BIBLICALIST
CLOSENew Believers
Lesson 4 of 12. Learn a simple way to begin reading and understanding Scripture faithfully.
04
NEW BELIEVERS
HOW DO I READ THE BIBLE?
God’s Word gives light. A new believer does not need to understand everything in the Bible at once. But you should begin reading it with a humble heart, believing that God gave His Word to teach you, correct you, strengthen you, and guide your walk.
Read with humility. The Bible is not read like an ordinary book. It is the Word of God. Come to Scripture with a teachable heart. Ask God to open your understanding and help you see what He has written.
Begin with a simple reading pattern. Do not make Bible reading complicated at the beginning. Read a short passage carefully. Notice what it says. Ask what the passage teaches. Then believe it and take the next step of obedience.
Do not rush. Read enough to understand the thought.
Look at who is speaking, who is being addressed, and what is being said.
Look for truth about God, man, sin, salvation, obedience, or the Christian walk.
Do not wait to understand everything before obeying what you already understand.
Read the passage in context. Many mistakes happen when people take a verse away from its passage. Read the verses before and after. Ask what the whole passage is about. The Bible should be handled carefully and honestly.
Start with passages that show Christ clearly. A good place for a new believer to begin is the Gospel of John. John was written so readers would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing they might have life through His name.
A simple beginning plan. You do not need a difficult plan to begin. It is better to read faithfully and understand clearly than to rush through many chapters without attention.
Read to see who Jesus Christ is and why believing on Him matters.
Read to understand sin, salvation, justification, and Christian living.
Read to learn prayer, worship, trust, and comfort in God.
Read to learn wisdom for daily decisions and practical living.
Understanding grows over time. Some passages will be easy to understand. Others will take time. Do not be discouraged when you do not understand everything. Keep reading, keep learning, and let the clear truths strengthen your faith.
Let Scripture explain Scripture. The Bible is not a book of disconnected ideas. Scripture agrees with Scripture. When you do not understand a passage, do not build a doctrine quickly. Keep reading, compare verses carefully, and let the clearer passages help you understand.
Ask what should change in your walk. Bible reading should not stop with information. God’s Word is meant to work in the believer. After reading, ask what the passage teaches you to believe, avoid, confess, obey, or remember.
Questions to ask while reading. These questions will help you read carefully without forcing your own ideas into the passage.
What does the passage actually say?
Who is speaking, and who is being addressed?
What is the main truth in the passage?
Is there a command, warning, promise, example, or doctrine?
How should this truth affect my faith and walk?
Do not make the Bible say what it does not say.
A faithful reader does not use the Bible only to support his own thoughts. Let the words, grammar, context, and doctrine of Scripture speak. Be willing to change your thinking when the Bible corrects you.
Build a steady habit. Begin with a small, faithful habit. Read a portion of Scripture each day. Mark what you understand. Write down questions. Pray over what you read. Then keep coming back to the Word.
1. According to Psalm 119:130, what does the entrance of God’s words give?
2. Why is context important when reading the Bible?
3. What book is a good place for a new believer to begin?
4. Should a believer rush when he does not understand everything?
5. According to James 1:22, should I only hear the Word or also obey it?