How to Read & Study the Bible for YourselfSýnishorn

We are living through a moment in human history in which the idea of truth is under threat. It’s been labeled post-modern. Some call it post-Christian. No matter the name, it’s a worldview we’re all living within.

Those of us who read and study the Bible have the benefit of another worldview. And the amazing thing is that the Bible shapes the way we see the world on two levels simultaneously.

To start, it gives us a wide, landscape view of the terrain of our lives—a new vantage point on philosophy, culture, civilizations, morals, art, relationships, and more. But incredibly, the Bible also zooms in and speaks in a unique, personal way to the human heart. Mine. And yours.

The Bible can provide us a worldview through which to see the narrative of our lives as part of something much larger than us… and it speaks to the narrative itself.

Hebrews 4:12 captures this idea beautifully. It calls the Word of God “alive and active.” It does not belong on the shelves of museums or the pews of ancient cathedrals. It is meant to be engaged with—read, studied, understood.

So learning how to engage with the Bible is one of the greatest skills you can develop. Today, I want to give you four principles to get started.

1. Understand genres.
Knowing the genre helps you make sense of the text, whether you’re reading a research paper, autobiography, Shakespeare… or Scripture. Figure out a passage’s genre first.

2. Consider context.
Everything in the Bible is a part of one big story. Zoom out from verses and consider the context of the passage, book, and testament as well.

3. Read the entire chapter.
Avoid plucking verses from what comes before and after.

4. Use the “Golden Rule of Interpretation.”
My mentor Kevin Connor said, “When the plain sense of the scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.” In other words, don’t make the Bible more complex than it needs.

To wrap up, I want to highlight something that happened during the 40 days Jesus was with his disciples after the resurrection. Luke’s Gospel says that Jesus “opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Be encouraged! Studying the Bible is more than just a human endeavour; it takes Jesus to unlock our understanding. So, stick with it. The Bible becomes more alive and amazing the more you engage with it.