Reading the Bible

There are so many practices about reading the bible, but before I can get to any of those, I gotta throw out some general thoughts about reading the bible.

1. It’s a foundational practice:

Like praying, reading the bible, getting to know scripture, is a cornerstone for growing in faith. If you want to become the person God has designed you to be, you need to fill up your brain with the Word and you have to align your actions to what it says.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Tim 3:16-17)

Even if you hate reading, we gotta find a way for you to learn what the bible says- more on that soon.

2. DO NOT START IN GENESIS

Yes, it’s the first book of the bible, but please don’t start there.

Ok- I did it. But have you ever looked at Genesis? It’s FIFTY CHAPTERS. FIFTY! And that’s all prior to Moses setting the Israelites free from the Egyptians, the Israelites entering into the Promised Land, the rule of Judges, the line of David being established, and all the prophets, proverbs and psalms. Jesus doesn’t show up until the back third of the bible- you’ve been notified.

Now- full disclaimer, I LOVE the Old Testament. It’s complex, rich, and dramatic. It’s the scripture that Jesus knew and loved, and (to be real honest) parts of it are pretty violent and sexy, so it makes for good reading. The OT forces us to rethink what we know about God, BUT it requires a closer reading then you might initially expect. Because it depicts a lot of violence, and other bad behaviour, it’s easy to read and to assume that God is like that, or that he condones that behaviour. Without some help in reading the OT (and… honestly, parts of the New Testament as well) it’s easy to lose track of who God is and the redemptive direction he is constantly moving us in.

So start in the New Testament, choose a gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and read about the life of Jesus. Once you’ve got a handle on that, then take a look at the OT and learn about all the ways that Jesus shook up the world of the Ancient Israelites.

3. Which Bible should you use?

Ok, this is a question I get asked pretty often and there is a really simple answer for it, (scroll down if you want a quick answer) but let me explain something first- translations:

The bible wasn’t written in English. It wasn’t written in any language that is spoken today (different sections were written in Ancient Hebrew, Koine Greek, and Aramaic) so anything we read in English has been translated and interpreted by people dedicated to bringing the word of God to modern audiences.

Now, these people have different philosophies on how to translate. Some think that scriptures should be done word-by-word, and some think that the meaning of the text is what should be relayed to readers. It’s a spectrum, so even though everyone starts with the same original text, we have different translations- you’ll know them as the New International Version, English Standard Version, New King James, New Living Translation, The Message, etc.

Here’s an infographic to help you see how your preferred translation was done:

Back to the original question, which bible should you use?

The answer is simple- whichever one you will actually use is the best one for you.

If you love old-timey language, pick up an NKJV. If you like something that reads more like a novel, try the New Century Version. If you want something that gives you a sense of the original language, go for the NASB.

Choose a bible with margins if you like to take notes, choose something that has colouring pages if you like to bible journal, choose a study bible if you like having extra information, choose something illuminated if you fancy.

The bible that you use- is the best bible for you.

4. Define your why

This is maybe the most important thing to keep in mind when you’re deciding to read the bible. WHY are you doing it?

There are many reasons that you may want to start reading the bible: curiosity or information gathering; maybe you want to know about a specific subject like love, compassion, forgiveness, or grace; or maybe you’re looking for answers to a specific problem. Regardless, defining your WHY will help keep you on track when you (inevitably) don’t feel like opening your bible, and it’ll help you choose which book of the bible you want to be reading.

Please note: feeling like it’s something that you are being forced into, isn’t a good reason to read the Bible. I totally get that reading the Bible doesn’t always feel like the most fun way to practice our faith, but I do think it’s one we can’t really get away from. Start small- like with a devotional that has one line of scripture a day, it’s an easier on-ramp to learning the Word and I’d rather you do that than have a bible on your shelf that gathers dust.

Here are 2 reasons I want you to keep in mind (even if you have no other reasons to open the Book):

Being like Jesus:

Jesus was enmeshed in the Word of God and as his followers we need to follow his actions. When you (eventually) get to reading the OT, you’ll be amazed at how much you recognize since Jesus regularly references Old Testament scripture (seriously, he does it all the time).

Word of God:

At the end of it all the Bible is the WORD of God. Really think about that. It’s how God- the Almighty Creator of the universe- is communicating with you. The Bible has a bunch of information that God wants you to have.

If you let that truth seep into your soul, you won’t be able to help reading the Bible.

I hope that you crack open your bible today (or tap open if you’re using an app!) and that you feel refreshed and inspired by what you read there. I’ll be writing up some specific practices for reading (and hearing) the Word of God soon, so get ready to be JAZZED about scripture.

Love ya,

Are there any general questions you have about reading the bible? Let me know, by email (meghanlamatthews@gmail.com) or on Instagram (@itsmeghanmatthews)