How to Study the Bible
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 03:00PM When one is born again by accepting Christ's salvation, one needs new habits to develop a new life. The first new habit needed is Bible study. The Bible comprises sixty-six books (thirty-nine in the Old Testament, twenty-seven in the New Testament), containing instructions and illustrations for becoming a true, informed child of God.
There are many methods for studying the Bible. The following is my recommendation for someone with little experience in Bible study:
If you have not yet read the Bible all the way through, it's best to do so before you attempt to study any one section or subject. This takes patience, but will give you a much stronger foundation than random sampling. It's analagous to learning to swim versus just wading in the shallow end of a pool. Wading may refresh you a a hot day, but it is not a skill that will prepare you for an emergency.
For the new Christian, the best place to begin is with the Gospel of John. No other book will give you a more complete view of who Christ is, what He has done for you, and why you need to know Him better. The King James Version contains the most beautiful language ever written in English--please read John in this version first. But then you must find a way to get an easy-to-read version such as the Contemporary English Version by the American Bible Society, or the Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation by Tyndale Charitable Trust. These and other modern English Bibles may not thrill with their language, but you should read one or more of them to clearly understand what God has to say to you.
After reading the book of John, I recommend you start with Genesis--the beginning. In Genesis, you see how God wants to relate to us as His family, walking and talking with us one-on-one, but we made that impossible through our sins. The only remedy was for sinless Jesus to substitute His blood for ours. Jesus is not mentioned in Genesis, of course, but the need for His sacrifice and intercession is plain.
Go on to Exodus. The story of the Israelites' escape from bondage is referred to so often throughout the Bible that you will be lost in reading the rest of the books without this reference. Also, the Passover symbolism introduced here clearly refers to Christ's coming sacrifice.
On your first reading of the Bible, do yourself a favor and skip Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy until the end. Although they are important, these books are very repetitive and full of more facts and commandments than action, so you could easily get stuck in the mud of misunderstanding (or boredom) here and that would be a shame.
After John, Genesis, and Exodus, I recommend reading one New Testament book per week, starting with Matthew and heading straight through to Revelation. At the same time, you'll be able to get through one Old Testament book per week, if you will set aside about an hour of uninterrupted time each day. Are you groaning at the thought of one hour of Bible study per day? Anything worthwhile requires sacrifice--is there a television program, some internet time or another activity you can give up? Can you set your alarm for one hour earlier than you're used to?
You'll finish the New Testament first since it contains fewer books and on average they are shorter than the Old Testament books. When you get through Revelation, start again with Matthew. Don't forget to go back and pick up Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy when you're done with the rest. Be patient with yourself and ask for any help you need to understand what you are reading. Enjoy the words, the stories, the ideas, the expressions of love contained in God's book.
Within approximately one year you'll be done reading the entire Bible, and then you will be ready to study more in depth on subjects like the promises of God or the miracles performed by Jesus with a base of knowledge and confidence.
Reader Comments (1)
I think your guide is thorough and easy. When I was a new Christian, I was advised to read the Gospel of John first , then the whole New Testament and then Psalms. Then later on , read the whole Bible. But I have to reread them again and again and again so I always am reminded.