This article was originally published in Swedish.
Do you have to be a theologian to understand the Bible? Are theology and Bible studies only for church leaders? Do you have to become a pastor just because you are interested in theology? Have you, like me, pondered this: how can we who are NOT church leaders deepen our knowledge of God’s word?
A Calling for all Believers
Whether you are a priest, farmer, engineer, or nurse, the Bible is relevant to your calling and your life. The Bible speaks about what is good and right, how we can gain wisdom, and what is meaningful. The Bible gives us perspective on life and comfort in suffering… Most importantly, we encounter God himself.
For as long as I can remember I have had a curiosity and a longing to know God better. Even as a young person, I realized that if what is said about Jesus is true, then there is nothing more important than getting to know him. But I have never had any desire to become a pastor. I have not even been interested in becoming a missionary abroad.
For some reason, this seems to have confused some people. If you are a passionate Christian with an interest in theology, isn’t that a sign that you are called to be a pastor or serve in vocational ministry? No, not necessarily! According to the Bible, all Christians should take their faith seriously, and all Christians are called to know God better, which we primarily do through his Word:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17
This exhortation is directed to those who “have been raised with Christ” (Col 3:1), “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (v.12). Letting Christ’s words dwell in us applies to all who belong to Christ, all who are members of his body (v.15). And we are not to let Christ’s words dwell in our hearts a little, but “richly” and “in all wisdom.” It is more than the greatest theologians in history could exhaust in their lifetimes! There is no upper limit! Christ’s words should fill our hearts so that we overflow with teaching, exhortation, music to God’s glory; yes, everything we do in word or deed should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus so that we give thanks to God through him.
This call is directed to all who belong to Christ. It is not something elusive that only applies to priests, pastors, and missionaries. “It is the responsibility of every person to discover, develop, and use to the fullest extent possible all the abilities God has given them in his service in the world.”[1] Whether you are a priest, farmer, engineer, or nurse, the Bible is relevant to your calling and your life. The Bible speaks about what is good and right, how we can gain wisdom, and what is meaningful. The Bible gives us perspective on life and comfort in suffering. We receive guidance on how to avoid evil and how to relate to our country and our employers. We meet people from different times and situations and learn from their experiences. And we receive hope for the future. Most importantly, we encounter God himself, who reveals himself to us.
Practical Helps
So how can we study the Bible? The following is based on my own experience, which I hope will be helpful.
1. Read the Bible
Read the entire Bible—read it different translations, in chronological order, haphazardly, alone, together with others, read a lot or a little at a time, but READ!
You won’t understand everything, but the more you read, the more you will begin to see that certain things reoccur, that some passages are related, and over time you will understand more and more. If you are unfamiliar with reading the Bible, it may be helpful to know that some things in the Bible are difficult to understand, but try not to get too hung up on that. Focus on what you actually understand in the beginning.
It is also very helpful to talk to others who read the Bible. It is perfectly okay to talk about tricky Bible passages at church coffee mornings. Sermons are also helpful, and don’t be afraid to ask the preacher if there is something in the sermon you don’t understand or want to know more about.
2. Take notes
Take notes on what you learn when you read the Bible, either directly in the Bible or within a separate notebook. Write down your reflections, questions, and insights. Sometimes something as simple as writing down a verse or passage can help you understand it better.
Whether you take notes directly in your Bible or in a separate notebook is entirely up to you. Try it out and see what works best for you; it may vary from time to time. Something I have discovered is that if I mark up my favorite verses, it usually becomes difficult to read over time. That is why I have long preferred to write Bible reflections in my notebook. Recently, however, I have started taking notes in my Bible again, but this time I mainly note general things related to the text. For example, at the beginning of Zephaniah, I have a note that states the book takes place at the same time as 2 Kings 22-23. I save my personal reflections for my notebook.
That said, you don’t have to do as I do. Keep in mind that your notes should be helpful to you. If you want to color, illustrate, write prayers, highlight a lot or a little or not at all, you are free to do so.
3. Read books about the Bible
To begin with, I would like to recommend two short and easy-to-read books (all are listed below). The first is Can I Really Trust the Bible? by Barry Cooper. Cooper addresses some of the most fundamental questions about the Bible and provides answers that are clear and easy to understand without oversimplifying.
The second book is God’s Big Picture: A Bible Overview by Vaughan Roberts. This is a book I wish I had discovered earlier. Despite many years of reading the Bible, it is only recently that I have begun to understand how the Bible fits together into one big story. This book is a great help in this regard, and it really gives a greater understanding of the biblical text when you see how different parts fit together within the whole. It has really opened my eyes to see Jesus everywhere in the Old Testament.
4. Study the Bible
For those who are ready to go deeper, I would like to recommend a few more books. First, How to Read the Bible for all its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. Here you will learn more about the different types of texts in the Bible. You will also learn what words like “exegesis” and “hermeneutics” mean and why you need to understand the text in its context before interpreting it.
The next book I would like to recommend is Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs by J.I. Packer. Although the book covers a lot of theology, it is small and easy to read. It works well as a reference book (despite its size) and is full of Bible references that invite further study.
Other Tools
Other tools for Bible study:
- In a Bible commentary you can learn from someone else’s Bible studies.
- In a Bible reference book, you read a little about most things. In a concordance, you can look up a word and get a list of all the places in the Bible where that word appears.
- A study Bible is a bit of everything and usually contains both commentaries and a reference section with articles on the most important topics.
- Having access to compare different translations on a text is also helpful. In Swedish, there is the Kärnbibeln, which is an expanded translation that includes several different versions of the Bible, as well as commentaries and short articles.
Much of this is available on the internet or in apps, but if you prefer physical books, check your local library or ask someone who has studied theology (perhaps your pastor) if you can borrow some. If there is a university, college, or Bible school where you live, you can ask to use their library.
While we are on the subject of universities—it is actually possible to study the languages in which the Bible was written so that you can read the original texts yourself. A part-time distance learning course may be more affordable than you might think, and education is free in Sweden and most of the Nordic countries.
Bible study offers plenty of scope to explore topics that are particularly relevant to you and your current life situation or simply things that interest you. Personally, I find it fascinating to read about textiles in the Bible and about women such as Priscilla and Huldah. Since becoming a mother, texts about motherhood and child-rearing have spoken to me in a special way. What are you curious about?
In conclusion
Whether you have just begun reading the Bible or have been reading it for many years, take advantage of what you learn. What I have shared here is some of what I have learned over the past 25 years: it did not happen overnight. I have wrestled with some passages in the Bible for years, while others have been clear to me from the beginning. Give it time and don’t think you have to understand everything at once: we have all of eternity to get to know God better.
[1] Packer, James. I. 2002. Keywords that open up the world of faith.
