Maybe you think the Bible is boring. You’ve been tangled in a genealogy, you’ve been bogged down in tabernacle materials and cubits, and you’ve been confused by certain ceremonies and sacrifices. You’ve tried to pronounce difficult names, you’ve scrunched your forehead at some geographical references, and you’ve felt intimidated by the sheer size and scope of the Old and New Testaments. But let’s back up. What kind of book is the Bible? Think about what Christians claim about this book. Think about the seriousness of its subject matter and the influence it has had—and still has—around the world. The Bible is the Drama of the ages, the Story of all stories. In this book we read of the living God’s acts of creation and redemption. We see the true story of the world. It rivals all other epics and transcends ancient myths. The Bible is not like any other book. If you’re bored with the Bible, have you wondered why? A variety of explanations exist, and any (or several) of them could identify the problem. Let’s consider four possibilities. 1. You’re ignoring the christological shape of Scripture. The Bible is a Jesus book. The Old Testament foretells his coming, and the New Testament announces his arrival. To properly understand the parts of Scripture, we must see them in light of the whole. The big picture is a redemptive story, and it leads to a cross and through an empty tomb. If we find the Bible dull or boring, the problem is with us and not with the Bible. We must ask how the various people and covenants, the many events and laws, the patterns and institutions fit into the overarching story. Knowing the story is like having the top of a puzzle box with the picture clear and right beside you. Maybe, then, you’ve been reading the Bible without the puzzle box nearby, so you don’t yet see how the many pieces fit together and what picture they’re forming. When we discern Scripture’s christological shape, we see how it’s a library of books that all serve the good news of God’s gracious pursuit of sinners. But without the big picture in mind, the various parts might seem disconnected and uninteresting. 2. You’re unaware of certain historical matters. No matter what chapter or book you open in Scripture, you’re thousands of years removed from the composition and content of what you read. The more understanding you gain about certain historical places, customs, laws, or genealogies, the less likely challenging passages will deter you from reading further. Be relentlessly curious! Learning about biblical background issues takes work and resources. There are atlases and commentaries and study Bibles that can illuminate what seems perplexing at first glance. So be a curious reader. Ask yourself, Why is this here? What role does this passage or chapter play in the surrounding flow of Scripture? What details about this do I not know and need to investigate further? As you approach Scripture, assume there are things you don’t yet know but that you need to know and will come to know. This posture will give the benefit of the doubt—and rightly so—to the biblical authors. And it’ll be a humble reminder that though you’re the present reader of the sacred text, you aren’t the first recipient of it. 3. You’re reading inconsistently. A vague familiarity with Scripture won’t produce love for it. Sometimes we grow to love something because of our investment in it. Relationships can work that way, when we find ourselves enjoying someone as we get to know them better. Skills can work this way, which get nurtured with consistency and perseverance. What once seemed burdensome can become delightful. Think of Scripture as something you won’t love if you only read it occasionally or randomly. Play the long game. Don’t you want to become a better Bible reader? Don’t you want to understand Scripture more, love it more, and remember it more? You need to read consistently. This will immerse you in the teachings and worldview of the biblical authors. Your Bible reading habit (or lack thereof) won’t increase or decrease God’s love for you. But your spiritual discipline will affect the warmth of your heart toward truth. Your devotion to Scripture will cultivate your delight in the glories of Christ and the gospel. 4. You’re reading prayerlessly. This possibility comes last but not because it’s least important. It may be the most important. You shouldn’t try to form a plan of consistent and meditative reading that’s void of prayer. The fittedness of prayer with Bible reading has been noted by many people (including Donald Whitney in his book Praying the Bible). You should pray when you read Scripture because the Holy Spirit is real and active. Do you believe that? Do you pray like you believe that? The Spirit grants understanding and illuminates your mind. The Spirit prompts you with conviction or joy or peace. Your growth and maturity are not apart from the Spirit’s work but are the result of the Spirit’s work. Your growth and maturity are not apart from the Spirit’s work but are the result of the Spirit’s work. When you open your Bible, pray for focus and delight. Pray for insight. Pray for the Spirit’s fruit. Don’t read the Bible prayerlessly. God will show himself faithful and gracious as he nourishes your soul through his Word. These four reasons don’t exhaust the explanations for why a reader might find Scripture unengaging. But because Scripture is divinely inspired and testifies to God’s redeeming work in Christ, our hearts and minds need to know what God has said. His words are words of truth, goodness, and wisdom. The Bible isn’t boring. The psalmist is right: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).

Have you ever been surprised by the fine print? Maybe your internet bill skyrocketed and you learned the deal you agreed to was only good for a few months. Or the sudden barrage of emails from the online retailer means you accidentally signed up for their promotions list when you made a recent purchase. Church should never be like that. Those who join a local church ought never to feel, months or even years in, that they’ve signed up for something they don’t believe in fully. They should never be caught off guard by what the church teaches or expects of them. Pastors and leaders in the church have a unique responsibility to make abundantly clear all that the church believes and what God-glorifying worship and service with Christ’s body look like. Clarity, direction, and purpose are all necessary if believers are going to use their gifts in such a way that the church is built up (1 Cor. 14:5; Eph. 4:12). This is one of the great benefits of having an inquirers’ or new members’ class for those interested in formal membership. It’s a critical opportunity to magnify the “fine print” and let it be writ large for those anticipating making a commitment to the church. But what needs to be taught and shared in this class? A lot could be said, but I believe the following must be said. My hope is this will help you as you consider how to educate God’s people on what membership in the local church is all about. 1. The Gospel The first and final thing is Jesus. There’s nothing more fundamental required of a church member than that he or she believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we’re called to profess, more so than any particular doctrine or denominational distinctive: that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The faithful church member rests in Christ alone for salvation, receiving through faith alone the gracious gift of Christ’s righteousness to cover all sin and iniquity that separates us from God. Let’s not make the mistaken assumption that people excited and interested in joining the church have a complete grasp on what makes the church the church, namely Christ’s lordship. A new members’ class should major on the majors and bask in the basics. Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32–33). Pastor, preach the gospel in these classes. There’s nothing more fundamental required of a church member than that he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Doctrinal Distinctives A helpful new members’ class will cover the church’s theological and doctrinal commitments. In some instances, it’s not critical a member share every distinctive, but he or she must be aware of them. For example, my church holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of the Bible’s teachings. This includes theological convictions about God’s sovereignty in election (what’s sometimes called “Calvinism”). It’s by no means a requirement that a member be a Calvinist to join our church. But it will alleviate much frustration on the part of both the member and the leaders if there’s full transparency about what will be taught regularly from the pulpit. 3. Authority and Submission I’ve learned over the years that more time needs to be spent in these classes explaining the Bible’s teaching on leadership and laity in the church. To join a church means to be willing to “obey your leaders and submit to them” (Heb. 13:17; see also 1 Pet. 5:5). This often trips people up later when it’s not clear up front. A church leader’s authority is strictly declarative, which means a pastor can only declare to you what the Bible says, not enforce his preferences on your life. Even so, it’s not uncommon for a member to be indignant at a pastor’s or elder’s spiritual admonishment in a particular area of life, assuming them to be overstepping their bounds. But church membership is meaningless without an accountability structure in place. What it looks like to submit to elders will vary from church to church, as will the discipline administered when that submission is refused. That’s why it’s key for leaders to be clear about what’s expected. Whatever the specifics, discipline should be presented as a spiritual good, not a burden or a tyrannical demand. It’s a gracious gift from God to keep us from sin and on the path of holiness. 4. Meaningful Membership The goal of a new members’ class shouldn’t just be to get more names on the rolls. We want our people to do more than keep their noses clean, showing up dutifully on Sunday and never causing us problems. That’s mere membership; we’re after meaningful membership. In some instances, it’s not critical a member share every distinctive, but she must be aware of them. The church is to do all of life together, being devoted to meeting together for worship, fellowship, and service (e.g., Acts 2:42). Showcase the beautiful blessings to be had by building one’s life around the local church. Highlight the various midweek events, studies, and opportunities for service. In our noncommittal age, call people to commit to something inherently and eternally valuable. There’s no place on earth that Jesus loves more than his church. Ministers should always try to instill that same love for the church in their people. A new members’ class is perhaps the greatest opportunity to do that. Don’t Neglect Inquirers Though church leaders have a seemingly endless list of things to do—meetings to run, lessons to prepare—don’t overlook the importance of spending concentrated time with those who are interested in membership. Teaching inquirers’ classes have been some of my favorite moments in ministry. It’s good for my own soul to review the privileges of belonging to a local church, and it’s a joy to see that reality dawn in the hearts and minds of the people the Lord brings to us. Also, the questions potential members ask about the faith and the church are some of the best I ever get. It’ll become quickly apparent as you structure a class that you have a lot of ground you want to cover and likely not as much time as you’d prefer. These four themes can help you focus in on what matters most to bring inquirers into a full enjoyment of the blessings of church membership.

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Foreign Affairs Election Results in Thuringia and Saxony Spark More AfD Derangement Syndrome Despite German officialdom’s constant vilification of the AfD, the party’s good ideas are starting to break through. Credit: image via Shutterstock The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) demonstrated again in Sunday’s German state elections that it is more than a protest party.  The AfD came in first in Thuringia and placed second in Saxony, right on the heels of the Christian Democrats (CDU). Germany’s media and ruling class predictably catastrophized the voting results. “Trump, Le Pen, AfD: our democracy is threatened,” proclaimed the leftwing Der Spiegel.    It is not democracy that is threatened, of course, but the international left’s agenda on issues such as open borders, climate change and wokeism.  From Europe to the United States, national conservatives are mobilizing, and more and more winning elections, as they fight to recover their societies from the onslaught of these fundamentally radical policies. Historians, who see these larger trends better than political commentators, will rightly categorize the AfD as part of this same growing national conservative movement. It is a common-sense response to the failures and ineptness of traditional conservative parties. Be it the CDU in Germany, the Tories in Britain or Bush-McCain Republicans in America, these establishment conservatives either were ineffective or coopted by the globalist agenda. The level of fury unleashed to discredit the AfD is even more apocalyptic than that directed at Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and likely surpasses Trump Derangement Syndrome in the United States. In Germany, as the response to Sunday’s voting again makes clear, the media and ruling-class propaganda is unrelenting.   The AfD is “undemocratic,” “anti-immigrant,” and “pro-Putin.” The official hullabaloo is designed to avoid a discussion with the AfD on tough issues like why the Berlin governing coalition fails to deport illegal immigrants or seek negotiations to end the Russia–Ukraine war.   A key weapon for German officialdom is deploying the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV), which has investigated the AfD and officially declared the party “an extremist organization.”  The BfV ruling helps all the major parties, including the CDU, justify their decision to continue to insist on a “firewall” against the AfD. Thus, given the coalition-building nature of German politics, the AfD will likely still be kept in opposition in both state legislatures in Thuringia and Saxony, even though the party garnered more than a third of the votes.  Because this drama is playing out in Germany, the dreaded Nazi past can be effectively instrumentalized against the AfD, both by the CDU for tactical political advantage, and by the establishment left in an attempt to discredit all conservative positions.   Far from being “neo-Nazi,” the AfD political program would comfortably fit in with main-street conservatives everywhere from Australia to Canada, from Nigel Farage to J. D. Vance.  In fact, a reading of the AfD platform reveals fairly vanilla stuff and brings on a few yawns.   When the media falsely claimed the AfD had a plan of “remigration” to deport legal residents and naturalized citizens, the party responded: “The AfD does not differentiate between German citizens with and without a migration background. All Germans are part of our nation, regardless of their origin, ancestry, worldview or religious affiliation.” On nationalism, the party proclaims: “We are open to the world, but we want to be and remain German. We want to permanently preserve human dignity, the family with children, our Western Christian culture, our language and tradition in a peaceful, democratic and sovereign nation state of the German people.” On social policies: “Our country is facing major social challenges. Stabilizing the social systems requires special efforts in the face of a shrinking and ageing population. Our limited resources are therefore not available for an irresponsible immigration policy that no other European country dares to pursue.” On the United Nations, this “far-right” party is outright squishy: “The AfD is committed to the values of the United Nations Charter and international law. We are committed to a foreign policy that is geared to German interests.” Don’t be fooled, the opponents respond; it is what AfD members actually say on the campaign trail and do behind closed doors that matters. But here, too, the alarmists have very little to offer. They mainly scorn Bjorn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, who was Sunday’s big winner. Höcke has indeed made statements that minimize or buck Germany’s political correctness standard about dealing with the Nazi past. For reasons that are perhaps understandable, but not legally defensible, such talk is verboten in modern Germany’s political discourse. The authorities prosecuted and fined Höcke for using the banned Nazi slogan, “everything for Germany” (alles für Deutschland), calculated to resonate with his voters who believe that such a sentence should not be considered out of bounds. One AfD supporter, a female school teacher in Thuringia, explained to a New York Times reporter: “That was a very normal sentence. We should be allowed to be proud of our country today without immediately being accused of being extremists.” Although he wants the attention, Höcke would be much smarter to stay away from such calculated rhetoric because it helps open the door to federal investigators from the before-mentioned Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz. The BfV exists to investigate threats against the German state, and number one on that list has long been neo-Nazi and rightwing groups. In response, the AfD counters that statistics indicate the BfV spends far more time and resources monitoring rightwing instead of leftwing threats. Just as MAGA conservatives complain that the FBI and DOJ have been instrumentalized against them for political ends, AfD members say the same about BfV. They have a point. For example, Sahra Wagenknecht, the other big winner in the German elections on Sunday, generally escapes such intense scrutiny. German officialdom has deemed Wagenknecht, unlike Höcke, to be salonfähig: she gets invited through the front door and never misses a German TV talk show.   A very popular politician in East Germany, Wagenknecht has impressively built a new leftist populist political party, largely based on her own political persona, called “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht).  In its first elections on Sunday, the BSW performed better than many established parties.    Wagenknecht is a product of the old communist GDR political system; she transitioned into modern Germany’s leftwing politics and has a strong following in the eastern states. Although Wagenknecht has mostly put her radical Marxist youth behind her, key activists in her movement and new party were Stasi members. They do not get anything close to the scrutiny of Höcke and his people. Clearly, a national-interest approach on big issues like Germany’s shrinking economy, open borders, and concern about the Russia–Ukraine war is what motivated the vast majority of AfD voters in Thuringia and Saxony, not vague notions about being “völkisch.”  German officialdom’s response to Sunday’s elections and the AfD voters is shameful. It is more undemocratic than anything the party has ever done. Years ago, I served as a U.S. diplomat in the American consulate in Leipzig and met with political leaders of all stripes in cities and hamlets across Thuringia and Saxony. Germans in the region are no more “extremist” than people anywhere else in Europe.  Staying in touch, I returned this summer and spoke with an immigrant, now a legal resident, who has lived there for years. His comments perfectly captured the moment: “The AfD represents common-sense ideas on energy, borders, and war.  If there are a few cranks in the party, then throw them out, but keep the party’s good ideas.” The post Election Results in Thuringia and Saxony Spark More AfD Derangement Syndrome appeared first on The American Conservative.