Studying the Bible can be intimidating. Maybe you’ve opened a Bible before and tried to read it but just had no idea what it meant. Or, you might be familiar with the common Bible stories, but there are parts of Scripture that just don’t make sense to you. Not only will we explore five tips to help you begin studying your Bible today, but we will also see some common pitfalls along the way that you will want to be sure to avoid while studying Scripture.
1. Start With the Right Attitude
There’s no point in opening the Bible at all if we won’t approach it with a good mindset and heart. So, here are five attitudes to have when you approach Scripture.
Have an attitude of respect when reading the Bible. The Bible is God’s word. I should study Scripture remembering the dignity of its true Author, not treating His word like any ordinary book or opinion.
Have an attitude of humility when reading the Bible. Believing that I already know everything and have it all down will keep me from really seeing what God wants me to do.
Have an attitude of curiosity when reading the Bible. Rather than bringing my own assumptions or presuppositions to the text, I should approach Scripture wanting to learn from God. We may often be surprised by what the Bible really teaches!
Have an attitude of courage when reading the Bible. Sometimes, God tells me to take actions which are challenging or difficult; I need the courage to do what is right no matter what.
Have an attitude of thankfulness when reading the Bible. God gave us this Book; and beyond that, many people have historically devoted themselves and even lost their lives to allow us to read the Bible today. Appreciate every opportunity you have to study God’s word. An attitude of thankfulness will also lead to prayerful study. Begin your study with prayer to set your mind on God and His will. Prayer helps you avoid distractions and bias, so your mind is open to what God says.
2. Treat the Bible As a Library
The Bible is actually not a book; it’s a collection of books, written by about forty authors over hundreds of years. You will find different kinds of books within the Bible. Some books are narratives, telling stories of God’s people and their experiences throughout history. Other books are poetic in nature—like the book of Psalms, a collection of Israelite songs and prayers, or the book of Proverbs, a collection of short sayings and wisdom. Then, some books are prophetic. When you hear “prophecy,” you might immediately think about people telling the future, and it’s true that biblical prophets often foretold events of God’s judgment and prophesied the coming of Christ. But biblical prophets also preached God’s word and served as spiritual guides for God’s people. Prophetic books contain much wisdom regarding sin, repentance, and faithfulness to God. In the New Testament, we also find books that are epistles; we read letters from Paul, Peter, and other writers sent to various churches and individuals in the first century. Now, not all types of literature should be interpreted the same way. Just like today I might read a science fiction novel, a love letter, and a mathematics textbook in very different ways, I should remember the different kinds of books found in the Bible as I study it.
In treating the Bible as a library, approach biblical books as their own, whole units of thought—not splicing them up or pulling verses out of context. If I wanted to learn about economics, I probably wouldn’t go to a library, find a dozen books about the subject, and then read a few paragraphs or lines out of different sections of each. Instead, I might read through those books and see what each says as a whole. When you begin reading the Bible, try reading through its books on their own (ideally in one sitting) instead of jumping all over the place too quickly. It will help you understand what Scripture says in context, and then you can make the right connections between each book.
3. Master Some Basic Principles of Interpretation
“Hermeneutics” is a formal term referring to principles or rules for interpreting the Bible. Don’t let the word rules bother or intimidate you. You’ll see what I mean in a moment. The Bible itself says that we must handle God’s word rightly, or accurately (2 Timothy 2:15); this means it’s possible to handle Scripture wrongly, or inaccurately. A few principles will help you understand Scripture properly. Here are three rules, or principles, for interpretation.
Truth always follows logic. God’s word is logical, and our study should be logical too. Avoid fallacies, cognitive biases, or contradictions in your study.
Clear passages help explain difficult ones. Some Scriptures are difficult to understand! Peter said as much in 2 Peter 3:15–16:
As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Whenever you encounter a hard passage, consider whether a simpler passage of Scripture sheds light on it. For example, if I am studying baptism, I might struggle to understand what Paul means by “baptism for the dead” in 1 Corinthians 15:29, but many straightforward verses about baptism—like Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, and 1 Peter 3:21—help eliminate some possible interpretations of the hard passage. (By the way, to learn about baptism for the dead, check out this article.)
Context determines meaning. Many oft-quoted Bible verses are taken right out of their contexts where they develop a new meaning to our modern eyes and ears. And while Scripture is relevant today with many applications, interpretively it cannot mean today what it never meant back then. The literary, historical, cultural, biblical, and immediate context of a passage must guide its interpretation. For example, Jeremiah 29:11 sounds beautiful as a Bible verse, speaking of God’s thoughts and plans to give you peace and hope in the future. While we may apply the principle that God cares for us and promises His goodness toward us, in context that Scripture meant God would restore Judah after their exile in Babylon when they repented. It wasn’t written to twenty-first century Christians to promise them health and wealth. Interpret Scripture in its context before you apply it to yourself today.
4. Just Start Reading It
You can spend much time preparing to study the Bible, and you may read many books about the Bible or listen to many people talk about the Bible; but there’s no replacement for just reading through Scripture. Now, maybe you don’t know where to start. A few different places could be recommended. You could simply begin with the first book, Genesis, which introduces God, creation, sin, and then focuses on a man named Abraham, the father of Israel, and his family. Or you could begin with the Gospel of Mark, which is the quickest and most straightforward telling of the life and work of Jesus on earth. Then you could read the book of Acts, which introduces the church and focuses on two people: Peter and Paul. Or if you want a book that’s practical and easy to read, you might start with the letter of James. Regardless of where you begin, the best thing to do is start reading and keep going.
5. Remember Two Simple Acronyms
As you’re reading the Bible, you might wonder, “How do I study this and really learn what it means—and what it means for me?” When I study, I use two acronyms, which I put together from different people and teachers, to help me study and apply the Bible.
The first acronym is “TSI.” It stands for “Tell, Show, Imply.” TSI references the basic way that all communication works; if I want to communicate anything to you, I can tell it to you, show it to you, or imply it to you. So when you study a passage of Scripture, ask what God is telling in that passage. What are the clear statements and the imperatives—the direct commands? Next, ask what God shows in that passage. Are there any examples to imitate or avoid? Are there any descriptions or illustrations in the text which shed light on what God says? Then, ask what God implies in that passage. An implication is a truth unstated but logically required by what is said. The Bible is full of implications; in fact, Jesus once used an implication to teach about and defend the resurrection (see Matthew 22:31–32). Remember TSI: tell, show, and imply.
The second acronym is “MSA.” It stands for “Meaning, Significance, Application.” While TSI helps us see the information in the text, MSA helps us connect that information to our lives. The first step is discovering the original meaning of the passage, asking, “What did this author mean when he wrote this verse in that context to that audience?” That’s what we need to learn! Next, we consider the significance of the passage, asking, “What principle does this Scripture teach timelessly to anyone anywhere?” The significance I find should always connect to the meaning I learned. Finally, I can make applications of the passage, asking, “What should I personally do in my life because of this Scripture?” Studying the Bible helps me to the degree it changes me. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
If you’re new to Bible study, I hope you are excited to learn God’s will for your life. If you approach Scripture with the right attitude, interpret the books of the Bible correctly in their context, and make good applications from what God communicates, you can do far more than just understand the Bible; you can meet the Author in eternity!
Once you’ve begun studying well, it’ll be time to take your Bible study deeper, which we explore in this lesson.