How Do I Read the Bible?

To Jesus, the Bible was so much more than words on a page. That’s because God shaped the Bible to show followers of Jesus how to live and love across generations. But how do we use it? After all, it’s a massive book full of ancient poetry, songs, history, laws, and letters.

Modern Bibles contain two main sections. The first is called the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. The second is the New Testament. The New Testament was written after the life of Jesus. But even though Jesus only read from the Old Testament, how He used the Old Testament can inform how we read the whole Bible.

Let’s start by looking at two ways Jesus used the Bible.

1. Jesus used the Bible to show God’s love for people.

In Matthew 22, a person asks Jesus, “What is the greatest command from God?” Sound familiar? We read this passage yesterday, but let’s reread it and see how it can help us read the Bible better.

… “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 NLT

Jesus quoted the Bible to help people understand the heart of God and how He calls us to live. So, as we read the Bible, it can be helpful to ask the question, “How do these words help me love God and love others?”

2. Jesus used the Bible in context.

In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted by a spiritual enemy.

The enemy quotes the Bible to make his lies sound like spiritual wisdom—but Jesus isn’t fooled. That’s because He understands the value of context.

Ancient authors wrote the Bible with different languages and perspectives than we have today. When we read the Bible, it’s important to ask a lot of questions like, “Who wrote this? Who were they writing to? What genre is this book (poetry, history, letter, etc.)? And what’s happening in this book or chapter?”

When we don’t read in context, we risk missing the point the Bible is trying to make. Even worse, we might come to a conclusion that’s the opposite of God’s way of life. When in doubt, ask yourself: How do these words from the Bible help me to love God and love my neighbors?

The Bible is more than just words on a page. It’s a gift from God that has the power to transform us from the inside out.

This is why it can be helpful to think of this practice as studying or learning 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.