The Bible can be difficult to understand. Sometimes scripture is clear, direct, and easy to grasp. Other times, it can be vague, indirect, and harder to understand. When you read scripture, you may get something completely different out of it from the last time you read it. This is not because the meaning of the scripture changed—it's because you are different. You are in a different place. You have grown or regressed in various areas of your life. God speaks to you through his word to meet you where you are at that time. There is the overall meaning of a verse, and then there may be something God uses in that verse to speak to you in your current situation.
Sometimes, reading the Bible can seem so complicated that it feels easier to not even pick it up. However, God wants you to read his word. He wants you to understand it. He wants you to learn about him and who he is. I've put together a few tips on how to make reading the Bible a little easier to understand. These are things I have found helpful for me personally.
1. Pray
Pray that God will help you understand his Word. In his Word, God reveals who he is—his will, his ways, and his overall character. You can pray for him to reveal more of himself through his Word. The more you get to know him, the more you understand him and his Word. Jesus told his disciples in John 14:25-26:
"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
You can also pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand God's Word better.
2. Read Out Loud
Studies show that reading something out loud helps you to digest it more easily—it is easier to learn and to retain. Romans 10:17 says:
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
The more you read God's Word out loud, the more your faith in God increases. The more you get to know him, your trust in him increases as well. You will find it easier to trust him to reveal what he wants you to get from what you are reading.
3. Memorize Scripture
When we memorize facts, we retain them more easily and are able to recall them more readily. The more we read God's Word, read it out loud, and memorize Scripture, we are getting it into our hearts. We learn in Luke 6:45:
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."
The more you read God's word, you are storing his word in your heart. This will influence the words you speak.
4. Read Different Versions of the Bible
While the scripture is the same, each version—or translation—is slightly different. Sometimes it can be drastically different in how it is presented. By reading multiple versions, you can get a fuller and richer understanding of what the scripture means.
5. Read the Summary of Each Book
As you read each book of the Bible, they all start with a summary of the book. You learn the author, date, historical context, the audience, and key themes. You also have an outline of each book. These things are important to keep in mind when you read Scripture.
In some cases, scripture is relevant for all times in history. However, in other cases there is a historical context that does not apply to us—but very much applied to the time that the book was written. For example, in Ephesians there is scripture addressed to slaves. In our time, we don't have slavery. But our view of slavery is based on the historical context of slavery in our country and what that meant. Slavery in this particular case was different. In their day and age, you could make yourself a slave to pay off something—similar to what we would call an indentured servant. So if we applied our understanding of slavery, we may misunderstand the scripture. These are just a few helpful things to keep in mind as you read scripture and seek to understand it.
6. Look Up Verses in the Cross-Reference System
In a lot of Bibles, there is a column in the middle of the page that contains references to other scripture. They may refer to previous scripture in the Bible, or they may reference a topic or a historical event. By looking up these scriptures, you can get a fuller and richer understanding of the verse you are reading.
7. Get a Study Bible
A study Bible has all the things listed above, plus a section at the bottom of each page called study notes. These study notes:
- Explain important words and concepts
- Interpret difficult verses
- Draw parallels between people and events
- Describe historical and textual contexts of passages
- Demonstrate how one passage sheds light on another
These are just a few suggestions on how you can make the Bible easier to understand. Try a few, or all of them. This list is not exhaustive. I encourage you to read the Bible more and let God speak to you. The more you are in God's word, you may find more ways that help you understand the Bible better. God wants you to know and understand him and his word. Trust him and rest assured, he will help you. Why? Because he loves you so much!