I often felt frustrated when reading the Bible – it was too difficult, too much, too incomprehensible. Especially when starting from the beginning. The Bible is a library of 66 books. I often got stuck on the second book, Exodus. Then I found ways that really helped me. I would like to share these tried and tested tips with you so that you can get off to a good start and stick with it. I will highlight the three biggest problems with reading the Bible and give you three tips.
Problem no. 1: Reading the Bible without keeping Jesus in mind
Reading the Bible without keeping Jesus in mind is like driving a car without a steering wheel and navigation device.
No one has ever changed for the better simply by reading the Bible. There is another essential aspect that must be added: keeping Jesus Christ in mind. The Bible is about Jesus, from the first page to the last, even though the name ‘Jesus’ is nowhere to be found in the Old Testament. The Bible’s goal is to get to know the Messiah, the Saviour announced in the Old Testament, and to live a life that reflects God’s love for humanity. Keeping your eyes on Jesus is the steering wheel that helps you stay on the right path. The Old Testament promises the Saviour, the New Testament introduces him to you.
Jesus criticized the Bible readers of his day, namely the Pharisees and scribes, the top theologians of the 1st century. He said to them:
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you will find eternal life. And yet they speak of me. But you do not want to come to me, where you can find life.”
Problem no. 2: Starting at the wrong place
Read the Bible from cover to cover? I promise you: if you try to read the Bible for the first time like this, you will get annoyed and stop reading by the middle of Exodus, the 2nd book of the bible, at the latest. That’s what happened to me many times. What a shame! The Bible consists of 66 books. Which one should you start with? You’ll find out in a moment.
Problem no. 3: Bible jumping
Just as wrong as starting in the wrong place is sticking your finger in somewhere and reading a few paragraphs. You wouldn’t do that with any other book. I used to do that. In the church I belonged to at the time, that was the norm. We believed that God would guide our finger when we opened the book and give us exactly the right word. We were often disappointed. No wonder, God can sometimes use Bible passages taken out of context to guide you, but that is rather the exception.
Now for my tips on reading the Bible:
Tip no. 1: Start with the right bible book
You can avoid all three problems with this tip: keep your eyes on Jesus, start in the right place, and avoid jumping around. How? By starting with the book of the Bible that was written with the goal of getting to know Jesus: start with the Gospel of John. John, a disciple of Jesus and eyewitness, writes:
“These things were written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you may have life in his name.”
John 20:31
John had precisely this goal: to get to know Jesus. You need three hours to read the Gospel of John. As a beginner, you may find chapter 1 a little tedious. From chapter 2 onwards, it gets easier.
Once you have invested this time, you can move on to the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a companion of Paul. He placed more emphasis on chronological reporting, drawing on eyewitness accounts. You will notice this as you read. This will give you an even deeper insight into the life of Jesus, whom you have already come to know very intimately through John.
Tip no. 2: Continue with the Holy Spirit
Jesus promises you the Holy Spirit. This is the spirit in which all the books of the Bible were written. That is why everything fits together so well. Jesus once said, ‘My words are spirit and are life.’ That is why we can only recognise the depth of the words in the Bible with this Holy Spirit. You receive it when you turn to Jesus personally and allow yourself to be renewed through him. Paul describes this renewal here:
And after you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and believed, you too were sealed through him (Jesus) with the promised Holy Spirit.”
Paul in Ephesians 1:13
Once you have reached this point, the Holy Spirit will be your guide. Then it will become easier: you will understand many things that previously seemed obscure because you now have spiritual eyes. I experienced this too: without the Holy Spirit, I couldn’t understand the Epistle to the Romans. I couldn’t read it in one go. It was as if I had a veil over my eyes. After I entrusted my life to Jesus and God gave me the Holy Spirit, everything changed. Suddenly I understood what I was reading. Still not everything, but it’s not like it was before.
Now you can venture into more challenging material. You will now also find joy in reading the Bible. Once you have read through the Gospels of John and Luke, read them again, this time with completely new eyes, and then continue.
Tip no. 3: Continue reading in the following order
- You have read already the Gospel of John: The most intimate account of Jesus from an eyewitness.
- And you have read the Gospel of Luke: The chronological account of Jesus; Luke interviewed eyewitnesses. Now continue with:
- Acts of the Apostles: The first Christians get started under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
- Genesis: Now it’s time to start at the beginning: How did it all begin? Why do we need a saviour?
- Epistle to the Romans: The detailed presentation of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ (start with chapter 8 and then read the entire epistle from the beginning).
Further helpful notes
Important: It is not the Bible itself that changes you for the better, but the Bible in conjunction with God’s work through the Bible. Therefore, stay in touch with Him by asking Him for His guidance and advice.
Don’t lose sight of the main theme: The Bible is about God’s love for people, about God’s grace, about how we can come into relationship with God. Already in the first book of the Bible, God promises a saviour. And in the New Testament, the saviour appears in person: Jesus Christ. Once you have internalised this, you can venture into the Old Testament, into Genesis, Exodus and so on, as God leads you.
I’m so happy to help you if you have any questions. Need more tips on reading the Bible? Feel free to write me.
Helpful books and resources
- Keith Ferrin: “How to enjoy reading your bible”
- Howard G. Hendricks: Living by the book: The art and science of reading the bible”
- Bible to Grow: Link to the Navigators
More about the bible on my website: tag “Bible”
Reading the bible online or on paper?
Read the Bible on paper. Then you can underline passages, and it will become your personal tool. When travelling or doing research, however, it is still helpful to use an online Bible. You will certainly find tools for this on the Internet for your preferred bible translation. Here you will find a list of online bibles in many languages: Biblegateway
Bildquellen / Image Sources
- reading-bible-a-kings-story: unknown
