1

GettingStarted

An Introductory Guideto Reading the Bible

David Wilson

1

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Yet unfortunately, it is more oftenbought than read. We want to encourage you to read the Bible because it isGod's message for all people, and contains the answers to the most importantquestions in life. These simple guidelines have been written to try and answersome basic questions and to help you enjoy and understand God's Word better.

The structure of the BibleThe Bible is composed of 66 separate books that make up the “library” we callthe Bible. These books were written in various languages over a large span oftime yet combine to make one unified whole. The first part of the Bible iscalled the Old Testament and covers the period from the Creation of the worldand man until 400 years before the birth of Christ. The second part is called theNew Testament and covers the period from the birth of Christ to the death of

the apostle John inapproximately AD 95.

Chapter and VerseThe Bible did not originallycontain the chapter and versedivisions we have today.These were added betweenthe 13th and 16th centuries,and are helpful in locatingand identifying particularpassages of Scripture. (Itmay be helpful to think ofthem as an address to helplocate particular passages.)These are written in variousways. For example, the 16thverse of the 3rd chapter ofJohn will often be writtenlike this: John 3:16 or John3.16 or John ch. 3 v. 16.

Red lettersYou may have noticed thatsome Bibles contain words

An Introductory Guide to Reading the Bible

Structure of the Old Testament17 books of

History5 books of

Poetry17 books ofProphecy

Genesis Job IsaiahExodus Psalms Jeremiah

Leviticus Proverbs LamentationsNumbers Ecclesiastes Ezekiel

Deuteronomy Song of Solomon DanielJoshua HoseaJudges JoelRuth Amos

1 Samuel Obadiah2 Samuel Jonah1 Kings Micah2 Kings Nahum

1 Chronicles Habakkuk2 Chronicles Zephaniah

Ezra HaggaiNehemiah Zechariah

Esther Malachi

2

that are printed in red. Theywere added as a design featureto help people easily identifythose words the moderneditors believe were spokenby the Lord Jesus and areprimarily found in theGospels. However, all thewords of the Bible areimportant because, as we shallsee, God is the ultimate authorof all Scripture.

The divine authorshipof the BibleThe Bible is an ancient bookthat has impacted the lives ofmillions of people. This isbecause the author of theBible is God's Holy Spirit. Hewas not the one who pickedup pen and paper and actuallywrote the words down, but asthe apostle Peter put it, holymen of God wrote as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).This process is called the “inspiration” of Scripture. This word literally meansthat God “breathed-out” the message, so that the words of Scripture are thevery words of God. The apostle Paul describes it this way: “All Scripture isgiven by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, forcorrection, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The human authorship of the BibleAs you become more familiar with the Bible, you will notice that there arestylistic differences between various books of the Bible. Partly this is becausethey were written at different times in history; partly because of the nature ofthe material, e.g. poetry or historical narrative; and partly because God used theauthors’ personalities to communicate His message. This will be seen in the useof certain words or phrases that are characteristic of a particular writer. We alsoread of certain events from the lives of individuals. Paul wrote in Philippians ofhis imprisonment and used this to encourage other believers, and while it was a

Structure of the New Testament5 books of

History21 books of

Doctrine1 book ofProphecy

Matthew Romans RevelationMark 1, 2 CorinthiansLuke GalatiansJohn EphesiansActs Philippians

Colossians1, 2 Thessalonians

1, 2 TimothyTitus

PhilemonHebrews

James1, 2 Peter

1, 2, 3 JohnJude

3

personal experience, the Holy Spirit took it and incorporated it into theScriptures for our learning and instruction.At least 36 different men were used in writing the Bible. These men came fromvery different backgrounds and had different qualifications. For instance,Moses was a political leader, Peter was a fisherman, Amos was a herdsman,Matthew was a tax collector, and Solomon was a king.For this reason, it is important when we are reading the Bible that we try andunderstand something of the author’s culture and perspective. While it is truethat “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable,” not every passage ofScripture will have application to our particular needs and situations.

The authority of the BibleThe Bible takes its authority from its authorship. Since God is the divine authorbehind the human authors, then it logically follows that it is authoritative,because God is the supreme authority. And since God has spoken, we hadbetter listen. As the author of Hebrews said: “See that you do not refuse Himwho speaks,” (Hebrews 12:25).Some people argue that the Bible is just a human book and merely someone’sopinion and subject to change with the times. But it is the unique dualauthorship of the Bible that makes it qualitatively different than any otherbook.

The reliability of the BibleThis leads to the matter of the reliability of the Bible, a subject too vast for thisbrief introduction. But it is a fair question to ask, “How can I know that theBible is reliable? Should I accept that it is God’s Word and inspired justbecause it says so?”Fulfilled prophecies provide a powerful testimony to the reliability of Scriptureand point to its divine origin. For instance, the prophecies concerning theGentile world powers, given by God through the prophet Daniel, predicted therise and fall of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires(Daniel 2, 7). He learned from reading the prophecy of Jeremiah that theBabylonian captivity of Judah would last 70 years (Daniel 9:2). Daniel alsoforetells the coming of Christ in Daniel 9. In fact, there are literally hundredsof prophecies concerning the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ,which were fulfilled during His lifetime. See for instance Psalm 22, Isaiah 7and Isaiah 53.Archaeology also has provided confirmation of the reliability of historicalevents recorded in the Bible. For instance, for years sceptics decried the

4

inaccuracy of the Bible because it spoke repeatedly of the Hittites, and therehad been no archaeological confirmation of these people. Yet in the late 1800s,archaeologists uncovered five Hittite temples, a citadel, and more than 10,000clay tablets that had belonged to this once lost civilization, thereby confirmingthe historical accuracy of the book.A third pointer to the Bible’s divine origin is the way it has transformed thelives of those who read and follow its teaching. Many people have testified tothe ways in which their lives have been rescued from heartache and despairthrough reading and responding to its message.

The formation of the BibleOne question that is frequently raised is how we know that all the books in theBible should be there and whether any were left out. The term applied to thelist of recognised books is canon, a word meaning “rule” or “measuring rod.”The idea is that these books were judged to be authoritative and thereforeincluded in the canon of Scripture. No church or council made a biblical bookauthoritative; they simply recognised what was already true. One author hasillustrated this principle by noting that tests don’t make students intelligent;they simply measure their intelligence. In the same way, the authority,accuracy, and transforming power of the books that compose the Bible wereacknowledged, and so these books were accepted as authoritative.The Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, were compiled over a period ofmany years by prophets and priests. These men were recognised as men ofGod, and their writings gained an authoritative standing in their communitiesand were passed on from generation to generation. But perhaps the mostimportant endorsement of the Hebrew Scriptures was that of Jesus Christ, whostudied them, taught from them, and quoted them.The New Testament was written during the first century but since most writingin those days was composed on parchments or scrolls, they were notimmediately compiled into a single book as we have now. In some ways theteaching of the New Testament was a radical departure from the teaching of theOld Testament, yet at the same time we see that it is the proper culmination andfulfillment of that which went before. Many Jews found the teachings of Jesusof Nazareth to be blasphemous (cp. John 8:53-59), yet Jesus showed Hisdisciples that the Old Testament really did speak about Him (cp. John 5:39;Luke 24:27). This actually helps us to evaluate the writings of the NewTestament because we can see that they fulfill the pictures and propheciesmade hundreds of years before.

5

Much of the New Testament was written by acknowledged apostles, and evenduring the life of the apostle Paul, his writings were described as Scripture bythe apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:16). As these letters of the apostles were distributedand read, they were seen to have a power and an authority that demonstratedtheir supernatural origin.There was some debate in the early days of the church about some books thatwere included and some that were excluded. The book of Hebrews, forinstance, was debated since the book is anonymous and the issue of authorshipwas important for determining acceptance in the canon of Scripture. But theimportance of the material and the power of its teaching, convinced the earlychurch that it was indeed God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). But the fact thatbooks like this were debated is actually a positive reminder that the earlychurch took seriously this issue of identifying authoritative books.Some books, like the Gospel of Thomas, were rejected because they were seento be inconsistent with the recognised Scriptures and contained errors, which aGod-breathed book could not.Some people today claim that the New Testament wasn’t even written until thefourth century, but this is patently false as today portions of New Testamentmanuscripts exist that date back to the early second century. What happened inthe fourth century was that the form of the New Testament as we have it todaywas finalised.Some books, known as Apocryphal books, are accepted by the Roman CatholicChurch but are rejected by most Protestant churches. These books were allwritten before the time of Christ but were not accepted by the Jewishcommunity as part of their Hebrew Bibles. Josephus, the famed Jewishhistorian of the first century, limited the Old Testament canon to 22 books,saying that there were no prophets after the time of Artaxerxes, who died c.424 BC. These 22 books represent the same 39 books listed on page 1, butsome of them were grouped together. For instance, our twelve so-called MinorProphets were considered by the Jews to be one book.It is important to note also that neither the Lord Jesus nor any of the NewTestament apostles ever quoted authoritatively from these Apocryphal books.Even Jerome, the man responsible for producing the Latin Vulgate, thestandard Bible of the Medieval Church, included them under ecclesiasticalpressure, even though he didn’t personally regard them as God-breathed texts.As Josephus noted, these books provide a useful history of the Jewish periodduring the 400 years before Christ, but were not considered of equal merit withthe Scriptures.

6

Why so many versions?The Bible was not written in English but in the contemporary languages of theday. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew with a few sections inAramaic. Later this was translated into Greek and this translation is known asthe Septuagint, because it is said to have been the work of seventy translators.It is sometimes abbreviated as LXX, the Roman numerals for seventy.The New Testament was written in a form of Greek known as Koine Greek, thecommon language of the first century Roman Empire. By the fourth century,Latin had become the common language of the Empire and a translation byJerome became the standard Bible of the church for the next thousand years.Of course, as the Christian message spread to various parts of the world, Latinwas not the common language of local cultures and by the fifteenth centurysome Christian scholars in England began calling for an English translation ofthe Bible so it could be read by everyone. However, some in the Churchhierarchy opposed this as they felt common people were not qualified to readand understand the Bible.In the sixteenth century, William Tyndale began work on an English translationof the New Testament directly from the Greek texts. There had been someearlier English translations from Latin but Tyndale felt it was best to work fromthe original languages. However, opposition to this work became so intensethat Tyndale had to flee to the Continent and continue his work in secret. Whenthe New Testament was completed it was smuggled back into England, butTyndale was eventually arrested and condemned to death for his work andburnt at the stake on 6 October 1536.Since that time, the English language has continued to change and scholarshave felt the need to provide fresh translations that will effectivelycommunicate the unchanging message of God in contemporary English. Thechallenge is for them to balance accuracy and faithfulness to the originalHebrew and Greek with ease of understanding in English. As a result sometranslations are easier to read but may lose something of their accuracy. It canbe helpful to compare a modern English translation with older, more literaltranslations to get a fuller and richer understanding of the Scriptures.

How should we read the Bible?God gave us his Word to be read and understood. It was written by ordinarypeople (shepherds, fishermen, tax collectors) to ordinary people. The Psalmistwrote, “The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to thesimple,” (Psalm 119:130).

7

As a book written by human authors, it should be read normally, as you wouldany book, seeking to understand the author’s message and purpose for writing,and recognising the use of figures of speech. Keep in mind that the Bible is acollection of individual books by individual authors. We realise that sometimeswhen people start reading the Bible, they read until they come to long lists ofnames (called genealogies) or to descriptions of seemingly obscure Jewishceremonial laws and give up, totally overwhelmed. While it is not necessary tostart at the beginning of the Bible, it is best to read individual booksconsecutively to get the flow of thought. Much false teaching has resulted frompeople taking passages out of context. While the New Testament will be mostrelevant to us today, we encourage you to read the Old Testament also as theLord Jesus and the apostles based much of their teaching on it. To get youstarted, we have provided a suggested reading plan at the back of this booklet.As a book written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it should be readprayerfully, asking God by His Holy Spirit to give you understanding. TheLord Jesus promised, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He willguide you into all truth,” (John 16:13).You should read the Bible regularly, so that you will become familiar with itscontent and message. Many things you don’t understand at first will becomeclearer as you continue reading.And finally, read it expectantly, believing that God will reveal His truth to you.The Lord Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.And you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” (John 8:31-32).

b

8

New Testament History I (24)John 1 qJohn 2-3 � qJohn 4-5 � qJohn 6 � qJohn 7-8 � qJohn 9-10 � qJohn 11-12 � qJohn 13-14 � qJohn 15-16 � qJohn 17 � qJohn 18-19 � qJohn 20-21 � q

Acts 1-2 � qActs 3-5 � qActs 6-7 � qActs 8-9 � qActs 10-11 � qActs 12-14 � qActs 15-16 � qActs 17-18 � qActs 19-20 � qActs 21-23 � qActs 24-25 � qActs 26-28 � q

Old Testament History I (33)Genesis 1-2 � qGenesis 3-4 � qGenesis 6-8 � qGenesis 9, 11 � q

Genesis 12-15� qGenesis 17-18� qGenesis 21-22� qGenesis 24 � qGenesis 27-28� qGenesis 29-30� qGenesis 37 � qGenesis 39-40� qGenesis 41-45� q

Exodus 1-2 � qExodus 3-4 � qExodus 5-6 qExodus 7-10 � qExodus 11-12 � qExodus 13-14 � qExodus 16-17 � qExodus 19-20 � qExodus 32-33 � qExodus 40 � q

Numbers 9-10 � qNumbers 11-12 � qNumbers 13-14 � qNumbers 16-17 � qNumbers 20-21 � qNumbers 22-25 � qNumbers 31-33 � q

Deuteronomy 1-3 � qDeuteronomy 4-6 � qDeuteronomy 31-32, 34 q

We have provided a suggested reading plan to get you started, broken down byvarious literary styles. This plan includes a selection of readings from the NewTestament historical books, the Old Testament historical books, the NewTestament epistles (letters written by apostles), and New Testament prophecy.The number in brackets next to the category is the number of days it will takeyou to read this category at one reading per day (the selected readings will takejust over 6 months). You can check off the passages as you read them. May theLord bless you as you read and respond to His Word.

Suggested Reading Plan

9

New Testament Epistles (65)Romans 1-2 � qRomans 3-4 � qRomans 5-6 � qRomans 7-8 � qRomans 9-11 � qRomans 12-14� qRomans 15-16� q

1 Corinthians 1-2 � q1 Corinthians 3-4 � q1 Corinthians 5-7 � q1 Corinthians 8-9 � q1 Corinthians 10-11 � q1 Corinthians 12-14 � q1 Corinthians 15-16 � q

2 Corinthians 1-2 � q2 Corinthians 3-5 � q2 Corinthians 6-7 � q2 Corinthians 8-9 � q2 Corinthians 10-13 � q

Galatians 1-2 qGalatians 3-4 � qGalatians 5-6 � q

Ephesians 1-3 qEphesians 4-6 q

Philippians 1-2 � qPhilippians 3-4 � q

Colossians 1-2 � qColossians 3-4 � q

1 Thessalonians 1-3 q1 Thessalonians 4-5 q

2 Thessalonians 1-3 q

1 Timothy 1-2 � q1 Timothy 3-4 � q1 Timothy 5-6 q

2 Timothy 1-2 � q

2 Timothy 3-4 � q

Titus 1-3 � q

Philemon 1 � q

Hebrews 1-2 � qHebrews 3-4 � qHebrews 5-6 � qHebrews 7-8 � qHebrews 9-10 � qHebrews 11 � qHebrews 12-13 � q

James 1-2 � qJames 3-5 � q

1 Peter 1-2 � q1 Peter 3-5 � q

2 Peter 1-3 � q

1 John 1-3 � q1 John 4-5 � q

2 John 1 � q

3 John 1 � q

Jude 1 � q

Revelation 1-3 � qRevelation 4-5 � qRevelation 6-7 � qRevelation 8-9 � qRevelation 10-11 � qRevelation 12-13 � qRevelation 14-15 � qRevelation 16-18 � qRevelation 19-20 � qRevelation 21-22 � q

Old Testament History II (72)Joshua 1-2 � qJoshua 3-4 � qJoshua 5-6 � q

10

Joshua 7-8 � qJoshua 9-10 � qJoshua 23-24 � q

Judges 1-2 � qJudges 3-4 � qJudges 6-8 � qJudges 13-16 � q

Ruth 1-4 � q

1 Samuel 1-2 � q1 Samuel 3-4 � q1 Samuel 5-7 � q1 Samuel 8-9 � q1 Samuel 10-12 � q1 Samuel 13-14 � q1 Samuel 15-16 � q1 Samuel 17-18 � q1 Samuel 19-20 � q1 Samuel 21-22 � q1 Samuel 23-24 � q1 Samuel 25-26 � q1 Samuel 27-28 � q1 Samuel 29-31 � q

2 Samuel 1-2 � q2 Samuel 3-5 � q2 Samuel 6-7 � q2 Samuel 8-10 � q2 Samuel 11-12 � q2 Samuel 13-14 � q2 Samuel 15-16 � q2 Samuel 17-18 � q2 Samuel 19-20 � q2 Samuel 21, 24 � q

1 Kings 1-2 � q1 Kings 3-4 � q1 Kings 5-7 q1 Kings 8-9 � q1 Kings 10-11 � q1 Kings 12-13 � q1 Kings 14-16 � q1 Kings 17-18 � q1 Kings 19-20 � q1 Kings 21-22 � q

2 Kings 1-2 � q2 Kings 3-4 � q2 Kings 5-6 � q2 Kings 7-8 � q2 Kings 9-10 � q2 Kings 11-12 � q2 Kings 13-14 � q2 Kings 15-16 � q2 Kings 7-18 � q2 Kings 19-21 � q2 Kings 22-23 � q2 Kings 24-25 � q

Ezra 1-2 � qEzra 3-4 � qEzra 5-6 � qEzra 7-8 � qEzra 9-10 � q

Nehemiah 1-2 � qNehemiah 3-4 � qNehemiah 5-6 � qNehemiah 8-9 � qNehemiah 12-13 � q

Esther 1-2 � qEsther 3-4 � qEsther 5-6 � qEsther 7-8 � qEsther 9-10 � q

b

11

Where should I start?

Many people are overwhelmed when they firstpick up a Bible. They recognise that it is animportant work, but feel inadequate tounderstand it for themselves.

However, God’s intention in giving us the Biblewas not to conceal truth but to reveal it. Itwas written by ordinary people (fisherman,shepherds, etc.) for ordinary people and whilethere are some difficult passages, with God’shelp it is possible for everyone to understandthe basic message of the Bible.

This simple guide has been written as anattempt to provide answers to some of themost common barriers to personally readingthe Bible. We trust that God will give you helpas you get started reading His Word.