INTRODUCTION

         For many years I did not read the Bible because of the false impression that only the specially gifted, a priest or a preacher, could understand it. But in 1928 I was given a New Testament and encouraged to read it through with the assurance that God would help me to understand it. Reading the New Testament through for the first time was a very thrilling, revealing, rewarding experience. First of all, because of the many wonderful things it told me about God, Jesus Christ, and the church for which He died. Equally astounding nothing was found in the New Testament about the denominational churches with their conflicting names, creeds, and practices which had become so confusing to me. From this humble beginning my interest in personal Bible reading grew and has continued for 56 years. If you will follow these “SIMPLE RULES FOR BIBLE READING,” you will be pleasantly surprised how much you can learn about the vital things of life both temporal and eternal.

Rule 1

         READ THE BIBLE.  Give it the place. It so richly deserves. Many good men have written many helpful things about the Bible. But it is ALWAYS more important to read the Bible itself than it is to read what the best of men have written about it.

Rule Two

         READ THE BIBLE IN SEQUENCE.  For the most complete and accurate knowledge of the Bible read each book in successive order beginning with the first book, Genesis, and ending with the last book, Revelation. This recommended for the Christian who already knows something about Jesus Christ and His salvation. But for the unsaved, or those reading the Bible for the first time, it may be better to read the Gospel of Luke (a biography of Jesus Christ), the book of Acts (the history of the early church), the book of Ephesians (which reveals the church more fully), and the epistle of James (which emphasizes acting on faith) before reading the Old Testament.

For improved understanding of each book always begin with the first sentence and read the sentences that follow in successive order. One can learn something from the Bible by reading books, sentences, or verse at random, but one usually learns more by reading both the books and sentences in the sequence in which they are found in the Bible. But even if one chooses to read all the New Testament before reading the Old Testament it should not be neglected because the SUM (total) not SOME (part) of God’s Word is truth. (Psalms 119:160).

Rule Three

READ THE BIBLE WITH CONTINUITY. One of the marvels of the Bible is its unity. But unless we discover this unity by proper reading we are confronted with a jumble of words, facts, events, and persons that have little meaning or relationship, which may confuse us. To discover this unity always try to read the lesson through at a single sitting. Do not plan to read part of it now, and rest later, but, if possible, read it all at once. If you must read part of the book one day and the rest, later try to read it in logical sections rather than a verse or a sentence at a time. Do not be influenced by the chapter and verse marks in your printed Bible as they were not found in the original manuscripts. They are useful for reference but often break the continuity of the writer’s thought. Only by the continuous reading of a given book can we grasp the central line of thought, the pivotal idea, which is so essential in understanding what God is trying to reveal to us.

Rule Four

READ THE BIBLE REPEATEDLY. Read each book of the Bible as many times as needed to get the general idea or theme of the book. For the present purpose it is better to read the book several time rapidly than once more slowly. The first time you read a lesson or book rapidly you may not discover anything your mind can take hold in the way of an outline, but the next time you will see a little, and the next more, and on until the complete outline stands out clearly before you. You may need to read some books many times before discovering the theme or central thought of the book.

Rule Five

READ THE BIBLE INDEPENDENTLY.  One’s greatest need is to learn to understand and trust what one reads in the Bible rather than some human explanation or interpretation. Bible helps, including commentaries, should not be consulted until one has made and honest effort to understand for himself what he reads in the Bible. To do otherwise often leads one to depend more on men than God and may invite deception. (II Kings 1-32; II Thessalonians 2:8-12).

Rule 6

READ THE BIBLE PRAYERFULLY.  Prayer helps put our hearts in tune with God and enables us to become more receptive to His word. Since the Bible is a supernatural book, we need God’s help to understand it. Remember “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

Rule 7

MEMORIZE KEY SCRIPTURES. Jesus met every temptation with the devil with “It is written.” (Matt. 4:1-11) Jesus often quoted the scriptures in His public teaching. It is evident from studying the life of Jesus that He had memorized many Old Testament Scriptures.

IN CONCLUSION we recommend that you read the Bible as a WHOLE, read each book of the Bible as a WHOLE, read each book as it is related to the other books of the Bible. By applying these basic ideas to your Bible reading you will increase your knowledge of its teachings and strengthen your faith in the God of the Bible. “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:21). A devout man who knew five languages: German, Latin, English, Hebrew and Greek, told me this simple plan of reading, outlined in this tract, did more to help him understand the Bible than anything else he had ever learned.

-J. Miler Forcade (1908-1999) was a preacher, bible  teacher and missionary.