Many times people make statements regarding the Bible such as:
- It’s too hard to understand
- It’s too large to read
- I don’t like all that old English
- Where do I start?
And so on. Well, in order to help with these sorts of questions let’s consider, “What Is The First Step In Understanding The Bible?” To start let’s take a look at something the Bible says that might assist us in this quest.
Proverbs 4:20, 21
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. [KJV]
Here we are told that it would be a good idea to “attend” to the words of God, to “incline” our ear to his sayings and to not let those words “depart” from our eyes so that we can “keep” them in the midst of our heart. Now all those words that I emphasized: “attend”, “incline”, “not depart”, “keep” – these all involve a effort – in other words, none of this happens on it’s own. However, before we can even get to the part of being able to do all of this, we have to do one very simple thing: “Read”. “Read, read, read” – this is one of the most important and critical things that you will ever do if you want to understand the Bible.
Now this might seem a little simplistic to you and that is because it really is very simple. You can never read enough. If you find the King James Version with it’s “thee’s and thou’s” too cumbersome or hard to follow, pick up the NIV (New International Version) or the ESV (English Standard Version) – better yet, read them all. Read the Bible in as many versions as you can.
If you are wondering where you should start, well here’s a simple recommendation:
- Read the four Gospels first – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – this will give you great background on the life and work of Jesus Christ and his ministry.
- Next I recommend that you read the Book of Acts as that will help you understand how the Christian Church walked in great power as the Word of God was made known to many lands. There are 28 chapters in the Book of Acts and the first time I read it many decades ago I was quite sad that the story did not continue any further.
- Well the story did continue and that is where the rest of the New Testament comes in. After you’ve read the Gospels and the Book of Acts, read the rest of the New Testament to understand the results of all that Jesus Christ accomplished for us and information about things to come in the future.
- After you’ve done that, you should read the Old Testament to get an understanding of all that God has done for his people through the ages and to become familiar with the records of the men and women who have walked with God through the ages: Abraham, Moses, Jacob, David, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel to name just a few.
As you are making your way through the Bible, here are some things to remember:
- Don’t worry if you don’t understand sections of Scripture – just keep reading. The more that you read these sections and especially as you read them in different versions, the more that your understanding will grow.
- The more times that you read through the entire Bible, the better your scope will be and the better you will be able to put together references to events, promises, truths that transcend the entire Bible. Building scope and context is one of the most vital keys in understanding the Scriptures.
- If you find certain sections cumbersome to read, the next time you read through the Bible, it’s OK to skip those sections and come back to them as you have the desire to do so. But whatever you do, just read, read and read. It will assist you greatly in understanding the truths of the Bible.
- As you read through the Bible, take note of sections that especially blessed you as you were reading so that you can come back to them whenever you need to be encouraged. Remember, what you are reading are the words of God – this is not an academic exercise but one that is intended to build your confidence and trust to walk with God.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. [ESV]
Read, read and then read some more and let God give you the understanding of his wonderful, matchless word. God bless you.