5 Actions to Take Before You Publicly Read Scripture

Our guest blogger today is Andrew Lucius, Associate Pastor of Music and Worship at Bull Street Baptist Church in Savannah, GA.* Andrew is a graduate of Southern Seminary and current PhD student at Southeastern Seminary. He and his wife, Becca, have two children: Molly and Matthew.

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Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture in 1 Timothy 4:13 sets a precedent for the church today. Unfortunately, many churches struggle to incorporate this element into the weekly worship service. Perhaps this is the result of lacking intentionality in our preparation. Here are five ways to prepare for reading the Bible publicly.

1. Read the chosen text in context multiple times. It is probably not sufficient to read only the verse(s) that will be read publicly. Consider reading the whole chapter that contains the verse(s) to be read. The reader should internalize the passage by reading it multiple times.

• Understand the chosen text by studying the passage. Know how to pronounce all the words especially the names of people and places. Look for theologically significant words (i.e., “kingdom,” “gospel,” “grace,” etc.). Note words and phrases that reveal structure, such as “the next day,” “while they were still speaking,” and “Therefore.” These transitional words help you follow the author’s train of thought. 

• Paraphrase the chosen text in your own words. This is an excellent way to help you grasp and internalize the content of a passage.

• Prepare the chosen text. In your Bible, make notes, underline, or highlight words you want to emphasize. Consider writing in slash marks or apostrophes where you want to pause. Make sure the text of your Bible is big enough so that you can see it well under bright stage lighting. 

• Practice with your prepared Bible in hand. Read over the passage out loud multiple times. You may want to video yourself and watch your facial expressions and nonverbal communication as you listen back to how the passage sounds as you read. If possible, you may want to practice where you will soon read it publicly.

This is a simple list of five basic actions that we can take to be better Bible readers before others. There are many other ways we might prepare, but the most important principle is that we take time to prepare in some way. After all, reading God’s Word together is one of the most important elements in the church’s weekly worship.

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* This post is an adaptation of content from Jeffery D. Arthurs, Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2012), 37–60.