You are in the right place if you never read the Bible and want to start. Of course, the most profitable way is participating in an organized Bible Study group led by Pastor or experienced Bible teacher. Yet, personal reading can change your life, too!

First thing: realize the Bible is its own genre of literature. It contains history, but is not a history book. It is not mere religion, but it is a book with a goal. The very words of the triune God are its content. Communicating the love of God to promise a Savior and then send his son to become the man, Jesus who fulfilled all the promises and saved the world is its purpose.

Another important point is reading poetic sections as poetry, filled with symbols and word pictures and word play, while narrative sections may be linear or spiral in their view of events happening over time. Always read in context of what comes before and after anything. Context helps identify metaphors versus prophecy versus simple description. Daniel and Revelations are apocryphal books, written in times of duress for the people. Much symbolism and some prophecy helped disguise these books intended to bring hope to the readers in their time and ours. Some even say they are “dripping” with visions of a loving Savior and heavenly home as the future.

To see the message at the end properly, start reading from the first book, Genesis, and read through to the end, Revelation. If a person can’t believe in an almighty creator-God, then how can one believe anything that follows the spiral narrative of creation? Either there is a supreme, divine God or god is a product of one’s personal design (picking which parts to believe). One eye opener to the triune God is slowly reading Genesis chapter one and John chapter one together. Jesus is the Word. Nothing is created except through him. The Holy Spirit hovers over the waters. The Father speaks the universe into existence. (The word translated as created means created out of nothing) The Word is truth. That is a defining fact.

Questions? Just ask-post reply.