How to Read the Bible.

According to the Scriptures themselves.

Have you ever wanted to study the Bible but have been too afraid that you will not understand it correctly? Perhaps you’ve had others interpret the Bible and have wondered how you can be sure whether they are correct. We should never be afraid of reading God’s word. We must trust Him and His Holy Spirit to teach us everything He needs us to know, but we must also be careful to do so according to the guidelines and safeguards that He has given us.

It makes sense to read Scripture in accordance with what Scripture says about itself, and about how it should be received. This reveals characteristics which can be formulated as questions that can be used to interpret the Scriptures consistently and within the boundaries set by His word.

What does Scripture say about Scripture?

  1. It is God’s Word, it doesn’t just contain God’s Word, it doesn’t only become His Word under certain circumstances, it is His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21). If it is God’s Word, then it must be perfect and it should reveal how we should read and understand it. Whatever Scripture tells us about God, is God revealing Himself to us.

  2. Scripture tells us that we cannot understand our own hearts because we deceive ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9-10). God’s Word searches and reveals the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12).

  3. God’s Word reveals Jesus Christ. From the oldest books of Moses, all the prophets wrote about Jesus and His work of redemption (Luke 24:25-27). To trust in Jesus we need to trust in the Scriptures. (John 5:46-47)

The Big Picture of Scripture

The Bible reveals God and His will, how we fall short of His will, and then wonderfully, how Jesus has made a way for us to be reconciled to God.

How should we read Scripture?

To understand any passage of Scripture, we must examine what it reveals about God, about ourselves and our need for Him, and finally what it reveals about Jesus and what He’s done to glorify God and fulfil that need.

Start with Prayer.

We can not begin to read and understand the Word of God without the power of the Holy Spirit. He reminds us of Jesus teaching and gives us understanding. (John 14:25-26, John 16:13-14). All Bible reading must start and be accompanied by prayer.

  1. Give thanks for whatever the Lord lays on your heart, but especially for The Lord Jesus’ life death and resurrection, and His atonement of our sin.

  2. Give thanks for the Holy Spirit, and for the perfect inerrant Scripture, the Word of God.

  3. Ask for forgiveness of our sin, and power to keep us from temptation.

  4. Pray for difficult situations that you, the Church, individuals in the Church and others are facing.

  5. Pray for understanding of the Scripture, for healing, correction, and encouragement through it.

  6. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to live out Scripture’s lessons.

Read the Scripture.

Read the Bible passage a couple of times out loud, perhaps in a couple of different translations. (ESV, NIV, NKJV). Whether you’re reading the Scriptures alone, with someone or in a group, go through the next five questions:

  1. What does it say?

  2. What does it mean? (split into the following three questions)

    1. What does it tell us about God?

    2. What does it tell us about ourselves?

    3. What does it tell us about Jesus and what He’s done?

  3. What must we do?

What does it say?

Retell the passage in your own words without looking at the Scripture. Don’t interpret it, just retell it. This includes making sure we understand the meanings of individual words and the context in which the passage was written. A Study Bible or commentary are useful to get this information. The ESV Study Bible is a good resource.

What does it mean?

This is where we apply the big picture of Scripture. If Scripture is God’s Word revealing who He is, who we are, and who Jesus is and what He’s done for us, then we need to identify how the passage we’re reading communicates this to us.

  1. What does the Scripture tell us about God?

  2. What does it tell us about ourselves?

  3. What does it tell us about Jesus Christ and what He’s done for us?

Answering these questions accurately from the immediate text ensures that we dig for the full meaning of the Scripture, while keeping us from veering off to our own interpretations. It gives freedom to go deep, but structure to stay on track. Remember that Scripture interprets Scripture and that God will never contradict Himself. If we find an apparent contradiction it is because we have not yet understood fully.

What must we do?

By God’s grace this process will reveal amazing insights, but remember that James 1:22-24 warns us that we’re wasting our time in Bible study unless we put what we learn into practice. If we don’t work out what we’re taught in Scripture, we risk becoming hardened to God’s word, complacent and unfruitful. Asking this final question helps us to apply what we learn to the glory of God and the service of His Church.

  1. What should we be doing in response to this?

  2. What should we stop doing in response to this?

  3. Who must we tell about this?