What's a good way to read the Bible?

   The Bible can be intimidating because it's long, the type is small in many editions, and the story is complicated.  It's an old document, and the events which it narrates are even older, which makes it very unfamiliar to modern readers. 

Here are some suggestions for reading the Bible:

•  Understand how the Bible is structured.  The Bible is not actually a book; it's more like a library.  The
   Catholic Bible consists of 73 books divided into two sections: the "Old Testament" (sometimes called the
   Hebrew Scriptures) and the "New Testment". 
   > The 46 books of the Old Testament consist of a wide variety of literature: myth, history, law, speeches,
   folk wisdom and poetry or songs, mostly written in Hebrew, composed over the 1,100 years before the
   birth of Jesus Christ. They tell the story of God's engagement with the Jewish people up to the birth of
   Jesus. 
   > The 27 books of the New Testament consist of four Gospels, a history, and letters written in Greek
   between the years 60 and 100 after the birth of Christ.  The Gospels give testimony to the life, death and
   resurrection of Jesus Christ; the Book of Acts and letters of Paul and the Apostles tell the story of the
   early Christian community.

• Don't start at the beginning of the Bible and read through to the end, especially if you are just getting
   familiar with the Bible.  The Bible is not like a novel or even a history book; it can be overwhelming if you
   try to read it from start to finish.

• Start with one of the Gospels. The whole of the Bible leads up to, or follows from, the life, death and
   resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the subject of the Gospels. 
   (Mark's Gospel is the oldest and the shortest, so that's a good place to start.  Another option is Luke's
   Gospel, which was written specifically for non-Jews, which includes all of us.)

• Use this process to actually read the book you have chosen:
   1. Start with the Introduction. The Introduction explains the historical and religious context of what is
   contained in the book, the author's intent, and the audience to whom the author was writing.  The
   Introduction also explains the type of literature contained in the book, which is essential to
   understanding the text, especially in the Old Testament.
   2. Then read the whole book from start to finish (not necessarily in one sitting).  Look for the "big
   picture", the general content, how one event follows from another.  By the end you should be able to
   give a general summary of the "story" or the highlights without necessarily giving a lot of details. 
   (Some scripture scholars suggest reading the Scripture outloud or listening to a recording of the
   text.  "The Bible was meant to be heard," Fr. Ronald Witherup says. "It originated as an oral
   tradition."  Hearing the scripture involves the listener more completely than reading it silently.)
   If you want to learn more, follow these two additional steps:
   3. Return to the beginning and re-read the book, chapter-by-chapter.  Now is the time to pay more
   attention to details--the who, what and when of what is happening.  The footnotes which accompany the
   text help explain things that might seem unfamiliar or confusing.  A Scripture commentary such as The
   New Jerome Biblical Commentary, The Collegeville Bible Commentary, or The Paulist Bible Commentary
   can add more details if you are interested.
   4. Then re-read the book again from start to finish, again reviewing the "big picture" and remembering
   the details that you have since learned from closer study.

   This process works well with any book of the Bible, although some of the Old Testament books are
   lengthy and confusing.  Jeff Cavins, author of The Bible Timeline, suggests this selection of essential Old
   Testament readings:
    • The Early Years: read Genesis 1-11.
    • Era of the Patriarchs: read Genesis 12-50.
    • Exodus from Egypt: read the Book of Exodus
    • Conquest and Era of the Judges: read the Books of Numbers, Joshua, Judges, and 1 Samuel 1-8.
    • The Royal Kingdom: read 1 Samuel 9-31, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings 1-11.
    • The Divided Kingdom: read 1 Kings 12-22 and 2 Kings 1-16.
    • Exile: read 2 Kings 17-25.
    • Return from Exile: read the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
    • The Maccabean Revolt: read 1 Maccabees

• Here's another alternative: Use a guide to reading the whole Bible like A Year in the Word--Catholic Bible Journal by Meg Huntr Kilmer (here).

• Remember this: The Sacred Scriptures describe the experience of God's people.  The question about any event or circumstance described in scripture is not How could this happen? or even Did this actually happen?  The question is What is the underlying truth which people experienced and the sacred writers are trying to describe in this event?
   Remember too that Catholics believe Jesus Christ is the fullest revelation given to humankind.  Any other event or circumstance in the Scripture must in some way affirm what Jesus, the Incarnate Word, revealed to us. 
   This is the fundamental and underlying truth of the whole Bible: the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ created the universe out of love, and loves us wholly and unconditionally in spite of our weakness and sinfulness.  When we allow it to conquer human fear or pride, this love enables us to love others, no matter how disagreeable or undeserving they appear to be. This love empowers us to live lives of faith, hope and love--lives characterized by generosity, compassion, gratitude and joy.

More FAQ
• What Is the Best Bible for Catholics?
• What Do Catholics Believe About the Bible?
Learn More
• How Should Catholics Approach Bible Study?
• Lectio Divina--Holy Reading
• Stages of Revelation in the Old Testament
• Recommended Catholic Bible Resources
• Five Bible Study Resources for Catholics
• Encountering God Through the Bible
• What Should Be Taken Literally in the Bible
• Four tips on how to study and understand the Bible

Last Update: 10.27.21