Teaching Tuesday: Scripture

Series: Beyond Belief
Sermon: The Words of Life (5.11.25)
Watch the messages HERE. 

Let’s be honest, the Bible can be an intimidating book. The Bible doesn’t look or read like modern books do, and especially for pre-believers or Christians who haven’t spent much time reading scripture, the idea of picking up a big, thick Bible filled with thousands of pages of small print and bunch of unfamiliar words and complex history is an understandable obstacle.  

At the same time, the Bible is the book of the Christian faith, and for those who desire to go beyond belief be a disciple of Jesus, it can’t be ignored or neglected just because it seems daunting. Reading Scripture is the primary way God communicates with us and reveals his character, his will, and his plan for the world. It’s also the primary way we learn who we are and how we can participate in that plan.  

So, a desire to start reading the Bible is a great thing. Here are some tips:

First, I want to encourage you to think of it as studying the Bible, not just reading it. Even the passages that seem clear and obvious have more going on than meets the eye at first glance. We do ourselves, our church, and our God a disservice when we take only a shallow or cursory approach to reading the Scripture as if it’s any other book.

While you read, try and identify recurring themes, write down your questions when things don’t make immediate sense or when something rubs you the wrong way, and make sure to read the footnotes and commentary that’s included by the publisher (if you’re using a study Bible, which is also a good idea!).

It would also be helpful to utilize supplemental resources that follow-along with your reading. I recommend The Bible Recap, which is a great resource that includes a podcast, a summary book, and a study guide. I also recommend The Bible Project - they do great work presenting the historical, literary, and spiritual context of the text in a way that Bible readers of all levels can understand and benefit from.

Second, start small. The Bible isn’t really one book, it’s a library of 66 books, all with different but complementary purposes presenting a unified narrative of God’s redemptive activity. If you haven’t read the Bible before, don’t try and attack the whole thing all at once, and don’t try reading from Genesis 1 all the way through to Revelation 22. All Scripture is “God-breathed and useful” (2nd Timothy 3:16), but not all of it is equally relevant for understanding the central tenets of the faith, especially for pre-believers or new believers.

In terms of where to turn first, I would probably start with the Gospel of John in the New Testament, then the Gospel of Luke, then probably the first 11 chapters of Genesis in the Old Testament. After that, the Gospel of Matthew, then perhaps Romans, Hebrews, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ephesians. Once you complete those, read them again. Then you’ll be ready to get after the entire Scripture.

Third, start slow. Bible-in-a-year plans are great for the experienced Bible student, but the reality is that trying to get through the whole thing that quickly is probably much too fast if the goal is not just reading for completion but reading (studying!) for comprehension and meaningful understanding.

Try just reading five, 10, or 20 minutes a day to begin with. Or pick a New Testament-in-a-year plan and work through that. Bible study is like muscle-building; going slow and steady at first makes it easier to go big and strong long-term.

Fourth, choose a version of the Bible on the easier-to-read end of the spectrum, such as the New Living Translation or the New International Version. The more technical and language-intense versions of the Bible are valuable for experienced readers and experts, but they can scare a new reader away unnecessarily (same with the antiquated language in the King James Version).

You could even consider reading The Message, which is a version of the Bible compiled by one man, a scholar and minister named Eugene Peterson. However The Message should be really considered a paraphrase, not a translation. A nice option, but not quite the same thing and shouldn’t be your only Bible.

If you are 100% brand new to Bible reading, I actually think it’s a great idea to start with a solid children’s version like The Jesus Storybook Bible, which presents the main stories and storyline of the scriptural narrative in an appealing and accessible way for children and adults alike, and shows how every section of scripture points to its central character: Jesus.

“All roads of Scripture lead to Christ.”  

P.S. In my early teenage years, I was a fan of a comedian named Brad Stine. Stine is a Christian, and does comedy in churches and a lot of his humor is based on things related to our faith. Here’s a short clip where he talks about the Bible as God’s Word. Check it out.  

TO KNOW HIM AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!

- Pastor Brady