How to read your Bible

Over approximately the last 19 centuries there have been entire populations of people who have not had even limited access to the Holy Scriptures for reasons ranging from lack of availability to lack of awareness to threat of imprisonment or even death. Today we generally have none of those problems. In fact, if you’re reading this then it means that you have freedoms and abilities that no other generation in human history has ever had. Now, perhaps, all you need is the cognition to know that you should and can read the Holy Scriptures any time you wish.

The problem most people seem to face is not necessarily having access to a fully assembled Canon or that they’re unaware of the Name of Jesus. The main problem seems to be that they feel too encumbered by life’s habits, routines, and nuances to take the time to read a book that is so notoriously complex. To some it would be much easier and less time-consuming to earn a Bachelor’s Degree than to become a student of the Bible. Furthermore they have Pastors and Teachers and other scholars to worry about knowing that stuff and then to tell people like them what it means.

Now it is true that the Bible is complex and it is also true that earning a degree can be simpler than spending what must always become a lifetime developing a lifestyle of learning. However, there is no reason why such a thing should be seen as overwhelming. In fact, what I’m about to propose is simply a model or a guide to seeing how easy it would be to read the Bible from front to back, but one that can be modified by you to suit your specific needs.

First I’ll point out some obvious statistical facts:

1. There are 7 days in a week

2. There are 52 weeks in a year

3. There are 66 books in the Bible containing a grand total of 1,189 chapters throughout

Now if we take those statistics, we could easily do some basic math and understand that if we read 1 chapter per day in the Old Testament and 1 chapter per day in the New Testament, and if we did so only 4 days per week (we’ll say Monday-Thursday, leaving the weekend free), then we would have read 2 chapters per day, 8 per week. 8 chapters per week would mean that it would take 148.625 weeks (just under 3 years) to read the entire Bible. It would take the average person 5-10 minutes to read the average chapter, thus 40-80 minutes per week. We spend more time in the bathroom. *The NT, being smaller than the OT, would finish first according to this model. At such a time, 2 chapters per day in the OT would be read.*

As I’ve said, this model can be modified. Some chapters are much smaller than others and could be added to a daily reading, some people might want to read every night thereby nearly cutting the time in half! There are also “Bible-in-a-year” books as well, but I don’t recommend them and I’ll explain why soon.

There are a few things someone should know before committing to a project of this magnitude:

1. Have deliberate intent:

Be intentional in your commitment to reading the entirety of Scripture and don’t let obstacles be a hindrance. It does take time, there will be things you don’t understand no matter how many times you read them, you will learn things you don’t want to hear, and you will (at least once) have some kind of crisis of faith because the truth you read will seem to contradict itself or some assumed knowledge you were convinced previously was a foregone conclusion.

2. Remove preconceived biases:

In spite of these apparent contradictions, continue reading. Seek wise counsel (Pro 19:20) for what seems incorrect or confusing. 100% of perceived imperfections in the Bible are caused by actual imperfections in the reader -even scholars.  The wisest counsel of all is the Holy Spirit so remember to pray for wisdom and understanding before each reading. Pray also for discernment and focus so that vain imagination won’t run away with the text and so that you can retain what you’ve learned.

3. Don’t rush:

The Bible-in-a-year books will have you reading no fewer than 4 chapters per day, 7 days a week. You’ll get burnt out and will retain very little. It’s what I call a “vanity reading” of the Bible which can be useful for getting a general idea of the broader contexts, but offers very little in the way of knowledge and understanding (Pro 1:7, 2:6, 9:10, 18:15-24, 19:2, 24:5, et al). 

Also take an extra day off if you need to from time to time. Did you establish a routine different from what’s suggested here? Has that caused a conflict with work or someone’s birthday or an emergency? So what…..take a day off when you need it. You have your whole life to finish -just don’t become complacent with discarding your studies and readings. I once read the Bible-in-a-year book, which is why I know how crude it can be to use as a tool…..it also took me 3 years to finish it, so I know the dangers of justifying a break from your regimented habits also.

4. Take it seriously:

“Yea hath God said…” The first words we hear from Satan are found in Gen 3:1 and they were not a lie; they simply planted a seed of doubt. Satan then watered that seed with lies, which led to the fall of Man. Since then Satan and his angels have worked diligently at getting the people in the world to do their bidding for them. Today you will meet no shortage of people who will tell you that the Bible is mostly fable, allegorical, lies, untrustworthy, outdated, and any other disparaging adjective they can think of to get you to not believe what God has said -just as Satan did in the Garden of Eden. It is literally the oldest trick in the Book. Don’t fall for it. The Bible is an historical book that describes real, actual events in the past. 

According to the most liberal scholars, only about ⅓ of the Bible is allegorical; I would personally placed that value at around ⅕. Whatever you decide, the truth is that the Bible always tells the truth, even if it is using some kind of figurative language to do so. Someone I once knew said, “Roses are red, violets are blue. You just heard poetry but it’s still true.” I won’t get into a discussion about genre just yet, but know for now that there are some who will try to explain truths away in the Bible by reasoning that they’re written poetically. One simple response -yea hath God said?” Yes, God really did say that and yes He really did mean it and yes He still does and always will so take it seriously.

5. Pick your preferred translation:

There is no good, one-size advice here. The point is to read the Bible so you can understand it and grow your relationship with God. Personally I’ve found the King James Version to be the most reliable translation and the fact that it’s sometimes so challenging is what causes me to slow down and reread from time to time, which causes me to have a stronger understanding of the subject matter. 

However, it’s understandable that some people wouldn’t want that added challenge the first time. I’ve found that the modern versions are most favored by beginners, in particular the New International Version. While I have my thoughts on the matter, I’ll suffice to say for right now that the NIV can be a good first step but not a final destination. Sift through sample translations online and decide which one will speak to you.

In the end it’s important to remember that reading the Bible is an important part of every Believer’s life. It’s the Word we live by; the dogma of our Faith. If we’ve never taken the time to know it how can we tell the world that it’s who we are or how can we ourselves claim to believe all of it if we don’t even know what’s in it?

Once upon a time a completed Canon would cost about a full year’s salary and would take months to complete since it was hand written. If you were caught with one translated into your own language (as opposed to Latin) you were killed for it. In contrast today we can download Bibles for free on devices small enough to fit in our pockets if we can’t afford the $1.25 it costs at Dollar Tree for a hard copy. Numerous churches out there would be willing to just give you one for free; my church has stores of Bibles just sitting around in our library. Although we have a higher literacy rate than ever before, we even have Bible apps that will read the words right off the page for us! The modern Christian is truly without excuse.

On a final note, I will also encourage the reader of Scripture to make their Bible their own. Take notes right on the page in the margins! No matter how simple-minded the questions or thoughts you have might seem, write them down anyway for the sake of personal growth and reflection if for no other reason. Get highlighters and highlight different areas of content by a color-coding system that you choose. I use 5 colors and each color represents a different reason for drawing attention such as “word-study item” (pink) or “general importance/significance" (green). Mark the dates of your reading as well so you can track your progress over time. I also use what I call “Topic Tabs.” These are 3M sticky notes that you can write on to show where a particular topic is being spoken about in the Bible. In lieu of memorizing a high volume of verses right away, you can place these at the top of the page to show where some topic might be found.

Whatever the system you choose, make it your own method and process. You might even want to keep a journal of a summary of your readings each day. It’s up to you. None of it, however, is nearly as important as just reading and knowing the Scriptures no matter how you read them. Ask questions and remain persistent in getting answers.