How to Understand the Bible: A Quick Guide for Catholics

So, start with books that are easy to read like the Gospels. They’re easy-to-read narratives that give you a deeper insight into Jesus’ life and ministry. Then proceed with the Epistles and some books in the Old Testament like Psalms and Genesis. And when you have gained a thorough historical and biblical background, you can proceed to more complicated texts like Revelations and Leviticus.

Taking into account the genre of each books will help you figure out where to start too. As I said, each book of the Bible has different genres. As such, they not only differ in message but also in the way they’re presented. If you’re fond of poetry, then the Psalms might be an easier jump off point. Or if you’re into history, you might find books like Joshua and Esther to be a great way to introduce yourself to the Bible.

3. Read Consistently

If you’re putting off scanning the bible because you think it will take time, don’t. Even just spending 5 minutes a day reading a bible passage can get you far. As long as you do it consistently. Just think about it: if you spend 5 minutes a day, then you’ll have read the bible for 2.5 hours in a month. And in a year, you’ll have spent over 30 hours poring over God’s words. That’s more than an entire day of reading the Bible. You’d probably finish reading an entire book or two by that time. Imagine how many more you can read if you increase it to 10 or 15 minutes a day.

4. Read the Bible as a Community

God’s words are better understood if you read the bible as a community. So if you can, join a local bible study group. That way, you’ll have other people guide you when things become too complicated to understand. They’ll also be able to help you come up with different scripture reading and bible study methods that will better suit your schedule or learning style.

5. Mark Up Your Bible

Don’t be afraid to mark up your bible. God’s words are holy but the paper it’s written on isn’t. So it’s perfectly alright to highlight passages and write notes in your bible if it helps you understand it more.

6. Read the Entire Bible In Order At Least Once

If you’re done reading most of the books in the bible, it doesn’t hurt to read the bible in sequence at least once. The bible is one long story and you’ll appreciate it more if you get the entire picture.

How to Understand Bible Passages

When you’re done reading, next comes understanding the Bible passages you’ve read. As you probably know, the bible can be tricky to understand. Since the texts have been translated into so many languages, many of their original meanings have been lost in translation. So we can’t really take all its words literally.

Here’s how you can better internalize biblical passages:

1. Take the Verses of the Bible in Context

As mentioned, the bible is a compilation of books with different genres: history, poetry, letters, and journals among others. Each book has different authors and intended audiences.

So when you’re trying to understand the bible, don’t just take a few verses and interpret it on its own. Understand the context by which it was written. Take into consideration the chapter it belongs to and on which book you found that passage. This will help you place the text on a bigger picture and the overall message that the author wants to convey.

Also, remember that the bible was written more than 2,000 years ago. A lot has changed in our society and way of life since then. This is especially true if you’re reading the Old Testament. You’ll most likely encounter accounts of killings, beheadings, and other morbid stuff that are guaranteed to offend our modern sensibilities. But don’t take them literally. The authors lived at a time that’s very different from ours and its original audience adheres to a different set of moral codes. Instead, look at the bigger picture and understand the intent of the author.

2. Use a Study Bible

If you’re really struggling to get the gist of the passage you’re reading, a study bible can help. It’s specially designed to help you understand the scriptures more clearly as you go through them. It usually contains notes for interpretations of biblical symbols, bible commentary, contextual introductions, and even maps to give you a visual of biblical locations.

3. Download Bible Study Apps

If you want to understand God’s words but are not a fan of bulky books, bible study apps are for you. It’s basically a study bible but a little more handy. It has a digitized version of the bible with multiple translations, commentaries, bible trivia, and even scripture reading plans.

4. Read With the Right Attitude

Keeping an open mind will help a lot. Don’t open your bible unless you are really willing to learn and are ready to accept God’s message. Otherwise, it will just be a waste of your time. Remember that the Holy Spirit only comes to those who welcome Him. You can read the bible the entire day or week, but it will all be for naught if you don’t have the humility to accept God’s words.

5. Ask Questions

One of God’s greatest gifts to humans is free will. He gave us the capacity to think and not just accept things as it is. So if you stumbled upon something in the bible that doesn’t really make sense to you, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Why did Jesus allow his apostles to suffer? Why did God choose an adulterer and murderer like David to become king? Asking questions like these will allow you to gain a deeper insight into God’s words than if you will just lean on your own understanding.

Why Is It Important to Understand the Bible?

First off, it’s a complete waste of time to read something without ever intending to understand it. You read books to gain knowledge and understand things that you didn’t know before. This is why understanding the Bible is important, much more than reading it.

Yes, it’s hard to understand the Bible at times. There are even moments where the books in the Bible contradict themselves. But reading and understanding the Bible has a lot of benefits.

For one, what you read affects your thoughts. Just think about that time you were reading a really good and inspiring book. What did you feel afterwards? Your head is probably brimming with positive thoughts. So what do you think happens when you read God’s words every single day? That’s right. Understanding the Bible helps you understand God much better which, in turn, brings you closer to Him.

Another reason why it’s important to study the Bible is because it provides guidance. We seek to understand the Bible in the same way a mechanic seeks to understand a repair manual – to get an idea of how things should be done. And God’s words teaches us a lot about life. It not only shows us how to strengthen our faith but also how we can become more worthy of God’s love.

So the next time you open your Bible, read it with an end in view of understanding it. For understanding is the beginning of faith. And its only when you understand the Bible that you can believe it, obey it, and apply its message in your life.