part 2 of “Nuts and Bolts: Bible Basics”
Over the years, two questions that I have often got are 1) where do I start reading the Bible? and 2) how do I understand it all? These questions are good. Where to start reading the Bible is a solid question. It is hard to know where to start with such a big book. Then understanding the Bible is another great question and speaks to the point that the Bible can be hard to understand and confusing at many points. In the post, I hope to provide a little bit of an answer to these questions.
When comes to reading the Bible picking a starting point can be a challenge for most people. The Old Testament can be a little weird and hard to get through. The New Testament can be confusing at times. So when I get asked this question this is typically my answer… start in the Gospel of John. Here’s why I direct people to the Gospel of John.
“But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.” - John 20:31 NLT
This verse comes toward the end of the gospel of John, but it tells us the purpose of the gospel. So if you are new to following Jesus, new to reading the Bible, or want to find out more about Jesus - the gospel of John is a good place to start. In saying that, the other gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - are also good to read if you want to find out the most about Jesus. So the gospels are a good place you can start.
When it comes to understanding the Bible that is something different. There are commentaries, books, and other sources that you can use to help you understand the Bible more. But let’s face it the Bible can be hard to understand - especially the Old Testament. But sometimes a good thing you can do to help you understand the Bible is just to read it and jot down some notes from what you read. God can speak to you through the Bible and help you understand if you are listening to what God might be saying through what you are reading. The writer of Hebrews says it like this…
“For the word of God is alive and active” - Hebrews 4:12a NIV
God’s words found in the Bible, because the Bible is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) are alive and will speak to you. You won’t understand everything all at once. There are still things in the Bible that I don’t understand. Even the most seasoned pastors are still understanding new things from the Bible. The Bible is there to speak to you where you are at and the season of life you are in. It is those verses and passages that need your focus. Focus on the parts that you understand. The parts that God speaks to you through. This is how you begin to understand the Bible.
I have read many stories, verses, and passages in the Bible. In one season of life the verse or story had a different meaning to it. Then 5 or 6 years later that same verse or story takes on a new meaning because it is speaking to me in a different season of life.
This is what the writer of Hebrews meant by saying that the word of God is alive and active. The Bible is meant for us to understand all our life and be able to speak to us all our life.
In closing, I would to say again… if you are new to following Jesus or this is your first time cracking open the Bible…
1. Download the free YouVersion Bible app. This is a handy app that gives you the Bible on your phone. The app has many different translations of the Bible (which we will be talking about in next week’s post). You can also take notes and highlight verses as well. It’s a real handy tool.
2. Start in the Gospel of John. Check out the other gospels as well Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This will help you understand who Jesus is and what He did for you.
3. Don’t try to understand everything all at once. There are always new things to discover in the pages of the Bible. Let God help you understand the Bible. Go on a journey with Him and see what he reveals to you. But you can also grab some commentaries and books to help you.
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