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 Where should I begin in my Bible reading?
Daily Bible study and prayer are vital to your spiritual life. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Psalm 119:9,11,105.
When asked by a new Christian where he should begin reading the Bible, Mr. Billy Graham said, "Begin by reading the Gospel of John, for it tells us of Christ, of the 'greatest life ever lived,' and what He has done for us. Next read Acts, for it tells us what His first disciples did in the power of God's Holy Spirit. Followed then perhaps by the letters of John and the letter to the Philippians. Then you may want to read Romans, which sets forth the great doctrines which Paul taught." After you have finished these books, read the rest of the New Testament. You will want to study the Old Testament as well.
Do not be troubled about the things you read and do not understand. Trust the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind and grant understanding. As you study prayerfully, you will experience a close fellowship with the Lord.
Is the King James Bible the only reliable Bible?
The work of Bible translation is very complicated, and misunderstanding easily arises. We do not possess the original Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament or the original Greek New Testament as written by inspired men of God. What we have is an Old Testament in Hebrew/Aramaic and thousands of Greek manuscripts of part or all of the New Testament painstakingly copied and passed on to us through the centuries. There are differences in the Greek manuscripts such as minor issues of punctuation, spelling, word order, certain verses included in some manuscripts and not in others, etc., but none of these differences affect any of the major doctrines of our Christian faith.
Some people prefer the King James translation because they have been familiar with it often from childhood. Others prefer modem translations because they are more easily understood. Also, modem translators have the advantage of using many older Greek manuscripts of the New Testament discovered since the King James translation was made. Most scholars consider these older manuscripts more reliable than the few later manuscripts available to those who translated the King James Bible. It is also helpful to remember that, while King James "authorized" a particular translation for the Church of England in the 17th century, it is no more "authorized" for us today than any other translation. It was highly criticized in its day by those who preferred earlier translations, and it went through a number of revisions.
People sometimes pick up two translations and expect them to be word-for-word the same. When they find words "missing" or "changed", they think something sinister has happened. In reality, both can be perfectly faithful translations of the original language. The basic structures of languages differ from one another, and translation is not just a matter of taking a Greek sentence and finding English words to match. A very helpful book, which would be available through a Christian bookstore, is "THE TRANSLATION DEBATE: WHAT MAKES A BIBLE TRANSLATION GOOD?" by Eugene H. Glassman.
Do not get caught up into a divisive and fruitless controversy over which of many good translations is best. Instead, consider using a number of them in your study and reading, and join in prayer that all peoples in all countries of the world might soon have the Word of God in their own language.
Why is it that when I read the Bible, I don't seem to understand it?
It was an old English clergyman who suggested an apt comparison between the Bible and a sundial. He said that a person could well read the figures on a dial, but would obviously know nothing of the exact hour unless the sun was shining upon it. Similarly, he suggested, a person could read the Bible through, but unless the Spirit of God was permitted to enlighten the Word, it was just a compilation of lofty but abstract ideas.
One must make a surrender of his life to Christ through personal repentance and faith, and then watch the ways in which all spiritual input is enhanced-church attendance, fellowship with other Christians and Bible reading. If you have never surrendered your life to Christ, we encourage you to it today.
The value of Bible reading is not in some magical return on time invested - like four blessings for every two chapters. Jesus said in John 5:39 to search the Scriptures, for "they are they which testify of me." When the Bible serves as an introduction to the Person of Christ, it is fulfilling God's original design. Reading it in a modern version is very helpful. Above all, view it as a personal love letter opening up an exciting relationship that gets better with the passage of time.
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