Facts that will help you Understand the Bible

"How do I start Reading the Bible?" "Where do I start from?"

"I don't seem to understand the parts which are not stories!"

If this is you; you're not alone:

Amazingly, majority of Christians, all over the world share the same predicament.

Here are pointers that will help  you read and understand the Bible.

1. The Bible was written for you

For whatever things were written before, were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Romans 15:4(NKJV).

Once a Christian can adopt and maintain this mindset, the Bible will stop being an elusive Book.

Don't see the Bible like a Book that requires something you don't have; in other to read and understand.

If you're God's child; you have the Spirit of God in you.

"You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation.

You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ"

Galatians 1:13(CEB)

Now, if you're not sure that you're born again here's how to become born again.

Just take a minute alone and say this words and mean them.

"I confess with my mouth "Jesus is Lord" and I believe in my heart

That God raised Jesus from the dead. 'I am saved'".

Romans 10:9(CEB)

If you just did that; Galatians 1:13 just happened to you.

The Holy Spirit is now in you and teaches you all things(John 14:26).

And, guides you into all truth(John 16:13).

2. The Bible is a Progressive Book

The Bible has been arranged in such a way that the revelation is progressive.

Meaning, what's found in Genesis is not as deep as what's found in Matthew.

What's found in Matthew is not as deep as what's found in the Epistles.

Examples

The Name of God

In Exodus 6:3 God told Moses;

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as Elshaddai--'God Almighty'--but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. Exodus 6:3(NLT)

So, if someone were to study about the Name of God and He stopped in Genesis; He'd end up calling God, "God Almighty" which was for before the Law.

Jesus showed up and gave a new revelation about God's Name

He didn't say call Him "Elshaddai" or "Yahweh" but, "Father".

So pray this way: Our Father in Heaven, may your Name be honoured(Matthew 6:9) don't pray to Elshaddai or Yahweh but, to "the Father".

What happens after people die?

In the Old Testament, no one really knew that people lived on after they died.

The revelation available was that the remained in their graves as seen in

"Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is no planning nor knowledge in the grave, the place where you will eventually go” Ecclesiastes 9:10.

Jesus was the first in the Bible to inform us that the dead live on after their death when He told a story* about "Lazarus and the Rich Man" in Luke 16:19-31.

* watch out for the differences between a story and a parable

3. Younger Books help explain Older books

This is one truth that helped shape my understanding of the Bible

The Bible is a compilation of Canonical writings.

The Bible was written over a period of 2000years.

Which means, those who wrote the younger Books; had the opportunity of reading the older Books.

Daniel read Jeremiah's writings:

"in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books that, according to the word of the LORD disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem were seventy in number. (Daniel 9:2 NET).

In Genesis 32:24-30 we are told that Jacob fought with an angel;

But Prophet Hosea explains that it was prayer(Hosea 12:4).

In Exodus 2, Moses acts like a judge without telling us why he acted so

In Acts 7:24, we are told the reason for his action.

"He thought his own people would understand that God was delivering them through him, but they did not understand." (Acts 7:25 NET).

4. There are 3 eras in the Bible with different revelations

This will be subsequently treated like a topic of its own

Without this clear understanding; the Bible will seem contradictory.

Each era has its different revelations and definitions of terms.

i. Before the law

This period starts from after the fall of Adam till when Moses brought the law.

"Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed." (Romans 5:14).

 ii. The Law Era

This is the period from after when Moses brought the Law till when Jesus died.

Jesus Christ, announced His assignment in Matthew 5:17

I have not come to abolish the law but, to fulfill them.

Romans 10:4 tells us

"For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes."

iii. The Grace Era

This era started when Jesus resurrected and came in full, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

Praise God!

When reading the Bible try to identify the differences in the revelations from each era.

God Bless You!