I have learned a couple of things over the years that have helped me tremendously, and so I wanted to pass those on to you today.
1. First, get a version that you can understand. New Living Translation is a great one to consider. When I worked for Rick Renner a few years back he had told me that it was the closest to the original Hebrew and Greek, in his opinion, after years of studying.
2. Next, understand what you are reading and who is writing it.
The books of Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1st and 2nd Thessalonians are all letters written to the churches of that time.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John will tell you all about Jesus. (Although the entire Bible prophesies and speaks of Him throughout) When you learn about Jesus, you learn about God. Jesus said that if you have "seen him you have seen the father". John is a great place to start.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are all history lessons.
Do you like poetry? The book of Psalms is great. My grandmother read the Bible from cover to cover too many times to count. To her, Proverbs and Psalms were like a "summary" of the Bible. Sort of like "Cliff Notes". Those two books, along with 3 others, are also known as "the books of everyday wisdom or "the writings". So thats Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes,and Songs of Solomon.
3. If you do not understand a scripture, or if it just doesn't make sense...be sure to read the entire book. If you are in Matthew, read the whole book. I know that the Bible is divided up into chapters and verses....but when each book was written originally, it was one continuous thing....not broken up. It was only broken up to help us to find reference points and make it "easier to read".
4. Last but not least....pray before you read and ask God to help you to understand it. Seriously...it makes a difference.
I hope this has helped you today. If it did, please pass it on.
Below is a more detailed breakdown of the books if you want to dig in a little deeper today.
• The Pentateuch
Written more than 3,000 years ago, the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch. The word pentateuch means "five vessels," "five containers," or "five-volumed book." For the most part, both Jewish and Christian tradition credit Moses with primary authorship of the Pentateuch. These five books form the theological foundation of the Bible.
• The Historical Books of the Bible
The next division of the Old Testament contains the Historical Books. These 12 books record the events of Israel's history, beginning with the book of Joshua and the nation's entry into the Promised Land until the time of its return from exile some 1,000 years later. As we read these pages of the Bible, we relive incredible stories and meet fascinating leaders, prophets, heroes and villains.
• The Poetry and Wisdom Books of the Bible
The writing of the Poetry and Wisdom Books spanned from the time of Abraham through the end of the Old Testament. Possibly the oldest of the books, Job, is of unknown authorship. The Psalms have many different writers, King David being the most notable and others remaining anonymous. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs are primarily attributed to Solomon. Also referred to as "wisdom literature," these books deal precisely with our human struggles and real-life experiences.
• The Prophetic Books of the Bible
There have been prophets throughout every era of God's relationship with mankind, but the books of the prophets address the "classical" period of prophecy—during the later years of the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel, throughout the time of exile, and into the years of Israel's return from exile. The Prophetic Books were written from the days of Elijah (874-853 B.C.) until the time of Malachi (400 B.C.). They are further divided by Major and Minor Prophets.
Major Prophets
- Isaiah
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations - Scholarship favors Jeremiah as the author of Lamentations. The book, a poetic work, is placed here with the Major Prophets in English Bibles because of its authorship.
- Ezekiel
- Daniel - In English and Greek Bible translations, Daniel is considered one of the Major Prophets; however, in the Hebrew it is part of "The Writings."
Minor Prophet
• New Testament Books of the Bible
The New Testament is the fulfillment and culmination of the Old Testament. What the prophets of old longed to see, Jesus Christ fulfilled as Israel's Messiah and the Savior of the World. The New Testament tells the story of Christ's coming to earth as a man, his life and ministry, his mission, message, and miracles, his death, burial, and resurrection, and the promise of his return.
• The Gospels
The four Gospels recount the story of Jesus Christ, each book giving us a unique perspective on his life. They were written between A.D. 55-65, with the exception of John's Gospel, which was written around A.D. 85-95.
• The Book of Acts
The book of Acts, written by Luke, provides a detailed, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is considered a New Testament history book about the early church. The book of Acts supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of Jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The work also constructs a link between the Gospels and the Epistles.
• The Epistles
The Epistles are letters written to the first churches and individual believers in the earliest days of Christianity. The Apostle Paul wrote the first 13 of these letters, each addressing a specific situation or problem. Paul's writings constitute about one-fourth of the entire New Testament.
- The Epistles of Paul
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians - Prison Epistle
- Philippians - Prison Epistle
- Colossians - Prison Epistle
- 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy - Pastoral Epistles
- Titus - Pastoral Epistle
- Philemon - Prison Epistle
• The Book of Revelation
This final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is sometimes called "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" or "The Revelation to John." The author is John, the son of Zebedee, who also wrote the Gospel of John. He penned this dramatic book while living in exile on the Island of Patmos, around A.D. 95-96. At the time, the early Christian church in Asia faced an intense period of persecution.
In this book you will find the hope-filled message of salvation in Jesus Christ, the promise of blessing for his followers, and God's ultimate victory and supreme power are the prevailing themes of the book.