Read the Bible in a Year This evening read Acts 17:16--34 Learn to Explain the Meaning Paul went to Athens and started preaching, especially about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The men of Athens wanted to know more about this new doctrine, 20 "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean" (Act. 17:20). Paul had to be ready with an explanation. Read what he said. You will discover that he started with what they knew or believed and then gave a somewhat easy explanation. That does not mean that they understood or believed what he said, but he at least made it possible for them. This is our goal as Christians, and for us who are teachers or preachers in the church, this is especially what we must strive to do. The best thing that you can do to understand the meaning of Scripture, because you cannot explain the meaning unless you know the meaning first, is to do what you are doing with these devotionals. Read and meditate upon the Scriptures day and night. While I went to a school to be able to learn the Scriptures and the art of preaching in a relatively short time, yet, the best help for knowing the word of God for me has been reading the Bible from cover to cover every year. Therefore, continue to read. It will take years for you to achieve the proficiency needed to be able to explain any question that people present to you without knowing that they are going to do it, but it is worth it. Don Ruhl Church of Christ 220 NE Savage Street Grants Pass, Oregon 97526-1310 541-476-3100 http://www.plymouth-church.com/dons_corner2.html http://associate.com/groups/emaildevotionals/