Discover the Bible: How to Read the Bible

Getting Started

The Bible has had a profound impact on our world, yet most people are only vaguely familiar with what it actually contains. Some remember from childhood a few of its most famous stories, and others a few words they’ve heard quoted at a wedding or a funeral.

One of the problems of course is that when someone picks up the Bible for the first time, its hundreds of pages of text with often peculiar expressions can seem daunting. This book is designed to help you “get started” – especially if this is your first experience with the Bible. It includes:

1.What’s in the Bible

2.How to Read the Bible

3.Where to Look in the Bible

4.Through the Bible in a Year

WHAT’S IN THE BIBLE?

The following are summary capsules for each book of the Bible. It will be obvious from how brief the descriptions are that they are not complete. They should, however, serve as a quick and handy guide to the content of the whole Bible.

OLD TESTAMENT

GENESIS: In this book of beginnings the stories are about creation, early relationships between God and people, and God’s promise to bless Abraham and his descendants.

EXODUS: The name Exodus means “departure” and this book tells about how God led the Israelites out of a life of hardship and slavery in Egypt. God made a covenant with them and gave them the Law to order their lives.

LEVITICUS: This book is named for the priestly tribe of Levi and is made up of laws concerning rituals and ceremonies.

NUMBERS: The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering Canaan, the promised land. The name of the book comes from two censuses taken during the journey.

DEUTERONOMY: Moses gave three farewell speeches shortly before he died. In them he reviewed the laws of God for the Israelites. This book gets its name –“second law” – from this review.

JOSHUA: Joshua led the Israelite armies into victory over the Canaanites. The book ends with the division of the land among the tribes of Israel.

JUDGES: The Israelites often fell away from God and into the hands of oppressors. God sent “judges” to lead and deliver them.

RUTH: Love and dedication between Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, are the focus of this story.

1 SAMUEL was the leader of Israel between the time of Judges and the time of Saul, the first King of Israel. When Saul’s leadership failed, David was anointed by Samuel to be king.

2 SAMUEL: Under David’s rule, the new nation was strong and unified. But after David committed adultery and murder, his family and nation suffered.

1 KINGS: This book starts with stories about Solomon’s reign over Israel. After the death of Solomon, the kingdom went to war with itself, north against south. The result was two nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south.

2 KINGS: Israel was conquered by Assyria in 721 Judah was defeated by Babylon in 586 These events were seen as judgement upon the people because they did not follow the laws of God.

1 CHRONICLES: This book begins with genealogies from Adam to David and then recounts the incidents of David’s reign.

2 CHRONICLES: This book covers the same period as 2 Kings but the emphasis is on Judah, the southern kingdom, and its rulers.

EZRA: God’s people returned to Jerusalem after being held captive in Babylon for several decades One of the leaders was Ezra This book contains his charge to the people to be true to the law of God.

NEHEMIAH: After the Temple was rebuilt, the protective wall around Jerusalem was restored. Nehemiah brought this effort to completion. He also worked with Ezra to restore religious fervour among the people.

ESTHER: This book tells the story of the Jewish queen of Persia who exposed a plot to destroy her people and thus saved all the Jews in that country from destruction.

JOB: The question, “Why do innocent people suffer?” is addressed in the story of Job.

PSALMS: These 150 prayers and hymns were used by the Hebrew people to express their relationship with God. They cover the whole range of human emotions from joy to anger, from hope to despair.

PROVERBS: This is a book of wise sayings and ethical and common sense teachings on how to live a godly life.

ECCLESIASTES: In a quest for happiness and the meaning of life, this writer, known as “the Philosopher,” asks many questions that are still raised in today’s society.

SONG OF SONGS: This poem describes the joy and ecstasy of love. It has been understood both as a picture of God’s love for Israel and of Christ’s love for the Church.

ISAIAH: The prophet Isaiah brought the message of God’s judgement on the nations, pointed to a future king like David, and promised a time of comfort and peace.

JEREMIAH: Before Babylon destroyed Judah, Jeremiah foretold God’s judgement. While his message was largely of destruction, he also pointed toward a new covenant with God.

LAMENTATIONS: As Jeremiah had warned, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. This book records five “laments” for the fallen city.

EZEKIEL: Ezekiel’s message was given to the Jews held captive in Babylon. He used stories and parables to speak about judgement, hope and restoration.

DANIEL: Daniel remained faithful to God while facing many pressures as a captive in Babylon. This book includes Daniel’s prophetic visions.

HOSEA: Hosea used his commitment to his wife in the face of her unfaithfulness to illustrate the “adultery” Israel had committed against God, whose faithful love never ceased.

JOEL: After a locust plague in Judah, Joel urged the people to repent.

AMOS: During an era of prosperity, this Judean prophet preached judgement on the rich leaders of Israel. Amos urged them to consider the poor and oppressed rather than their own self-satisfaction.

OBADIAH: Obadiah prophesied judgement on Edom, a neighbouring country.

JONAH: Jonah did not want to preach to the Ninevites, an enemy people. When he finally brought God’s message to them, they repented.

MICAH: Micah’s message to Judah was a prophecy of judgement as well as forgiveness and hope for restoration. Especially notable is his single verse summary of what God requires of us (6.8).

NAHUM: Nahum announced that God would destroy the people of Nineveh because of their cruelty in war.

HABAKKUK: Habakkuk’s book features a dialogue between Habakkuk and God about suffering and justice.

ZEPHANIAH: Zephaniah announced the day of the Lord, which would bring judgement on Judah and other surrounding nations. This coming day would be one of doom for many, but a humble and faithful remnant will survive to bless the whole world.

HAGGAI: After the people returned from exile, Haggai reminded them to give God their highest priority and to rebuild the Temple before working on their own homes.

ZECHARIAH: Like Haggai, Zechariah urged the people to rebuild the Temple, assuring them of God’s help and blessing. His visions point to a glorious future.

MALACHI: After the exiles returned, they became complacent about their religious life. Malachi tried to stir them up by preaching about the day of the Lord.

OLD TESTAMENT DEUTEROCANONICAL BOOKS

TOBIT: This book tells of miraculous help to God’s faithful people and teaches Jewish piety and morality. The book offers a vivid picture of Jewish religion and culture in the period prior to the New Testament.

JUDITH: At a time when the Jewish nation was about to be crushed by an enemy army, Judith, who is a deeply religious widow and observes all the requirements of the Law of Moses, depends on God to help her complete the dramatic rescue of the nation by killing Holofernes.

ESTHER (GREEK): The chain of events is much the same as the Book of Esther in Hebrew. Six additions, shown as chapter A-F, provide a different introduction and conclusion, introduce documents in an official style and emphasize the religious elements by the addition of prayers and accounts of how they were answered.

WISDOM: This book makes use of traditional Jewish material, as well as ideas borrowed from Greek philosophy, in order to teach that God rewards those who are faithful to him.

SIRACH: This book (also known as Ecclesiasticus) includes traditional Jewish wisdom material and makes a defense of Judaism by showing that God has given true wisdom to his people. Many subjects of a religious, moral and practical nature are presented, sometimes at length and sometimes in short proverbial sayings.

BARUCH: This book is a collection of four distinct, short discourses, attributed to Baruch, the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah.

LETTER OF JEREMIAH: A letter claiming to be written by the prophet Jeremiah to Jews who are about to be taken into exile, consists primarily of a lengthy condemnation of idolatry.

DANIEL (GREEK): The Greek text of Daniel is considerably longer than the Hebrew, due to three additional stories:

PRAYER OF AZARIAH AND THE SONG OF THE THREE YOUNG MEN: This insertion between 3.23 and 3.24 of Daniel gives the prayer of Azariah and the song of the three young men after King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the blazing furnace.

SUSANNA: This book tells how the beautiful and virtuous Susanna, falsely charged with adultery, is cleared by the wisdom and courage of Daniel.

BEL AND THE DRAGON: Consists of two stories. The first tells of Daniel’s wisdom and courage in revealing the falseness of the idol Bel, and the second describes how he destroyed a dragon which was worshipped by the Babylonians.

1 MACCABEES: The historical interest of this book centres in the Hasmonean, or Maccabean, family and it supports the view that they are divinely chosen to save Israel. The book also has a strong religious theme: God is at work in history and will give victory as a reward to those who are faithful to him.

2 MACCABEES: A condensation of a five-volume history by Jason of Cyrene, this book puts a strong emphasis on loyalty to the Law and on God’s reward to martyrs who die for their faith.

There are further books, or addendums to books, present in the Bibles of some Christian traditions. Or, in some traditions, these books are named differently.

NEW TESTAMENT

MATTHEW: This Gospel includes many Old Testament quotations, thus appealing to a Jewish audience and presenting Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures. Matthew told the story of Jesus from birth to resurrection and placed emphasis on his teaching.

MARK: Mark wrote a short, action-packed Gospel. He emphasized Jesus’ miracles and his life of suffering. His aim was to deepen the faith and commitment of the believers in the community to which he wrote.

LUKE: In this Gospel, the availability of salvation for all people is emphasized. Luke proclaimed this message by showing Jesus’ involvement with people who are poor, needy, and on the fringes of society.

JOHN: The Gospel of John stands apart from the others. John organized his message around seven signs that point to Jesus as the Son of God. His writing style is reflective and filled with striking images.

ACTS: When Jesus left his disciples, the Holy Spirit came to abide with them. Written by Luke as the sequel to his Gospel, Acts records key events in the history of the work of the early Christian Church to spread the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean world.

ROMANS: In this important letter, Paul wrote to the Romans about life in the Spirit, which is given to believers in Christ through faith The apostle tells them about God’s great kindness and declares that because of Jesus Christ, God accepts us and sets us free from our sins.

1 CORINTHIANS: This letter deals with the problems the church in Corinth was experiencing: dissension, immorality, public worship, and confusion about spiritual gifts.

2 CORINTHIANS: In this letter, Paul wrote about his relationship with the church of Corinth and the effects of certain false apostles on his ministry.

GALATIANS: This letter addresses freedom from the Law through Christ. Paul declares that it is by faith that all who believe are put right with God.

EPHESIANS: A central theme to this letter is that God’s eternal purpose is to bring together from many nations and peoples the universal Church of Jesus Christ.

PHILIPPIANS: This letter emphasizes the joy found in any situation when a person believes in Christ. Paul wrote it while in prison.

COLOSSIANS: In this letter Paul tells the people of Colossae to make Christ the centre of their faith and to put aside their superstitions.

1 THESSALONIANS: In this letter Paul gives advice to the people of Thessalonica concerning Christ’s return.

2 THESSALONIANS: This letter discusses the same topics as the first. Paul teaches the people a way to be ready for the Lord.

1 TIMOTHY: This letter served as a guide to Timothy, a young leader in the church. It contains advice about worship, ministry, and relationships within the church.

2 TIMOTHY: This is Paul’s last letter. In it he offers a final challenge to his coworker

TITUS: Titus was ministering in Crete. In this letter, Paul gave him advice on how to help Christians follow Christ.

PHILEMON: In this letter, Philemon is urged to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus, and accept him as a friend in Christ.

HEBREWS: The letter to the Hebrews challenges new Christians to move beyond their traditional rituals and ceremonies and believe that Christ has fulfilled them all.

JAMES: James advises putting beliefs into practice and offers practical ways for Christians to live out their faith.

1 PETER: This letter was written to comfort early Christians who were being persecuted for their faith.

2 PETER: In this letter Peter warns against false teachers and urges Christians to stay loyal to God.

1 JOHN: This letter explains basic truths about the Christian life, with emphasis on the command to love one another.

2 JOHN: This letter, addressed to “the dear Lady and to her children” warns against false teachers.

3 JOHN: In contrast to 2 John, this letter states the need to welcome people who preach Christ.

JUDE: Jude warns against the influence of evil ones outside the fellowship of believers.

REVELATION: This book was written to encourage persecuted believers and affirm their faith that God will care for them. Using visions and symbols, the writer illustrates the triumph of good over evil and the creation of a new heaven and new earth.

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart. HEBREWS 4.12

HOW TO LOOK UP A BIBLE REFERENCE

Generally, every verse in the Bible is marked by its own verse number. To find any passage, you need to find the book, the chapter in the book, and the verse or verses within that chapter. The chapter number immediately follows the name of the book. This is followed by a period (.) which is followed by the number or range of numbers for the verses you seek. For example, 1 Corinthians 12.1-11 is the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter twelve, verses one through eleven.

HOW TO REA

Set aside time each day to read from your Bible. Try to make it the same time each day. Be realistic. Commit yourself only to as much time as you honestly feel that you can stick to on an ongoing basis. Before you begin reading ask for God's guidance and blessing. Use the following steps to get the most out of your daily Bible reading:

1. Select a passage. (Perhaps one from the Through the Bible in a Year section).

2. Examine its context:

a) What kind of book is it drawn from? A biographical book such as one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life; a long historical book, such as The Second Book of Samuel, which tells of the reign of King David; a brief letter to a person (The Letters of Paul to Timothy) or to a specific church (The Letters of Paul to the Corinthians)?

b) What is the overall purpose/intent of this book? (Do not do lengthy research, but feel free to read the opening and closing paragraphs as well as section headings and introductions if your Bible has them.)

c) What occurs or is discussed in the passages immediately preceding and following the passage you chose?

3. Read the passage quickly for sense.

AD THE BIBLE

4. Identify key words or phrases. Are there words or thoughts that are repeated throughout the passage? Are any cause and effect relationships established? (These are often signaled by words like if and then, therefore, because, since, and so on.) Are any comparisons made or similarities pointed out? Are any two people, things or concepts contrasted?

5. Read the passage again and ask yourself what is the intent or purpose of the passage. Try to find out what the author is saying Be honest; don’t just look for what you want to hear. The Bible has many strong messages that can change lives!

6. What do you learn about God from this passage? What do you learn about human nature? Ask yourself how this message applies to you. Is there anything you need to change in your life in order to be a more faithful child of God or more loving to your neighbour? Ask for God’s help in making this change.

7. Re-read the passage one more time. Is there one verse you would like to commit to memory? Why not write it on an index card and carry it with you throughout the day as a study aid?

8. Thank God for what he has shown you, and ask for his help as you seek to apply this lesson in your life.

9. Share what you have learned with someone else.

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE BIBLE

The Bible is a book which tells of the experiences of real people and of how God dealt with them. The deepest needs of the human heart and the most profound longings of the human soul are brought to us in the great stories of the Bible. The Bible is a real treasure house and this section tells you where you can turn to find messages to meet your needs as you face the challenges, problems, and joys of life. As you read the Bible you will find that it speaks to you as does no other book and your life will be enriched and blessed.

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

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WHY IS THE BIBLE SUCH AN IMPORTANT BOOK?

The influence of the Bible goes far beyond religion. While many turn to it for spiritual reasons, plenty of others who wouldn’t consider themselves religious still find it to be a fascinating book. And whether we realize it or not, it’s influenced pretty much every area of life.

Language, arts and culture

The Bible itself is a great piece of literature, containing beautiful poetry, prose and song. It’s had a profound influence on the English language, and many phrases we use today originated from the Bible. For instance: go the extra mile, how the mighty have fallen, or there’s nothing new under the sun. It’s not uncommon to hear it quoted in public life or casual conversation, even if the person quoting it doesn’t know where the phrase came from.

In addition, the Bible’s made a huge contribution to art and culture, with its themes being explored and alluded to in pretty much every medium.

The Bible has inspired novels such as Les Miserables, The Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter books and Crime and Punishment. It’s been quoted in films like The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction and Indiana Jones, and hit musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Hamilton. Its stories have been depicted in countless pieces of art by the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Caravaggio. And it’s inspired many great musicians, from classical composers like Bach and Handel to jazz and gospel musicians such as John Coltrane and Mahalia Jackson, and modern artists like U2, Kendrick Lamar and Stormzy.

Many people today – religious or not – enjoy reading the Bible as an important cultural artefact, which helps us understand the themes and allusions in many other great pieces of art.

Laws, ethics, and social change

The Bible also has an ongoing role in wider society. It’s inspired countless men and women to work for social justice, racial reconciliation, environmental care, feeding the hungry, and looking after the vulnerable. People like Nelson Mandela or Florence Nightingale, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and abolitionist William Wilberforce. Each of these was inspired by their Christian faith and the teaching of the Bible. And historically, churches have taken the lead in establishing schools, orphanages and hospitals, motivated by the words of this book.

Of course, plenty of people make a positive contribution to social change whether they read the Bible or not. Religious people certainly don’t have the monopoly on doing good. (In fact Christians have a sad history of failing to live up to the teachings of their own sacred book!) But many of the values we take for granted today were not always obvious in other times and cultures. Things like:

Caring for those in greatest need, whether or not they could ever repay us

Expecting standards of truth and integrity from our leaders

Striving for equality and treating all people with dignity

Offering forgiveness, restoration and a fresh start

We owe these, and many other values, to the influence of the Bible. Which is why many of the greatest speeches written to inspire people to stand up for justice – such as those of Martin Luther King Jr – draw on themes and language from this ancient text.

Science and Innovation

Many people think the Bible and science are at odds with one another, but while at times through history, the church has been suspicious of scientific progress, more often the church encouraged, and in fact sponsored scientific study.

Many leading scientists have been Christians, for example Copernicus, Galileo, Isaac Newton, and more recently Dr. Francis Collins who, as Director of the Human Genome Project, made vital contributions to mapping the human genome and understanding disease genes.

Many significant innovations in science and technology have been made by people who love the Bible and have found within its pages the encouragement to explore and make sense of the world.