christ change your life?
