Facts About The Bible
- The Bible is split into two sections: the Old Testament & the New Testament.
- There are 66 books total. 39 in the Old. 27 in the New.
- The original language of the Old Testament was Hebrew and the New Testament Greek!
- The Bible was written by about 40 different people of different times & backgrounds.
- These people were used by the Holy Spirit to write all these words to use to lead us to God and through this life!
Okay I want to share a little more about the first fact because that was the biggest mind altering subject I dove into when I started reading the Bible.
God is the same throughout the entire Bible. You may be thinking Then why was He so violent in the Old Testament?
That is a deep question I am not going to answer today BUT we can still get more understanding of the differences.
In general, the Old Testament is more stories & the New Testament is more direct teachings.
The Old Testament can be more difficult to apply to your everyday life because it isnt as direct and when looking at context we realize many of those Old Testament laws dont apply to us after the cross.
BUT it is still important to study!
You know why?
Because you learn more about WHO God is throughout the entire Bible. You cant pick and choose what to focus on.
I dont recommend ONLY spending time studying the New Testament.
I am not saying to ONLY study the Old Testament either.
I believe you need to find a balance because God will use both sections to teach and lead you.
Like when
Thank you!
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:
Start With A Gospel An Epistle Or Genesis
The Gospels: Tor any first-timer, one of the Gospels : Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are the best place to start because they introduce you to the incarnate God, Jesus Christ. These Gospels narrates his earthly ministry, his death, his burial, and his resurrection. But which one should you read?
For a quick read, go with Mark. This 16-chapter Gospel is fast-paced and fact-based concerning the most significant events in Jesuss life. While not as detailed as the other three Gospels, Mark will give you a quick overview of the life and work of Jesus.
If you are looking for a more in-depth look at the life and work of Jesus, read the Gospel of John. This Gospel was written by John, who undeniably presents Jesus as the true Messiah, the Savior of mankind, and the Author of our salvation.
The Epistles: You may also consider starting with an epistle like Ephesians or Colossians. Paul, an Apostle, wrote most of these letters. He writes them to specific audiences throughout the Mediterranean world. Paul wrote his epistles to encourage, warn, and exhort new believers in the Christian faith. They give practical instructions on how a Christ-follower should live and conduct themselves.
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The Order I Recommend Studying The Books Of The Bible
The Gospel of Mark Mark is said by some scholars to be the original gospel. Meaning it was written before the other three gospel accounts. Its also the shortest gospel, so its a great way to get into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus quickly.
The Gospel of John John gives more details about Jesus life. If we are to live as He lived, then knowing more about how He lived is helpful. The Gospel of John also gives more details leading up to the crucifixion of Christ.
The Gospel of Matthew Matthew gives more history regarding the lineage of Christ. It also gives more details around the events taking place during the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
The Gospel of Luke This Gospel is written by the traveling companion of the apostle Paul. The beauty of this gospel is that it was written so that all may know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is for them. Its not just for the Jews. As a woman, I really love this particular gospel account because it gives more details about the women in Jesus life.
Acts The purpose of this book was to record the early churchs history following the resurrection of Christ. It was also written by Luke who wanted to give an orderly account of what took place so that there was no doubt about what occurred as a result of Jesus being the Messiah.
Once you have studied these books in the Bible, youve laid a pretty good foundation upon which you can begin studying the remaining books.
How To Start Bible Study: My Experience
Ill be honest with you: I havet always loved, or even liked, Bible study. Back before I knew how to start studying the Bible, I couldnt tell Numbers from, well, a math textbook. I did my first Bible study online when I was 17, and I distinctly remember the teacher telling us to flip to Acts 2. Acts in which book? I thought, confused as everyone in the video dutifully opened their Bibles to the same page. It was like she told me to open to verse 2 and I was expected to find it.
Thats right I was so new to the Bible that thought an Act was the word for a verse. Now, 10 years later, and I have a degree in Religion with a focus on Biblical studies, and have written a few Bible studies myself. God sure does choose the strangest people.
This to say: if youre new to all of this, Ive been there.
Whether youre a new believer, a lifelong Christian whos just starting to explore the Bible, or just looking because youre curious, reading the Bible by yourself for the first time can be intimidating. I know how hard it is to find resources that explain what you need to know without overwhelming you. Or, worse, making you feel like youll never, ever get it. But you can, and you will. Today, I want to show you a few different Bible study methods that can help you learn how to start studying the Bible. But first, lets lay down some basics.
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How To Read The Bible
Books of the Bibles
The Bible is composed of sixty-six mini books, thirty-nine books in the Old Testament and twenty-seven books in the New Testament. Several of the authors of the Bible wrote multiple books, but then there are some who only wrote one. For example John wrote the following books:
- Gospel of John
- Revelation
In contrast, the prophet Micah only wrote one book: the Book of Micah.
It is important to understand the literary genres to best understand the style and content while reading them. The Bible is composed of the following:
Dont Be Afraid To Ask Questions
The only way youll understand Gods Word is if you ask questions.
You probably wouldnt be reading this if you are a theology expert so I am going to assume you arent really sure about the Bible.
Its complicated, weird and difficult to understand. It seems archaic and irrelevant. Its intimidating.
Dont fear not knowing and understanding. Its the best place to start.
Youve got to ask questions. If you really want to understand the Bible you do what you do in class and ask questions.
Then look for answers.
Gods Word has a lot to offer and it requires you to dig in and dig deep.
Promise me youll ask questions!
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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.
Listen To An Audio Bible
For a lot of the churchs history, people listened to Gods Word instead of reading it. Sometimes it can be helpful to purchase an audio Bible, then take a walk and listen to the Bible instead of reading it. If you find that youre struggling through your daily reading, consider supplementing it with an audio Bible.
With the NIV 50th Anniversary app , you can read or listen to the full Bible textand its free!
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Gospel Of John: Learning Who Jesus Is
Start with one of the four Gospels in the Bible. They give an account of Jesus life and teachings here on earth, and central to our faith is the historical figure of Jesus Christ, who is God Himself who became flesh, and dwelt among us .
Seven times, Jesus answers I Am when people question His identity.
The Gospel of John is a great place to start because it was written to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that by believing you may have life in his name. .
Introduction to the book: Throughout the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus is God.
Not only is Jesus the Messiah , Hes also the Son of God who gives eternal life to everyone who believes in His name. We see this reality through the signs and miracles He performs, and seven times He answers I Am when people question His identity.
At This Point You Can Choose How To Proceed
You might want to study the rest of the New Testament before going back to the Old Testament. Maybe you want to hang out a bit in the New Testament and then go back to the Old Testament. Its entirely up to you.
Below are the remaining books left to study if you want to be able to track what you have left.
The rest of New Testament
- 1 & 2 Corinthians
- Malachi
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How To Read And Understand The Bible
Reading the Bible on your own is a great start to growing in your walk with Christ.
However, if you want to understand the Bible, you have to learn how to study the Bible.
Attending your local churches weekly bible study is a great place to start.
Bible studies are less formal than Sunday service. Usually, you can ask the Pastor or group leader questions and gain insight from other members of the congregation.
There are also ways to study the Bible on your own, but thats a topic for another day.
I hope answered all of your questions about the Bible and how to read it.
Dont forget to download a copy of my Bible Reading Plan for Beginners!
As always, remember to keep Jesus in the center of everything you do.
Your Sister in Christ,
Where Biblical Knowledge Comes From
The most important element when reading the Bible is to not be in a hurry. Stop and meditate on the words. And pray for the Holy Spirit to open up the meanings and understanding of the Bible It is the Father that reveals spiritual knowledge through the Holy Spirit and He reveals these truths to those whom He calls. If you are wanting to read the Bible, believer or not, this may be strong evidence that God the Father is calling you . Spiritual truths are not actually acquired by human thought alone but as Jesus told Peter, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven . The point is that biblical knowledge is not gained by rote memorization or from academic head knowledge but by God the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in John 16:13, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
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Refer To A Concordance Or Use A Catholic Study Bible
Learning how to read the Bible can be a fun adventure, but sometimes you may want a little help to understand it better.
A concordance is a book that has an alphabetical index of the main words you find in the Bible and where to find them. It can be helpful when you have specific themes or words you want to locate in the Bible. The New American Bible Revised Edition Concise Concordance is one such book.
A Catholic Study Bible is helpful to give more details and information about the Bible passages to help you understand them more fully. A study Bible may also contain essays or other commentaries about certain Bible passages or topics. Two Catholic study Bibles are: The Catholic Study Bible and .
For further reading: A Bible Reading Plan for Beginners- 3 Different Ways You Can Read the Bible in Just 15 Minutes a Day
How To Start Reading The Bible
1) Get your mind right
First, begin with focused prayer. Before you begin reading, you need to have the right mindset to receive the Scripture as it is intended. Start with prayer, first thanking God for His Word, and repenting of anything that could keep you from hearing His voice during your reading.
2) Start with praise
To get your mind focused and as a biblical warm up, start your devotion time with a chapter from the Book of Psalms. The chapters in Psalms are typically short, with the exception of Psalms 119literally the longest chapter in the Bible. The Psalms can be easily read prior to digging a little deeper.
The Book of Psalms was largely written by King David and offers a variety of poems, prayers, and songs to help elevate the readers thinking and provide focus on the Lord. This will set the tone for quality Scripture reading and will lead the reader to the proper mindset needed to receive instruction and direction from God throughout the rest of their reading.
Once the individual has read some Scripture from Psalms and feels as though they have developed a spiritual focus or mindset, they can then move on to a systematic approach to reading Scripture that includes both the Old and New Testament.
3) Determine how long you want to read the Bible each day
A great resource for reading the Bible all the way through is the B.R.E.A.D. chart, which takes you cover to cover in one year.
How many chapters, or how long should I read the Bible?
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When I Was A Kid I Had The Notion To Read All The Encyclopedias From A To Z
My beloved Encyclopedia set lined the bottom of my closet, and I would curl up in there with a flash light and read until someone told me to go to bed.
No matter how many times I set out to accomplish this goal, I never made it past Johnny Appleseed.
I sometimes wonder how far I would have made it if I hadnt insisted on starting at the very beginning of the set every.single.time. If I had just picked up where I left off the first time, I might have finished the As at least.
Nevertheless, I was a perfectionist, and I like things done the right way if its going to be done.
If I say Im going to read through all of the Encyclopedias, then I should read through them all front to back, cover to cover, never missing a line or getting out of order.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when I became a Christian and wanted to get to know the God I served through His written word, I thought starting at the very beginning and reading straight through was the only way to do it right.
Genesis to Revelations here I come!
Time and time again, Id set the goal of reading the entire Bible beginning to end, and no matter how many times I tried, I never made it past the list of Noahs descendants in Genesis 10.
I felt like such a failure. What sort of Christian cant even read the Bible let along study it?
In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney says: