My Bible is the most precious thing I own!
I look forward to diving into my Bible every day! If I don't make time to do that, I really feel incomplete! In fact, if an inanimate object could be a best friend, my best friend would be my Bible. Of course I haven't always felt that way. In fact, It wasn't until a few years ago that I seriously tried to read one. I was saved as a teenager, but when it came to reading the Bible, I gave up quickly! Luckily , I discovered the wonderfully amazing study Bible! If I had known they existed when I was younger, it most likely would've changed a lot for me.
If you don't know what a study Bible is, it's just what it sounds like. It's regular Bible, but with notes that explain the context of the verses you're reading. (GAME CHANGER!!)
So, here are some things to know about your Bible:
THE BIBLE HAS 66 BOOKS
What are "books"? Um...the Bible is a book though...
Yes! But think of the Bible as a library. Or, a series. All my fellow bookworms love a series, right? There are many authors of the Bible. Some of them wrote more that one book.
The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament is everything that happened before Jesus was born. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
Some of the books are named after the author. Others are named by the subject or who it's written for, etc. For example, Genesis is the first book . The word Genesis means 'beginning'. The book of Matthew was written by one of Jesus' disciples, named Matthew. He was also called 'Levi'. Lots of people in the Bible have different names. But, we won't get into that for now. 1 Corinthians (one of the letters)
was written by Paul to the church in Corinth.
There are also groups of the Bible:
THE OLD TESTAMENT
Law: (Also called the Pentateuch) Includes Genesis through Deuteronomy
History: Begins with Joshua and ends with Esther
Poetry: Begins with Job and ends with the Song of Solomon
Major Prophets: Isaiah through Daniel
Minor Prophets: Hosea through Malachi
THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament. These are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospels are also called The Good News because these books tell about the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus; the reason we are offered everlasting life. These are also recommended as a starting place for new Christians who are beginning to read the Bible.
Early church history: Acts
Letters: Roman through Jude. These are called letters because they were originally written as letters to the church or individuals.
Prophecy: Revelation.
WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW ALL OF THIS??
You don't! Unless you're planning to participate in an intense Bible trivia game and you really want to win! So, what do you really need to know now?
1) How to find verses.
For example, John 3:16 --John is the book in the Bible. The colon separates the chapter number and the verse number. So,3 is the chapter number in the book of John and 16 is the the verse number.
2) Where to start? You can start anywhere in the Bible you want, however; most people recommend starting in the beginning of the New Testament in book of Matthew.
There are a few reasons for this. First, the New Testament is most helpful for how you should live your life as a Christian. Not that the Old Testament is null and void, as some people think. Sure there are laws in the Old Testament that we don't follow today. For example, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we don't have to make animal sacrifices to atone for our sins. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for us. However, the Ten Commandments come from the Old Testament and those are definitely meant to be obeyed forever. Second, the New Testament is much easier to read and it's full of comforting verses, whereas the Old Testament is full of genealogy and old laws, as I stated earlier. That being said, some verses are still challenging to understand, which is why I will stress again that a study Bible is extremely helpful!
3) PRAYER --Sometimes I still forget to do this but it's very important to pray before you start reading. Ask God to give you guidance and discernment for wisdom and understanding. Afterall, He is the ultimate author of the Bible.
4) PATIENCE-- Don't rush it! Take time to reflect on the verses as you read them. Think about how they apply to your life. It might even be frustrating t first, but the more you read , the more understanding you will gain.
5) Never stop reading your Bible! I can read parts that I've read before and each time I get a new perspective on it. Your Bible will be your lifelong companion and the rewards you will receive will be priceless!
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