How do you read the Bible?
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JP Wallace
Puritan Board Sophomore
I start off with a psalm, sing the psalm from a psalter, pray through the psalm. Then an Old Testament chapter to two, then a New Testament chapter or two. I tend to take notes and especially note down the most important verses, and also try and link through verses in the OT cited/quoted in the NT, and think about how they are interpreted/applied.
I try to mix genres' throughout the year, so if I've just read Exodus I'll probably read a prophet, if I've read a Gospel I'll move to an epistle or something like that. I keep a note of what I've read so I cover as much as possible in a year. Sometimes I go really slow, with Greek New Testament and commentary on more than likely the New Testament passage.
The most helpful thing for me is start with the psalm and pray through it. Also very important NOT to read in my own worship what I am preaching on or even thinking of preaching on, otherwise I start thinking about sermons and not my own spiritual growth and God's glory.
I try to mix genres' throughout the year, so if I've just read Exodus I'll probably read a prophet, if I've read a Gospel I'll move to an epistle or something like that. I keep a note of what I've read so I cover as much as possible in a year. Sometimes I go really slow, with Greek New Testament and commentary on more than likely the New Testament passage.
The most helpful thing for me is start with the psalm and pray through it. Also very important NOT to read in my own worship what I am preaching on or even thinking of preaching on, otherwise I start thinking about sermons and not my own spiritual growth and God's glory.
dudley
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I am currently reading Book of Ecclesiastes form the Old Testament and the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. I also attend a bible class every Thursday night at the Presbyterian church I belong to where we are also studying in-depth right now the gospel of Luke.
As a former Catholic we did not read the bible to any great extent the way we Protestants do. I now read each Gospel completely from beginning to end and learning for the first time the Gospel in its entirety and not just in selected segments read a Catholic mass on Sunday mornings.
I am now beginning to understand the authority of the scriptures in a way I could never see them as a Catholic. Of course the Catholic church does not accept the scriptures as the final authority, so while they say the reading of the bible is now encouraged and they offer bible classes in the catholic church, it is still not really not emphasized. They have conceded to reading the bible because so many Catholics were starting to attend bible classes at Protestant churches as I did and in the process they were becoming Protestants as I also did.
As a former Catholic we did not read the bible to any great extent the way we Protestants do. I now read each Gospel completely from beginning to end and learning for the first time the Gospel in its entirety and not just in selected segments read a Catholic mass on Sunday mornings.
I am now beginning to understand the authority of the scriptures in a way I could never see them as a Catholic. Of course the Catholic church does not accept the scriptures as the final authority, so while they say the reading of the bible is now encouraged and they offer bible classes in the catholic church, it is still not really not emphasized. They have conceded to reading the bible because so many Catholics were starting to attend bible classes at Protestant churches as I did and in the process they were becoming Protestants as I also did.
Augusta
Puritan Board Doctor
I did M'Cheyne for the last 4-5 yrs, but this year I read chronologically. It really helped me to see the major events during the two-kingdom era more clearly and then track those events through the major and minor prophets. I used to get confused trying to understand which events were repeats and who the major players were, especially when they interchange the names of certain kings etc. Along side that I did a NT epistle plan that takes you through the epistles 4 times a year. Those two together were great reading.
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