I need help with studying the Bible, is there anyone out there that can help me understand?

Question

I found a source that said starting in the book of Mark is good, and so far i like it. But I heard somewhere that only the people that have accepted Jesus in their heart will understand his word. And I'm afraid I wont understand...

Answer 1

I have no doubt you will understand. Those that don't understand are those not willing to try and you seem like you want to try. I would pray to God for guidance and understanding. Ask questions here and try to ignore those that really are not trying to help you. If you can or want to, find a church and join a Bible study group. Let Our Lord lead you. I'm really happy for you.

God Bless.

Answer 2

Mark is good because it is a quick account of the life of Jesus, without a lot of heavy theology. From there, I'd go to the Letters of Paul, probably 1st and 2nd Corinthians first, then Ephesians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and finally Romans (which can get quite "heady," but you will be well-prepared for it if you've read the others first.) Then I'd try either Matthew or Luke, followed by Acts and Galatians, read together because they are two perspectives on the same event. Finally try some of the pastoral letters (Those NOT written by Paul, found nearer to the end of the New Testament.) A good rule there is to "take the ones," i.e., 1 John, James, 1 Peter. Those with numbers 2 or higher tend to be short and of less importance. Follow these by the Gospel of John. I would NOT bother with Hebrews or Revelations, as they require quite a bit of background to understand what they are saying.

Now that's just the New Testament. From the Old Testament, what you really need is Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah and Jeremiah. The first two give the perspective that God acts in history from the principle of love, and the latter two directly prefigure the ministry of Jesus. If you still have a little time, read some or all of the minor prophets, the twelve brief books at the end of the OT. Avoid Daniel and the wisdom writings for now.

Unguided study can only get you so far. The best way to understand the Bible is to read it with others. Join a Bible study sponsored by a church of your denomination (or any church selected by you), even if you are NOT a member of the congregation. If you have found a sincere and worthy congregation, they will let you participate while you decide whether their approach is right for you.

If only those who have first accepted Jesus can understand His Word, how can they come to accept Him in the first place? True, it might be by oral proclamation of the word in sermons, hymns, prayers, etc., but that involves the Bible just as much as reading it. No one can believe if they have not been given some version of the Gospel account, however simplified.

Answer 3

What you are reading is an ancient text, translated from Koine Greek, written in a culture of which you probably have very little knowledge. Of course it will be difficult to understand.

If you want to understand the Bible, it's not likely that having a supernatural approach will help you. If you hadn't noticed, the Church is divided into multiple factions, each of which believes that the Holy Spirit has endowed it with the RIGHT interpretation of the scriptures.

There are several commentaries that you could use to interpret what you're reading, but first, get to know it as literature. It's a story about a man that reputedly lived 2000 years ago. He had a context. In order to understand him, you need to understand the context he was teaching and living in.

Good luck.

(By the way, the last part of the Gospel of Mark was an addition. The earliest manuscripts uniformly end with the empty tomb, and the later manuscripts have variations on the sightings after the tomb was found empty. These are obviously additions to the original.)

Answer 4

ok. To seek to know the truth is for anyone to undertake. You don't have to be saved (have accepted Jesus) to understand some parts of the Bible. One does need to be saved in order to grasp the more devine or intricut messages or doctrine (teaching). With some exceptions everyone knows right from wrong, to discern, ponder, and judge it is left to those you have grow into that capacity. I contend that this is only achieved by the grace and Spirit of God. So without futher detail in the attempt to remain nonpreachy I will leave that for you to consider.
Now, as someone who considers myself well versed to a small degree in the Bible, I advise you to develope a method of study that best suits you and your strong points where study is concerned. Put simple, think of the ways in the past you've studied other subject, and whatever way you acquire the most or best knowledge do it the same with the Bible. Some folk study by the book as was suggested to you. Others study per scripture and memorize. Some study the behavior and disposition of the people the Bible speaks of and others choose topics to search for within the Bible. All of which are good and practical methods of studying the Bible. Although I have done all these ways, I now most often start with a scripture and disect it, leaving nothing left to my imagination down to a single syllabul if need be. Once I am aware of every word's meaning(s) then I think of that scripture differently for every meaning to see how what the scripture is saying remains the same or differs each time. By doing this more often than not I am drawn to broaden my view because I see and perceive more perfectly (or maturely) as a spirit filled person whose is responsible to my surroundings. Well I hope this helped, my apology if to long...take care...
Oh, get a concordance. It has nearly all the words found in the Bible, and is a tremendous help to me...Remember this always: "Keep Love, and Love will keep You...

Answer 5

If acknowledging Christ as your personal Savior were a prerequisite for understanding and analyzing Scripture, there would be very few Christians!! There is no right or wrong way to begin reading the Bible, however there are few things that can make it easier. A Bible guide or devotional is a great way to delve into Scripture with context and applications to help make sense of difficult or confusing passages. Also, the translation called 'The Message' is a modern-phrased version of the Bible and is great as a companion to an NIV or any other version. It helps put things into more modern phrasing.

It is really great that you've decided to read the Bible! I wish you the best!!

Answer 6

Any translation but the King James version is best to start. I sugguest The Message version because it is in contemporary language.
Start most anywhere in the New Testament which is about half way to the back. I sugguest John.
Also, feel free to move around at random in the various new testament books if u find trouble focusing on one particular book at a time.

Yes, u will understand His word simply because u r actually making an attempt to know Him. There may be somethings u don't understand, but don't stress about it...just keep reading and praying for His guidence.
Email me if u want. I'd be glad to share with you.
~Sadie

Answer 7

I always recommend people start reading The bible in the Gospel of John. It is the 4th gospel of the New Testament.

And the bible says, that if you ask for wisdom and revelation about the word, you will receive it. Just pray when you start reading, and it will come to you...

And you always accept Jesus in your heart, if you haven't.It is a very easy thing to do!

be blessed!

Answer 8

It is true that it takes the Holy Spirit working in you to help you understand the truth, but that shouldn't be a discouragement to read. The very fact that you want to read the Bible is evidence itself that the Holy Spirit may be working in your life.

It is wrong to say that only if you've accepted Jesus will he help you understand because if he doesn't help you understand how could you accept him? God helps unbelievers understand all the time and breaks through the coldness of their hearts. He breathes new life into dead corpses. Only if God works in you can you accept him.

So read, try to understand, and ask God to give you a new heart and a new understanding. If you don't believe, ask God to help you see where you don't see. There is no shame in that.

Like many of the others here I would be glad to answer questions (my email is wnwall at yahoo). But I highly recommend asking your pastor any questions you have if you have one. He will be thrilled to answer them.

Blessings,
Nathan

Answer 9

you gotta start somewhere. How will you ever get to understand and accept Jesus unless you know more about Him and His ways? Keep reading. Pray for understanding and it will come. Some things are simple. But that is usually where people go off. It's so simple, they think it's stupid. Those are the ones who won't understand it.

The Bible also says that God gives to those who have (desire) and takes away from those who don't. And that those who are hungry (desire) for righteousness would be filled. You have so many promises that if you draw close to God, make some effort, He will come close to you.

Answer 10

I have always suggested for new believers to begin reading the Gospel of John, but don't worry if you didn't. It's great that you are reading! The Bible tells us to desire the sincere "milk" of the word. We need to be fed the word to grow as Christians. God will help you understand the Bible. Don't get discouraged if you don't understand everything all at once. You are a baby in Christ..and God doesn't expect babies to do anything but grow. God bless you!