by Tad Lindley
You probably know what the acronym LOL stands for, and perhaps TTYL and ROFL. In the world of Bibles, KJV is probably the most common acronym, and you already know that it stands for King James Version. No doubt you use that all the time when texting your friends. Almost as well-known is the NIV, which stands for New International Version of the Bible. Far fewer people know what TLDR stands for, even though almost every home in our region has a copy of the TLDR Bible somewhere in the house. You may even think that you have a KJV or an NIV, but what you really have is a TLDR version.
TLDR Version?
TLDR is a modern acronym that also sometimes shows up as TL;DR with a semicolon. If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me explain how I know that the Bible you have at home is most likely a TLDR version. TLDR stands for Too Long; Didn’t Read. Often used to describe a long Facebook post or a cumbersome email, but in reality it also describes the relationship of too many of us to our Bible; it is too long, and so we don’t read it. Instead we cling to a few convenient scriptures and feel like Jesus understands us and it’s all good.
When TLDR is all you have time for…
On some occasions because of time constraints you have to give a brief summary of a longer story, or a synopsis of a scientific paper. In those situations, instead of saying, “To make a long story short (TMALSS),” it is much easier to just say, “The TLDR version is this…” In fact, you find that there are a number of times in the Bible where people didn’t have time for a twelve lesson home Bible study, and they just gave a TLDR answer to a question. Even Jesus did this.
Jesus goes full TLDR
In Mark 12:28, a scribe approaches Jesus and he says, “Which is the most important commandment of all?”
And so Jesus, the author of the commandments gives him the TLDR version: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is One: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is no greater commandment than these.”(Mark 12:29-31) And we know from Matthew’s account that Jesus summed it up like this: “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (22:40) In other words, “That is the TLDR version of the Old Testament.”
Peter goes TLDR
In Acts 2 Peter preached his first sermon. It was so good that people got extremely convicted about the sin in their lives and they asked him and the other disciples what they needed to do to be saved. Peter gave them the TLDR version in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” He didn’t have time for a twelve week home Bible study, so he gave them the TLDR version and then later if you read to the end of the chapter you will see that they followed up going from house to house teaching people the whole truth.
Paul’s TLDR message
One time Paul and Silas encountered a man who was in the very act of committing suicide in the middle of the night. They interrupted him. The man said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” It is after midnight, and the man is on the edge mentally. Not having time to bring him from Genesis to Revelation, they answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:25-31) This is the TLDR version of salvation. There is obviously much more, and if you read chapter sixteen you will see that they actually went home with the guy, taught him a Bible study, and baptized him and his family in Jesus’ name before the sun even came up.
The danger of a TLDR experience
There are people who are trying to minimize their walk with God to a TLDR experience. They tell themselves, “All I have to do is believe, because that’s what Paul told the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31!” Or, “I’m heaven bound, because I repented, got baptized in Jesus’ name, and I received the gift of the Holy Ghost!” And certainly these things are essential, but the Bible has much, much more for us. If you have a TLDR version of the Bible at home, it is time to get it out and read it. If you are not a strong reader, get an audio Bible on your phone and listen through it while you follow with your eyes. The Bible contains the whole truth, but how will you know it if you never read it?
Reverend Tad Lindley is a minister at the United Pentecostal Church in Bethel, Alaska.
