How do you read the Bible? Europe Edition
Europe Edition How do you read the Bible? Reading the Bible is not necessarily as easy as it sounds. Strange and unusual stories, situations and circumstances fill its pages. People offer animal sacrifices, stone law-breakers to death, anoint kings with oil, live in tents, observe specific festivals in peculiar ways, express mourning through sackcloth and ashes, have kinsman redeemers, follow unfamiliar traditions and experience and do many, many other things which just don t make sense to us today. But the Bible is not just a random mix of history and cultures. In the Bible we meet many historical people who are just like us, facing similar problems
and trials. And we see how God interacts with and shapes them, so that we can learn more about who He is and our relationship with Him. Most importantly, we meet the Person of Jesus Christ and see what He has done to bring us into a safe and secure relationship with God. Yet, ultimately, there is at least a 2,000 year gap between us and many of the recorded events (the time gap between us and the When reading the Bible, we are crossing barriers of time, language, culture and geography. Old Testament being even greater!). When reading the Bible, we are crossing barriers of time, language, culture and geography (to name just a few). We need to recognise that each book of the Bible has its own context, purpose and audience. It is in appreciating the original intention for each book that we can then apply the lessons and message to ourselves. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (emphasis added) The entire Bible, given by inspiration of God, will make us complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. Each story and each passage, [2] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
even the confusing ones, will teach us more about God so that we can get to know Him better. In fact, all the books of the Bible find their fulfilment in Jesus (Luke 24:27). He is the one who promises us a full life (John 10:10 niv). This full or complete life is only possible when God is the centre of our lives. And the Bible is a key way for us to draw closer to Him and grow in our trust of Him. The promise of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is that, as we base our lives in the teaching of the Bible, we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. As we get to know Christ throughout the pages of Scripture, the Holy Spirit will develop His character, love and compassion in us. In this introduction to reading Scripture, we hope to share some practical advice on how to seek and find the life changing truth and wisdom of the Bible. You can also find specific studies and guides for many of the books and characters of the Bible at discoveryseries.org. [3]
Getting to know a book in the Bible Have you ever tried flipping open your Bible to a random page, pointing at a random verse and then reading it as some kind of signpost for the day? You might be surprised by how many people read the Bible like this. The Bible has been given by inspiration of God, but that doesn t mean for some reason we should switch our brains off when we open it up. It is important that we read the books of Scripture for what they are: books. Each one is a complete piece, together making up the complete Bible text. And, just like any other written text, the best way to read a book in the Bible is from the beginning. Whilst there is not the time here to study a whole book as an example, we can share some helpful principles and practical tips when it comes to settling down to study any part of Scripture. Context: Knowing the context of the book you are studying is essential to getting to grips with its message. This includes knowing its place in history, intended audience and author. Often the best way to find out a book s context is a study Bible, although there will be clues in the books themselves (or in other parts of Scripture) as to the context they were originally part of. For example, we are told that Psalm 51 was written by King David after his affair with Bathsheba. We can find the story in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. So, when studying [4] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
Psalm 51, it may be helpful to also read the story that led to this heartfelt prayer. Type of literature: There are many types of writing in the Bible: stories, letters, poems, proverbs, parables, historical records, etc. Each type of literature has its own features which must be handled appropriately. For example, we can assume a historical narrative contains literal information, whereas the songs of the Psalms will communicate through imagery, symbols and metaphors. Recognising the type of book we are studying can help us prepare for the way its message will be presented. Overview: Getting an overview of a book can reveal overall themes within its pages and repeated ideas or commands. The best overview comes from simply reading the book as a whole. This is easier for short books like Jonah or Philemon, but much harder when it comes to Isaiah or Jeremiah (when reading these longer books in the Bible, it can be helpful to look up an overview from a study Bible first). Reading through the text as a whole is also, in most cases, how the Bible s books are meant to be read. We wouldn t read a short story or a note from a friend in little bite-sized chunks. We would probably read it in one go, and then go back and re-read certain bits if they were of real importance or made us react in a particular way. It is the same with the books of the Bible. The chapter divisions and verse numberings were not part of the original texts. They are helpful to break up passages for more in-depth studies, but they can also stop us seeing the bigger picture of any given book if we only ever read in a stop-start fashion. GETTING TO KNOW A BOOK IN THE BIBLE [5]
Reading a book in the Bible Having got to know the context of whichever book of the Bible we re studying, we will find ourselves much better prepared to drill deeper into its message as we now read it chapter by chapter. Pray: Before starting, it is essential that we talk to God about reading the Bible and ask Him to speak clearly to us through the words we read. Whilst it is important to read the Bible carefully and do our best to know the relevant contexts, nothing is as crucial as trusting the Holy Spirit to teach us and reveal more of Jesus to us (John 14:26; 15:26) through our study. Then we can come to Scripture in expectation that He will indeed teach us. Take your time: Charles Spurgeon, a famous preacher in the late 19th Century, once warned people not to read the Bible in this manner: The eye glances but the mind never rests. Rather than simply reading Scripture, we should rest in it, taking our time to reflect with Him on what He is telling us. Reading the Bible is not a hurried, tick-box activity. Perhaps this is one reason we are told to be still, and know that I am God (Psalm. 46:10). Also, when we get to tricky passages, phrases or ideas (and there are plenty of them), rather than just glancing at them, shrugging and moving on, we can [6] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
pause and ask God to help us understand those verses. If all Scripture is given from God for our benefit and growth, then taking our time to understand even the weird and confusing bits is important. And it s a good idea to ask our church leaders and Christian friends to share their understanding of the bits of Scripture that really trip us up. Highlight: It s very useful to read the Bible with a notepad and pen. When trying to understand the main point or purpose of a book or specific passage, noting down repeated words or phrases can provide the key to unlocking deeper truths that we may Nothing is as crucial as trusting the Holy Spirit to teach us and reveal more of Jesus to us. otherwise have missed. Rather than glossing over long-winded or boring bits of Scripture, this practice of active observation makes it possible to draw out at least a general point and motive for every passage or chapter. READING A BOOK IN THE BIBLE [7]
Applying the Bible to our lives The purpose of reading the Bible is not just to gain more information. We read it to know our God and be made complete (2 Tim. 3:17). This means that once we know what a passage says and what it means, we need to also apply it to our everyday lives. A good way to do this is to arm ourselves with certain questions when we read any part of the Bible. These questions might be something like: What does this passage tell me about who God is?, What does it tell me about myself/people? and What does it tell me about the relationship between me/people and God? Questions like these will start shaping the things we ve learned into things that we can think about in our own relationship with God. Let s look at a quick example. Paul s instructions about food sacrificed to idols: In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul gave instructions about a subject which might make many of us yawn and flick to the next page: food sacrificed to idols. This topic seems irrelevant. Yet, by taking the whole letter into account, we can see the [8] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
issue here is an outworking of a deeper problem: disunity within the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10), which suddenly makes the passage much more relevant to us. Much of the meat on sale in Corinth had been sacrificed to idols first, and the church was unsure about what to do. Paul told the church they were free to eat whatever meat they wanted, seeing as there is no other God but one (1 Cor. 8:4). He explained the food they ate made no difference to God (v. 8). Yet Paul realised that not everyone would understand this freedom (v. 7). Some in the church might stumble in their faith if others ate food sacrificed to idols, which they believed to be wrong (vv. 10-12). Paul concluded: Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble (v. 13). The real application of this passage is not to stop eating meat, but to ensure our freedom as Christians doesn t become a stumbling block to those who are weak (v. 9). This passage is an example of the cost of living in unity and love within the church. Our priority should be to support, strengthen and encourage fellow Christians (v. 1), even if we have to give up some of our freedom. This challenge is one that we can think about and apply to our own lives and churches today. APPLYING THE BIBLE TO OUR LIVES [9]
Knowing God through the Bible Whether passages seem straightforward or totally alien, they will all direct us to our need for God. In fact, as already stated, all the different strands, stories, poems and promises of the Bible find their fulfilment and purpose in the Person of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27). Jesus the central character of the Bible: Jesus explained to some of the religious leaders in Israel: You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (John 5:39-40). The religious leaders thought that the Scriptures were about rules and knowledge which would give them the key to eternal life. Jesus showed that this isn t what the Bible is for; the Bible reveals who Jesus is so that we can know Him and entrust our lives to Him. The Old Testament promises Him, while the New Testament shares eye-witness accounts of His life, along with further witness to Him and His teaching. (You can find out more about Jesus and how He fulfils the Old Testament by reading Who is Jesus? at ourdailybread.org/lookingdeeper.) [10] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
Having confidence in what Jesus has done: The New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John share how Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, taught God s Word with authority, gave hope and promised God s rescue, saying: God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). In this we see the salvation and rescue the Old Testament books were promising. The Bible is clear that our salvation is only found in Jesus. Only He was able to pay for our sin on the cross and defeat death. Our confidence should be in the Person and work of Christ, the central character and story of Scripture: God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in [sin], made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus... For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:4-8 (emphasis added) Salvation isn t based on our own efforts, but on the finished work of Christ as revealed in the Bible. We need to read the Bible so we can be confident in the gift of God. The instincts of the world around us are often to achieve, prove, strive and compete. But, as followers of Christ, we need to stay rooted in the Person and work of Jesus as the centre of KNOWING GOD THROUGH THE BIBLE [11]
our hope and future. Our Christian lives do not rest securely in the work we do, but in the work Christ has already done. Scripture affirms that when we trust Christ, our salvation is so secure, it is like we are already in the heavenly places in Christ. Confidence in God doesn t come from us or our own strength and feelings it comes from knowing Him and what He says about Himself in the Bible. That Confidence in God doesn t come from us or our own strength and feelings it comes from knowing Him and what He says about Himself in the Bible. means we need to keep the teaching of the Bible fresh in our minds, rather than allowing other things to overly influence us and distract us from Jesus. It is important to carve out time each day to read the Bible and reflect on its message. Our Daily Bread Ministries publishes regular Bible reading notes called Our Daily Bread. You can read them online at odb.org. They share lessons and inspirational thoughts from a portion of Scripture each day for you to reflect upon, apply to your life and talk about with God. We also have plenty of Bible studies on different books and characters in the Bible available at discoveryseries.org. [12] HOW DO YOU READ THE BIBLE?
Looking Deeper The Looking Deeper series offers great Bible teaching for Christians. Whether you are a new Christian or a mature believer, we have a range of short Bible studies on many crucial topics and questions. At Our Daily Bread Ministries, our mission is to make the life changing wisdom of God s Word understandable and accessible to all. We re passionate about helping our readers draw closer to God and share their faith in Him with those they know. Please do share these Looking Deeper articles with others who may benefit from them. You can request print copies of any of the titles on the Looking Deeper website page. All our resources are available to all without any obligation to donate. However, should you wish to support Our Daily Bread Ministries financially, you can do so by clicking the link below. I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE