The Bible—the Holy Scriptures—is a book of books about God, what we have experienced of God over many centuries, what we have recorded about God’s activities and interactions with Israel and the ancient world.

To those who are unacquainted with the Scriptures, there may be a certain mystique about what the Bible is, what is says, and what it means. At the same time, God longs to be known, and the Bible is one of the means by which God is revealed to us. Here are a few pointers to help new Christians or biblically inexperienced Christians take the plunge into the Bible.

First, and most important—don’t be afraid to read it and try to figure it out on your own. Use a good study Bible with notes and cross-references to help understand customs, terms, history, and context. Since the Bible is one of God’s many ways to speak directly to you, also try to leave your mind and heart open to what that word might be. Then check it out with others you trust.

The Bible is a book of books, written over time. Suffice to say here that much of the Old Testament, at least, was shared as oral history before being written and collected. The events in the Old Testament span several millennia; the New Testament, about two centuries. Keep in mind that the biblical text tends to compress time, as if events happened more quickly or contemporaneously than they did.

The Bible books are not in chronological or historical order (which is sometimes highly inconvenient!). What this means is that you need to do a bit of historical homework by reading the introduction to the biblical book in a good study Bible to help get oriented to the time, cultural location, and so on.

The chapter and line verses were not original to the texts, but added to aid in our reading and organization. Scripture references note the book, then the chapter (if there is more than one), then the verse or verses, such as John 3:16—the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16 or Philemon 10.

Some books have the same name. That I, II, or III before the name of a book means something. There are two letters to the Corinthians, for example, and they are not the same. Another example—there are three short letters ascribed to John that are each different from the Gospel of John.

The Bible means what it means, but not necessarily just exactly what it says. Virtually any specific text is interpreted somehow.

There are some teachings, laws, practices, and portrayals of God that seem troubling and difficult to believe. Some are more benign, like the law against eating pork (Leviticus 11:3-8) or shellfish (11:9-12) and against wearing a garment made of different kinds of fabric (19:19), and Christians typically ignore them. Others are much more difficult. Some seem excessively bloodthirsty (1 Samuel 15:1-3 or Psalm 137:7-9, for example) or contradictory (see for example Matthew 10:34 and John 16:32-33). How do we reconcile all this?

First, we return to the issues of culture and history. As a whole, the Bible portrays a God and Savior of love and grace, of justice and accountability. Any specific text is viewed and interpreted according to the best that scholarship (and God’s speaking) can tell us about it as well as its place in the whole.

Second, depend on the wisdom of the community. The Bible is a book for the community first, not just for any individual.

Third, weigh the text against your best biblical/theological understanding of love, grace, accountability, and justice.

So, in short form, keep these questions in mind:

• What do I think this Scripture passage means?

• What do I know of the history, culture, and context of this passage and time period? How is God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit presented in this passage and is it consistent with the broad range of what we know and have experienced?

• How does it square with a biblical/theological understanding of love, grace, accountability, and justice?

• What might God be saying to the community and also to me through the Bible?

• How does the community confirm (or not) what I think is true about it?

Diana L. Hynson is Director of Learning and Teaching Ministries at the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, TN

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