Fully Devoted: An IntroductionSample

How Do We Read the Bible?

We know that the Bible is not like any other book. If we try to read it like every other book, we’ll quickly get into trouble. So today we’re going to look at a few ideas that will help us, because when read wisely, there is nothing more powerful and transformative than the Bible. But, when read unwisely, the Bible can easily become a stumbling block to faith, or even a source of shame. 

As students of Jesus, reading the Bible well is a really big deal. This is why it can be helpful to think of studying the Bible instead of just reading it. The Bible is meant to be read, reread, explored, meditated on, and reflected on—over and over again. Then we’ll really start to understand the depth of the wisdom contained within.

Here are four principles to help you study the Bible well:

1. The Bible is God’s Word for us but it wasn’t originally written to us. 

The Bible was originally written to people speaking different languages, immersed in different cultures, and living in different locations and time periods than we are today. Because of that, one of the wisest things we can do is learn the context. Understanding the original setting helps us step into a way of viewing the world from a vastly different perspective. Here are some helpful questions: Who wrote it? Who were they writing to? Why did they write it? What was happening during that period of history?

2. The Bible is meant to be read literately not just literally. 

The Bible contains a wide variety of literary genres—poetry, parables, history, letters, and more. If we try to read poetry in the same way we read history, we’ll miss the point. That’s why it’s helpful to learn to read the Bible literately—according to the literary genre—and not just literally. 

3. The Bible is meant to be read in passages and not just pieces. 

One of the easiest ways to misread the Bible is to read just a single verse on its own. When it’s separated from the context of the passage, chapter, and book, it’s easy to miss the themes that shape that verse, and how the verse contributes to those themes.

4. The Bible was written to transform us, not just to inform us. 

Everything in the Bible is intended to help us become the people who love God with all that we are, and love others the same way that Jesus has loved us. One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself as you read a portion of Scripture is this: How is this passage of Scripture intended to help me become more like Jesus? 

Journaling Questions:  

• Write down the Scripture that stuck out most to you from today’s reading. What strikes you about that Scripture? Why do you think that’s important?  
• What’s a part of the Bible that you have a hard time understanding? 
• Of the four principles for reading the Bible wisely, which is the most helpful to you? Which do you think will be the most difficult to implement?

Memory Verse

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV