- Start at the beginning
- Read in order
- Read everything
- Re-read the difficult parts
- Continue all the way to the end
This might seem like a ridiculous article (even insulting). Isn’t this common knowledge? Doesn’t everyone already know this from earliest childhood? Why would I expect anyone to read this?
The answers to these questions are:
- There’s no such thing as “common knowledge”
- Maybe
- Keep reading….
Elementary Lessons are Abandoned in Adulthood
Yes, we are all required to take language classes in school. We all read in school from Kindergarten through graduation. We all write book reports, essays, stories, and poetry throughout our school years. So, we should all be expected to know how to properly read a book. But then, this happens:
When asked by a new Christian where he should begin reading the Bible, Mr. Graham said, “Begin by reading the Gospel of John, for it tells us of Christ, of the ‘greatest life ever lived,’ and what He has done for us. Next read Acts, for it tells us what His first disciples did in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Then perhaps the letters of John and the letter to the Philippians. Then you may want to read Romans, which sets forth the great doctrines which Paul taught.”
After you have finished these books, read the rest of the New Testament. You will want to study the Old Testament as well.” — Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Consider exactly what Billy Graham taught new students to do:
- Begin reading the Bible by starting about 86% of the way through it
- Skip around a bit, prioritizing the parts he highlighted for you
- Finish reading the last 22% of the Bible
- Circle back to the first 78% of the Bible as tertiary reading
Now, my intent isn’t to pick on Billy Graham and say he was no good. I highlight Graham’s instruction because he is a very high-profile, respected, teacher. But if this is how one of the most influential Bible teachers in the world instructed new students, what quality of study can we expect from the millions of people who adopted his method?
My point is to demonstrate this is a terrible way for a new student to approach the Bible (or any other book for that matter). And Billy Graham’s instructions aren’t an anomaly; many pastors, preachers, and Sunday school teachers instruct new students start in the back of the Bible then skip around while downplaying the front of the Bible. Bible study plans commonly have students jumping around the Bible, haphazardly, completely out of order. It’s an epidemic problem that I’ve seen in many congregations, and it leads to many misinterpretations and bad doctrines.
Nobody Reads any Other Book in Such a Manner
Consider a new algebra student receiving his or her first textbook. If the teacher had the student begin in the back of the book then the student would skip over vital, foundational, lessons such as order of operations and algebraic properties. Imagine a brand-new student trying to tackle quadratic expressions without having any knowledge of the correct order of operations or the basic properties of how algebra works. Would we expect the student to comprehend the more complex operations of algebra without any training in the basic principles of algebra?
Consider reading a novel in an English class. If the teacher passed out copies of “The Great Gatsby” and instructed the students to start reading at chapter 8, would it be reasonable to expect the students to understand what’s happening in the story? To understand the characters? To get the overall plot?
Consider reading the instructions for assembling a piece of furniture. Would we start at the final step then work our way backwards to the beginning? Or, would we start in the middle of the instructions and jump around as we feel like it? Would we just ignore the hard parts?
So, Why Read the Bible Like This?
We understand the importance of reading and studying books in their proper order, until it comes to the Bible. Why is that? Why do people think the Bible operates differently than every other book in existence? Why do people believe they can correctly understand the Bible by jumping around the chapters, reading out of context, and skipping the parts they don’t like?
We must study the Bible in proper order to correctly interpret and understand it.
Genesis establishes who God is, why he created us, how we relate to Him, how we arrived in our present condition, and God’s promise of a redeemer to come.
Exodus through Deuteronomy lay out God’s teachings, instructions, commandments, and requirements for His people. Through it, God instructs us on right from wrong, good from evil, and clean from unclean. This is the instruction manual on how to live lives pleasing to God and the penalty for rebelling against God’s instructions.
The books of the prophets expound on God’s instructions, call us to return to obedience, and advise us of where we’re going and what’s on the horizon.
The other writings of the Tanakh (or, “Old Testament”) give us historic details, lessons learned from the success and failure of our forefathers, and wisdom from God.
The Gospels tell us of Messiah’s arrival and how he made atonement for his people. The Gospels all tie back to everything left of Matthew; so, if we never read and understood the Tanakh then we simply cannot understand the Gospels.
Acts and the Epistles give us the history of the early New Covenant church with exposition on Torah (aka “The Law”) and Gospel. If we don’t understand everything that came before the epistles then we won’t correctly interpret them.
Revelation closes the Bible with a vision of the final end of the age. The visions John received tie back to everything that came before it. The figurative language of Revelation is understood in the context of the preceding scriptures. Most of the details in Revelation directly parallel what God revealed to Isaiah.
Closing Exercise
Billy Graham’s instruction is to start at the Gospel of John then circle back towards the beginning of the Bible later. Let’s test this method. Let’s start at the first chapter of John and assume we know nothing at all about God or the Bible.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Assuming we know nothing about God and the Bible, and we’re reading John 1:1 for the first time, who is God? What is God? Which god does the text refer to? These might seem like stupid questions, but only if we take knowledge of God for granted. A new student, having never read and studied the Bible, will either know nothing about God or have preconceived notions of God based on what he or she previously heard and accepted. This is not a good foundation of study.
Starting in Genesis 1:1, God is defined as the all-powerful creator who made life, the universe, and everything.
God revealed his name YHWH to Moses in Exodus 3:13-15. Here we are told God is self-existent and eternal; He always was, always is, and always will be. He is uniquely identified as YHWH, distinguishing Him as separate from the false gods of the world.
Exodus 34:6-7 identifies God’s characteristics, which define His persona and behavior.
Reading everything in the “Old Testament”, we get a clear picture of who God is, what He is like, what He values, and how we relate to Him. If we skip the “Old Testament” then we go into the gospels blindly and can make false assumptions that lead to false interpretations of the texts.
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19-23)
Again, assuming the first-time reader knows nothing of the Bible:
- What’s a Jew?
- What’s a Levite?
- What’s Jerusalem, its role, and its significance?
- What’s a Christ (or Messiah, or Anointed One)? Or, is that Jesus’ last name?
- Who’s Elijah? And, why would people think John is Elijah?
- What is “The Prophet”? What is “a prophet” for that matter?
- What is the quote John cited? It’s significance? It’s full context?
- Who is “The Lord”?
- Who is Isaiah?
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (John 1:45)
- Who is Moses?
- Who are the prophets?
- What did Moses and the prophets write?
- What law?
- Why is this so important to Philip that he would want to immediately follow Jesus?
- What does it mean that Philip “found” the one Moses spoke of?
- Why were Philip and Nathanael looking for Jesus? How long were they looking?
Break the Pattern of Bad Study Habits
The bad study habits, plans, and schedules that are commonly taught do the word of God an injustice. We’ve been set up for failure by teachers who told us to disregard context, skip the foundation, and focus on the parts of scripture that support their chosen interpretation. Throw out these poor instructions and return to proper study methods for understanding a book. Begin at the beginning and learn the information as it builds up throughout the text.
The back of the Bible is not the good stuff
The front of the Bible is not the bad stuff
And, none of the Bible is to be dismissed or thrown out
We must read it all and interpret it as a whole