Bible Basics: How Do I Read the Bible?

Bible reading is one of the basic habits that every Christian should have, but how are we actually supposed to sit down and read the Bible? In this episode, we want to get practical. 

• Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

When you read the Bible, the starting point is to approach it thoughtfully and prayerfully – regardless of what methods or tools you use. Meditate on it. Saturate yourself with it, as Joshua says: “day and night.” Then put what you read into practice to “obey everything written in it.” With that attitude in place, let’s look at four pieces of advice to get started reading your Bible.

Have a Plan.

A lot of Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they don’t have a plan. They open it up and randomly pick a passage to read. Then they do that again another day. So whatever they read is always out of context. They’re not really sure what they’re reading. Of course, God can work through that, but most readers will find that approach frustrating over time. 

A better plan is to pick a book of the Bible to read. If you haven’t read the Bible ever, or in a long time, a good place to start is the book of John, in the New Testament. This is one of the gospels. It tells us about the life of Jesus. You will see his teaching and his miracles, and you will understand his mission. That makes John a great place to start. If you’ve read John recently, you could go to one of the epistles, which are written for Christians. Or in the Old Testament, you could begin with Genesis. 

You don’t have to read the Bible from beginning to end. That’s not the most important approach. In fact, it can be a struggle for many people to read the Bible from cover to cover. So try picking one book, reading it, then picking another book, to eventually work your way through the Bible.

Part of your plan will be to decide how much you intend to read in a day, or in a week. One chapter a day, ten chapters a week, whatever you decide. Whatever you choose to do, hold onto your plan loosely. As you experience reading the Bible, you might need to adjust your plan to read more or to read less every day. It’s not a failure to scale back a plan that is too much for you. The point is just to keep reading at whatever level you can. But if you don’t have a plan, you probably won’t ever get around to really reading the Bible.

Many great Bible reading plans can be found on the YouVersion app (Bible.com), which you can read along with others. But when you use a reading plan, don’t just read to check off a box or complete the assignment. Don’t rush through so that you get nothing out of it. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed if you fall behind. Having a plan should be an encouragement and guide. The goal is to grow in your relationship with God, not to complete some specific plan.

Go Slowly

You’re not trying to speed through the Bible, like a novel, to find out how things work out in the end. It’s not like reading a newspaper or magazine just to catch up on the facts. Instead, the point in reading is to listen to God and follow what he has to say, and to interact with the Holy Spirit as he speaks to you in your reading. So go slowly. Take your time. If you don’t finish the chapter in the time allotted, that’s okay. Just pick up next time where you left off. Because you want to be thoughtful and prayerful. Remember Joshua 1:8. It said to meditate on God’s words. But it’s hard to meditate if you’re in too much of a hurry, trying to count how many pages you read. It’s better to reflect on what you’re reading.

This relates to another aspect of making a plan. Pick a time and place that will help you listen, meditate, and not get distracted or be in a hurry. What time in your day is most likely to allow you to slow down? What space can you go to that will allow you to think and pray?

If you don’t understand something you read, stop, go back, and read it again. Spend time thinking about what you’re reading, and asking God for help. It’s okay to use Bible study tools to help you figure out what you’re reading, and to answer some of those questions. But reading about the Bible is never a substitute for reading the Bible itself. Go to other sources when you need to, but most of your time should be spent in the text of the Bible itself, because that’s where God speaks.

Be Interactive

Many Christians struggle with reading the Bible because they’re not sure how to apply it to their lives. It doesn’t jump off the page to them. This is why, when you read the Bible, ask questions about what you’re reading. You probably won’t understand everything you’re reading. You will have questions: “Why did God say that? Why did God allow this to happen to his people? What was God’s point in these verses?” Write those questions down. You’ll probably find many of the answers emerge as you read more of the Bible.

One way to be interactive with the Bible is to take notes while you read. If you have insights or comments, write them down. If you don’t write those insights down, you will likely forget them. That will be frustrating! You might have prayer requests that come to mind as you read the Bible. That’s great! Again, write them down.

Then, when you get to the end of the chapter or complete your reading for the day, ask yourself this: “How do I apply this to my life?” We don’t want you to have just a lot of trivia in your head. Just learning some Bible facts is not enough. What brings transformation is to apply God’s word to your life. Along those lines, ask: “Is there a command here I need to obey? Is there a promise here that I need to grab hold of? Is there something I need to grapple with that will change my thinking or my behavior?” The point is: apply the Bible to your life. As you do that, you’re going to see the Bible come alive. 

Many Christians have come up with methods that help you ask questions, write down insights, and apply what you read. Some use a form that they fill out every day. Others use a format that guides them through the process. One simple example is the pattern S-O-A-P. This is very popular because it provides a plan for how to read the section you have decided to read for that day.

• Scripture. This is simple. Just read the passage you’ve chosen. 
• Observation. Ask questions about what the passage is saying. What do you actually observe in the text? List your observations. This step helps you draw out the meaning of the passage, and avoid fanciful conclusions.
• Application. Make it personal and put it into practice. How does this apply to my life today?
• Prayer. Talk to God about what you’ve been reading and observing.

Dig A Little Deeper

As you develop some experience in Bible reading, you might want to learn how to go a bit deeper into understanding what the Bible is saying. Start with the steps above. But at some point, try your hand at a more serious process of interpretation. Here is a pattern of study suggested by the Chara Project (charaproject.com):

• Context: How does what I’m reading fit with the rest of the Bible, starting with the larger chapter, the whole book, the totality of what this particular author has written, and finally, with the entire Bible?
• History: What was the message to the original audience? How would they have heard it? What is the particular setting (both local conditions and larger historical events) that would help you determine that? 
• Author: Who wrote the book? What do you know about him? What is the author’s overall purpose in this book, and how does this verse or passage fit in that?
• Research: What trustworthy study notes or commentaries can I turn to in order to dig into the original meaning? Do they bring a bias into their work that you should recognize? Only consult others after you have done the first three steps to the best of your ability. 
• Apply: As I now understand what the Bible means, how can I put its principles into practice? This is where every Bible reading session should end, whether you are simply reading or are studying in greater depth.

Five Pitfalls to Avoid

As you seek to interpret what the Bible is saying, here are some ways Bible study can go wrong. A few pitfalls to avoid…

• Innovation. The goal of sound Bible study is not to come up with ideas no one has ever thought of before. This is how cults get started. You want to discover the eternal truths of the Bible, then ask how they uniquely apply to your life.
• Information Alone. The reason we read the Bible is not just to know more facts. You can study the Bible, and master the most obscure ideas in it, but never put anything into practice in your life. 
• Anachronism. This happens when we read modern ideas into the ancient text. For example, you can read modern legal concepts into biblical laws, or find contemporary political ideals long before anyone ever thought of them.
  • Romans 16:16 (NLT) Greet each other with a sacred kiss.
  • It would be a mistake to read the modern meaning of kissing back into the first century, where the sacred kiss reflects the warmth and welcome of the faith community.
• Ignoring Genre. Many people misinterpret the Bible because they don’t recognize how a given genre is meant to be read. For example, Proverbs give general principles of life, but are not universally true in every situation. Jesus used parables to explore his kingdom, but the details of parables should not determine our doctrine.
• Isolating Verses. It’s easy to cherry-pick isolated verses, and make conclusions about what you read, while disregarding the surrounding passages or the overall message of the book. 
  • Philippians 4:13 (NLT) I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. 
  • Paul is talking about contentment in a variety of life situations, when he has plenty and when he doesn’t have much. Isolated, this verse might be misused to justify any personal desire or goal.

The Takeaway

Your Bible reading doesn’t have to be dry. It can be life-changing. So go get started! The most important step you can take is not listening to us talk about this topic. What matters is to read God’s word for yourself. Do it with a friend, with your spouse, with your children, with a mentor or a small group. But make a plan and put it into practice. Adjust the plan as you get more experienced. Add more elements as you get more comfortable. But always be sure to apply what you are discovering to your life! Then see what God will do in and through you.