Tips for Understanding the Bible
The very first step is to pray! Pray for the Holy Spirit to allow you to have the wisdom you need to understand what God is saying to you. John 16:13 says, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit in this verse and says that He will guide you to the truth. Remember that the Holy Spirit guided the apostles in writing the New Testament so He will guide us in understanding what is written. All of us who have accepted the wonderful gift of Salvation from God have received the Holy Spirit and He lives inside of us. He is here to guide and direct us in life as well as reading and understanding the Bible.
Another thing that is very important when reading and studying the Bible is to remember to read it all. What do I mean by that? Do not just pick a verse and think that you understand what it means. You must read what is before and after to truly understand what is being said. Many people make the mistake of picking a verse and trying to figure out what that verse means, but if the verses before and after was read the meaning would be clear and there would be no confusion. Many times reading that entire book of the Bible and even knowing its background will give a much deeper and better understanding. Make sure that you have no preconceived notions about the meaning behind a verse, chapter or book because those notions can be totally wrong and then you will not get the correct meaning.
Also, make sure and remember that God gives the gift of teaching to many people. 1 Corinthians 12:28 says “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” Ephesians 4: 11-12 also says “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” These teachers are given to us from God to help us to learn His word and live by it. Joining a Bible study group and/or attending church are great ways to help you with your understanding. Studying the Bible with other believers is a great idea because you can assist each other and grow together.
Using books such as reliable commentaries and Bible resource books is a great way to help you understand and study the Bible. Also investing in a good Study Bible is an invaluable item that you will never regret having. I personally prefer using The New King James version but I also highly recommend the New American Standard as a Bible that is a little easier to understand and read. Do not be afraid to use things like this to help you understand His word.
Just keep in mind that the Bible is Gods words, He was the source for all information in the Bible. II Timothy 3:16, says that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Just do not be afraid of it, do not think that it is too hard to understand or that will just make it more of a challenge for you. God wants you to know and understand His word. So go on and read it, learn it, understand it, and then Live It!!!
