Spiritual Survival Guide
2: Read This If You’re Confused About Faith
Reading the Bible
NEW TESTAMENT The Good News Section Matthew (the Good News about Jesus from a Jewish perspective) Mark (the Good News about Jesus—the shorter version) Luke (the Good News about Jesus—Volume 1, director’s cut) John (the Good News from a whole different angle) Acts (the sequel to Luke—Good News, Volume 2: the church starts up) Letters to Young Churches Section From St. Paul Romans (maybe the greatest letter ever written) 1-2 Corinthians (Paul writes to some seriously confused Christians) Galatians (it’s all about freedom) Ephesians-2 Thessalonians (who Jesus is and what that means for us) 1 Timothy-Philemon (personal letters of guidance) From Other Writers Hebrews (looking at Jesus through Old Testament eyes) James (practical advice for living the Christian life) 1-2 Peter (encouraging words for a church facing persecution) 1-3 John (it’s all about love) Jude (warning about false preachers) The Wrap-Up Section Revelation (a poetic and visionary picture of the ultimate triumph of Christ)
Just as there are all kinds of good and helpful versions of the Bible, there are also all kinds of good and helpful ways of reading the Bible. We’re going to list six ways that we use personally. Each approach has its own particular strengths and weaknesses, but they’re all worth the effort. Alternate between reading the Bible quickly and slowly. Sometimes it’s good to read more quickly through larger chunks. That helps you get into the flow and to make connections. Even if you’re not the world’s fastest reader, that’s okay. Try to read at a pace that keeps things moving along. On the other hand, sometimes the best thing is to slow it down. Be very deliberate. Read a sentence or two. Focus on what it might mean for you. Then reread it and think through it again. Maybe let it sit with you for the rest of the day. Meditate on it. Read Jesus first. Often, when asked where to begin reading the Bible, experienced teachers will tell you to start with one of the four Gos- pels. And here’s why: if the heart of the Bible is the love story running through it, then the story of Jesus is the heart of the love story. The Jesus story is the center of the big story, the key that unlocks the door to everything that comes before or after. From that center, go ahead and branch out. Go back and read some of the Old Testament as a preparation for the Jesus story. Or read some more of the New Testa- ment as a sequel to the main story. Read it as something spoken to you personally. Ask yourself what God is trying to say to you through these words. What do you need to under- stand? What do you need to think about more? What do you need to trust? What do you need to get off your chest? What do you need to
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