How to Read the Bible
As Christians, we are often told that we should read the Bible, but have you ever wondered how to best do that? The Bible is an extensive book with multiple authors, genres, and themes to consider. It can feel overwhelming to find the right place to start, but don’t worry! We are going to talk about how to read the Bible effectively!
Below are a few key ways you can elevate your time in God’s Word.
Start Well
When approaching the Word of God, it is important to approach it well—not with a sense of flippancy. Before anything else, we need to prepare our hearts to receive what the Bible is saying, and we can do this through prayer. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” Ask God to open your own eyes to the wonders of Scripture!
Ask Questions
Each book of the Bible is filled with wisdom and knowledge, but also information that can help us understand the context of the book. Knowing who wrote the book, or who they were writing to, is not only helpful, but provides deeper understanding to what the text is actually saying. Here are a few good questions you can use to learn more about the Scripture you’re studying:
- Who wrote it?
- Who was it written to?
- When was it written?
- Why was it written?
- What genre does this book fall into? (For example: wisdom literature, epistle, historical narrative, etc.)
(Using reliable commentaries can also be extremely helpful as you study the context of each passage!)
Read the Passage in Context
Reading the Bible in its correct context is so important. The Bible was written thousands of years ago, in a completely different culture, to an audience whose lives were very different to our own today. We can apply and learn so much from Scripture, but if we pull meaning from Scripture without considering its context, we risk misinterpreting the Bible. Reading the Bible in context means asking questions (see above!), and can include using a commentary to help you understand more of what the passage is saying! Context will help you more deeply understand what Scripture is saying.
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Use Helpful Resources to Increase Understanding
We need not struggle to understand Scripture by ourselves—especially when there are a plethora of great resources available to help us interpret and apply God’s Word.
Here are a few of our favorite resources that may help your Bible reading!
The Bible Handbook
Finish Well
It’s one thing to simply read the text and move on with your day—it’s another to take the things you’re learning and apply them to your day. Finishing well is just as important as starting well! Ending your time in prayer, asking yourself what you learned about the Lord, and how you can live in light of what you learned, are all great ways to finish your time in the Bible well.
Reading the Bible is not only the most important thing we can do, it is also the best thing we can do. We hope these tips help grow your time in studying Scripture!
Additional Resources for Learning How to Read the Bible
The Bible Collection
The Bible Handbook
The Bible Study Handbook
