The good news: The Bible is the #1 bestselling, most-read book of all time.
The bad news: Biblical literacy rates are way down, so the general public (and even many Christians themselves!) are far less familiar with the Bible, its stories, and its overarching message than ever before.
It’s understandable. The Bible is a huge book full of a wide variety of texts. Written by approximately 40 authors over the course of about 1600 years, Scripture is full of way too much nuance to understand in one sitting… or even a lifetime of study!
That being said, there are some basics Christians wish everyone knew about the Bible, as they greatly affect our ability to read, understand, and comprehend it.
Recently, on a popular social media platform, someone asked, “What’s something you wish more people knew about the Bible?”
And, as always, the answers did not disappoint.
1. The Bible is Not Meant to Read as Individual Verses
In today’s fast-paced social media world, it is easier than ever to read the Bible in short snippets.
From sermon clips on YouTube to inspirational memes on Instagram, there’s no shortage of Bible verses taken out of context.
While it’s great to get the gospel out there, this can have the unfortunate side effect of turning the Bible into a little more than a series of independent quotes taken out of context, wildly distorting their meaning.
One person responded, “In what I call ‘Patchwork Bible’ where people take verse 5, 8, 26, and half of a verse in the next chapter and stitch it all together to say ‘It means this.'”
Another person said, “That the Bible is not a collection of independent verses which can be detached and studied in isolation from the verses on either side.”
2. Scripture Wasn’t Originally Written with Chapters and Verses
If you have ever looked up or memorized any Bible verses, you know how helpful chapter and verse numbers can be.
However, it is important to remember that the Bible’s original manuscripts never had these numbers. They were added later.
One person wished people knew, “Chapters and verses were not part of the original. ‘Verses’ are just sentences. Sentences ripped away from their paragraphs and paragraphs from their broader passage can easily be misunderstood. Read books of the Bible like you’d read any other book or letter — beginning to end — if you want to understand it correctly.”
3. It Contains Phrases That Don’t Mean What People Think They Do
One of the biggest problems of reading individual verses on their own is that it strips them out of the context they were written in, distorting the meaning.
You can make the Bible say pretty much anything you want it to simply by taking a short phrase out of context.
Unfortunately, this can lead to a great deal of this information and misunderstanding.
One person wanted people to know, “‘An eye for an eye…’ doesn’t mean what most people think it means.”
Someone else responded, “That the word hell doesn’t mean what people think it means.”
4. The Bible is Complex
Think Scripture is simple, straightforward, and clear? Think again.
The Bible is not meant to be a straightforward how-to guide with easy step-by-step instructions for every situation you personally might face.
Instead, you need to know some of the history surrounding the Bible and how all of the pieces together in order to understand it properly.
This isn’t to say it’s impossible to understand Scripture on our own. The Holy Spirit can (and does!) help us. However, we need to do our due diligence to understand the Bible as a whole as well as the culture of the time if we want to make sure we have a fuller, more accurate understanding of what the original authors meant.
Someone shared, “Bible doctrine is more complicated than people realize. I’m not saying that it IS complicated. What I’m saying is even the average Bible student has a very oversimplified view of Bible interpretation and application. Should we overcomplicate it? No. But equally bad is oversimplifying it.”
5. It’s a Book About God’s Love
While many people view the Bible as a collection of quotes or a how-to guide, one commenter wanted to remind people that the Bible can be better understood as a book all about God’s love for His people.
The Bible contains many different genres but the same overarching message: God loves us and is making a way for us to be in a relationship with Him despite our inclination toward sin. This love comes through in many different ways, but it’s all throughout the Bible from cover to cover.
One person wanted people to know, “God would do anything for us out of His love… even to die on a cross to take the punishment we deserve.”
6. It Needs to Read More Than Once
Have you read the entire Bible from cover to cover? That is a great accomplishment!
Unfortunately, simply reading through the Bible once isn’t enough to fully understand this message and how it applies to us today.
The Bible is so full of meaning and nuance that we can learn and discover greater depth every time we read it.
For this reason, many Christians spend their lives studying Scripture, only to constantly find more to learn.
One person stated, “It is something you can know a little about or a lot, but you will never know it all. Never stop seeking. Never stop learning.”
7. It’s Not a Book About You
If you have ever attended a Bible study, you have probably heard someone ask the question, “What does this mean for me?”
While the Bible does have a great deal of wisdom and advice we can apply to our own unique circumstances, we need to keep in mind that the Bible is not a book primarily about us.
It is primarily a book about God, His goodness, and His relationship with His people.
One person said, “It isn’t a book about themselves, but rather a book about Jesus.”
8. It Should Be Read Every Day
The Bible never commands that Christians must read Scripture every single day.
However, daily Scripture reading is a very common goal among believers because we recognize how incredibly important and beneficial it can be.
If you are only hearing God’s Truth through your pastor, social media, or a podcast, you are missing out!
Open the Word, and let God speak to you directly.
One person shared, “I would wish more people read the Bible every day so they could learn all of what the Bible teaches and not just what I think might be best for them to learn.”
9. It’s Not a Book of Made-Up Stories
Because Bible stories are often first taught to children, it’s easy to forget that the Bible is not a fictional children’s storybook.
While some parts of the Bible are not meant to be taken literally, the majority of the stories are factual accounts of real people and the real situations they faced — people just like us.
Someone responded, “Everyone that is in the Bible was a real living human being. They’re witnesses to what happened at those times. It’s very interesting to think about if you look at it from a historical context because if there are people that say the Bible is fake stories, who says George Washington actually existed? It’s because there’s written record of him existing from witnesses. Obviously, not EVERY single detail is written, but the majority is.”
10. It’s Not Boring
Think the Bible is boring? It does not have to be!
From beginning to end, the Bible is full of inspiring wisdom, practical advice, and hilarious stories you have to read to believe.
There is a reason the Bible is the number one bestselling book of all time. It’s not always easy to understand, but it’s a fantastic, life-changing read!
One person wants people to know, “It’s not as boring as they think.”
How to Study the Bible (for Beginners)
Are you confident you can read, study, and understand the Bible for yourself?
The Bible is a huge book full of so much wisdom, encouragement, and direction, but it’s easy to misunderstand what its words mean or how we should apply them to our lives today.
In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to study God’s Word for yourself, even if you’re brand new to Bible study.
How to Study the Bible for Beginners
How to Make Bible Reading a Daily Habit
Getting in the habit of reading the Scriptures daily is actually easier than you might think…if you use the tips and a daily Bible reading plan in this post. Learning how to read the Bible can be fun and enjoyable!
Read How to Make Bible Reading a Daily Habit
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author and founder of Equipping Godly Women and Monetize My Ministry. She’s also a Christian speaker, podcaster, and conference host. Her work has been featured on numerous TV, radio, and online ministries, including CBN, MSN, Christianity Today, Evangelical Alliance, Patheos, Crosswalk, and more.
