Beyond Reading – Steps for How to Study the Bible

The Bible is more than just a book—it’s God’s living Word, filled with wisdom, truth, and the power to transform lives. Simply reading Scripture can be refreshing, but when you take the time to truly study it, you’ll uncover treasures that deepen your faith, draw you closer to God, and shape your heart in ways you never imagined. Studying the Bible isn’t just an intellectual exercise; it’s a spiritual adventure that opens your eyes to God’s character, His promises, and His guidance for your life. Whether you’re just beginning or looking to go deeper, read on for some simple yet powerful steps to engage with Scripture in a way that brings lasting spiritual growth.

The following suggestions are practices that I have incorporated into my own time in the Word. Once you get started and commit to studying regularly, you will truly begin to hunger for more!

 

Step One – Choose Your Starting Place

Start with a Readable Translation

Choose a translation that is easy to understand, such as the ESV, NIV, or NET. Since your goal is to study and not just to read, be sure to choose a translation that is based on the original language. While paraphrased or condensed versions such as the Living Bible, The Message, or The Story have value in certain circumstances, they are not best for deeper study. They are better for getting the overall understanding of Bible.

Pray Before You Read

Remember that you are reading the Word of God. This is not a novel or a mere history book. the Bible is the communication from God to mankind. Therefore, treat it with reverence. Align your heart to hear the message and ask God for wisdom and understanding before you begin.

 

 

Step Two – Begin with the Reading One of the Gospels

The first four books of the New Testament are called “The Gospels.” They are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books tell of the birth, life, and teachings of Jesus through His death and resurrection. If you start here, you will focus learning about Jesus’ life and His teachings. For the Christian, it is a good place to begin. Later you will want to read the rest of the New Testament books to grasp the full Christian message. Then, jump over to the Old Testament and learn the rich story of God’s plan and effort from the beginning of creation to have a people who love Him and want to be “His people.”

As you start with Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, take the time to learn a little bit of the background of each book. It just takes a few minutes to learn the circumstances that surrounded the writing of each. And yet, those few minutes will help you grasp the true meaning and gain a better understanding. After you get familiar with the context, my next suggestion is to get an overview by reading the whole book in one chunk.

1. Learn the Context
   • Watch a Video That Gives an Overview of the Book – What’s this book of the Bible about? Watch a video to get the highlights! Here is a link to short videos that tell the key points of every book of the Bible. Purely Bible. Select the video for the book you are going to study and… enjoy!
   • Read the Introduction to the Book in Your Bible – The intro in your Bible is another place to help you with the historical context as well as a synopsis of the message. Why do you want to look at all this context? As you begin to dig it is important to keep in mind who wrote it, to whom it was written, and why. Knowing the context will help you understand the writer’s original meaning. It is easy to put on our 21st century glasses and read the words of the Bible while we think about our own culture. But the Bible was written to a very different culture – one that had different problems and situations. The amazing thing about the Bible is that there is still application to us in the 21st century – just as there was for them back then. For additional study – Read this introduction to the culture called “Western Thinking vs Eastern Thinking.”
2. Get an Overview
   • Read Through the Whole Book You Have Selected
     1. Read it in one or two sittings to reinforce your understanding of the overall message of the book. Taking time to do this will serve to help you keep in mind the context and keep you from being tempted to pull a verse out of context to derive its meaning.
     2. One idea is to listen to the whole book on a Bible app. It’s great to listen while you drive, walk, or work out.
   • Make an Outline – Most Bible translations have chapter and section headings. Writing out the chapter headings is one more way to reinforce the overall message of the book.

 

Step Three – Commit – I mean, really commit.

If I could give you one piece of advice to remember in the midst of all of these suggestions it would be this: Commit to a regular time each day, even if it’s just 10–15 minutes. If getting to know God and following Him is really important to you, then make the commitment to listen to Him through the study of His Word every day!

 

Step Four – Start Digging into the Text

You’ve done a great job on getting familiar with the historical background of the book and the overall message of the book. Now it’s time to pick up your shovel and start digging for treasure!

• Read Small Sections at a Time – Start at Chapter 1 and this time, focus on a few verses. You may want to start with just the first section of the chapter. Read it slowly enough to think about what you have read! Pay attention to the introductions. How does the writer describe himself? How does the writer describe those to whom he is writing? Does the writer explain the purpose of his writing?
• Take Notes – As you read through, write down key points, questions, or insights that stand out to you. Note the situation and context of the story. Answer these questions in your notes:
  • Who is there?
  • Where are they?
  • What are they doing?
  • What doesn’t make sense? What do I want to understand better?
  • What does this section teach me about God?
  • What does this section teach me about myself?
  • What changes do you need to make?

 

 

Step Five – Digging Deeper

• Look Up Specific Words – This is really fun! It is easy to assume that we know what words mean. But when we realize that the Bible was written in another language, we recognize that the translators often have difficultly in finding the exact English word that means the same as the original language. Learn to do word studies to see what the original words really meant to the writer and reader. Sometimes our modern languages use words that may reduce the spiritual impact. Here are some online tools you can use: Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible, or Bible Gateway. Here’s a link to a note about some of my favorite online Bible study tools.
• Make Your Own Cross References – When you come across a phrase or a concept that is repeated – write the Scripture reference to the related passage in the margin of your Bible. You will start to see how it is all connected. Then, the next time you read that verse, you can jump over to the related passage and remember the connection.
• What Do You Learn about God – When a passage tells you something about God – a characteristic of His nature, an action He performs, a promise, or a command – make note of what He is like and what He desires of us. Our goal as Christians is to become like Jesus who is the “radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” We cannot reflect His nature if we don’t know His nature. Here is how God described Himself to Moses: “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty… ‘” Exodus 34:6-7a
• Join a Bible Study Group – Studying with others can provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability. This is where we can help each other grow up in all things into Christ. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12
• Check out a couple of studies on this site – The Matthew Study.   The John Study.

 

Summing it up!

I admit there is a lot of information here, and it might seem a bit overwhelming. But please don’t fret. Instead, get excited! There is so much fun and so many glorious truths you will discover as you study! The story won’t change, but the depth of the meaning intensifies. You will start to see the many intricate ways it all fits together. And when you see the connections, your faith will grow all the more!

So my advice to you is to just start. Just start with Step One and stay there until you are ready to move on and go a little deeper in your studies. The pace is yours. And, hopefully, these steps give you a plethora of ideas that you can implement as you grow. The more you grow, the hungrier you will be! Every moment of time you spend in God’s Word is time that you are renewing your mind and God is transforming your life.

 

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” Psalm 86:11-12