New to the Bible? A "How to" Bible Study Guide for Beginners
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2023
- If you're brand new to the Bible or have never read the Scriptures from cover to cover for yourself, this video is for you. In this video, we'll take a break from our Bible reviews to discuss a topic that is absolutely critical for all new believers to understand - how to properly study the Bible.
How to Study the Bible for Beginners (VIDEO): • New to the Bible? A "H...
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Just a few tips I have in addition to the great tips in the video:
* Read the Bible in a different translation each time you finish it. Cycle through a few different translations. At the very least, cycle through three different kinds of translations: (1) a formal equivalence translation (aka literal aka word for word) like the KJV, NKJV, NASB, LSB, ESV; (2) a functional equivalence translation like the NLT; and (3) a mediating translation like the CSB or NIV or NET.
* Get a reader's Bible. When chapters, verses, headings, footnotes, cross references, and other extras are removed (by the way, chapters and verses have only been around for a few hundred years, they're not in our oldest manuscripts of the Bible, and the others have been around even less time), and the entire text of the Bible is in single column paragraph format, I find it really helps to see the Bible as a single coherent story. Plus it's just an aesthetically pleasing experience to read the Bible like a novel or similar. Nothing wrong with chapters, verses, headings, cross references, etc., but they make the Bible look more like an encyclopedia, which is good for studying, but not for simple reading.
* Read the Bible in a different order. Nothing wrong with the traditional order of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. However, the Old Testament (OT) wasn't in the order that Jesus and the apostles knew. And the early church may have known a different order for the New Testament (NT). Jesus's Bible would've been something like the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The NT might've been arranged according to something like: the Pauline circle (Luke-Acts, the letters of Paul); the Petrine circle (Mark, 1-2 Peter), the Johannine writings (John, 1-3 John, Revelation), and Hebraica (Matthew, Jude, Hebrews, James). Likewise we can see Josephus mention different orders for the OT and the Babylonian Talmud mention a different order as well (e.g. the Law, the Former Prophets, the Latter Prophets, the Former Writings, the Latter Writings). As for the NT, the early church father Athanasius mentions a different order than our traditional NT order. Of course, the Bible is the Word of God and divinely inspired or God-breathed, but the order of the books of the Bible isn't divinely inspired.
That's really awesome input, thanks a lot for sharing those ideas. Your comment is timely as I've been thinking a lot over the past few days about doing a video on the importance of utilizing a basket of translations when studying (as well as looking at the original languages). Sometimes, all it can take is a slight rephrasing of a particular passage of Scripture to completely open up your understanding.
I do agree with your input. For me it never made sense to start to read the bible from other point then the beginning.
But I do not agree with your time frame. Personally, I do not believe there is a time frame. For some people, a chapter is easy to understand, and they can read a book very quickly, and get a lot, for others it takes time, and it must be enough time a person needs to read and understand it.
For some 5 minutes is a lot, for others it isn’t even enough to sit at the table and have the mind frame to start reading it.
What everyone has and gives is personal business between that person and God and is not to be justified or explained to anyone.
In my case, only when I stopped having goals to finish or read a book in the bible is when I really started to understand and to make some sense of what I was reading. So, in my mind, God doesn’t like rush people.
I already read through the bible, first page to last page, twice, but only now, that I don’t have a time schedule of frame, I am starting to really immerse and understand it. God gives the same exact 24h to everyone, but what we do with it is different for every single person .
Hi Helena, thank you so much for your comment.
The time frame recommendation mentioned in the video has nothing to do with rushing through for the sake of speed - I recommended reading in that manner because it will increase one's understanding. Reading 5 minutes per day is insufficient and will never result in the type of understanding that one can gain by compressing a full reading of the Scriptures into a shorter time frame. When you devote more time each day to studying and compress your reading into a shorter time frame, things are fresher in your mind and it's far easier to make valuable (and necessary) connections.
Yes, there are certainly times when you put the brakes on and may even spend several days or weeks on a single chapter, but if we're talking about a cover-to-cover reading of the Scriptures, this is the best way to accomplish it in my experience (assuming your goal is to form a fuller understanding of what God's Word really says).
Hopefully that clarifies things a bit better...
This channel is a blessing. Could you make a video on how to use the Strong's concordance and/or the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge please? I picked them up a couple months ago and still kinda struggle using them
I always appreciate your kind comments and I'm really happy that you're finding the videos helpful. I do have plans to do a vid on Strong's...
Thanks 🙏 so much for this for I new again at this for I’ve knew GOD all my life but GOD pulled me this time and he tucked at my heart thankfully bleeding but this is helpful for I love the sound of ur voice realizing clear really good as well ur great to help others in there journey enjoy ur videos glad to see the mix up on ur channel enjoyable I need all I the help but I’m seeing things more clear more than ever so blessed for that but still on the milk can’t wait to get to more and more of Gods word study do all the things any good pointers I want to read the Bible this chronological this year but I have not read it fully all the way yet so any help on this suggestion welcome thks so much happy new year hope this finds u blessed 😊
@@vickiefoley2376 Hi Vickie, thank you very much for the nice comment. Too often, we overcomplicate things and end up never accomplishing what we set out to do. Keep things simple and don't lay your head down at night until you've finished your reading portion for the day. Start in Genesis and work your way through, book by book. There are no secrets or shortcuts - this is the only way that we can ever come to a proper understanding of what God's message to us really is.
Also, get started today! Don't put it off, as delays inevitably lead to inaction.
Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you in your studies and believe (and obey) what you read... even if it goes against what others teach. This is the path that leads to life.
Great video. You should do a video on what translations you like. What Bible is that in the video?
Thanks a bunch for the nice comment and the future video idea. The two translations that I spend the most time in are the NKJV and ESV, although I have a large number of translations in my Bible app that I use for comparison when studying. The Bible that you asked about is the ESV1 LB from R.L. Allan...
You are absolutely correct. 5 minutes a day to read God’s Word is not sufficient. I plan on the 120 day Bible reading 1/1/24. I am a beginner and did 365 day Bible reading for 2023. I will finish on 12/31. The 90 day or 120 day would have been better for 2023.
Congratulations, Alida! That's so wonderful to hear. I would highly recommend doing the 120-day plan three times in a row for the upcoming year - you will be absolutely blown away by how much your year-over-year understanding of the Word will have grown.
@@BibleReviewers that’s my plan. 🙏🏻
What do you think about KJV OR KJV 1611 ONLY?
Thanks for your comment. I'm not a KJV-only guy. Having said that, the KJV is a good (not perfect) translation. I highly recommend using a variety of translations when you study and definitely get into the habit of looking at the Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek that's below the surface of your English translation.
Good advice. I agree about starting in Genesis. I feel some Christians try to stay away from the OT. Btw what Bible is that? God bless!
Hi Tim, thanks a bunch for your comment. The Bible is the ESV1 LB from R.L. Allan.
Hello I left a Message I somehow left it under another one so hope you can see it for this is my second one thks
Hi Vickie, don't worry. I replied to your main comment. 🙂
The FEMALE minister of my church couldn't believe I was reading the OT. I did start at the beginning.
Great job, Mel. This is the one and only way to do it. Keep going! 🙂