How to read the Bible?

After all, how to read the Bible? For many, reading the Bible is a refuge to draw words of comfort or find something to guide their life. But it's true, reading the Bible in one sitting is far from easy. Why not read it in "little chunks"? Lay people are not the only ones to do so. Also among religious people, the Bible is read this way, following the liturgy.

13 tips for you to consider on how to read the Bible

Here are some tips for wanting to open the Bible or continue where you left off. The adventure is a little crazy when you know that there are 73 books, covering almost 2,000 years of history. But these tips, below, help you avoid getting confused or abandoning your reading.

1. The Bible is not to be read, but listened to

Leave with confidence in the texts and their authors, confidence also in the Spirit that hovers over each writing. Do not see these texts as ancient books, but as living, speaking books.

2. Don't look for a moral message

This is not a book to offer us moral rules. For that we have the ten commandments, enough! At the center of this book is man in search of God. Each page aims to understand and reveal the mystery of man struggling with the mystery of God. And its consequences.

3. Looking for Jesus

We read the Bible to understand if Jesus is really the Lord. For us Christians, this perspective is fundamental. It encourages us to see how all the words of this text find their fulfillment and meaning in the person of Jesus.

4. See the human being

The book should be understood as a human book. It is a book written by men talking about men and their stories, trying to understand humanity in the light of faith in God. This humanity is incredible. It is Jesus', his culminating moment.

5. Accept your limits

The Bible has its limits. It is not a perfect book. There are sins and infamies, but also errors, inconsistencies, and above all limited views of man and God. It is a constantly evolving book that gradually reveals the face of God, with great leaps and some setbacks.

6. Read every day

The Bible must be read daily. You have to get into a rhythm of daily listening, where constancy gives way to curiosity and passion.

7. Read in small pieces

The Bible should be read slowly, to facilitate the assimilation of what has just been read. And it is not necessary to understand every word of the text, but to grasp the aspect that most catches our attention and can be useful to move forward in our journey.

8. Read without fear

There is no reason to be afraid of getting the interpretation of the text wrong, just listen carefully and sincerely. The Spirit is in the text, but also in our hearts.

9. Have good reading material

We also need good media to accompany us in our reading. For example, it is important to have a good edition, with commentaries and notes on the text. On this subject, one can find on the net and in bookstores a great deal of biblical commentaries.

10. Read together

Personal reading is good and important, but so is community reading. Confronting and sharing with someone who is used to reading it helps and supports us on this journey. It doesn't matter that others know more than us because they are more advanced than us in their journey. This exercise should not discourage us, but only inspire us.

11. Read, but also write

The Bible should be read, but also written down. The use of a notebook to record the phrases that impress us and the reflections that arise from reading is very useful, especially in the beginning.

12. Always pray

We should pray as we read the Bible. Before, during and after reading, prayer is the sign and support of those who want to listen to God. Start by using the prayer of the psalms, reciting at the beginning only those that we like the most. This is very important.

13. Rejoice in every discovery

When we begin to marvel at certain things we read, to wonder, it is because we are on the verge of understanding that the seed God planted in the autumn of tiring reading is bearing the fruits of a blooming spring.