How to Read the Bible

Reading the Bible is a journey of discovering who God is and how He speaks into our lives. Whether you’re opening the Bible for the first time or returning with fresh questions, you don’t have to have all the answers to begin:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105

This page offers resources to help you read the Bible with confidence, curiosity, and faith. We encourage you to take your time, explore what’s helpful, and remember — you don’t have to walk this path alone.

Understanding Biblical Genre

According to professor and ordained minister Andrew Judd, the three most important things about reading the Bible are genre, genre and genre! After all, the Bible is not a single book, but a collection of sixty-six books bound together.

One of the implications of the Bible being the words of people, as well as the word of God, is that the different books that make up the Bible participate in genres. A genre is a category of writing characterised by a particular style, form or content. Different genres have different social contexts, literary conventions, goals and structures.

Being able to identify and understand Biblical genres help to inform us how we should read and interpret certain passages of Scripture.

Resources for Understanding Biblical Genre

Understanding the Character of God

Something that can be incredibly helpful when reading and studying the Word, is to always filter everything through what Scripture explicitly teaches to be true about the enduring character of God.

Exodus 34:6-7 is quoted and adapted by biblical authors more than any other passage in the Bible. In this key scripture, God describes himself as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness.”

When we come across sections of Scripture that we find challenging, confronting, or even disturbing, we can re-read them through the lens of an Exodus 34:6-7 God. If a biblical narrative or teaching appears to conflict with God’s character, we should view this as an invitation to dig deeper, to mind the time and cultural gap, and to reevaluate our initial twenty-first century assumptions. 

Check out the below resources to explore the character of God further:

Shifting Your Paradigm 

When people come to the Bible, they often bring with them their own paradigms that may need to be deconstructed. Most of these paradigms have good intuitions behind them, but not all of them reflect what the Bible actually is. 

Certain elements of Christian tradition have perhaps conditioned people to think of the Bible as one or more of the following:

• A theology dictionary

• A moral handbook or rule book

• A devotional grab bag

The scholarship team at BibleProject offer a more holistic approach that is worth further reflecting on:

How to Approach Difficult Parts of the Bible

If you’ve ever read a portion of Scripture and been left feeling confused, confronted, or even disturbed - you’re not alone! There are many difficult parts of the Bible that raise serious questions - especially to twenty-first century readers who do not have the advantage of being positioned in the historical-cultural context of the biblical authors. 

Crucially, these challenges and questions do not have to be enemies of faith. Instead, tough questions can help us grow in our faith if we approach them with diligence and humility.

Below are just a few resources to prompt further thinking in this area:

Bible Study Methods

If you’ve ever read a portion of Scripture and been left feeling confused, confronted, or even disturbed - you’re not alone! There are many difficult parts of the Bible that raise serious questions - especially to twenty-first century readers who do not have the advantage of being positioned in the historical-cultural context of the biblical authors. 

Crucially, these challenges and questions do not have to be enemies of faith. Instead, tough questions can help us grow in our faith if we approach them with diligence and humility.

Below are just a few resources to prompt further thinking in this area:

3Ws Method (from The Bible Course)

Read the passage carefully. Then consider:

• WHAT? What did the passage mean in its context? (you can refer to additional study tools to help you)

• SO WHAT? So what does this passage mean in the light of Jesus?

• NOW WHAT? Now what does this passage mean for my life today?

S.O.A.P Method

Pray, asking God for guidance through His Word and to get rid of other distractions. Read the passage/chapter and find the one thing that jumps off the page as you read:

Bible Study Resources

Final Thoughts

Don’t do it alone!

• Always pray before reading that the Holy Spirit would illuminate Scripture to you

• Discuss Scripture with fellow believers

• Use commentaries/study bibles

• Access additional study resources

• Engage with sermons - lean in, take notes, follow up your questions or sparked interest at home

Remember that growing in the Word is a lifelong journey and take courage from the truth that we can rely on Jesus for our daily strength.