How to Read the Bible
If you don't yet have a Bible, you can get started for free:
On a smart phone: YouVersion Bible App
Online: Bible Gateway
There are many different translations of the Bible, and each has its advantages. We generally recommend the New International Version (NIV). But for anyone who has a hard time with long sentences, we recommend the New Living Translation (NLT).
When you open a printed Bible, you'll find a Table of Contents at the beginning. There, you'll see that the Bible is separated into two parts called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the Jewish Scriptures written before Jesus came to earth, and the New Testament is a compilation of Christian documents written after Jesus came.
As you thumb through the pages, you'll find big numbers and small numbers. The big numbers are the chapters, and the small numbers are the verses. When you see a Scripture referenced in this study, the first number you see represents the chapter. Then, after the colon, is the verse number.
So, for example, "John 3:16" means John, chapter 3, verse 16. To look it up, find John in the Table of Contents, turn to that book, follow the big numbers until you find the big "3," and then skim down the text until you reach the little number "16." What follows is the verse being referenced.
The process is simpler on a smart phone or web browser. Simply type the reference into the search feature, and it will take you straight there.
There's much more to learn and discover, but this is enough of the basics to get you started in this study. Let's start reading!
Reading the Bible
In our last lesson, we covered the reasons why we trust the Bible. Let’s now explore how to actually read it.
The Bible is not one book. It’s actually a collection of books written by different authors throughout different time periods. It wasn’t written for a modern audience. Each book of the Bible was written for the people who lived in that time and place, but it shows us what God has done, as well as the way God thinks and feels and how we should act as His people.
This is important to note because many people can get confused if they read certain scriptures and assume that God is speaking directly to them in their time. For instance, if you were to read, "The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you” (Leviticus 11:5), it’s completely irrelevant to you. First, you would have to Google “hyrax” and then figure out why its hoof being undivided even matters! But what if I were to tell you that Leviticus 11:5 wasn’t actually written to you? It was written to a completely different people at a completely different time.
Nevertheless, there are truths to be discovered about who God is and what He is like, even in passages like these, when you read them within their context. At the very end of this Leviticus 11, God said, “I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Here we see the more important point, which definitely applies to us today: Being "holy" or "different from the world."
While the laws about what you can and cannot eat in the Old Testament no longer apply to us as Christians under the New Covenant, the idea that we should separate ourselves from things that are spiritually unclean is still an important truth, even if we have no idea what a hyrax is.
Important Questions
In order to read the Bible well, it’s important to ask a few questions:
Who is writing this book?
To whom are they writing?
What kind of literature is this?
Why are they writing?
Read Ephesians 1:1
Who is writing this book?
To whom was it written?
Are they Christians or non-Christians?
How similar is your situation to theirs?
When you understand the context surrounding the writing of a particular book in the Bible, you can better understand how it applies to you.
We begin the Bible study process by first understanding what is being said. We can best understand that only after we can answer the questions that identify the book's context. After that, we can finally ask the question, “How does this apply to my life?”
Types of Literature in the Bible
In the New Testament, we have a few different kinds of literature that serve different purposes: Gospels, History, Epistles, and Apocalyptic Literature.
The Gospels, (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are four independent, historical accounts from eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life and teachings. After that, we have the book of Acts, which tells the story of the early church after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Next we have a bunch of letters (epistles) that teach the church about the truth of Christianity and how to live as a community together. These are the most practical books in the Bible. And lastly, we have an interesting book called Revelation, which paints a picture of things past, present, and future in a cryptic and poetic way.
If you read Revelation like a literal historical book, you will miss its meaning. Likewise, if you read a historical account as though it were a figurative picture, you will misunderstand the author’s intent. It’s important to understand the genre of literature you are reading when you study the Bible in order to properly interpret it.
Let’s practice
Read Luke 1:1–4.
What kind of literature is this?
Why was it written?
To whom was the author writing?
Now let’s read Luke 7:11–16
All of the context surrounding the writing of this book is the same as we just discussed.
What is this passage trying to communicate?
What can we learn from that?
Now read Luke 11:1–13
Remember, this is the same book. The genre is the same, the audience is the same, and the purpose for writing is the same.
What can we learn and apply to our lives from this passage?
Let’s change it up. We'll go to the Old Testament and read from the book of Psalms. The Psalms were a prayer and song book for ancient Israel. These passages were meant to be meditations and prayers that God’s people could sing both together and privately. Many Psalms were also prophecies about Jesus.
Let’s read Psalm 23
Who is writing this?
Why was it written?
What is it trying to say?
What stood out to you most while reading it?
What benefit does this Psalm bring to you?
You are well on your way to a lifetime of exploring deep truths hidden within the text of the Scriptures that have fed the souls of God’s people for thousands of years. What a treasure! It’s time to get to know God better and let His Spirit speak to your heart through the Bible.
It is vital for every Christian to develop a habit of Bible study. Develop a routine around your Bible reading. Some like to read at night before bed. Others love to wake up early and have a time alone reading the Bible with their morning coffee. Develop a rhythm that is sustainable for you, and then take the Bible one book at a time. The book of Mark is a great place to start. It will help you better understand the life and teachings of the One upon whom our faith is built, Jesus of Nazareth.
Additional Material
If you're interested and want to learn more, these videos are a great place to start:
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