How Should We Read the Bible?

What We Believe—and Why | Part 2

Understanding Scripture, interpreting it faithfully, and learning to hear what God has actually said.

Opening a Bible and beginning to read is wonderfully simple. You do not need a theological degree, an extensive library, or years of formal training to encounter the Word of God. Christians have read Scripture at home, with their families, and among fellow believers for centuries. Yet anyone who has spent much time reading the Bible knows that understanding what we read isn't always that simple.

We encounter passages that seem perfectly clear, followed by others that leave us wondering what the author meant. We discover promises that sound encouraging but were originally spoken to particular people under particular circumstances. We read commands given to ancient Israel and wonder whether they apply to Christians today. Sometimes two faithful Christians explain the same passage differently, and we ask how to determine which interpretation is correct.

These questions matter, especially if we genuinely believe the Bible is God's Word. In our previous article, “Can We Trust the Bible?”, we considered why Christians believe Scripture comes from God and possesses authority over what we believe and how we live. But affirming Scripture's authority raises another question: How can we be sure we are understanding Scripture correctly?

At Living Way Church, we believe every Christian has both the privilege and the responsibility of studying God's Word. Our Statement of Faith calls believers to interpret each passage in light of its context, purpose, and the full scope of biblical revelation. That conviction shapes the way we approach the Bible, and it is worth considering why.

Does the Bible Mean Whatever It Means to Me?

Imagine sitting in a Bible study with several other people. After reading a passage together, someone asks, “What does this verse mean to you?”

There is nothing necessarily wrong with that question. It might encourage someone to explain how Scripture has challenged or comforted them. But it can introduce a problem if we begin treating the meaning of a biblical passage as something each reader gets to determine personally.

Suppose one person understands a verse to mean one thing, while someone else understands it to mean the opposite. Can both interpretations be correct simply because each person finds them meaningful?

When we read a letter from a friend, we ordinarily assume our friend intended to communicate something. We might misunderstand the letter, and we might need more context to read it correctly, but we do not assume its meaning changes according to whatever we happen to feel while reading it.

The same principle applies to Scripture. The biblical authors communicated real truths to real people in particular circumstances. Their words had meaning before we opened our Bibles this morning. This does not mean a passage cannot affect different readers in different ways. The same biblical truth may comfort a grieving person, challenge someone living in disobedience, or strengthen a believer facing uncertainty. Those responses can all be appropriate. But we need to distinguish between what a passage means and the ways its meaning may apply to our lives.

Our task is not to create meaning for Scripture. It is to understand the meaning God has communicated through it.

Why Does Context Matter So Much?

One of the most common causes of biblical misunderstanding is reading a verse without considering what surrounds it.

Consider Philippians 4:13, where Paul explains that he can do all things through the One who strengthens him. We sometimes encounter that verse in conversations about athletic competition, professional ambitions, or overcoming personal obstacles. People often treat it as a promise that God will enable us to accomplish whatever we set our minds to.

But is that what Paul is actually saying?

Read Philippians 4:10–12. Paul is expressing gratitude for the Philippians' concern for him, but he also explains that he has learned contentment in very different circumstances. He knows what it is to have plenty and what it is to be in need. He has experienced abundance and hunger. In that setting, Paul speaks of Christ strengthening him.

His point is not that Christ guarantees unlimited achievement or the fulfillment of every personal ambition. Paul describes the strength Christ supplies for contentment and faithfulness through changing circumstances, including hardship. That is profoundly encouraging. Paul is not promising that every difficult circumstance will disappear. He testifies to Christ's sufficiency in circumstances that may remain difficult.

Notice how much clearer the passage becomes when we read the surrounding sentences. This is why I encourage people to read more than the particular verse they are trying to understand. Look at the paragraph. Read the chapter. Consider the argument of the whole book when necessary. Ask what question the author is answering and why these words appear here. A verse separated from its context can easily be made to support an idea its author never intended to communicate.

What Kind of Writing Are We Reading?

Another important consideration is that the Bible contains different kinds of literature.

When we open the Psalms, we are reading poetry, prayer, and worship. In Proverbs, we encounter wisdom expressed through concise observations about life. The Gospels present accounts of Jesus' life and ministry, while the New Testament letters address particular churches and individuals with instruction, encouragement, correction, and theological explanation.

These differences matter because we don't ordinarily read poetry the same way we read a historical account or a personal letter.

Psalm 91, for example, speaks beautifully about God's protection of those who trust in Him. Yet if we take its expressions as an unconditional promise that faithful believers will never experience injury, disease, or suffering, we encounter difficulties elsewhere in Scripture. Faithful people do suffer. Paul suffered. The apostles faced persecution. Jesus warned His disciples that following Him could bring hardship.

Does that mean Psalm 91 is untrue? Not at all. It means we should consider the kind of writing we are reading, the confidence it expresses in God's care, and how its words fit within the rest of Scripture. Interestingly, Satan quoted Psalm 91 while tempting Jesus to throw Himself from the temple. Jesus answered with another passage, refusing to turn a promise of divine care into an excuse to test God (Matthew 4:5–7).

This reminds us that we can quote Scripture accurately and still misuse it. Poetry communicates through imagery. Proverbs often describe ordinary patterns of wisdom rather than guarantees of identical results in every circumstance. Historical narratives tell us what happened, but they don't present every recorded action as an example to imitate. Before asking what a passage requires of us, we should understand what kind of passage it is.

Who Was God Speaking To?

This question becomes especially important when we read the Old Testament. Consider the promises God made to Abraham, the commands He gave Israel through Moses, or the instructions prophets delivered to particular generations of God's people. These passages remain God's Word, but we cannot ignore their original setting.

Take Jeremiah 29:11. God's words about a future and a hope are often used as a personal promise that every believer will experience the future he or she desires. But Jeremiah 29 was a letter to Israelites carried into exile in Babylon. The surrounding verses instruct them to build houses, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the place where they had been taken. Contrary to the false prophets' assurances of a quick return, the exile would be long. God promised to act for His people after seventy years (Jeremiah 29:4–14).

The promise therefore belongs to a particular moment in God's covenant dealings with His people. It was not originally an individual guarantee of a preferred career, comfortable life, or quick end to suffering.

Does the passage have anything to teach Christians today? Certainly. It reveals God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, even through an extended period of judgment and exile. It reminds us that circumstances that appear hopeless do not defeat His purposes. But our application must respect what He was promising, to whom, and when.

This becomes even more important as we consider how the Old and New Testaments relate. Christians believe God's redemptive purposes unfold across Scripture and find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. We therefore need to understand how a command, promise, sacrifice, or covenant institution fits within that developing history before assuming it applies to us in precisely the same way it applied to its original audience.

The whole Bible is God's Word, but not every instruction in it addresses every reader under the same covenantal circumstances.

How Does One Passage Help Us Understand Another?

Our Statement of Faith says we should interpret Scripture in light of the full scope of biblical revelation. That means reading individual passages within the broader teaching of the Bible. This principle is sometimes expressed as Scripture interpreting Scripture.

That does not mean we can avoid studying a difficult passage by reaching for an easier verse somewhere else. Nor should we force a passage to answer a theological question its author was not addressing. We first listen carefully to the passage on its own terms. Then we ask how that teaching belongs within the whole counsel of God.

Think again about Psalm 91. Jesus did not reject the psalm when Satan quoted it. He showed it should not be used in a way that contradicted God's instruction against testing Him.

Or consider Paul's teaching that sinners are justified by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28) and James's insistence that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Is one writer contradicting the other? Before reaching that conclusion, consider the questions each writer addresses. Paul denies that our works can be the basis for God declaring us righteous. James challenges the claim that an empty profession, with no evidence of living faith, is sufficient. They are not making opposite claims about the same issue.

We should not rush past the real difficulty of comparing passages. Careful interpretation sometimes requires patient attention to different arguments, audiences, and word usage. But that work helps protect us from building beliefs around a single phrase while disregarding the rest of Scripture.

What Does It Mean to Read the Bible in Light of Christ?

In our previous article, we considered Luke 24, where the risen Jesus explained how the Scriptures testified to Him. This is essential to Christian interpretation. The Bible is not merely a collection of independent moral lessons. Its many books belong to the unfolding account of God's purposes in creation, humanity's fall, His covenant promises, and the redemption accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Yet we should be careful about what it means to read Scripture in light of Christ. It does not mean forcing Jesus into every detail of every Old Testament story or inventing hidden symbols in every object and event. Instead, we seek to understand a passage faithfully in its original setting and then consider how it contributes to the larger biblical story fulfilled in Him.

Our current sermon series through Exodus provides a helpful example. When we read about Moses being called to lead Israel out of Egypt, we first need to understand Moses, Israel, God's covenant promises, and His intention to deliver His people. The historical circumstances matter.

But the New Testament also helps us understand Moses' place in the larger redemptive story. Hebrews 3:1–6 describes Moses as faithful in God's house as a servant while identifying Christ as the Son over God's house. Hebrews 9:11–15 then speaks of Christ's greater mediation and the redemption accomplished through His sacrifice. Moses' ministry was significant but not ultimate. It belonged to a larger story fulfilled in Jesus.

Reading this way helps us appreciate the original passage without reducing it to a motivational lesson about leadership or a collection of imaginary symbols. Christ fulfills God's redemptive purposes, and that truth should deepen our reading of Scripture rather than replace careful interpretation.

What About Passages Christians Disagree About?

If the Bible communicates truth, why do Christians sometimes disagree about what it teaches?

Sometimes a passage's language is genuinely difficult. Sometimes historical information is incomplete, or a passage addresses a particular question only indirectly. Sometimes our assumptions, experiences, traditions, or theological commitments shape how we read.

We should acknowledge these realities without concluding that interpretation is merely a matter of opinion. Some doctrines are taught plainly and repeatedly throughout Scripture. Christians should have confidence where God's Word is clear. Other questions require more careful reasoning, and faithful believers may reach different conclusions while sincerely seeking to understand the same text.

Here we must distinguish Scripture's authority from our interpretation's authority. Scripture does not become uncertain because I have misunderstood it. But neither does my interpretation become infallible simply because I believe Scripture is infallible.

That distinction should make us confident and teachable. We can hold biblical convictions firmly while remaining willing to examine the reasons for them. We can listen carefully to disagreement without assuming dishonesty or unbelief. And we can acknowledge uncertainty where the text does not settle everything we wish to know.

Humility does not require avoiding conclusions. The goal is to reach conclusions warranted by Scripture and hold them with the confidence the evidence supports. Sometimes we can say, “This passage clearly teaches this.” At other times, “I believe this is the best understanding, but some questions deserve more attention.” A mature Christian learns the difference.

Do We Need the Holy Spirit, Pastors, and the Church?

If every believer is responsible to study Scripture, does that mean biblical interpretation is entirely a private undertaking?

No. First, understanding Scripture is not merely an intellectual accomplishment. Paul tells the Corinthians that the Spirit enables us to understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:12–14). The Spirit opens blind hearts to receive God's truth, and believers should approach Scripture prayerfully, with humility and a willingness to obey. This does not mean every impression that occurs while reading is a message from the Spirit, or that sincere Christians cannot misunderstand a passage. We still must examine the actual words God has given and allow Scripture to correct our conclusions.

Nor does the New Testament picture believers as isolated readers. In Ephesians 4:11–16, Paul explains that Christ gives teachers to His Church to equip the saints, build up the body, and help believers grow toward maturity and discernment. Teachers are not provided so everyone else can remain dependent upon them, but so God's people become better equipped to understand and live by His Word.

We should value faithful pastors, careful scholarship, historic creeds, and the wisdom of Christians who have studied Scripture before us. Refusing help or assuming our personal interpretation must be superior because we reached it independently has no virtue. Yet no pastor, commentator, confession, or theological tradition should be treated as possessing the final authority that belongs to Scripture alone.

We encountered the Bereans in our previous article. Acts 17:10–12 describes people who listened eagerly to Paul's message while examining the Scriptures to determine whether his teaching was true. Their careful examination was not disrespect toward the messenger. It was a commendable response to the message.

That is the relationship we should want between pastors and congregations. Teachers should make the reasoning behind their conclusions visible. Congregations should listen thoughtfully, examine the passages, seek the Spirit's help, and learn with other believers. We were never meant to read the Bible in isolation from the Church, but we were also not meant to surrender our responsibility to understand it.

Is Understanding Scripture Enough?

It is possible to study the Bible carefully, explain its theology, and still fail to respond to what God has revealed.

James 1:22–25 warns against hearing the Word without doing what it says. James compares that kind of hearing to looking in a mirror and then walking away, forgetting what you saw. He is not suggesting that careful understanding is unimportant. He is warning us that hearing God's Word should lead to a faithful response.

Sometimes that response involves repentance. At other times Scripture calls us to trust God's promises, seek reconciliation, persevere in hardship, love our neighbors, or reconsider assumptions shaping our behavior.

We should also be careful not to treat application as a demand to invent an immediate task after every Bible reading. A grieving person may first need comfort from God's character. Someone suffering mistreatment may need reassurance that Scripture does not require pretending evil is good. Someone facing a complicated decision may need wisdom, counsel, and patient reflection rather than a hurried conclusion from an isolated verse.

The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to renew believers' minds and conform them to Christ (see Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). We therefore read not merely to acquire knowledge but to know, trust, worship, and obey the God who speaks. He addresses whole people, including their beliefs, desires, fears, relationships, and conduct.

Where Should We Begin?

All of this may sound like a lot to remember when you open your Bible. Context, literary form, historical setting, covenantal development, and application can seem overwhelming when you simply want to spend a few minutes reading Scripture.

I understand that concern. You do not need an elaborate checklist every time you read a chapter. These are habits we develop over time. The more we practice them, the more naturally they become part of how we approach God's Word.

The next time you read a passage, begin with four questions.

What does it actually say? Notice the words, people, events, and movement of the author's argument. Before drawing conclusions, look closely at what is there.

What was the author communicating? Read the surrounding context, consider the audience, and ask why these words were written.

How does this fit within the rest of Scripture? Consider the broader biblical teaching and this passage's place in God's unfolding work of redemption.

How should I respond? Allow the passage's meaning to shape your faith, understanding, attitudes, and conduct. Sometimes the response will be immediate obedience. Sometimes it will be prayer, further study, patient reflection, or seeking wisdom from the church.

When you encounter something difficult, do not assume you have failed because you cannot explain it immediately. Write down the question. Read the passage again. Talk with someone who can help. Consult reliable resources. Continue studying.

Learning to Listen to the God Who Speaks

When we began this series, we asked whether the Bible deserves our trust. That led us to consider the Christian conviction that Scripture is God's written Word, given to reveal Himself and make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Now we have considered the responsibility that follows.

If God has spoken through Scripture, we should want to understand what He intended to communicate. We should examine our assumptions, learn from others, correct mistaken interpretations, and faithfully apply His Word.

That does not mean every passage will become easy. But neither should difficulty make us despair of understanding. God has not given His Word merely to confuse us. Through Scripture, He makes Himself and His redemptive purposes known.

This is the maturity we hope to encourage at Living Way Church: believers who love Scripture, think carefully about its teaching, learn together in the Church, and grow in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ.

Here is a small exercise for this week. Read Philippians 4:10–13. Before asking how verse 13 applies to your circumstances, identify what Paul was explaining to the Philippians. Notice how the surrounding verses shape the meaning of his words. Then consider how that teaching might strengthen your trust in Christ.

Learning to read Scripture faithfully begins with listening carefully.

This article is Part 2 of What We Believe—and Why, a Living Way Church series exploring the biblical foundations of the Christian faith.

Part 1: https://tlw.church/articles/can-we-trust-the-bible/

Statement of Faith: https://tlw.church/beliefs/

Series: https://tlw.church/teaching/what-we-believe-and-why/

Coming next: Who Is God? — Understanding the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.