Anchored in Christ

How to Read the Bible: 15 Tips for Beginners

Tips For Beginner Bible Readers

You may have heard about the Bible for years, but now you want to open it for yourself—perhaps for the first time. You’re in the right place.

In the Bible, the God who made the universe speaks. He reveals who He is, why the world exists, and why humanity is broken. The Bible shows us how sin has separated us from God, and how in love, He sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and rise from the dead so we could be forgiven and reconciled to him.

This article is for anyone who wants to begin reading the Bible. It offers simple guidance on how to start, along with resources to help you discover the life-giving truth found in God’s Word. Let’s get started.

1. Understand what the Bible is.

The Bible is the world’s best-selling book and has been translated into more languages than any other. It is made up of two main sections—the Old Testament and the New Testament—and contains many books (66), chapters (1,189), and verses (more than 31,000). For a new reader, that can feel intimidating!

At its core, however, the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself through the written word. It tells the story of the world God created, humanity’s rebellion against Him, and God’s plan to rescue and restore sinners through Jesus Christ.

God used human authors to write the Bible, guiding them by the Holy Spirit so that what they wrote was truly his word (2 Peter 1:20–21). Because Scripture comes from God, it speaks with authority and can be trusted to guide what we believe and how we live.

2. Understand what the Bible does.

The Bible is unlike any other book or piece of communication throughout history. God works through His Word to achieve His purposes. Consider these two passages:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. (Psalm 19:7–9)

Through God’s Word, we learn what is true, are convicted of our sin, and are trained to live in a way that pleases him (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Psalm 119:9–11). Scripture gives life, fills us with hope, and makes us wise (Psalm 119:93; Romans 15:4; Psalm 19:7). As we hear God’s Word and receive it with humble, obedient hearts, he uses it to bring real and lasting change in our lives (James 1:21–22).

3. Use the right resources.

Here are three key practical resources for your Bible reading:

A good Bible translation

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, so every modern Bible is a translation. Some translations aim to stay very close to the original wording, while others focus on being easier to read in modern language. Both approaches are helpful, depending on your goal.

  • New Living Translation (NLT) – A very clear, modern language that makes meaning easy to grasp, although not as close to the original word-for-word as the ESV.
  • English Standard Version (ESV) – A more literal, accurate translation that sticks close to the original texts, but not as accessible for new Bible readers as the NLT.
  • Christian Standard Bible (CSB) – A translation that is easier to read than the ESV and sticks fairly close to the original.

Study Bible

In addition to the biblical text, study Bibles include notes, introductions, and articles that explain context and help with understanding and application. These can be especially helpful when you encounter difficult passages. Here are a few I recommend:

Bible Teaching

Learning from gifted teachers is one way to learn the Bible. Ideally, that happens weekly in a local church. (More on that later.) Here are teaching resources to consider:

4. Make reading a habit.

To truly benefit from reading the Bible, it must be read consistently over time. Just as Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), our souls are best nourished by regular, faithful exposure to God’s Word. Here are two ways to make your Bible reading a habit:

Schedule a regular time. I find reading the Bible first thing in the morning (ideally with strong coffee) is best for focus, while others prefer reading at the end of the day when they can slow down. The key is choosing a time that fits your daily rhythm and protecting it.

Use a reading plan for structure. A plan removes guesswork by telling you what to read next and helps you stay consistent, especially on days when motivation is low. Consistency, not perfection, is the goal.

Here are two reading plans to consider:

5. Read prayerfully.

We cannot understand God or His message to us without His help. As we open the Bible and read, we should read prayerfully, dependent on God’s Spirit to open our eyes to its truth and to show us how to live in response.

I like how John Piper encourages us to pray four things based on the Psalms before we open our Bibles:

  • Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! (Psalm 119:36)
  • Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in your Word. (Psalm 119:18)
  • Unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)
  • Satisfy me with your steadfast love. (Psalm 90:14)

If you’d like more information on combining the spiritual disciples of Bible reading and prayer, take my course Pray the Bible or read my article 25 Powerful Prayers of the Bible.

6. Read humbly.

Have you ever wondered how to get God’s special attention and favor? Isaiah 66:2 shares how: “…This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

We read the Bible humbly not just because we don’t understand everything we’re reading. We read the Bible humbly because we humble ourselves under the eyes of our all-powerful Creator. God speaks. He has authority. We submit to Him and what He says. When we think something different that what His word clearly teaches, we submit to Him. This humility honors God by placing ourselves, and Him, in the right place.

“…receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

7. Read in community.

If you want to grow as a Bible reader, you cannot do it alone. God designed Christians to grow together, not in isolation. He gives pastors and teachers to build up the church and help believers grow in maturity (Ephesians 4:11–14).

A Bible-believing local church is the best place to experience this kind of growth. There, you can sit under faithful preaching, study Scripture alongside other believers, ask questions, and learn from those who are further along in the faith. God also uses the wisdom and encouragement of fellow Christians to help us understand his Word and apply it wisely (Hebrews 3:12–13; 10:24–25).

If you don’t have a church, consider finding one through a directory: EFCA, Converge, 9Marks, The Gospel Coalition.

8. Read in context.

God wrote the Bible for us, but not directly to us. Each of the 66 books of the Bible was written by a real human author, to a real audience, for a real purpose. That means every book—and every passage within it—has a context. (The chapter and verse numbers in our Bibles were added much later to help with reference and were not part of the original writings.)

Paying attention to context is essential. As the saying goes, “A text without a context is a pretext for a proof-text.” When a verse is pulled out of its setting, it can be made to say almost anything. Sadly, Scripture has often been misused this way to support ideas it was never meant to teach.

To read in context, pay attention to a few key layers:

  • Literary context: How does this passage fit within the flow and message of the book?
  • Historical context: What was happening in the lives of the original writer and audience?
  • Biblical context: How does this passage fit within the overall story of the Bible?

Reading this way helps us understand what God actually says, rather than what we might assume he says. (A good study Bible can be a valuable help in providing this background.)

9. Read with attention to literary genre.

Your everyday life is full of different kinds of writing—text messages, news articles, novels, movies, ads, and more. You naturally read each of these differently because each one communicates in its own way.

The Bible also contains a variety of literary genres, and each has its own purpose, style, and “rules” for how it should be read. Recognizing the genre helps us understand what the author meant and prevents us from misreading the text. Some of the main biblical genres include Narrative, Law, Poetry, Wisdom Literature, Prophecy, Gospels, Parables, Epistles (letters), and Apocalyptic literature.

For example, when the psalmist says, “The Lord is my rock” (Psalm 18:2), we don’t picture God as a literal stone. We recognize poetic imagery, which teaches us that God is a strong and stabilizing presence in our lives. Understanding the genre helps us read Scripture the way it was intended.

10. Make good observations.

A crucial first step in reading any book of the Bible is learning to make good observations. Observation means slowing down to see what is actually in the text before jumping to interpretation or application.

A simple but essential question to ask is: What does the text actually say? This is especially important in an age of sermons, study tools, and commentaries. These can be helpful, but they should never replace careful attention to Scripture itself.

Good observations notice details. In narrative passages, ask basic questions like who, what, where, and when. More broadly, look for repetition, key words, contrasts, and how a passage or book begins and ends. These features are intentional and help guide us toward the author’s meaning.

11. Read with curiosity.

Once we’ve made solid observations, we move naturally into the stage of interpretation—asking what the text means. And one of the most powerful tools for interpretation is simple curiosity. Curiosity drives us to ask thoughtful questions about what we’ve seen.

In my own study, one of the most fruitful questions has consistently been: Why? Why did the author include this? Why did the author include this when writing to these people at this time? Why did they write it this way and not another?

Every biblical author wrote with purpose. Reading with curiosity helps us notice patterns, repetition, tone, and emphasis—intentional clues that reveal the author’s meaning and draw us into deeper understanding.

12. Know the Bible’s story—and its main point.

The Bible is a collection of many books written across different cultures, time periods, and genres. Yet beneath this diversity runs a single, unified story: God’s work of creation, humanity’s fall into sin, and God’s plan to redeem and restore the world. Understanding this overarching storyline helps us make sense of individual passages, which were never meant to stand alone but to fit within God’s larger purposes.

At the center of this story is Jesus Christ. As Pastor Colin Smith always says, “The Bible is one story. It begins in a garden, ends in a city, and all the way through it points to Jesus Christ” (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39). Though all of us have turned away from God and deserve judgment, God showed his love by sending Jesus to take our sin upon himself so that we could be forgiven and made new (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8). This is the heart of Scripture’s message and its invitation—to turn from our sin and trust in Jesus Christ by faith.

“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Recommended Resource: Fly Through the Bible by Colin Smith (online or book version)

13. Apply the Bible to your life.

One of the clearest passages on applying Scripture is found in James 1:22–25:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James warns that merely hearing God’s Word, without obeying it, leads to self-deception. When we respond to Scripture with obedience, God promises blessing.

It can be tempting to read the Bible as a task to complete, as if finishing a chapter were the goal. But Scripture was never meant to be treated like a textbook. A helpful reminder is this: Don’t read the Bible to finish—read the Bible to know God and change as a result (see Romans 12:2).

14. Expect difficulty.

As you read the Bible, you will encounter passages that feel strange, confusing, or even troubling at first. You may notice statements that seem hard to reconcile or sections you wish were easier to understand.

Don’t be surprised! The Bible was written in different languages, to people living in cultures very different from our own, thousands of years ago. More than that, Scripture is spiritual in nature. As the apostle Paul explains, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him… because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

No one ever masters the Bible completely. You could spend a lifetime studying Scripture and still continue discovering its depth and wisdom. Difficulty is not a sign of failure—it is part of the process.

When you do encounter difficulty, remember the next point.

15. Don’t give up.

Reading the Bible is one of the best things you can do with your life. But like daily bread, God’s Word is meant to be returned to again and again for ongoing nourishment. Bible reading is not a one-time achievement—it is a lifelong practice.

Growth through Scripture is often slow and steady, like planting a seed and patiently watering it over time. We rarely see immediate transformation, but as we read God’s Word and respond in faith and repentance, real change takes root and begins to show.

If you feel discouraged—perhaps your understanding feels limited or progress seems slow—I’ve been there too. Don’t lose heart. Reading the Bible is ultimately about a relationship with God, and relationships grow over time. Placing your life in God’s hands day after day is the safest and best place it can be.

“The one who looks into the perfect law… and perseveres… will be blessed in his doing.” — James 1:25

Where to Start

While there’s no wrong place to start, some places are easier on-ramps than others. The classic recommendation is to start reading the Gospel of John. It provides an account of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry and is designed so readers would believe that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Then when you’re done with John’s Gospel, you can continue with one or both of these recommendations:

  • Acts: the story of what happened after Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension.
  • Romans: a detailed theological explanation of the importance of Jesus’ work.

Meet God and Find Hope

A verse that beautifully captures the purpose of the Bible is Romans 15:4:

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

The Scriptures were written to instruct our minds and encourage our hearts, to steady us in a broken world, and to anchor us when life feels uncertain. In their pages, God speaks words that endure—and words that give hope.

This is the hope the Bible holds out to us: forgiveness for our sins through Jesus Christ, restoration to a right relationship with God, and the promise of eternal life in his presence, where sin and sorrow are no more (Revelation 21:4).

May God meet you as you open His Word. May He grant you the knowledge of Himself—and may the hope that flows from knowing Him shape your life, now and forever.