What is God's word? How can I understand it?

Step 4

If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, found a good Bible-preaching church, and been scripturally baptized, then it's time to start growing as a child of God. In order to grow...

You must learn to understand God's word

If you want to grow, stay grounded, and avoid confusion, everything comes back to this simple question... "What does the Bible say?"

What is the Bible?

The Bible is God's written word. A few thousand years ago, God would verbally speak to mankind. Not long after that, he would speak to a prophet and then the prophet would declare God's word to others. Eventually, God began to have certain men physically write down what he was telling them.

As a result, throughout history, we have had:

God speaks directly to man
God speaks to man through a prophet
God speaks to man via his written word (the Bible)

Three different forms... all God's word. Today, the Bible is the only way that God speaks to us. There is no more new content. We have God's completed word. It is not man’s ideas about God—it is God’s revelation to man.

2 Timothy 3:16 - “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

2 Peter 1:21 - “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

The Bible is:

Inspired by God
True and trustworthy
Tested and proven
The final authority for what we believe

Why This Matters

It is always right
It does not need to be updated
It should guide every part of your life

Psalms 119:105 - “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

How to Read the Bible

Many people don’t read the Bible—not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t know where to start. It's a large, intimidating book with over 31,000 verses it it. There are 66 different books; some historical, some poetic, and others are full of prophecy. It's divided into two sections (Old and New Testaments) and seems to have endless stories and characters.

So, where are you supposed to start??

Three Good Places to Start (and why)

1. The Gospel of John

It clearly explains who Jesus is

It focuses on belief and salvation

It includes many foundational doctrines

It builds a personal connection to Jesus

2. The Book of Romans

John says, "Here is who Jesus is... believe in him!"

Romans says, "Here is what true belief means and how salvation works."

It builds a strong doctrinal foundation

It clears up any confusion about works vs faith

3. The Book of Genesis

This is a bit more advanced than John and Romans

It explains where everything came from

It shows the origin and dangerous nature of sin

It introduces God's redemptive plan after sin enters the world

It helps you understand the rest of the Bible

Read a Little Each Day

Consistency matters more than quantity. Too often, we fail to read the Bible because we think we have to read the whole thing in a month. One verse each day is better than none. Eventually, if you are able to be consistent, you will find yourself wanting to read more and more of God's word. The more you read the Bible, the more you will begin to grow.

I Peter 2:2 - “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”

We Recommend You Start With:

1 chapter a day
At a consistent time
Read to Understand—Not Just Finish
- Don’t rush.
Ask questions
- What is happening here?
- What is being taught?
- What does this show about God?
Remove Distractions
- Give God your attention.
Be Consistent

Growth doesn’t come from occasional reading. It comes from daily exposure to God’s Word. One day, you'll be amazed how far this slow and steady growth has taken you. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. The Christians who have a strong walk with God are the ones who spend time in his word.

[Are you 100% sure that you are on your way to heaven? If not, I encourage you to see what the Bible says about How to go to Heaven.]

How to Study the Bible

Reading is a great start, but studying is how you truly begin to learn God's word. People all over the world read the Bible, but very few actually study the Bible.

What Does It Mean to Study?

Slowing down
Thinking carefully
Comparing Scripture with Scripture

2 Timothy 2:15 - “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

A Simple Way to Study

1. Observe

What does the passage say?
Who is speaking?
What is happening?
What is the main point?

2. Understand

What does it mean?
Why was this written?
What truth is being taught?

3. Apply

How does this affect your life?
Is there something to believe?
- Something to change?
- Something to obey?
There are many applications, but only one true interpretation

Let the Bible Interpret Itself

The Bible is consistent. When something seems to be unclear, we should look at the context (surrounding verses/chapters) of what is being said. After you look at the context, if it still unclear, try to compare it to similar passages. Eventually, if done properly, it will begin to make sense. The biggest key to studying the Bible is the stay firmly grounded in the context. Never take a verse out of its context.

Always consider:

What comes before
What comes after
The Bible will never contradict itself
- Example: If the consistent theme of the whole Bible is that faith is the only thing required for salvation, then if you find a verse that seems to disagree with that, the verse is not wrong. Your interpretation of the verse is wrong.

God's word never contradicts itself.

Your entire Christian life will be shaped by how you handle God’s Word. If you read it regularly, understand it properly, and apply it to your life... you will grow. If you don't learn to do these things, you will struggle.

Start reading the Bible daily.

Even if it’s simple.

Even if it’s slow.

Just start.

Once your properly understand the Bible and start reading it on a regular basis, the next step is to learn how to pray to God. Check out Step 5: Learn to Pray.

Bible Study Resources

There are several resources that can help you understand God's word. It's important to not read too many things that tell you what to believe. Instead, try to focus on resources that help you understand definitions and find certain words. This strategy requires more work, but will yield better results.

List of Bible study tools (in order of recommendation)

The King James Bible
1828 Webster's Dictionary
A Concordance
- Thompson Chain Reference Bible
Historical books about the Bible
Bible Commentaries

For a brief description of these resources, watch the video above. Some of these resources require money to purchase, but we do provide online versions of some these resources for free on our Resources page.

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