Know What Type Of Writing It Is
Different people use different categories for the types of Biblical writings but I am just going to share the broader types to help you get started.
The broad writing styles of the Bible are these:
- Law
- Epistles
- Acts
Are you going to read poetry differently then you would American laws? Would you read a persons memoir differently than a letter from a friend?
Yes, you would! You would be reading it differently expecting different messages and ways of translating. The same is true for Scripture.
For example, Leviticus is a book of law while Psalm and Proverbs are poetry. They are written differently, for different purposes and we must approach Scripture according to those differences.
After choosing a book to set up camp in, determine what kind of writing it is!
Dont Start Reading The Bible At The Beginning Do Thisinstead
Are you just starting out reading the bible?
When it comes to reading the bible, we can throw the norm ofstarting-every-book-at-the-beginning, out of the proverbial window. The bibleis not a normal book. It is 66 books combined into one volume. For beginners inbible reading, starting at the beginning of the bible may create wayy more questions than you can endureright now.
Give yourselves the ability to learn the foundations first, thenmove on to higher heights!
As Peter said : Asnewborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Wanna know whereto start?
Heres an Outline:
I honestly believe that the best place for every believer tobegin is learning about Jesus Christ, the one that died for our sins.
For Non believers:the book of John may be best. It gives an eye witness account of the life ofJesus Christ and is much more detailed than Matthew, Mark and Luke.
For beginners: I would suggest beginning with the NewTestaments books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that speaks about the life ofChrist and his expectations of us. Each book gives a description of what occurredfrom the writers view. So you may realize that each book begins with hisbirth, but may have varying accounts of similar events. Join us in Gospel John Interactive Videos created for us all the begin enjoying the bible again.
Read the Letters ofthe Apostles to the Churches: From Romans through to Jude. Romans is packedwith necessary principles.
Read Genesis , Psalms, & Proverbs
Basic Tools To Use When You Start Studying
Youll want to keep these basic Bible study tools and resources on hand:
- Bible
- Pens
- Highlighters
- Post-it notes
- Journal or notebook
If youre a creative person or love to make things beautiful, you might also want to use:
- Any other decorative elements
Whatever helps you get to studying is what tools will be the best fit for you.
You might also want to keep a simple beginner Bible study plan with your supplies. For example, will you begin with the gospel of John, as we discussed earlier? Or maybe our Gods Love scripture writing plan? Keeping a printed reading plan or devising a set schedule will help you stay motivated and on track.
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Where To Start When Studying The Bible For The First Time
It can be hard to know where to start reading the Bible. If youre struggling with the best order to study the Bible, or where to begin, try the book of John. Its one of the Gospels in the New Testament. When youre new to studying the Bible or are somewhat unfamiliar with reading the Bible, youll get a lot out of John because he covers the entire life and ministry of Jesus. He was one of Jesuss twelve disciples, and he witnessed many of Jesuss miracles firsthand. It gives you a powerful glimpse into the life, works, and character of Jesus.
As you become more seasoned with Bible study, dont be intimidated to try more difficult books, even if they dont seem very interesting at first. Be cautious about allowing your heart to guide what you study. We need to also work through books like Leviticus and Numbers just save them for later, when youre a bit more comfortable with knowing how to study the Bible.
Studying The Bible Will Change Your Life
This is one of the most important reasons you need to study the word of God.
You can read the Bible every day and never see a change in your life.
Hebrews 4:12 perfectly sums up the power of the word of God.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
As you study and apply the word of God to your life, it will begin to transform you from the inside out.
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Final Thoughts: What Is The Best Way To Study The Bible
Although there are many different Bible study methods and opinions about how to study as long as you are in Gods Word, youre on the right track.
Im reminded of John 16:13, that the Spirit will guide you into all the Truth. With the Holy Spirit working in you and guiding you, youre well on your way to a deeper understanding of Gods heart for his people. Hell guide you into knowing and understanding the Truth youre longing for.
This is only the beginning of a rich, life-giving journey! Its rewards are priceless and eternal, and well worth the effort.
Reasons To Study The Bible
Why do you want to study the Bible? Pause and consider this. God is drawing you in, prompting you to grow closer to Him. Having some concrete reasons and understanding why this is important to you will help you stay motivated to study long after the initial inspiration has passed. Here are three solid reasons to begin studying the Bible:
To gain insight on who God is. Theologians have described the Bible as Gods love letter to us. It teaches us his likes, dislikes, and about his character. The Bible is a book about God, and it reveals to us a little bit about who God is on every page. How can we truly know him if we dont intently study his word?
To receive wisdom and instruction. The Bible teaches us so much, and studying it helps us grow in wisdom. For example, the book of Proverbs is filled with instruction and principles for how best to live our life here on earth. We also find needful insight in the gospels and letters to the New Testament churches. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
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Chapters That Cover Specific Doctrines
There are some popular topics that are important for a Bible reading plan for beginners. Below, you will find the specific chapters or verses where you can find ten of the most popular topics to study in the Bible.
- Creation and the Flood Genesis Chapters 1-8 cover the creation and the flood.
- Abraham and the Promise Genesis Chapters 12-25 tell all about Abraham and his journey through the promise God gave him.
- Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit 1 John chapter 4, and 5. John chapter 1, 3, and 20. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 4. 1 Corinthians chapter 8. Colossians chapter 1.
- The Ten Commandments The ten commandments can be found in Exodus chapter 20 or Deuteronomy chapter 5.
- The Birth of Jesus This story can be found in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 2.
- The Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ John chapter 7, 14, 16, and 20. Mark chapter 16, and Luke chapter 24.
- Christs Second Coming, the Day of Judgement and Salvation of the Faithful John chapter 14. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 2.
- The Fall of Man, Sin, weve all sinned and need a savior Romans chapter 3.
- The Everlasting Gospel& How to Be Saved Romans chapter 10.
- Becoming a New Creation 2 Corinthians chapter 5.
Top Strategies To Help Beginner Christians Decide Where To Start Reading The Bible
Im going to conclude right now. So where should I begin my Bible reading? These are my top seven strategies to help beginners, Christians, decide where to start reading the Bible.
First, establish your motive for reading the Bible. Second, your why should direct your reading.
Third, start in Genesis. Fourth, use a Bible reading plan. Another way to help you decide where to start reading your Bible is to choose a book from the 66 books of the Bible.
And sixth, in choosing a book, utilize your favorite character as a guide and also make use of your passion for a particular topic.
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Get Started Reading The Bible
Now that you have all of your materials AND your Bible reading plan for beginners, youre ready to get started!
Thankfully, learning how to read the Bible for the first time really is easier than you might think.
Simply choose a book from the Bible reading plan for beginners above, and set a goal to read one chapter a day.
Each chapter of the Bible starts with a big number. Each verse in the Bible starts with a small number. So a chapter is typically only a page or so, while a verse is typically only a sentence or two.
You write them like this: John 3:16 = the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16.
Dont worry if you dont understand every single word. Ive been reading my Bible for decades and I still dont understand every single word or know how to apply them all. No one does. Theres always more to learn!
But you really can learn a LOT simply by reading through a little each day, thinking about what youre reading, and looking for ways to apply what youre learning to your real life. The more you read and put into practice, the more you learn and grow!
Why You Should Memorize Scripture
Memorizing scripture is another powerful way we can meditate and live out Gods Word in our life.
When I take the time to memorize bible verses, I am able to pray and recite them in times of need.
For example, when I was struggling to resist temptation from sexual sin, I memorized Psalm 51:10 so I was able to pray this verse out loud whenever I felt tempted.
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Level Five & Six: The Letters & A Prophetic Book
The next section contains epistles, or letters, written by early church leaders to various congregations or individuals. They struggled with and celebrated the same things we do today.
The final section of the New Testament is also prophecy. Its primarily about Jesus second coming, and how to live in the interval between His two appearances.
Use A Bible Study Method To Illuminate Gods Word
You dont have to be overwhelmed when reading the Bible! While you may not understand everything you read, the study methods below will make it simple and convenient to process your time in Gods Word. Plus, the more you read and draw near to the heart of God, the more He will reveal Himself to you.
As a total beginner, the Read & Respond Bible study method worked well for me. It allowed me to process what I read and think through how I could apply it to my life.
Plus, its practical enough to squeeze into a busy schedule. If you have 10 minutes in your day, this Bible study method can work for you!
Watch how simple the Read & Respond method can be in the tutorial video:
As I matured in faith, I was looking for a study method that went a little deeper into the passage and helped me dissect the meaning. The Write the Word study method was a perfect solution, and I enjoyed taking this next step to grow in faith.
Watch the Write the Word tutorial here:
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Why Christians Need To Read The Bible
In the 90s, there was a popular acronym for the BIBLE, which stood for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
And thats what the Bible is. Its our roadmap to how were supposed to live life on this earth as a representative of God and his son Jesus Christ.
The Bible has information on:
In short, the Bible is our instruction manual for how we should live in the world, filtered through the eyes of Christ.
- The nature and character of God.
- The history of our faith.
- Who Jesus is and why he died for our sins.
- How we should interact with God and other people.
- Proper conduct and behavior for Christians.
The Apostel Pauls sums it up perfectly in his letter to Timothy, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. .
Now that weve covered what the Bible is and why its important to read it, lets talk about the best way to read the Bible.
The Bible is our instruction manual for how we should live in the world, filtered through the eyes of Christ.
Use Study Guide/ Tools Or Devotional
How to study the Bible for beginners involves the use of study guide, tools, or devotional. This is to help you glean from the wisdom of bible scholars as they help shed more light on your study.
These tools may include a concordance that could be found at the back of your Bible commentary, Bible dictionary, or even online bible study resources.
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Identify Favorite Bible Character
To assist you to decide which book from the library youre going to choose, you could do two things.
One, and this is the sixth point, choose your favorite Bible character. Is it Moses? Then you will start reading in Exodus 2.
Is it Jesus? You might start reading in Matthew. Is it Abraham, David, Samuel, or is it Apostle Paul?
If it is the latter, then youll know too that you will start in .
At that time he wasnt Apostle Paul, but he was Saul. So, if you utilize your favorite Bible character, then I want you to follow this person through the scripture from conception to death or from conception to ascension, in the case of Jesus Christ.
That will help you in deciding where youre going to start reading the Bible.
Start Building The Habit Of Reading Your Bible
Habit > Understanding > Worship
Probably the most common barrier to reading and understanding the Bible is a lack of habit. In fact, I often have to go back to this step, even after decades of reading and studying the Bible. Because I cannot gain more understanding without a regular routine of opening my Bible. Until we have established the habit of regular Bible reading, understanding is going to be hard to come by. Why? Because without the habit, youll start off strong but fizzle out by the end of the week. How do I know? Been there. Done that. My guess is, you have to.
Here are a few thoughts to consider as you embark on creating a rhythm of regular time in the Bible.
- Start small. Choose something that will give you the quick win!
- Ex.: These short reading plans range from 8 days to 31 days.
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From The Beginning Of The New Testament
What could be more important than studying the life and teachings of our Savior and King Jesus Christ? The four GospelsMatthew, Mark, Luke and Johnbegin the New Testament, and together they give us four insightful views of the God who came to the earth as a human being.
Tips:
- Though all words of the Bible are inspired, we should pay special attention to the words of Jesus Christ.
- Notice all of the quotes from the Old Testament. They demonstrate that the Bible is a continuous, unified whole, even though it was written over a span of 15 centuries by around 40 authors.
- Practice what you are reading. When Christ tells us how to treat enemies, how to pray and what to put first in our lives, we should heed .
Resources: The following online articles give helpful background information.
- Who Is Jesus? section.
New American Standard Version
You are my hiding place You keep me from trouble You surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place What is man that You think of him, and a son of man that You are concerned about him? Psalm 8:3-4
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