How to Read (and Understand) the Bible

Approximate Reading Time: 7 minutes

(This article also includes a 2-part podcast discussion. Click the play buttons below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.)

Reading the Bible is hard. Understanding it can be nightmarish. It’s long, confusing, and says really weird stuff. Sometimes people can’t even agree on what a single sentence means! However, there’s a way to enrich our time in God’s word, understand what we’re reading, and develop a deeper relationship with Christ all at once. Let’s talk about how to read the Bible well.

Laying Some Groundwork

Before we start, we need to discuss two important things about the Bible. The first is that it’s written by men but was divinely inspired by God Himself (2 Timothy 3:16). This is a critical distinction because it leaves no room for personal interpretation. If God inspired the words, we need to know why He gave them to us.

The second thing we must remember is that the Bible is a historical book. When we don’t keep this in mind, this sacred book quickly becomes a list of bullet points divorced from a much bigger picture.  When reading any historical text, whether the Bible or Plato’s Republic, we must filter our interpretation through the text’s time period, culture, and purpose. Only then can we get a better appreciation for why an author said what they said.

Modern literary critics will argue that a text’s meaning is subject to how it makes an individual reader feel. Yet is an author’s original, objective meaning really subject to the whims of our emotional response? When we fail to read the Bible in its proper context, we may fail to see the true majesty of our God.

A 3 step process

So often, we read the Bible as though it’s speaking directly to us in our modern setting. However, we must read the Bible in its historical context if we hope to understand the true meaning of what God has given us. We can break this down into three steps.

I’ll be honest, Step 1 was very difficult for me when I first learned how to read the Bible well, while Step 2 and 3 will follow almost instantly. It takes time and may even require us to talk to more learned believers in our lives. But that can never be a bad thing.

For many of us, it’s much easier to open the Bible and say, “What does this mean to me? How does this make me feel?” However, our warning against twisting scripture remains clear (2 Peter 3:16). By seeking to understand the original intent in what we read, even if we do so imperfectly, we’re able to gain a greater appreciation for our savior.

What we’re discussing has a fancy name that you may have heard: exegesis. It sounds nerdy, but all it means is to discover the author’s original meaning behind what they wrote. Exegesis is simply being responsible readers.

So how do we do exegesis?

Step 1: The Original Audience

Before we can understand what was said, we need to know the context. What was the audience like when this was written? There can be a lot to consider, but the basic questions we can ask are:

• Who is saying this?
• Who are they talking to?
• Why are they saying it?
• What did this mean to those who heard it?

But there’s no need to be abstract about all of this. Let’s try this out on Jeremiah 29:11, which you can find on any coffee mug at your local Christian bookstore.

For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.

Without understanding the context of this verse, it seems very empowering. “God has plans for my life! He only wants good things for me! My future will be filled with success!” And if we jump straight to Step 3, that makes sense. But let’s briefly consider our four questions.

Who is saying this? God is speaking to Jeremiah, the author of the book. While books by prophets can sometimes have very metaphorical language, reading everything before this verse leaves no doubt that this has a very direct meaning. So far, so good.

Who are they talking to? Although God is talking directly to Jeremiah, the “you” here references the nation of Israel (Jer. 29:4). Specifically, He’s addressing those who were in captivity in Babylon.

Why are they saying it? This is where the true beauty of this passage begins to surface. Just reading the previous verse (Jer. 29:10) lets us know that God’s not trying to make anyone go home with a smile. Yet what God says in our verse seems to be a positive thing… so what’s the deal?

Israel was exiled to Babylon after being conquered. At the time, false prophets were rising up and saying that their exile would end soon. God put a stop to that (Jer. 29:8-9) and instead told them what they didn’t want to hear: Settle down and build a life for yourselves because you’ll be here another 70 years. Why? Because despite everything seeming hopeless, God knew what he was doing. He was using this to restore Israel’s relationship with God (Jer. 29:12-14).

What did this mean to those who heard it? It’s not hard to imagine the initial reaction. God was leaving them there for 70 years! And yet God revealed His plans to them as well.

He wasn’t abandoning them in their wickedness. His people had turned to other gods (2 Kings 21:1-9), and they showed no signs of repentance on their own. Yet despite that, God chose to treat those He loved with mercy far beyond what they deserved. Their self-imposed suffering would be used for their redemption.

That’s step 1 of exegesis. That wasn’t too bad, right? With some extra reading, we now know the true purpose behind Jeremiah 29:11. It doesn’t quite have the “warm fuzzies” often attached to it, but we aren’t done yet. Since all Scripture is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), let’s move on to what we can learn from this.

Before Step 2, let’s get humble

We’ve discussed that the Bible is a divinely inspired, historical text. Now let’s discuss why the Bible wasn’t written to me or any of us as individuals. We’ve seen how the “you” in Jeremiah 29:11 is speaking to Israel. However, it can be very easy to acknowledge that, then move on and start re-applying the “you” to ourselves.

When we see “you,” “us,” “we,” etc. in the Bible, we need to ask, “who is the author talking about at this moment?” The answer to that question is never our own name. We may be collectively included in some New Testament references to the church or believers, but an author never breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to a future audience.

Why does this matter? Because God isn’t saying He has plans for an individual reading that verse today. He’s not saying all things work together for a single person’s good (Romans 8:28). We are instruments in God’s hands, gladly used for His glory. He has plans for each of us, but God always works for the greater good of His own church and His own glory.

Step 2 – The Timeless Audience

Knowing what we do about Jeremiah 29:11, we can now start finding a practical application. The first thing we must do is extract the essence of this verse. What can all Christians from all times learn here?

This is where our previous warning comes in. It’s easy to jump to “God has plans to prosper Christians! He never wants harm to come to us!” Queue the sound of screeching brakes because we can simply look at the apostles’ deaths to know that God has no problem letting his people come to harm.

Let’s come at it from a new angle: let’s imagine we can travel back in time and eavesdrop on a conversation between God and Jeremiah as they discuss Israel. Pretend this verse has nothing to do with us. What can we take away from hearing this conversation?

• God has a purpose for their suffering (I know the plans I have for you)
• His purpose is for the ultimate good of His people (I have plans to prosper you… to give you a future filled with hope)
• God isn’t malicious; what seems harmful is for their good (…not to harm you…)
• God is sovereign and never forgets them in their sufferings (Jer. 29:10)
• Perhaps most importantly, God’s ultimate goal for his people isn’t physical comfort, but an intimate and pure relationship with Him (Jer. 29:12-14)

And that’s how we figure out what a text means to all people at all times. The question isn’t “What does this say to me?” but rather “What does this reveal about God and how do we live in light of that fact?”

Step 3 – The Modern Audience

Now, finally, we can rightly apply this to our lives. Getting here wasn’t as simple as jumping to an interpretation without considering the bigger picture, but what we’ve learned is so much richer because it magnifies God.

Let’s can ask the question we’ve been patiently waiting for: What does this mean for my own life?

• God doesn’t abandon us to suffering, nor does evil befall His church because He wasn’t able to stop it.
• When He disciplines us for sin, He does so to restore the relationship we’ve shattered.
• He is sovereign over His people, with every joy and sorrow having an ultimate purpose. Sometimes we get to personally enjoy that purpose, but more often than not we won’t see how our suffering produces a greater good for His church (Romans 8:28).

Although often misunderstood, this famous verse truly does exalt God while reminding us to stay humble and obedient (John 3:30). However, the reading process isn’t always easy, and we may still find ourselves getting things wrong. Don’t be discouraged; find joy in studying God’s word and cherish the blessing of talking with fellow believers about what you’re reading.