The Bible isn’t one single book but a collection of 66 written by 40 or more authors across 1,500 years. These authors came from diverse backgrounds—shepherds, kings, prophets, fishermen, and scholars. Their writings include various genres like poetry, history, prophecy, law, personal letters, the Gospels, and apocalyptic literature. However, these diverse writings express a unified story of God’s redemptive plan from beginning to end.
The Old Testament begins with Genesis and describes creation and humanity’s fall. God initiates a plan of salvation with Abraham and a covenant with the nation of Israel, his chosen people. Israel fails to keep the covenant, but God promises an even greater covenant, pointing forward to a universal redemption for all people through a Messiah and a Kingdom.
The New Testament finishes the story, beginning with the four Gospels that record the teachings of Jesus, his life, his death, and resurrection. Jesus is declared the Messiah, and he initiates the promised Kingdom. Acts and the apostolic letters reveal the beginning and establishment of the Church. The final book of Revelation shows how God will have ultimate victory and the final culmination of his Kingdom on earth.
The Bible has one central mission—to point us back to God and show us his redemptive plan, inviting us into it through Christ.
For those just getting started with reading and studying the Bible, here are some important principles and reminders.
Set Aside Regular Time
First, set aside a regular time to read the Bible. Studying the Bible doesn’t naturally happen, but reading and engaging with the written Word will develop us and renew our minds to become more like Jesus. Therefore, we need to learn to intentionally create margin. Whether it’s early in the morning, during a lunch break, or before bed, having a designated time helps make reading the Bible a priority. As we go, we might need to adjust the time or be flexible. The goal is to be consistent and reveal the importance of God’s Word.
As disciples, we need to develop discipline. We’ll want to quit, as with any new endeavor, because we’re human, not because we’re a bad Christian. It might be tempting to skip a day when busy, but discipline reminds us of Scripture’s benefits for our whole life. Start with a manageable goal, at least one chapter a day, and build from there. Be careful with overwhelming goals like reading the Bible in a year. The key is consistency and a relationship with God.
If and when we skip a day or get behind, we extend grace to ourselves. Perfection isn’t the goal, not guilt or shame. Resist the urge to give up or get discouraged. We just pick up where we left off and get going again. We find value not in sticking to a strict schedule but in hearing and responding to the Spirit of God.
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The Holy Spirit Will Help You!
Jesus says to the Jews of his day in John 5:39-40, “You search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me, but you wouldn’t come to me that you might have life.” The Bible exists as a tool, a bridge to come directly to Jesus. We do this through the Spirit, and with this, the Bible becomes a dynamic conversation with God, not an academic exercise.
We begin by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us as we read, praying for understanding and discernment. The Spirit inspired the Bible, so he can and will reveal his truth in personal and meaningful ways. Be expectant and ready to respond. The Spirit often highlights specific verses or ideas to us. Remember to pause and reflect when this happens. We ask God what he wants us to learn or do. Many people include journaling with Bible reading, writing down these questions or insights we sense from the Spirit. Over time, we notice how God speaks to us.
We need humility and surrender to hear the Spirit. Be sure we have hearts willing to let the Bible challenge and convict us. This helps us learn to discern the voice of God apart from all the other voices in our lives. We also require patience. Hearing God’s voice doesn’t happen immediately or even dramatically. The Spirit develops gifts and understanding over time as we read and reflect. He longs to speak and transform us. Trust his love and the work of the Spirit, especially when it gets frustrating, and God seems quiet.
God also speaks through others in the church, so we should make sure we participate in a local fellowship of Jesus' disciples. Through conversation, small group discussion, and mentorship, we receive further insight, share our own, and better learn how to hear the voice of God.
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Take Note of the Author and the Audience
With the foundation of listening to the Spirit while reading, there are academic and practical aspects to understanding the Bible. The writings come from various genres and historical contexts. Knowing why a book was written and to whom it was addressed helps us correctly interpret and apply the message. Otherwise, we take things out of context, leading to bad doctrine.
Start with finding out the author’s purpose. Who wrote this book? What was their role? For example, knowing Paul’s letters address church issues during an age of idolatry and Roman oppression helps us understand his teachings. Next, who was it written to? Was the message for a nation, a church, or one person? The Psalms reflect personal and collective worship, while the prophets mainly spoke to nations and people groups. The Gospels introduce Jesus as Messiah to different groups. Luke wrote his Gospel and Acts to one individual. Understanding the audience clarifies the overall message and purpose.
Different genres also have their own purpose. Historical books recount events. Poetry uses imagery and language to express emotions. The letters (epistles) give wisdom for a church in their situation. Apocalyptic and prophetic literature possess heavy symbolism to reveal God’s judgment and promises. Each genre is unique, so we should remember and appreciate the type of literature we read, allowing poetry to be poetry without treating it like church instruction.
With history, take the time to explore historical and cultural contexts. Learn about customs and what is happening in the world. The original audience had their challenges. Fortunately, several great study Bibles exist, and today, many commentaries and scholarly histories are free online and easy to search.
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Consider Reading the Bible Chronologically
As stated in the introduction, the Bible tells a sweeping, epic story of God’s redemption through the Messiah and his disciples. The Bible isn’t necessarily organized according to this story. Scholars hundreds of years ago separated the books into genres—history, poetry, prophecy, etc. Unfortunately, the prophets exist separate from the historical context. The letters of Paul or Peter also seem distant from the events in Acts.
Therefore, read the Bible chronologically. Several Bibles exist that do this for you, or websites and apps provide plans online for us to follow. Reading the Bible chronologically unveils the amazing nature of God’s redemptive plan, seeing Jesus as the promise and fulfillment. Reading chronologically also places important messages in their proper context.
Starting with Genesis, we see God’s creation, establishing humanity in his image, and their Fall in the Garden. We then see how he initiates redemption through promises through Abraham. Moving into the historical books, we read the prophets alongside the events they reference, making their messages come alive, leading to the obvious need for a different covenant to save humanity.
Then, the New Testament makes sense as Jesus declares himself Messiah and fulfills all the promises of the Old Testament. This cohesion between the Old and the New brings more understanding and the amazing culmination in the new heaven and earth and the everlasting Kingdom of God.
Reading the Bible chronologically reveals God’s phenomenal patience and persistence. Across the centuries, he works through weak people, wars, rebellions, and other disturbing situations to give him several chances and work for his redemption. As we read, we realize we are part of this story. It’s still happening. Reading the Scriptures as a story, we get a holistic view of God’s loving plan.
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Try Digestng Scripture in Larger Sections for a Deeper Understanding
Reading verses out of context becomes a great way to develop and teach bad doctrine. Therefore, read the Bible in bigger chunks at one time, one chapter at least. This helps us gain the proper context for individual verses.
Only focusing on one single verse, we risk missing the bigger message or argument surrounding it. A popular example is Jeremiah 29:11, often quoted as a promise of hope and abundance. However, in context, the entire chapter shows how the prophet promised this hope during Judah’s exile to Babylon, a consequence of their idolatry and sin. God would restore them after some discipline. It remains a message of hope and God’s love, but not separate from dark times and the Lord’s willingness to bring proper judgment for sin, giving the “feel good” message more depth and complexity. For another example, reading one of Jesus’ parables alongside the surrounding questions or teachings gives us greater insight into the meaning rather than assuming apart from context.
Bigger chunks help us notice patterns and themes like God’s faithfulness, human frailty, and God’s love and deliverance. We gain a better understanding of how a passage fits into the greater biblical whole. By approaching the Bible this way, we honor the integrity of the text and the inspiration of the Spirit, who moved over these authors in their time and used their words for us to read today. Over time, this deepens our understanding and ability to apply Scripture to our lives.
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Challenge Yourself to Apply What You Read in the Bible to Your Daily Life
Reading the Bible isn’t an academic practice. Engaging with God, he seeks to change our lives. The ultimate goal of engaging with Scripture is to deepen your relationship with God and live a transformed life. God’s truth should change how we live. When we read, we seek ways to apply God’s love and truth in our thoughts, actions, and relationships.
In relationship with the Spirit and an open heart, focus on how the passage or truth relates to life. What do these verses teach us about God’s character? How does this challenge our current beliefs or actions? Be honest about where we need to change. As an example, when we read Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness, we need to consider people who have hurt us we need to forgive. Or people we have wronged, and we need to seek reconciliation.
While the Spirit highlights specific verses, think about practical steps we can take to live out those truths. If it points to absolute trust in God, reflect on situations where we need to release control and lean on him, possibly through generosity or service. If we journal our insights while writing, we should record the actions we feel led by the Spirit to take. Or write reminders on notes where we can see them and remind us to follow through.
As an important part of the process, we share what we’re learning with others in a local faith community. The local church is where we practice the “love one another” verses, where we serve and act like the family of God, often joining others in obedience and generosity. Corporate action creates a stronger foundation of faith and purpose.
As we consistently apply the Bible to our lives, we notice gradual changes in new thinking and character. God’s Word is powerful and living. It’s an active force to shape and mold us to live the culture of the Kingdom and allow God to tell his story through us individually and corporately.
Living with application increases our ability to learn even more from the Bible we read, as God gives more revelation to good stewards.
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Originally published Friday, 31 January 2025.