One day, you make the decision to read the Bible. Maybe it’s because you’re curious about what it actually says; maybe you actually want to know why you believe what you believe; maybe you want to better understand God; maybe you just want to know more; or maybe you’re going through a difficult time and want to understand why.
Whatever your reason is for wanting to read the Bible, it doesn’t matter at this particular point in time because we all have to start somewhere.
So you pick up the Bible that you have in your home (most likely the King James Version or New King James Version), and you turn to the very first page. Where else are you supposed to start?
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, 2 and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2 (KJV)
Okay, not too bad. You’re familiar with God creating everything, so you understand what’s going on.
As you read further through the book of Genesis, things start to get a bit more confusing…
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Genesis 3:19 (KJV)
Huh?!
Usually when someone picks up the Bible it can be super difficult to understand. For some, they may not even know how to use the Bible or where to start reading. For others, they may struggle to actually understand what the Scriptures say and how to apply it to current life.
But reading and understanding the Bible doesn’t have to be that difficult. In fact, according to BibleGateway, there’s a number of translations written on a 3rd to 7th grade reading level. Pretty shocking, right?!
So then, why is it so difficult for us to read or understand?
Obviously, what makes it difficult for one person to read or understand the Bible will be different from the next person. But based off what we’ve seen over the past 12 years of doing Bible studies with people, many people don’t actually know how to read the Bible…
Sure, there’s apps to help you read a Scripture a day, but many people don’t know what to do beyond that or how to apply what they’ve read.
That’s where we want to help you!
We know what it’s like to feel clueless about how to read and understand the Bible. We were totally in that same spot 12 years ago! The Bible was confusing to us, and it was hard to connect with God. We needed someone to teach and guide us on how to actually read it.
We’re here to teach you everything that we learned, in order to help you learn how to read and understand the Bible.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHY READ THE BIBLE?
We all have this unspoken understanding that we should read the Bible, but we don’t actually know why. We know that it’s a “good thing to do” and that church sermons are based on particular Scriptures, but our conviction (i.e. strong belief) as to why we should read the Bible does not go beyond that.
For most of us, our reasons for reading the Bible are not actually rooted in Biblical conviction. We read the Bible because we want to find peace in the midst of chaos in our lives; we desire to be good, moral people; we want to attain intellectual enlightenment; or we want to find the answers to our existential life questions.
It’s not that these reasons are terrible reasons to read the Bible, but they will only last you for so long. They also shouldn’t be the basis for why you read the Bible.
Reading the Bible is of great value to God, and that alone should be the reason to read the Bible. Let’s do a quick Bible study and dig into the Scriptures to see why it’s important for you to read the Bible.
Here are 5 Biblical reasons why you should read the Bible:
1. It’s meant to give you faith (Romans 10:17)
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Romans 10:17
One thing we commonly hear from young Christians or those exploring their faith for the first time, is that they don’t have much faith to begin with.
We can tend to view faith as an emotion or a feeling. We see it as this thing that we “just have” one day—you know, “just believe” or “just have faith.” But what does that actually mean? What does “just believing” actually look like?
Your guess is as good as ours. What we do know is what the Scriptures actually say, and Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith come from hearing the Gospel message, which is heard through the word about Christ.” Where do you find the word about Christ? In the Bible!
So if we’re struggling in our faith or we have very little faith, the solution is way more tangible than “just believing” or “just having faith.” The solution is to get into the Scriptures and read them!
This is why we should read the Bible—because it produces faith!
2. It’s meant to teach, rebuke, correct, and train you in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible isn’t just a collection of wonderful stories and inspirational power thoughts—it’s actually meant to be used. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the Scriptures are meant to teach, rebuke (i.e. strongly correct), correct, and train us in righteous. We should also able to use the Scriptures in this way to help others.
2 Timothy 3:17 tells us that the reason the Bible is meant to be used in that way is so that we can be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Who doesn’t want that?!
So if we want to actually be thoroughly equipped for every good work, then we need to get into our Bibles and allow the Scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness.
3. It’s meant to actually be applied to your life (Hebrews 4:12)
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The Scriptures here relate the Word of God to a double-edged sword. This is actually pretty interesting for two reasons:
1- A double edge sword is very sharp! The Scripture says that God’s word is even sharper than that! Obviously, the Bible isn’t physically sharp since it’s a book (and if it is, you probably need a new Bible). But the Scripture is speaking to the fact that God’s word is able to penetrate through things that seem inseparable (i.e. soul and spirit, joints and marrow), and it will expose (i.e. judge) our deepest thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
2- “Double edge sword” is a common used in the world today to mean that something has both favorable and unfavorable consequences. Isn’t that totally how the Bible is? It can either cut you now and you change as a result of it, or it will judge you later when it’s too late.
Based on Hebrews 4:12, the Bible is alive and active, further demonstrating that it’s meant to be used in our lives. Considering that the Bible is referred to as a double edge sword and swords cut, when we apply the Bible to our lives, it will “cut” us—in other words, it will hurt!
Remember, according to the Scripture, it’s the Bible that will judge our thoughts and attitudes of the heart; therefore, we should study out what the Bible has to say and actually apply it to all our lives.
4. It’s meant to show you who you really are (James 1:22-25)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
James 1:22-25
If we’re truly allowing the Scriptures to “cut” us (i.e. if we’re truly applying the Scriptures to our lives), then the Bible will show us who we really are.
This Scripture here in James 1 is one of our favorites—it says that the Bible is a mirror. That is, the Bible is a reflection of your heart. It will show you who you really are before God.
The other reason we love this Scripture is because it’s a call to action. James 1:22 says that we shouldn’t just listen to the Word of God—we actually need to apply it. Otherwise, we’re self-deceived (yikes)! Therefore, it’s not just enough to read and study the Bible for intellectual knowledge—it’s meant to be applied to your life.
What’s the outcome of actually applying the Scriptures to your life? Well, according to James 1:25, the result is that we will be blessed in what we do! Who wouldn’t want that?!
5. It’s meant to help you fight off temptation (Matthew 4: 1-11)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4: 1-4
This Scripture is the beginning of when the devil tempts Jesus. What’s amazing is that, not only did Jesus not give in to temptation, but he left us an example (1 Peter 2:21) of what we should do instead—turn to the Scriptures! Whenever the devil tried to say something off the wall in order to entice Jesus to sin, Jesus had the same type of response—he referred back to the Scriptures (verses 4, 7, and 10):
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Matthew 4:5-11
Jesus knew the Scriptures well enough to know exactly what they said and which ones to refer to in order to guard his heart against the devil’s schemes.
Oftentimes we can give in to temptations, not because we’re so “weak-willed” or the temptation is overwhelmingly enticing, but because we’re not deeply grounded in God’s word. God’s word is powerful and has the ability to protect us and guard our hearts. Rather than simply giving in to temptation, we should have “emergency Scriptures” that we’ve memorized that we can turn to instead.
God’s word is powerful, and it’s meant to be used, not only to help us to grow spiritually, but to help us in the spiritual battle.
The Bible is a powerful, life changing text that we should read and study out. As we see through the short Bible study above, the Bible is meant to give us faith, be used applied to our lives, and help us battle through temptation.
BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE
If you want more detailed information about the canonization of the Bible, we recommend reading, “How We Got the Bible and Why We Can Trust It” by Mike Taliaffero. In the meantime, here are some high level basic facts about the Bible, for those that are beginners and not familiar with it at all.
HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BIBLE FOR YOU
There’s a Bible out there for everyone. Whether you want a particular translation, certain font size, or even a particular color of leather, you can easily find a Bible that has everything you desire.
When you’re a Biblical newbie (as we all are at some point), you may not know what type of Bible to get. Walking into the “Christian” section of a bookstore and seeing shelves of Bibles can be intimidating, especially if you have no idea what to actually look for.
Here are a few of our recommendations on how to find the right starter Bible for you:
1. Consider the New International Version (NIV) translation.
There are many different translations of the Bible and it can be difficult to know which one to use. The most common and popular version of the Bible to use is the King James Version (KJV), but unless you understand how to navigate through old English, this is probably the most confusing version to use…
The KJV was created in 1611 as an English translation of the Old and New Testaments, thanks to King James I of England. You can read the history behind this translation, but the point is, we’re in the 21st century right now (not the 17th), so we could all use something a bit more modern.
With all of that said, we recommend choosing the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. It’s in modern day English so it’s very easy to understand. If you want a more in depth reasons as to why we use the NIV, feel free to check out our blog post about it.
2. Consider a Life Application or Study Bible
Once you find a translation you can understand, then you’ll want to look for the type of Bible to get.
One of the biggest trends right now is “Bible journaling”, where you create artwork in your Bible in accordance with the Scriptures. It’s quite creative and beautiful, and if you’re more on the artsy side, this could be a great form of expression.
But as a beginner Bible reader, you don’t want to get caught up in coloring the pages of your Bible rather than reading and studying them out. Therefore, we recommend not buying a “Journaling Bible” at this point in time.
Instead, we recommend a Life Application or Study Bible. Both types of Bibles are great for beginner Bible readers, as they provide additional context to the Scriptures that can help you in your understanding. A Life Application Bible provides real life questions and practicals to help you better apply the Scriptures to your every day life. A Study Bible has historical facts about different people and places in the Scriptures to help you get a better understanding of what you’re reading.
When we first started reading our Bibles, we both used either a Life Application or a Study Bible. Depending on the type of additional input you’re looking for (i.e. more life input or more historical input), that can determine which type of Bible would be best for you to use.
3. Consider a Bible That You Plan to Use Daily
If you read the section of this blog post about Why You Should Read the Bible, then you know that the Bible is something that you should read every day.
That said, you want to pick out a Bible that you plan to use daily. Therefore, you’ll want to consider how big the Bible is and whether you plan to carry it around or not. We know—you can download a Bible App and easily have access to the Scriptures that way. Touché.
However, from our experience in doing Bible studies with people over the years, we’ve found that people are more likely to read and dive deep into the Scriptures when they have a “hard copy” Bible as opposed to a phone app. When you’re reading something in print, you won’t have to worry about being distracted by text or email notifications when you’re trying to focus on God.
If you plan to keep a Bible in your purse or backpack, you’ll want to go with a Bible that is a smaller or lighter size (like a pocket Bible or thin line Bible). These Bibles tend to have smaller fonts, so if you have any visual challenges, you may not want to choose that option. You could choose a large print Bible, but those tend to be bulkier—which isn’t a problem if your plan is to read your Bible every morning while you’re still at home.
Whatever will help you read the Bible daily, choose that one.
WHERE TO START IN READING THE BIBLE
Contrary to what many people believe, we don’t think you should start reading in the book of Genesis.
Don’t get us wrong—Genesis is an amazing book in the Bible, and you can get a lot out of it. But if you’re a beginner, it’s better to start elsewhere until you get more comfortable.
We would recommend that you start reading the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, one of the twelve apostles that Jesus personally trained and walked with over three years. John was one of the close friends that Jesus brought along with him to the Garden of Gesthesemene right before he went to the cross (Matthew 26:36-37), and he was the apostle that Jesus personally asked to take care of his mother after he died (John 19:25-27).
Therefore, John wasn’t just one of Jesus’ closest friends—Jesus considered him like a brother.
Imagine if your closest friend in your entire life wrote a book about three of the most important years of your life. They would probably have a different perspective than a teacher, coworker, or even someone who kinda-sorta knows you, would have. They would probably be able to attest more to who you are as a person, as opposed to just the things you did.
This is what the book of John is like. John knew Jesus intimately, and wrote about who Jesus was as a person. He didn’t just write about the miracles that Jesus performed (although those are in there), but he wrote about Jesus’ humanity. You see sides of Jesus that only a close friend could ever know.
So start your Bible readings by going through the Gospel of John.
HOW TO ACTUALLY READ THE BIBLE
Now that you have your Bible and know you should start in the Gospel of John, reading the Bible should be easy, right?
Well, not necessarily…
When we talk about “reading the Bible”, we mean more than simply reading the words. The Bible is meant to be applied to your life and should transform your heart (James 1:22-25). And not in a “power thought for the day” or “self-help” type of way, but your life should change radically as a result of what you read through the Scriptures.
So how do you actually do this if you’ve never read the Bible before?
1. Start with prayer.
Before reading the Bible, it’s always good to start with a prayer.
You could pray that God guides you through your Bible reading and helps you stay focused and not be distracted. You could even pray that God allows you to get out of the reading what He wants you to get out of it. You could even pray for a humble and teachable heart as you read through the Scripture.
Your prayer at the beginning of your Bible reading is meant to set your heart and focus your mind on God.
2. Actively read—not passively read.
Remember being in school and having to read a chapter of a text book?
What distinguished a student’s understanding of the chapter was how “active” of a reader they were. Did they just sit and read through the chapter like it was a Harry Potter book, or did they underline, highlight, or take notes in the margins with the intention of understanding the material?
To read and understand the Bible, you have to be an active reader. If you start reading the Bible like it’s a leisure novel, then it’s not going to make sense. You have to read with intention.
Underline, highlight, or circle phrases or words that you want to dig deeper into.
Write down questions for yourself in the margins or on a separate piece of paper.
You basically want to take notes as you read. You might not have all the answers or fully understand, but at least take note of what confuses you.
3. Re-read the Scriptures you took notes on and do your research on them.
Once you’ve actively read the Scriptures, you can re-read your notes and do some additional research.
Here are a few resources that we personally use (note: these are not affiliated links and we do not receive any commission or anything through your click on the link. We genuinely use these resources and think they’re great for you):
Blue Letter Bible: This website defines every word used in the Bible from the original Hebrew or Greek text. You can use this site to see the real meaning of certain words you may not fully understand (e.g. what does the word “rebuke” actually mean?).
Studylight: This website has commentary from many different religious leaders. We personally enjoy the James Burton Coffman commentary and David Guzik. You can use this site to help you better understand the context and background behind the Scriptures.
Biblegateway: This site has a ton of different translations of the Bible (even some in other languages). You can use this website to see how a particular Bible verse reads in different translations.
4. Ask yourself these questions once you’ve done your research
Once you’ve done your research on the Scriptures and you have more context on what it says, you’ll want to find ways to apply it to your personal life. Remember, the Bible is meant to be used and applied to your life (2 Timothy 3:16). You don’t want to just read it and not take anything away from it (James 1: 22-25).
Knowing how to apply the Scriptures to your life can be difficult when you’re first learning how to read the Bible, but the best place to start is by asking yourself some questions. We like to ask ourselves the following questions as we reflect on the Scriptures:
1 – What did I learn about the nature of God through this Scripture?
2 – What can I do differently today as a result of what I read?
3 – What else can I study out as a follow up to what I just read?
It’s three basic questions, but the goal isn’t to come up with a quiz on the Scriptures—the goal is to use the questions to draw you closer to God.
There may be some Scriptures where you have difficulty understanding what to take away from the Scriptures and how to apply it to your life—that’s okay! Keep reading until you find an “answer” to the questions above. There is always something you can learn about God as you read his word; there is always something you can change today as a result of what you read; and there is always something to study out further for next time.
5. Make the decision to change as a result of what you read and pray to close out
Ultimately, you can diligently study the Scriptures and understand all of the intricate details of the Bible, but it won’t really mean anything unless it has an impact in your life and you walk as Jesus walked. In fact, this is exactly what the religious people in Jesus’ day did, and he called them out on it (John 5:39-40):
39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
So, make the decision to be transformed by your Bible studies—make the decision to change. Once you’ve done that, you can close out your Bible study with a prayer, where you can pray about everything that you read, the decisions that you made, and for God to continue to soften your heart.
CONCLUSION
For all of you new Bible readers out there, we hope this guide was helpful and provided you with the tools you need to help you read and understand the Bible better!
Finding the right Bible, knowing where to start, and then learning how to read it can all be challenging—but we hope the above information inspired you to dig deeper in your daily Bible study.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to leave us a comment below (in case anyone has a similar question). We’ll be sure to answer it! Or, if you have any additional tips to help with personal Bible reading, we’d love to hear them!
