The Holy Bible remains the most popular and most important book in the world.
Author’s note: Not all modern Bibles are the same. The Roman Catholic Bible contains 73 books; the Greek and Russian Orthodox Bible contains 79 books; the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible contains 81 books; the Protestant Bible contains 66 books. Except where noted, we will be discussing the Protestant Bible.
As we saw previously, there are many reasons people read the Bible. We can identify some broad categories:
- Reading for spiritual growth
- Reading for moral/ethical guidance
- Reading for historical research
- Reading for intellectual curiosity
- Textual analysis
- Literary analysis
- Cultural continuity
Given this, there are numerous ways to read the Bible:
- Canonical (in the order the Bible is organized), concentrating on one book at a time
- Chronological (in the order that explores historical connections)
- Devotional
- Study-based reading
- Cover to cover
- Creative ways
- Thematic approaches
- Group Bible studies
- Character-based studies
- Historical/critical studies
Reading in canonical order
The Holy Bible has come down to us, following centuries of copying manuscripts by hand, editing and redacting, and revising the texts. The final order was determined from 1534 CE to 1647 CE. Theologians determined the order after much debate. There were no known Bible critical nor historic scholars at that time. All debate was to determine a “correct” order. A reader would begin reading with Genesis, chapter one, and end with Revelation, chapter 22.
Reading in chronological order
Chronological Order: Reading events as they happened historically, often requiring a special Bible or plan, as it differs from the printed order (e.g., putting prophetic books within historical narratives).
Reading in this manner helps the reader understand the history of events that take place in the various books. There are a number of study Bibles available and Bible guides and concordances that can help the reader better understand the historically significant timelines and historic and textual connections occurring between the individual books and the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament.
Devotional reading
This method is specifically for the reader who wishes to learn from the Bible in order to deepen their faith and gain a better understanding of God’s word for their own comprehension. Devotional reading can be structured or unstructured. There are several structured methods:
These methods focus on the “transformational” aspect of reading, where the goal is personal reflection and spiritual connection. A Gemini query provides the following result:
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading): * The Method: A four-step process of Reading (Lectio), Meditating (Meditatio), Praying (Oratio), and Contemplating (Contemplatio).
Source: This ancient practice dates back to the Desert Fathers (4th Century) and was formally established in the Rule of Saint Benedict (6th Century). It was later refined into the four-step “ladder” by Guigo II, a Carthusian monk, in the 12th century (The Ladder of Monastics).
S.O.A.P. Method:
The Method: An acronym for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.
Source: Popularized by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro in his book The Divine Mentor. It is widely used today in modern evangelical circles for daily journaling.
Ignatian Contemplation:
The Method: Using your imagination to place yourself inside a biblical scene (visualizing the sights, smells, and sounds).
Source: Established by St. Ignatius of Loyola in his 16th-century work, The Spiritual Exercises.
This is certainly an excellent way to read the Bible, full of information to be an inspiration and guide for the person of faith.
Study-based reading
There are a number of study-based approaches to reading the Bible. Study-based approaches tend to center on certain questions such as:
- Who wrote the various books?
- When were they written?
- What was occurring in history before and during their composition?
- What were the authors’ intentions?
- How were the books received?
- Who were the people being written about (we will discuss character-based studies below)?
- What manuscript evidence supports a conclusion?
- How does the text compare with archaeological data (does ‘what’s in the text’ agree with ‘what’s in the ground.’)?
A study guide or concordance is a good place to start a study-based approach.
Cover-to-cover reading
This method is mostly self-explanatory. For a fast reader, it might be a reasonable first approach, to be followed by one of the more in-depth methods. Beginning with Genesis, chapter one and reading straight through to Revelation, chapter 22 is an arduous task for any reader and is probably not the most meaningful approach for most readers. Some considerations include:
- A clear personal understanding of why one is reading the Bible this way.
- The translation being read. (author’s note: The King James Bible has a lot of familiar language for popular passages but it is easy to have difficulty understanding the more obscure passages.)
- The reader’s age and level of familiarity with the Bible as a whole and with specific books in particular.
Creative ways
This is not an exhaustive nor comprehensive list. Many creative methods have been used by readers:
- On-line Bibles and Bible apps
- Simplified Bibles (take caution here. Much of value can be left out)
- Color-coded Bibles
- Children’s Bibles
- Graphic (comic book-style) Bibles
- Audio Bibles
- Dramatizations
- Blogs (Be very cautious here. MANY blogs are selling theological points and opinions by the dozen. Some of these are not worthy of your time. Some blogs are by priests, ministers, or rabbis. Some by university scholars. Some by independent researchers and some by lay people. The reader should be discerning in choosing which blogs to which they wish to engage)
Using these approaches, it is important to take care to know from which translation the method is derived. Different translations were made for different reasons.
Thematic approaches
Thematic approaches can take many shapes and forms. They involve reading to elucidate for the reader how a particular theme is presented between and among books. A few examples include how the various books present a topic or theme:
- The accounts of and references to the Creation
- The accounts of and references to the Flood
- What are the various genealogies in the Bible?
- How is warfare discussed.in the Bible?
- What does the Bible say about the Resurrection of Christ and generally about Resurrection and resuscitation?
- How are women treated in the various periods in Biblical history?
- How are children treated?
- What does the Bible say about marriage?
- What does the Bible say about slavery?
- What does the Bible say about magic?
- Are names important in the Bible?
- Compare the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of Paul.
Almost anything that appears in the text is mentioned more than once. If this seems daunting, a good place to begin is a good study guide.
Group Bible studies
These can be as formal or as informal as the reader chooses. Two or more people can just decide on a topic, book, chapter or passage on which to concentrate.
Many churches offer group studies in many configurations:
- Women’s study groups
- Men’s study groups
- Teens’ or young adults’ study groups
- On-line study groups
There are no hard rules governing how group study can work. This is left to the reader to decide which type(s) of study they wish to pursue. One note of caution: there are many topics of controversy. Unless this is the reader’s point, it might be wise to avoid opinion-charged groups. I have seen many discussion go off the rails quickly.
Character-based studies
These are simply studies which focus on one figure from the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament, following how that figure is discussed throughout the books. How are they introduced? How does that figure interact with other figures? Do Bible authors’ ideas about a particular figure agree or disagree. Some quick examples of character-based studies include:
- Abraham
- Noah
- David
- Solomon
- Ezekiel
- Deborah
- Jeremiah
- Zerubbabel
- Cyrus
- Any of the Apostles
- Caesar Augustus
- Jesus Christ
- Mary, the Mother of Jesus
- Mary Magdalene
- John of Patmos
This list can be never-ending. Character-based studies can take years.
Historical/critical studies
Author’s note: By way of a sort of disclaimer and explainer, critical and historical studies have generated some controversy among Christians and Jews, when reading their books, their lessons and their conclusions about the Bible. Use caution in selecting critical and historical authors, lecturers and podcasters.
“Critical scholarship” does not mean that (any legitimate) scholar is actually negatively criticizing the Bible or the faithful.
Below is a better explanation than I can give:
Biblical criticism is a scholarly, analytical approach to studying the Bible, using literary and historical methods to understand its texts, authorship, origins, and cultural contexts, rather than simply accepting them at face value. It involves various methods like textual criticism (finding the original text), source criticism (identifying sources), form criticism (classifying literary forms like parables), and historical criticism, to explore who wrote it, when, why, and how it developed, laying groundwork for deeper interpretation.
A good explanation is from the Encyclopedia Britannica:
The major types of biblical criticism are: (1) textual criticism, which is concerned with establishing the original or most authoritative text, (2) philological criticism, which is the study of the biblical languages for an accurate knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and style of the period, (3) literary criticism, which focuses on the various literary genres embedded in the text in order to uncover evidence concerning date of composition, authorship, and original function of the various types of writing that constitute the Bible, (4) tradition criticism, which attempts to trace the development of the oral traditions that preceded written texts, and (5) form criticism, which classifies the written material according to the preliterary forms, such as parable or hymn.
Critical and historical scholars, for the most part, are not attempting to persuade, dissuade, or alter anyone’s faith. Some members of the Christian or Jewish faiths see critical and historical study as working against faith.
The scholars who maintain good reputations as being objective can still elicit controversy among many of the faithful. It seems to be that learning and discussion about the historical, textual, and cultural approaches appear to be a threat to faith. This is not generally true. Critical studies can recognize contradictions, inconsistencies and textual puzzles without making threats to faith.
Admittedly, some scholars preach against some Biblical apologists, legitimate scholars simply study the text in translation and in the original sources of these translations which were written in ancient Hebrew, ancient Greek, and ancient Aramaic. These scholars produce papers published in peer-reviewed journals, monographs (often in pdf form), books and online blogs, lectures and debates.
I highly recommend that the reader who consults these scholars delve here with an open mind, ignoring for the time the dogma that some churches insist upon. In my personal experience, there are a few whose works I can recommend with confidence:
- Dr. Bart Ehrman, Professor Emeritus, former Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Ehrman is an expert in ancient Greek and Hebrew. He publishes textbooks, books for lay readers, lectures, lessons and debates. Much of his work can be accessed online. Among his books, he has written seven NY Times best sellers. Dr. Ehrman is likely the pre-eminent scholar of the New Testament that we know.
- Dr, Francesca Stavrakopoulou is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at Exeter University. She is an internationally renowned scholar and award-winning author, specializing in material religion, death studies, and the ancient religious cultures in which the Bible emerged.
- Dr. Joel Baden, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Yale Divinity School. Dr. Baden produces books, lectures, etc. His style is compelling and his knowledge of the Hebrew Bible is profound.
- Dr. Daniel McClellan, author and vast online presence with blogs, quick videos in social media, and books. Dr. McClellan is a former translation supervisor for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
- Dr. Paula Fredriksen is an American historian and scholar of early Christianity. She held the position of William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of Scripture at Boston University from 1990 to 2010. Now emerita, she has been distinguished visiting professor in the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, since 2009. She writes scholarly books and presents lectures.
- Dr. John Hamer, pastor at Centre Place Church in Toronto. He is a thorough lecturer, providing excellent background information for his conclusions.
In summary, there are many ways and approaches to Bible study. I encourage readers to explore these methods and choose from among them, the best methods for them.
Author’s note: I am not a credentialed Bible scholar. I am a lay person who finds the study of the Bible a fascinating enlightenment and a positive companion to faith. I have no wish nor intent to convince anyone of anything. I present these ideas with as much objectivity as I can and a clear understanding that there are many other opinions.
I ask for and welcome any comments, arguments or clarifications.
May God bless the seeker of better understanding.
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