As the Bible resource gotquestions.org states, “God does not tell us that we must simply read the Bible. We must study it and handle it correctly (2 Timothy 2:15). Studying the Scriptures is hard work. A cursory or brief scanning of Scripture can sometimes yield very wrong conclusions. Therefore, it is crucial to understand several principles for determining the correct meaning of Scripture.” Here are some tips on how to read and interpret Scripture and get the most out of it.
- Pray and ask God the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading, hear what God is saying, see what God wants you to see, and have the wisdom and strength to apply what God shows you in your life. Read the Bible prayerfully.
- Don’t read a particular verse or passage apart from its surrounding verses. It’s important to see the verses in their historical context, taking into account that God used real people to write to other real people about the real issues of their day. Also, the Bible doesn’t contradict itself. Don’t divorce a verse or passage from the rest of Scripture, especially with the difficult, hard-to-understand passages.
- Be willing to use other properly vetted and proven resources like study Bibles, Bible commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and theologically sound, scholarly, researched articles to help give you greater insight into what you are reading. Not everything on the internet is trustworthy! Know the sources for what you are using.
- Ask the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the text. What is God saying not just to the original recipients but to you as well? Ask yourself, “What are the commands, warnings, promises, encouragements, and guidance that God is revealing to me through the passage I am reading, and what does God want me to do with it?”
- Keep a journal of what you’re learning, writing out your thoughts and insights.
- Be committed to applying what you learn to your life. The Bible is meant to be transformative. As James 1:22-25 tells us, be a doer of God’s word and not just a hearer only.
- Turn what you learn into a S.M.A.R.T. goal.
- Specific – Your goal should be as specific as possible.
- Measurable – Your goal should be easily measurable.
- Attainable – Your goal should be realistic and attainable.
- Reasonable – Your goal should be reasonable.
- Time focused – Your goal should be tied to a reasonable and attainable time frame. Set a start and end time for the accomplishment of your goal.
Parkside has taken time to vet many resources. Below, you can find resources to study scripture and to dive deeper into the Word of God.
RightNow Media: Dive deeper with the world’s largest streaming library of biblical resources. You get exclusive access to our library of over 20,000 biblically based videos. You can also watch over 2,000 kid’s episodes in the RightNow Media Kid’s Library. RightNow Media is available for streaming on various devices and platforms, allowing access to content from almost anywhere with an internet connection.
YouVerson Bible App: The Bible App offers a free Bible experience for smartphones and tablets. With thousands of study plans, you can dive deeper by yourself or invite friends to read along with you. Connect with Parkside Christian Church on the bible app to discover suggested reading plans and connect with others at Parkside to read scripture together.
BibleProject: A nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that makes free resources like videos, podcasts, articles, and classes to help people dive deeper into the Bible in a way that is approachable and transformative. They do this by showcasing the literary art of the Scriptures and tracing key biblical themes from Genesis to Revelation.