Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture

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 sightgiving 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.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1: The Ultimate Goal of Reading the Bible

• 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

Part 2: The Supernatural Act of Reading the Bible

• 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

Part 3: The Natural Act of Reading the Bible Supernaturally

• 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

Conclusion

Appendix: Arcing

A Word of Thanks

General Index

Scripture Index

Desiring God Note on Resources