A Simple Piece of Advice for Finding Time to Learn about the Bible

My advice can be summarized in three short words: buy an iPod. Many older Christians do not use iPods at all, and many young Christians only use them to listen to music. But iPods afford numerous opportunities for learning more about the Bible. How, you may ask? Simple. You can download whole books of the Bible to your iPod. In addition, you can download sermons, lectures, or even whole classes on particular books of the Bible, biblical theology, or the history of biblical interpretation. Many good sermons, lectures, and classes on the Bible can be downloaded from iTunes free of charge. And, while one typically has to pay a fee to download a whole book of the Bible, the cost is usually reasonable, and one can choose from a variety of different translations. I myself have been listening to the JPS translation of Leviticus for several months, and I plan to start listening to the JPS translation of Numbers soon.

Ok. Suppose that you have bought an iPod, and that you have downloaded some books of the Bible, and perhaps a few sermons or lectures. How do you find the time to listen to them? Again, the answer is simple. You can listen to your iPod when you're getting ready in the morning, when you're driving, when you're doing housework, or when you're out on a walk.* In fact, I listen to my iPod at all these times. Of course, you may find it difficult to give your full attention to listening to a book of the Bible or even a sermon while doing these things. However, even if you are distracted by traffic or housework, you can still learn a good deal from listening to your iPod. (Of course, you shouldn't listen to your iPod in the car if you feel that it's dangerous to do so.) In particular, I think that it's a good idea to listen to any book of the Bible that you are currently studying. This can help you learn the text of the book better so that you get more out of your time when you sit down with a hard copy of the Bible in hand.

In closing, regardless of how many hours you already spend each week on Scripture, buying an iPod will provide you with new opportunities for learning more about the Bible.

(*Note that you will probably need a docking station if you want to listen to your iPod while brushing your teeth or washing dishes. If you decide to buy a docking station, make sure that it has high sound quality. Also, if you want to listen to your iPod while driving, then you may want to buy an adapter. This will allow you to listen to your iPod through your car's radio so that you don't need to use headphone, which can be dangerous while driving. Finally, you can listen to books of the Bible and other items on your computer, but you can't listen to your computer in the car or on a walk. What makes iPods so useful is their portability.)