Tips For Easier Bible Study
Hey there, friend
Over the years, I’ve had a lot of friends and readers ask if I could study the Bible with them because it can be so confusing. Since there’s not enough time in the day to sit down with everyone, I thought I would share some tips here to help you have an easier time studying and understanding scripture.
I get it, the Bible can be a bit wordy, can’t it? And, for someone who doesn't have a lot of experience reading scripture yet, it can sometimes seem like you’re trying to translate a foreign language… especially if you’re reading older translations of the Bible like the King James Version. Before we begin though, I do want to make it clear that I’m no expert here. However, I have been a student of God’s Word personally since the age of 14 (it’s where I ran to find peace while living in an abusive home and it helped me survive). This means I’ve studied for almost 16 years - making my way through 5 different Bibles of various translations (NIV, NLT, AMP, CSB, and TPT) reading each one until it fell apart . I was also raised in the church and I’ve been around scripture in some way my entire life. In my adulthood, I have worked at 3 different churches – teaching Sunday School, youth group, and then at women’s events. I have also been in two internships, and discussed scripture with some brilliant minds. One of my favorite things I’ve gotten to do was be a part of a men’s group (yes, a men’s group, ha-ha) to lend a woman’s point of view and understanding of scripture to their discussions. Being the only woman in a room full of 2 dozen men taught me to be confident in the truths God unveils to me and communicate boldly while also listening to others. I felt like I came into my own in that group and my understanding of scripture was deepened. I’ve also taught from the Word at several events across the United States, and I’m almost done writing my fifth book. I share all of this because I’m careful about who I allow to speak over my life and instruct me; I like to know them first. I wanted you to know a little more about me, dear reader. I really love Jesus, I love His word, I love people, and I try to practice what I preach.
Now, onto some tips:
There are a plethora of translations out there, and a lot of Christians feel very strongly about one over all the others. Some will tell you the KJV is the only “true” translation, while others say it’s the ESV or NIV, but God’s Word will benefit you and enrich your life no matter which translation you read.
Not to offend anyone, but a lot of people swear by the KJV simply because it’s old, and therefore seems like the most reliable. However, this isn’t true. The KJV stands for “King James Version” and it was created during the reign of King James 1 of England during the 1600’s. Before this, the Bible was produced in Latin (which was already largely considered a dead language by this point in time) and studied by priests or those wealthy enough to afford the education it took to learn how to read it. The KJV was significant during the 17th century because it made scripture available to the common person. Finally, anyone could read God’s Word for themselves instead of having it explained only by a priest or those in power. I do believe (and so do a lot of other budding scholars) that as language changes throughout time, translations should be updated to keep them easy for anyone to understand. So friend, if you’ve ever found yourself thrown off by “thee” and “ye” and other outdated words of the KJV, you aren’t dumb and you aren’t alone. Back in the 1600’s, everyone knew what “ye” meant because they spoke what is now known as “old English,” but we don’t speak this way anymore and nothing is lost by changing it to “you” instead. That’s all these other translations are doing. They are being translated from the original Hebrew text into our language, just like the KJV was at the time.
If you want an easy translation to begin with, pick a Study Bible in the NIV, NLT, or CSB translation. These plainly state verses of scripture, while still being extremely accurate to the original Dead Sea Scrolls the Bible comes from. Study Bibles usually have lessons that explain each passage, and they can even include sections where you can write notes!
The Amplified is good if you want to go a little deeper into each part of passages because it offers synonyms and other ways to phrase sentences that further your understanding. I love the Amplified because it almost seems to explain each verse as you read it!
Here is one my favorite verses, from chapter 11 of Matthew in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) and the Amplified Bible (AMP) so you can see the differences:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 CSB
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 AMP
Do you see what I mean? The Amplified version not only presents the verse, but also includes footnotes, synonyms, and what was implied in the original text. I find that having these extra insights placed within the verse itself makes them so much richer!
Now, the Passion Translation leans more into the Aramaic language the original scrolls the Bible was translated from. (Much of the letters written by apostles and faith legends that make up the Bible would have been written in Hebrew, but shared in Greek or Aramaic, which were common languages at the time. So many translations will lean into one of these languages when converting the text into modern-day English.) Aramaic was considered the language of “ordinary” people during Jesus’ time and this is most likely the language He used when He taught publicly. It’s because of this that I have a soft spot for translations that embrace this language. I also find translations based more on Aramaic to be even more heartfelt and romantic in the wording. You really get this stunning image of Jesus coming to meet us on our level in the way everything is phrased, it’s stunning! When I need to connect with God’s love for me, or want His comfort, I read the Gospels or the Psalms in the TPT – it’s just beautiful!
Here's the same passage in Matthew we read earlier, but this time in the TPT:
“Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.” -Matthew 11:28-30 TPT
2. This next part really depends on how you learn the best. Just like with picking a translation that works for you, there also isn’t a specific study method that is right or wrong. The goal is to read the Word of God; whatever way feels right for you is the “right one.” God loves you and He wants you to be yourself with Him, especially when it comes to reading the Bible! For me, I learn well by writing and reading – anything with words and journaling! I must write down what I’ve read in my own words and how I understand it. For this reason, using a notebook has been helpful.
First, I like to pray and ask God to show me where He’d like me to read, and so many times, when I open the Bible to a random page, I find it’s not “random” at all but directly relates to something going on in my life at the time. (This is what I do most of the time, but sometimes I’ll also start a book and read it all the way through. The goal isn’t to “finish” the Bible, but to live in it, so there’s no rush to make it to a certain point before a certain time. SHAKE THE PRESSURE OFF!) Anyway, when I know where I’m going to be reading, I do just that - read. I read until I’m either inspired, empowered, brought to tears, or feel confused. (Read until something strikes you.) If I’m brought to tears, I talk with God about it (those are the moments when He is comforting me or healing something in my heart or mind, sometimes both!). If I’m confused, I ask Him to help me understand and then try reading that same verse in another translation to see it phrased a little differently. Friend, if this way of doing things works for you – great! Write down what you read, what God told you about it, and how it made you feel. Often, I end my Bible reading notes with a prayer asking God to help me apply what I read to my life, or show me how to heal/grow in the way He just pointed out to me.
3. Highlighting is also a useful and popular tool that I use and a lot of my other friends and mentors do, too. In my study time, I do a mix of highlighting and journaling that helps me to unpack each passage. Now, for this you may not want to use normal highlighters because the pages of most Bibles are thin and they will bleed through which can make the words hard to read. A lot of book stores (and Amazon) have special highlighters that aren’t as heavy (normal crayons will work, too). Here’s how to use the highlighting method - each color is assigned to a certain topic. The back of the box of Bible highlighters usually assigns these for you that are based in scripture (I still use the box as a guide, tee-hee).
Yellow - God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit
Blue - sin , evil, and temptation
Orange - grace, salvation, and love
Purple - prayer, blessing, and worship
Green - growth, new-life, and faith
Pink - laws, instruction, or history (the book of Proverbs is very pink in my Bible!)
(This exact color-coded system is based off the one provided by Studio Series’ Bible Highlighters. I did not come up with it.)
I’m the kind of person who needs to see an example something new to understand it. Just in case you’re the same way - here you go! Here’s a random page in Matthew from my CSB Study Bible. Yes, it’s messy, but I’ve found that the messier my Bible is from study, the less messy my life seems to be.
Of course, you don’t have to use these colors for these meanings, friend; you have the freedom to study however you want. However, I would advise you to assign a color to a topic if you want to try this method, because in the past before I knew better, I just used colors randomly and it was chaotic. The point of this method is to help you look at a passage of scripture and truly see what it’s discussing. Doing this has made scripture come alive for me! After you’re done studying, you won’t just know what you read, but you’ll see what you read as well! Also, if you are a creative person who loves color, this will click with you!
Okay, well this is a great place to stop for now. I hope these tips helped you get a better idea of what might work for you when it comes to Bible Study. Believe me, friend, I have a lot more tips I could share and other ways to study - let me know if you want a part 2!
-Kelly
