A Simple How to Study Your Bible
Do you want to know how to study your Bible, but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of it or remember reading a King James Bible that sounded really old-fashioned and hard to understand. But now, you’re feeling called to get into studying the Bible.
First, I want to encourage you. If you want to study your Bible, hurray! You rock!
I love hearing about women pursuing a closer relationship with the Lord.
God wants to have a relationship with you. He knows the inside of your heart and loves you. Reading the Bible is one of the most important parts of having a relationship with Him.
Because God reveals Himself through His Word.
Studying the Bible was the most transformative element in growing as a believer for me, and I get so excited when I hear other women wanting to dive in!
But this journey is not a sprint. Relax, settle in.
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, this journey through the Bible begins with a single book.
God’s word is rich and deep. It’s okay to take time to grow in your understanding as you learn to study your Bible.
“The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for a theologians to swim in without ever touching the bottom Click To TweetMaybe you need to start by choosing a Bible.
English has so many different translations and paraphrases. How can I choose just one?
Don’t. You can use several!
If you don’t own a physical Bible, you’ll have to choose a version for that. While e-readers and apps have their place, if you want to retain what you read, good old-fashioned paper is the way to go. Our brains process differently on paper.
Additionally, being able to highlight or take notes next to the passage is better than electronic highlights. As you read through multiple times and grow in your understanding of a passage, it’s nice to see your previous notes and thoughts.
I would recommend any of the following: English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version (NIV), Holman Christian Study Bible (CSB), or New American Standard Bible (NASB). These are based on the largest amount of the original ancient texts and were translated by teams of scholars, reducing the likelihood of bias.
I personally LOVE my cultural backgrounds study Bible! It really helps me understand the cultural references that the Israelites or early Christians would have understood that we don’t today. It’s like a cultural cheat sheet that helps bring my Bible to life.
(Want to understand the background of some of the most popular translations? This video is thorough and easy to understand.)
However, online Bibles or Bible applications often allow users to switch easily between several versions. I use the YouVersion Bible App and the Blue Letter Bible (also has an app) and Bible Gateway on my laptop.
Blue Letter Bible has so many free resources to offer. You can click on tools next to any verse and see the original text, the meanings of the words, how those words are translated in other verses. It’s a wealth of knowledge.
Comparing several versions is a great way to study your Bible because we are able to have a fuller sense of the original meaning.
The reason I like to use several different versions is because I don’t read Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek. Scholars who are familiar with these ancient languages did their best to translate the passages faithfully in most of the main English translations. But translating is an art. Words have nuanced meanings.
By looking at how several different teams chose to translate a verse, you get a better picture of the original meaning.
Time for a little tough talk – Be wary of paraphrases like the Passion, Message, and NLT. They are not truly translations. They are the author’s impression of a passage and often lack foundation in the original text. They can be full of bias and error. God’s word is one place I want to keep as clear and error free as possible.
Plan how you will study your Bible.
If you’ve never read a Bible regularly at all, you might want to start in the New Testament. The New Testament has the life and teachings of Jesus as well as the teachings of the apostles. A young Christian will likely find these books have the most relevance to daily life.
Proverbs is a book that you can read a verse or two a day and gain a lot of wisdom. This is a great addition to reading other books.
Ruth and Esther are some good, brief Old Testament books that have some lovely messages about loyalty, obedience, redemption.
Do you want to start at the beginning and read through to Revelation?
If you’ve been a Christian for awhile, but have never undertaken seriously studying the Bible, reading it from start to finish is going to be spiritually empowering.
Many of the stories in the Old Testament foreshadow Christ’s coming and sacrifice. And the books of the prophets have a lot to say about a people who have turned to sin and idleness over following God. I find many parallels to our modern culture.
Reading the entire Bible may take you years, but is going to connect so many stories for you. I have learned more about the Bible just reading it over and over. Names that once sounded foreign and got jumbled with other names start to sound familiar. Events that in my head were once stand alone Bible stories are now connected to the rest of the Bible.
It didn’t happen all at once. I still have so much to learn, but over time, the Bible has begun to open it’s secrets for me.
And I’ve been empowered and emboldened in my faith through knowing God’s word.
Knowing the Bible well can also help you know God’s will for your life which has been tremendously beneficial when it comes to decision making.
Word or topical studies are another method to use when you study your Bible. We can look at the different verses in which a word like fear or love is used. Sites like OpenBible will even have a search feature for words or phrases and pulls relevant verses from the entire Bible in seconds.
But use caution doing word or topic studies. Understanding context is key. Originally there were no verses or chapters in the Bible. They were only added between 1200-1500s for convenience of finding a text. So, when you use a topical or word method to study your Bible, read the passage surrounding a verse for clarity.
Decide how and when you will read daily.
Organize a plan to keep you on track and accountable. It doesn’t have to be a formal plan. You might simply set aside thirty minutes each morning to read the Bible.
Personally, I really enjoy using the app on my phone for my daily reading. I can listen to the audio Bible while I’m working around the house. I often prop up my phone where I can read along while I fold laundry or put on my make-up.
For my more in-depth daily studying, I primarily use the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible because I love all the notes that help me understand the historical context of my reading.
So each day, I do a quick read through of several chapters and an in-depth reading of one chapter.
Keep a notebook, highlighters, pens next to you while you study. You’ll want to mark special passages or highlight a verse. And having a place to write down questions or notes for later use is important. Trust me you won’t remember it five minutes later if you don’t write it down.
Lastly, do a little prep work before you dive in.
Know who wrote the book you’re reading, when it was written, who was the audience. Knowing this information will help clarify what you’re reading.
One excellent resource that is fun and helpful is the Bible Project. The Bible Project has videos that summarize all the books of the Bible, explain major thematic elements, and more. Watching one of their short videos before reading a book of the Bible is an excellent way to preview the book. The videos are engaging and very informative.
I loved their read through the Bible in a year plan on YouVersion. It was such a great way to read through the Bible and grasp some concepts and details I had missed before.
Mostly, just do it.
The most important factor in studying your Bible is you spending time in your Bible. The more you do, the more you will grow in wisdom. Each time you read a book, verse, or the entire Bible, you will learn something new.
It’s one of the mysteries of God’s word. It can be as familiar as the back of your hand and yet startle you with a new insight every day.
Remember, it’s a journey of just one faithful step daily. If you get overwhelmed or discouraged, ask God to give you a hunger for the Bible, for encouragement to keep going. He will always answer genuine prayers for wisdom because He loves communing with us through His word and prayer.
I hope you’ll really grow to love it as well.
