How to Learn the Bible

If you are not accustomed to reading the Bible, thinking about trying to learn it can be intimidating.  The Bible is long, was written in a different culture, and demands a lot of thought to understand.  The biggest question when approaching the Bible is where to begin.

Fifteen years ago I was introduced to John MacArthur’s approach to learning the content of the New Testament and failed to put it into practice.  After rediscovering his practice a few years ago, I have implemented it and found it to be an invaluable approach for gaining familiarity with the content of the Bible.

Here is how he approaches reading the Old Testament:
“I read through the Old Testament at least once a year. As I read, I note in the margins any truths I particularly want to remember, and I write down separately anything I don’t immediately understand. Often I find that as I read, my questions are answered by the text itself. The questions to which I can’t find answers become the starting points for more in-depth study using commentaries or other reference tools.”

His approach to reading the New Testament is different:
“I read one book at a time repetitiously for a month or more. I began doing this when I was in seminary, because I wanted to retain what was in the New Testament and not always have to depend on a concordance to find things.”

If you want to try this, begin with a short book, such as 1 John, and read it through in one sitting every day for 30 days. At the end of that time, you will know what’s in that book. Write out on index cards the major theme of each chapter. By referring to the cards as you do your daily reading, you’ll begin to remember the content of each chapter. In fact, you’ll develop a visual perception of the book in your mind.

Here are the strengths that I see to MacArthur’s approach and why I recommend it.
1) It focuses on Bible reading over the long haul.  There is no way to learn the Bible in a week, but by consistent daily reading over the course of years you can learn the message of the Bible fairly well.
2) He rightly recognizes that we must read both Old and New Testaments.  As you read through both testaments, you will see how the Bible builds on itself and the connections between them.
3) Reading one book over the course of thirty days helps to build both familiarity and understanding.  Reading through a book and wrestling with it for a month gets the message of the book into your heart and mind.

Also, here are some ways that I have modified his approach.
1) There are times that I will read an Old Testament book for a month and read through the New Testament more quickly.  I’m reading the Bible for the long term and want to have a greater familiarity with the Old Testament.  Reading a book repeatedly is the best way to do it.  (We’re working through Jonah at Chelsea Village next month, so I’m reading it thirty times in December.)
2) Where MacArthur suggests note cards, I have set up a notebook for every book of the Bible in Evernote and store reading notes there.  Evernote syncs across platforms and I can access my notes any device.
Today is the best day to get started.  What is the first book of the Bible that you are going to read for thirty days?

Related Posts:
“Teaching Proverbs to Your Children”
“One Bible Verse Changed My Life”

For Further Reading:
Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul
40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer