Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture
by Piper, John
•Crossway 2017
Overview
Does it take a miracle to read the Bible?
God wrote a book, and its pages are full of his glory. But we cannot see his beauty on our own, with mere human eyes.
In Reading the Bible Supernaturally, John Piper aims to show us how God works through his written Word when we pursue the natural act of reading the Bible, so that we experience his sight-giving power—a power that extends beyond the words on the page.
Ultimately, Piper shows us that in the seemingly ordinary act of reading the Bible, something miraculous happens: we are given eyes to behold the glory of the living God.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
Key Features
- Challenges readers to expectantly engage with Scripture in light of God’s glory
- Provides a complete view of the nature of Scripture, a tool that displays God’s majesty and invites us into a relationship
- Balances the natural and supernatural elements of Bible reading
Contents
- Introduction to Part 1: The Proposal
- Reading the Bible toward God’s Ultimate Goal
- Reading the Bible toward White-Hot Worship
- Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 1
- Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 2
- Reading to See Supreme Worth and Beauty, Part 3
- Reading to Savor His Excellence, Part 1
- Reading to Savor His Excellence, Part 2
- Reading to Be Transformed, Part 1
- Reading to Be Transformed, Part 2
- Reading toward the Consummation
- Introduction to Part 2
- The Necessity and Possibility of Reading the Bible Supernaturally
- Why the Pharisees Couldn’t Read
- New Testament Pictures of Bible Reading as a Supernatural Act
- Introduction to Part 3
- God Forbid That We Despise His Natural Gifts
- Humility Throws Open a Thousand Windows
- The Indispensable Place of Prayer in Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Wakening Our Desire for the Word
- The Indispensable Place of Prayer in Reading the Bible Supernaturally: To See, Savor, and Love with a United Heart
- Reading the Bible by Faith in the Promises of God
- Reading the Bible by Faith in His Promise to Instruct Us
- The Ordinary Aim of Reading: The Meaning of Meaning
- The Ordinary Aim of Reading: Five Reasons to Define Meaning as What the Author Intended to Communicate
- The Ordinary Aim of Reading: God’s Intention through Man’s Intention
- The Power of Patience and Aggressive Attentiveness
- Active Reading Means Asking Questions
- Asking Questions about Words and Phrases
- Propositions: Collections of Nuggets or Links in a Chain?
- Querying the Text about Paradoxes, Pleasures, and a Transformed Life
Part 1: The Ultimate Goal of Reading the Bible
Part 2: The Supernatural Act of Reading the Bible
Part 3: The Natural Act of Reading the Bible Supernaturally
Praise for the Print Edition
Not many books should be recommended for both beginning Bible readers and mature Bible readers, but this is one of them. Utilizing brief and pointed expositions of often overlooked Bible verses, John Piper helpfully explains why we should be reading the Bible, the work of the Spirit in our Bible reading, and the fundamental skills and habits of faithful Bible reading. I cannot imagine a serious Christian who would not benefit from a thoughtful reading of this book.
—D.A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Cofounder, The Gospel Coalition
I have been reading the Bible daily for thirty-five years. Reading the Bible Supernaturally challenged my motives, effort, and enjoyment. I doubt I will read the Scriptures the same way again. I look forward to deeper and more wonderful times alone in the Word in the days ahead. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to take Bible study seriously.
—Francis Chan, New York Times best-selling author, Crazy Love and Forgotten God
Stunning. Profound. Powerful. Reading the Bible Supernaturally will move you to captivated and awestruck worship at the Divine’s plan for his Word as an instrument to magnify his unrivaled glory. Seeing and savoring the God of the Scriptures is an extraordinarily high calling every believer must pursue, and no man can move us to that place quite like John Piper. This book, accessibly written and weighty in content, is so much more than a manual or study guide to the Scriptures. Rather, it’s an invitation to the experience God intended we have with his Word—an experience that is Spirit dependent, faith building, and worship inciting.
—Louie Giglio, Pastor, Passion City Church, Atlanta; Founder, Passion Conferences; author, The Comeback
Product Details
- Title: Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture
- Author: John Piper
- Publisher: Crossway
- Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 432
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Scripture
About John Piper
John Piper (DTheol, University of Munich) is the founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for thirty-three years as the senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than fifty books, including Desiring God; Don’t Waste Your Life; This Momentary Marriage; A Peculiar Glory; and Reading the Bible Supernaturally.
