The Bible is a complex book.
It contains 66 volumes and it was written in the span of 1500 years.
In it, you will find different kinds of literature: narrative or stories, poetry, proverbs, prophetic
literature, and apocalyptic literature to name a few.
The Bible can be intimidating.
I remember I was 11 years old, I received my Bible as a gift from my grandmother.
But it remained on my nightstand, collecting dust.
On occasion, I would blow the dust off and attempt to read it at 11 and 12 and 13 years
of age.
But before long, it back on my nightstand.
Aside from the clear impression I that it was the word of God, I had no clue what I
was reading or what it said.
This is more of a reflection on my poor reading skills than it was on the Bible.
It may be the case that you, too, have struggled with reading the Bible.
I've run across a lot people who tell me they struggle with it.
But I'm here to tell you, there's hope.
The Bible itself tells us that it was written to be understood.
The apostle Paul tells his readers that when you read what he has written, "You can perceive
my understanding (or insight) into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the
sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and
prophets by the Spirit."
That's Ephesians 3:4.
I want you to notice, Paul writes, "When you read," implying that reading is essential.
Reading is the key.
You must open your Bibles and read them.
But I have learned that it helps to know what kind of book you are reading.
That's something I missed when I was younger.
Because the different kinds of writing use different kinds of building blocks.
For example, narrative--or stories--convey their meaning by means of setting and characters
and plot or conflict.
Take Genesis 3:1-8 for an example.
The setting is Garden of Eden.
The characters are God, the Serpent (who was Satan), Adam and Eve.
And there are a number of conflicts.
There's a conflict between God and the Serpent, between Adam and Eve, between Eve and the
Serpent, and between Adam and God, and all of the conflict centers on Adam and Eve eating
from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This story introduces the cosmic conflict of the entire story of the Bible.
There is an undergirding story--or what some people call a metanarrative--around which
the entire Bible is written.
The account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is where the story begins.
The apostle Paul--writing in the New Testament--reflects on what happened back in the Garden when he
writes, "Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through
sin, and so passed onto all men for that all sinned."
That's Romans 5:12.
The first conflict, the first story, explains why we die.
The rest of the Bible narrates God's plan to redeem that which was corrupted, that which
was ruined in the beginning.
The story begins with the introduction of corruption and death, but the story ends with
the promise of no death and no sorrow and no pain.
Reading the Bible is not just for preachers and teachers and church leaders.
Everyone should read all the Bible, all the time.
The one who does not read the Bible is no better off than the one who cannot read it.
World Video Bible has a 10 lesson course designed to get you started.