How to Learn How to Read the Bible
The Bible is like an epic tale. It has its ain setting, characters, plot, and twists along the mode. Information technology takes time to become familiar with it all, but it'south more than worthwhile when yous do. Here are the essentials y'all need to get started to better understand the Scriptures.
How to Empathise the Bible for Beginners
ane. Read the Bible in Context
The first step to understanding the Bible is to read it in light of its surrounding context. If you're stuck on the pregnant of a unmarried verse, read the entire paragraph that surrounds it. And then, read the entire chapter that it'south in. Fifty-fifty better than that, read the entire volume of the Bible to give you lot its bigger context.
Before we await at how to read the Bible in its context: If this is your first time reading the Bible, I recommend that you start with the book of Mark. Hither's an article that I wrote on why I recommend the Gospel of Marker (link opens in a new window) , specially if you might merely read one book int the Bible.
If you're planning on reading more than one book of the Bible, here are the 15 books that I would recommend (link opens in a new window) . These volition give you the main storyline and major themes of the Bible. The list below is from that article.
Those 15 books volition give you a good context for the unabridged Bible.
Wherever you're reading in the Bible, here is how you tin can think almost what its context is:
The Context of the Bible (From Major Sections to Details)
- Old and New Testaments
- Genre of the Book
- Individual Book
- The Main Divisions of the Book
- Chapter
- Paragraph
- Poetry
If yous stick to reading the Bible in context, then the big film volition eventually go clear to you lot. Later, you lot can fill in the details the more than you empathize the Bible.
It'southward also helpful to know the genre of the book that you're reading. Hither are ii tables that give an overview of the genre and sections of the Bible so yous can read information technology in its context.
Genres of Books & Sections of the Old Testament
| Genre/Section | Books of the Onetime Testament | Theme |
| Law | Genesis to Deuteronomy | Origins & How God relates to Israel |
| History | Joshua to Esther | The history of State of israel |
| Poetry | Job to Song of Songs | Psalms, Proverbs & Writings |
| Prophets | Isaiah to Malachi | Calling Israel back to God |
The books of the Law are historical content and stories mixed in with God's Law for the nation of Israel. The historical role starts at the showtime of the world and is fairly straightforward.
The instructions for the people of Israel, like the book of Leviticus, can be a scrap too much detail for those who are just starting out in the Bible. Experience free to skip those parts for now and come back to them later.
The books of History are fairly straightforward. A little bit of historical background from any skillful Study Bible or other Bible reference tool tin be helpful here.
The books of Verse are a mix of songs of worship, history, narrative, and proverbs.
Some of the Prophets wrote in poesy and information technology'due south possible they could have delivered the prophecies through music and song (2 Kings 3:fifteen). Other books of the Prophets are historical and narrative.
Genres of Books & Sections of the New Attestation
| Genre/Section | Books of the New Testament | Field of study |
| Gospels | Matthew to John | The Life of Jesus |
| History | Acts | History of the Early Church |
| Letters | Most by Paul, several by others | Letters to churches or individuals |
| Prophecy | Revelation | Jesus' Second Coming and Leadership |
The Gospels are 4 different records of the life and ministry building of Jesus Christ.
The volume of Acts is the history of the early church and sets upwardly the scene for the rest of the New Attestation.
The Letters, sometimes chosen Epistles, are written by Paul and others to individual Christians, or to churches. A good Report Bible can exist helpful to explain some of the historical backgrounds. Even without the historical groundwork, the messages are fairly straightforward. Sometimes, they tin can be quite dense with teaching, so don't get stuck in the details when y'all're starting out.
The Book of Revelation reveals the leadership of Jesus at the end of this age. People accept dissimilar interpretations of what it means. Here's an article you might observe helpful if you lot're interested in studying the book of Revelation: How Does the Bible Cease?
I resources that I recommend is Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (You can check out the reviews on this link to Amazon) It has a chapter on every book of the Bible and explains how they fit together into the whole. Information technology's piece of cake and articulate to read and has great insights that volition help yous understand the Bible. Be certain to become the book and not the companion volume that only has diagrams, charts, and images. The covers await very like.
2. Learn Who the Master Characters Are
Each department of the Bible has different figures that are central to the main storyline of the Bible. In that location are, of course, many more than people in both the Quondam and New Testaments. Here are the 4 major figures in each of the Testaments with the general timeframe in which they're alive.
Timeframe and the Primary People in the Old and New Testaments
| Section | Timeframe | Principal People |
| Erstwhile Testament | Cosmos to ~400 BC | Abraham (2000 BC) Moses (1500 BC) David (1000 BC) Isaiah (500 BC) |
| New Attestation | The 1st Century (0-100AD) | Jesus Peter Paul John |
Abraham (Genesis 12-fifty). In the Old Testament, God chooses one man, Abraham to exist a approval to all the nations of the earth. Abraham responds to God in faith, becoming the father of all who believe (Romans 4). Abraham's grandson, Isaac, has sons who will eventually become the nation of Israel.
Moses (Exodus 1-twoscore). Moses is the man that God chooses to evangelize the people of Israel out of the country of Egypt. The Israelites were living as slaves in the land of Egypt at the time. God delivers the people through Moses and gives them the Constabulary. The Law describes how the Israelites became God'southward people and how they're supposed to alive and then that God's plan to bless all the nations of the earth volition be fulfilled.
David (i & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, i & 2 Chronicles). David was the second male monarch of Israel. David ruled over the nation of Israel for xl years. David makes Jerusalem the upper-case letter of Israel.
Israel was at the height of its glory during David and his son, Solomon's, reign. It was a major step in establishing the nation of State of israel in the country. During Solomon's reign, in that location was a civil state of war that divided the nation of Israel into two: the Nothern region of Israel and the Southern region of Judah.
Isaiah was one of the many prophets that God sent to telephone call the nation of Israel back to Himself. The people of Israel don't follow God for many centuries with the exception of a few instances of revival. The Northern Kingdom falls to the Assyrian regular army. The Southern Kingdom eventually falls to the Babylonians. The people of Israel are sent into exile in Babylon for lxx years. Afterwards the 70 years, some of the exiles render to Judah.
3. Become Familiar with the Main Storyline
It's helpful to become familiar with the main message and the storyline of the Bible. The Bible is non a random collection of 66 books. In that location is a common thread, a storyline if you look at the large moving picture. If y'all have the big picture show overview of the Bible, y'all tin can detect out what part of the storyline you're at.
It's best to stick to the chief and plain things in the Bible. The main idea and themes are very articulate. The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years and the main theme is unveiled over that entire time. It's not necessary to brand information technology more complicated than it is. It's possible to read the Bible for years and still non have the large-picture overview of the Bible.
If y'all stick to the primary message of the Bible, it'll go along you from getting lost in the details. The details tin can be fascinating because every poesy of the Bible is useful and meaningful (2 Tim. 3:16-17). You tin literally spend years studying the details and still larn new things.
Getting lost in too many details tin can be frustrating, particularly in the beginning. It's like shooting fish in a barrel to get stuck on 1 verse, or fifty-fifty one word and miss the principal point and the big picture.
The Bible is meant to be understood by ordinary people. Remember that the whole signal of the Bible is that God wants to communicate with you. The main things in the Bible are the plain things and the plainly things are usually the main things.
The next few paragraphs are very dumbo, simply if you tin can grasp the main idea, it'll exist very helpful to understand the entire Bible. If you go stuck, feel complimentary to motion onto the next department and come back hither whenever you desire.
The two chief sections of the Bible are the Quondam Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament shows that mankind could not fulfill God's original program. God created a perfect earth without brokenness in people'south lives. People cull to depart from God's ways. This is what the Bible calls sin. Sin is when we choose to go our ain mode.
The Onetime Testament is about God's human relationship with the people of Israel. The Bible starts in the book of Genesis with the cosmos of the universe and then information technology explains God's plan to anoint the unabridged earth (Gen. 12:3). God's style of doing this is to cull one nation, Israel, to be His own.
In the Erstwhile Testament, God elects the people of State of israel to teach all the nations that He volition make a new way that anybody can be restored. The people of Israel could not keep up their end of the Police. God had already planned a improve way.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the business firm of Judah.
Jer. 31:31 (ESV)
This New Covenant that Jeremiah 31:31 mentions is the New Testament. The New Testament is near the life and work of Jesus Christ and the church He established. The Expert News of the New Testament is that God pays for the penalty of our sin through the death of Jesus.
Then so, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Gal. three:24 (ESV)
Our relationship with God is now based on our religion, or trust, in who Jesus is as the Son of God, and what He has done for usa by dying on the cross for our sins. The Rest of the New Testament instructs us on how we're to alive now as God'south people.
iv. Choose a Translation of the Bible That Best Fits Your Needs
There are many English language translations of the Bible. Some are more than literal, word-for-word to the original languages the Bible was written in, but might not read every bit smoothly in English. Others are paraphrases and flow well in the English language, but yous lose some of the richness of the original languages.
Cull a modernistic translation that aims for a good balance of accurateness and readability. Some of the popular translations include the NLT or the ESV.
I wrote an article that goes into a bit more particular about Bible translations: What Version of the Bible Is Easiest to Read (link opens in a new window) . I explain the differences and share my recommendations.
One way to empathise the Bible better is to read a different translation or two to supplement the ane yous're most used to. There are websites similar Biblegateway that brand looking at dissimilar translations very easy. I use one translation for my master reading Bible and wait upward the residuum on my phone or computer.
v. Focus on Applying the Bible to Your Life
A bully way to understand the Bible improve is to enquire how you tin can employ information technology to your life.
Questions to Aid Yous Apply the Bible
- What does God want me to do?
- What is the change in perspective that God wants me to have?
- How volition I think, feel, and live differently after I've read this?
Focusing on the awarding helps you stay focused on the large-movie of what the Bible is proverb and non get lost in the details. Sometimes starting at the terminate helps yous understand the intent. If you lot start with the finish goal of what God wants you to do, the message and meaning of the Bible can become clearer.
The goal of Bible study is not to go more caput-noesis merely. The Bible is meant to transform your middle, mind, emotions – your unabridged beingness.
For the word of God is living and agile, sharper than any ii-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Heb. 4:12 (ESV)
If you ever search a controversial topic online, you might observe how harsh people tin can make it supporting their point-of-view. Don't be put off past that. It'due south good to develop convictions as you read the Bible.
But, it's important to stay humble and teachable. Keeping the focus on applying the Bible to your life will help you do that. Heated theological debates usually do more harm than good for most people.
Have zilch to exercise with foolish, ignorant controversies; y'all know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's retainer must non exist quarrelsome merely kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently indelible evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness…
ii Tim. 2:23-25 (ESV)
Whenever you read the Bible, allow it be an opportunity to apologize. To repent doesn't hateful to feel bad well-nigh your sin. To repent in the Bible literally means "to think again" or "to call up differently after."
Subsequently you read the Bible and effort to empathize what God is maxim, how does it change your mind and your actions? What is the perspective God wants you to encounter? When y'all change your mind and take a new perspective, that's repentance.
There will exist times when you lot hear unlike interpretations of a detail poesy. How exercise you make up one's mind which one is right? Consider these questions and when in doubtfulness, go with the ane that makes you pursue God more.
How do yous decide betwixt different interpretations of the Bible?
Keep the application of the passage in mind by request these questions:
- Does this interpretation encourage me to pursue God more and love Him with all my heart soul force and listen? Or does information technology make me comfy with how I am then I don't have to change?
- Does this verse challenge me to trust God to do things that I would not be able to practise in my ain strength and ability?
- Does this interpretation nowadays to me a view of God that upholds His holiness, majesty, mercy, and justice?
Unless your goal is to get an academic degree in understanding the Bible, it'southward more of import to permit God'southward Give-and-take search you heart and let Him bring light and truth to you.
The Living Flame of God's Word
As you seek to understand the Bible amend, inquire God to teach you and have a teachable spirit. God wants to communicate with yous. The Bible is meant to be studied and understood by normal, ordinary people.
God'south Word is an open door and an invitation to know the listen and middle of God. Continue bringing your heart and mind before the living flame of God'south Word!
They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?"
Luke 24:32 (ESV)
Subscribe to my newsletter for updates and encouraging content.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Source: https://pursuitbible.com/how-to-understand-the-bible-for-beginners/
0 Response to "How to Learn How to Read the Bible"
Post a Comment