What is the best resource for learning to understand the bible?

Biblewriter · Sep 3, 2019

Books can be a big help. But only if they are by reliable teachers. And many people recommend many unreliable teachers. So you cannot base your choice on recommendations from anyone.

But there is one book that is TOTALLY reliable. And that is the Bible itself. Try just studying that. I tire of all the people trying to tell us HOW to study the Bible. Study it just like you would study any other book, except keeping one difference in mind. This book, the Bible, comes from the Holy Spirit of God himself. And as such, it is not only totally reliable, but wholly connected. A passage, for instance, in EPHESIANS may be explained by, or may explain, a passage in, for instance DEUTERONOMY. (And I am not even suggesting a relationship between any two specific passages. I am only stating a general principle.) For this reason, a Bible with marginal references is helpful. for these often point out other places where the Bible discusses the same or similar topics.

My suggestion is to simply read one "thought block," typically one paragraph in Bibles that are so divided. Then just think about what God was actually saying in that passage. If you keep doing this on a daily basis, you will gradually come to understand the overall message.

☦Marius☦ · Sep 3, 2019

Don't get frustrated! All I will say is that it is a lot to study, and just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you will instantly have understanding of all scripture (contrary to what some believe). Worry less about whether you are getting the full meaning and just focus on reading the NT for now. Study Christ's teachings, especially the sermon on the mount, try to pray for humility and perhaps you will begin to understand.

Concord1968 · Sep 3, 2019

A really great resource is the Holman Bible Handbook. It's available on Amazon and in Logos.

UkuLadyPDX · Sep 3, 2019

My husband is new to Christ as well. He has found that watching The Free Bible Project videos on youtube has been a great way for him to better understand the bible. I would recommend it.

Bcs90 said:
I am trying to find my faith and lacking understanding although I pray for understanding and wisdom very often.. but I don't feel "transformed" I'm like "Lord COME ON!! Destroy my will and let your will reign in soverignity over my life and let me be flooded with the holy spirit!" I'm still waiting though, don't feel like I'm "reborn". Although I will say my life is better than when I was atheist and although I'm quite discouraged I don't plan on giving up..

I need to learn how I can study the bible on my own time though.. yes some of you will say go join some kind of study group..etc. and I very well may do that in the future but with my schedule right now, I'm working non-stop long shifts overnights and have to try to sleep during the day and I need a way to study and understand the bible on my own terms and time right now.. I am listening to christian podcasts/sermons with my headphones at work which is helpful, I do listen/read the actual bible though too but for me the podcasts are far less intimidating to me since I can understand most of what they are talking about since they explain things.. But I'm also limited to learning only what they are choosing to address instead of being able to open the bible myself to whatever page and be able to find understanding and wisdom in that because I guess I was not blessed with being able to understand God's word.

On the podcast I've been listening to, they talk about bibles with footnotes to help better understand and pointers that show the connections in the bible? Where can I find something like this that I can download and read/listen on my phone? Thank you!

My

eleos1954 · Sep 3, 2019

Bcs90 said:
I am trying to find my faith and lacking understanding although I pray for understanding and wisdom very often.. but I don't feel "transformed" I'm like "Lord COME ON!! Destroy my will and let your will reign in soverignity over my life and let me be flooded with the holy spirit!" I'm still waiting though, don't feel like I'm "reborn". Although I will say my life is better than when I was atheist and although I'm quite discouraged I don't plan on giving up..

I need to learn how I can study the bible on my own time though.. yes some of you will say go join some kind of study group..etc. and I very well may do that in the future but with my schedule right now, I'm working non-stop long shifts overnights and have to try to sleep during the day and I need a way to study and understand the bible on my own terms and time right now.. I am listening to christian podcasts/sermons with my headphones at work which is helpful, I do listen/read the actual bible though too but for me the podcasts are far less intimidating to me since I can understand most of what they are talking about since they explain things.. But I'm also limited to learning only what they are choosing to address instead of being able to open the bible myself to whatever page and be able to find understanding and wisdom in that because I guess I was not blessed with being able to understand God's word.

On the podcast I've been listening to, they talk about bibles with footnotes to help better understand and pointers that show the connections in the bible? Where can I find something like this that I can download and read/listen on my phone? Thank you!

You might find studying the bible topically at first. Here are a couple resources you might find helpful.

Here you can run searches on various topics. Upper left-hand corner you can change the search. This searches both the OT and the NT giving one a broad overview topically ... not all verses will apply ... but many will.

What Does the Bible Say About Studying The Bible?

Here are bible study tools .... one can bring up many translations for comparison and also greek and hebrew lexicons available .... and concordance ... very easy to use. Sometimes going into the greek and hebrew can add great clarity to difficult verses.

Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages

Studying the bible is learning precept upon precept.

Isaiah 28:10

10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little

Never give up ... never ;o) Dedicate time to it.

Keep in mind ... you being new to the faith ... the evil one will do everything possible to try and discourage you.

nChrist · Sep 4, 2019

Get a good Bible Study system that has a variety of materials (i.e. dictionary, commentary, devotions, topical studies, good Bibles, etc.). I highly recommend:

e-Sword: Free Bible Study for the PC | Downloads
The first step is to download e-Sword. There is a menu item in e-Sword called "download", and you can get many more free resources there. This site belongs to the author of e-Sword, Rick Meyers. There are hundreds of free modules for use with e-Sword, but be prepared to pay reasonable fees for new materials that still require royalty payments.

Latest e-Sword Downloads, Modules, Utilities, and News - e-Sword News, Downloads, and Forums - www.BibleSupport.com
Everything is free here - literally thousands of free modules for e-Sword. I must add that many of the best and most professional resources for e-Sword are free.

Find a quiet place in your home to study, somewhere you won't be interrupted every 5 minutes. Shut off the music, television, and anything else that can divert your attention. Most importantly - pray and ask God to send His Holy Spirit to help you understand your studies.

A.ModerateOne · Sep 5, 2019

Bcs90 said:
I am trying to find my faith and lacking understanding although I pray for understanding and wisdom very often.. but I don't feel "transformed" I'm like "Lord COME ON!! Destroy my will and let your will reign in soverignity over my life and let me be flooded with the holy spirit!" I'm still waiting though, don't feel like I'm "reborn". Although I will say my life is better than when I was atheist and although I'm quite discouraged I don't plan on giving up..

I need to learn how I can study the bible on my own time though.. yes some of you will say go join some

I would not advise a new Christian believer to use the so-called "Study Bibles". There has been so much garbage labeled "Christian" that began to show up in the 19th century. I'd recommend going the older tried and true method, the Catechism. I would suggest a couple for you to consider.

The Heidelberg Catechism

https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/HeidelbergCatechism.pdf

Baptist version of the Heidelberg Catechism

https://www.thecalvinist.net/etc/1680 Orthodox Catechism (Hercules Collins).pdf

I happen to be a Particular Baptist in belief, the 1646 First London Confession of Faith; but if someone really wants a study Bible, I recommend the one by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Be sure it is the LCMS.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Lutheran...567702090&s=books&sprefix=luth,aps,165&sr=1-2

dqhall · Sep 5, 2019

Bcs90 said:
I am trying to find my faith and lacking understanding although I pray for understanding and wisdom very often.. but I don't feel "transformed" I'm like "Lord COME ON!! Destroy my will and let your will reign in soverignity over my life and let me be flooded with the holy spirit!" I'm still waiting though, don't feel like I'm "reborn". Although I will say my life is better than when I was atheist and although I'm quite discouraged I don't plan on giving up..

I need to learn how I can study the bible on my own time though.. yes some of you will say go join some kind of study group..etc. and I very well may do that in the future but with my schedule right now, I'm working non-stop long shifts overnights and have to try to sleep during the day and I need a way to study and understand the bible on my own terms and time right now.. I am listening to christian podcasts/sermons with my headphones at work which is helpful, I do listen/read the actual bible though too but for me the podcasts are far less intimidating to me since I can understand most of what they are talking about since they explain things.. But I'm also limited to learning only what they are choosing to address instead of being able to open the bible myself to whatever page and be able to find understanding and wisdom in that because I guess I was not blessed with being able to understand God's word.

On the podcast I've been listening to, they talk about bibles with footnotes to help better understand and pointers that show the connections in the bible? Where can I find something like this that I can download and read/listen on my phone? Thank you!

I read the Gospels, Acts and epistles repeatedly. Looked at maps, Biblical geography, Biblical archaeology, Roman era Judaism, Deuteronomy, kings, prophets, Psalms & Proverbs. There is quite a lot on the Internet if you can pray for search terms.

Rev. Timothy Hafner · Sep 23, 2019

Your own mouth:
If you have a Bible, read it aloud. The kinetic movement of your mouth and the audible sound will assist your memory. The visual component comes along with the words you see.

You can look for various study guides as far as which books to read. I personally read a chapter from the books of Moses, the historical books, the wisdom writings, the major prophets, the minor prophets, the gospels and the letters. (so seven chapters). Some people like to read whole books before going on to another. The key is exposure.

You also can call up a pastor and just ask, just call a church. Find another pastor if he tells you that you should not read the Bible.

faroukfarouk · Mar 18, 2020

Mel333 said:
Since the OT is written in Hebrew and the NT in Greek, I found this resource helpful for understanding the original language of the bible and English interpretation.

The Ancient Hebrew Research Center

Hi; so do you read Hebrew? good effort if you do...

Mel333 · Mar 18, 2020

faroukfarouk said:
Hi; so do you read Hebrew? good effort if you do...

Yes a little but I like to rely on the Christian intellects to do the interpretations. ie scholars, researchers, the ones who can read Hebrew & Greek well.

It’s good to know the meaning of words in Hebrew and the bible’s history & context.

Otherwise, people can end up interpreting however they like.

faroukfarouk · Mar 18, 2020

Mel333 said:
Yes a little but I like to rely on the Christian intellects to do the interpretations. ie scholars, researchers, the ones who can read Hebrew & Greek well.

It’s good to know the meaning of words in Hebrew and the bible’s history & context.

Otherwise, people can end up interpreting however they like.

I take your point, yes. It's what the whole idea of historical-grammatical interpretation entails.

John42 · Mar 24, 2020

GotQuestions website

John Helpher · Apr 7, 2020

Bcs90 said:
but with my schedule right now, I'm working non-stop long shifts overnights and have to try to sleep during the day and I need a way to study and understand the bible on my own terms and time right now..

This is at least a major part of the problem right here. Jesus actually addresses this very issue quite plainly. He said we cannot work for God and money at the same time without cheating on one or the other. He said we will love one and hate the other. He said we should not allow fear regarding paying the bills stop us from stepping out in faith. He said all the world chases after these material things, but that we should not be like them. Instead, our new job is to seek his kingdom, first (meaning all the values and principles behind that Kingdom) and that God will take care of anyone who decides to step out in faith.

What you're going through right now is the impracticality of trying to serve two employers. If you want to follow Jesus, then you should quit your job and start following him. If what you want to do is to keep working for money, then you should quit trying to follow Jesus and set your mind to making money; you can't do both at the same time.

SteveIndy · Apr 7, 2020

Bcs90 said:
I am trying to find my faith and lacking understanding although I pray for understanding and wisdom very often.. but I don't feel "transformed" I'm like "Lord COME ON!! Destroy my will and let your will reign in soverignity over my life and let me be flooded with the holy spirit!" I'm still waiting though, don't feel like I'm "reborn". Although I will say my life is better than when I was atheist and although I'm quite discouraged I don't plan on giving up..

I need to learn how I can study the bible on my own time though.. yes some of you will say go join some kind of study group..etc. and I very well may do that in the future but with my schedule right now, I'm working non-stop long shifts overnights and have to try to sleep during the day and I need a way to study and understand the bible on my own terms and time right now.. I am listening to christian podcasts/sermons with my headphones at work which is helpful, I do listen/read the actual bible though too but for me the podcasts are far less intimidating to me since I can understand most of what they are talking about since they explain things.. But I'm also limited to learning only what they are choosing to address instead of being able to open the bible myself to whatever page and be able to find understanding and wisdom in that because I guess I was not blessed with being able to understand God's word.

On the podcast I've been listening to, they talk about bibles with footnotes to help better understand and pointers that show the connections in the bible? Where can I find something like this that I can download and read/listen on my phone? Thank you!

Your dilemma is very common among the majority of Christians. Jesus did not make His requirements difficult, it is we who make it difficult. Most Christians want God to take them by force, even against their own will but that is very rare and you should not count on Him doing that. John 7:17 says, "Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." The truth is that these Christians do not have the faith necessary to please God. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ” Faith means "Following Jesus" and not feeling sorry for your sins. The only way we can substantiate our belief system is to "choose" to do the will of the Father then doing it. Seek to know God's will; are you willing to be tested; God will test you.

What is the best resource for learning to understand the bible?

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