Obviously, what those verses seem to be saying aren’t what they are saying at all! Here’s an example of how to read in context: This time his finger landed on John 13:27, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” This time, his finger landed on Luke 10:37, “Go and do likewise.” Again, not liking that answer, the man tried again. went away and hanged himself.” Not liking that answer, the man tried again. He opened his eyes and read Matthew 27:5, “Judas. The story is told of a man who wanted to find out what God had for his future, so he closed his eyes, opened the Bible randomly, and stuck his finger on the page. Here’s an example of not reading in context (don’t do this!): The idea of studying in context is simply something to keep in mind as you read, because it keeps us from misunderstanding what God is saying. **If you are just starting out reading the Bible, don’t let this overwhelm you. Another way to practice this is to learn the history behind the book of the Bible you are reading, find out who it is written to, and learn to see the verse as it relates to other verses in the Bible. Studying the Bible in context involves not just reading an isolated verse, but reading the verses around it as well. And that’s true for all situations including reading Scripture! Before you begin doing any type of Bible study, remember that all Scripture must be read in context. As You Read, Keep Context in MindĬontext is key, the saying goes. And then think on them for a couple of minutes and pray over what you’ve read! 3. Overwhelmed? Just read 5-10 verses each day. It is practical, full of wisdom and able to be easily applied to your life. Genesis, though an extremely important book in regards to creation and also salvation, can sometimes be overwhelming to a new believer because of the geneologies, Old Testament practices and other details interspersed throughout the 50 chapters.Īll of God’s Word is inspired and without error, so certainly you will want to get to Genesis at some point! But starting with John, which is shorter and easier to understand if you do not have a background of reading the Bible (or haven’t read it for a very long time), will bring the rest of Scripture alive and give it deeper meaning as you continue to learn and see how all Scripture goes together to paint the beautiful story of God’s love for us!Īnother great book to move on to after John is the book of James. Part of the reason I would recommend starting with the book of John, and not a book like Genesis, is that John gives you an overview of the story of salvation: the life, death and resurrection of Christ. What Book of the Bible Should I Read First? Start with a Book of the Bible such as John. You don’t need a fancy study Bible, and sometimes it’s actually better to not have one to begin with! You can purchase an inexpensive paperback NASB or ESV Bible without study notes. But if you get stuck or struggle with a hard passage, you can begin to include a study Bible such as those I mentioned in your devotional time.Ģ. Both of these contain accurate commentaries as well as maps, charts and other tools to help you gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word.Ī very important tip: Just start reading. The first Bible I used was a teen’s NIV Bible. I now use either my ESV Study Bible or my Ryrie NASB Study Bible. Reading one of these, as opposed to a paraphrase, will give you a more accurate understanding of what God’s Word is actually saying. I prefer the word for word translations, such as the NASB or ESV. Translations such as The Message or NLT are paraphrases, designed for easy understanding. These are incredibly accurate to the original text and are not hard to read. Translations such as the NASB and ESV, stick close to the original Hebrew and Greek wording, the original languages in which the Bible was written. There are many translations of the Bible. The Best Way to Study the Bible as a Beginner 1. Through reading the Bible, your heart and mind will be changed by the beautiful, life-giving Word of God! These practices will give you a process that you can follow at all times to give you confidence that you are reading the Bible according to the way it was written and in its proper context. I want to share with you five key practices to keep in mind as you seek to spend more time in God’s Word. Now that many years have passed, I have learned much about the essentials of reading and learning Scripture, whether as a new believer or a long-time Christian who has not read the Bible much lately. If you are like me, and didn’t have a personal devotional time growing up or just didn’t grow up in a Christian home, it can be intimidating to figure out where or how, exactly, you should start reading the Bible. Was there a particular version I should choose over another?Īnd what did all that Old Testament stuff about animal sacrifice really mean, anyway? Should I just start reading through the book of Genesis?
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