Good Questions to Ask When Learning About the Bible
There are tons of Bible studies out there that are incredibly helpful regarding the basics, the broad and the narrow points of God’s Word. But, when it comes to understanding your faith and digging into who God made you to be, it’s imperative to read the Bible and understand it for your personal self. It’s smart to know the “who, what, where, when, why and how” of the Bible. Knowing the context of scripture is how you learn to apply it to your life. But there’s a deeper side of understanding God that few studies dig into.
In order to make your faith personal, you have to understand how you feel about the context of the Bible and why you feel that way. Regardless of your feelings, the Bible is God’s truth and we should obey His Word, but we can’t comfortably follow God if we don’t fully understand Him. To grasp something completely means to accept it with our mind as well as our heart.
To help you on this journey, here are some questions that will hopefully spark some deeper, more thought-provoking investigation about the Bible. Sometimes it’s helpful to place yourself in the story and try to see it first-hand as you read. The Bible is sometimes difficult to read and it’s hard to understand, so don’t feel like you need to sort through these questions on your own. Take your response to these questions to your Bible Study group, youth pastor or parent to seek other people’s opinions and their view as well. You’ll broaden your view of God and solidify your own ideas even more by seeing how other people embrace scripture.
Hopefully these questions will help you dig into your personal view and understanding of God.
- What’s something you’ve never noticed before about the text you just read?
- What questions do you have?
- What assumptions are you making about the text and where do those ideas come from?
- Was there anything that bothered you?
- Was there anything that you disagreed with and why?
- What did you learn about loving God?
- What did you learn about God’s love for you?
- What did you learn about loving others?
- What do you sense God wants to reveal to you through this text?
As you read meditatively, let God speak to you with His “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). Grab a journal and write down your thoughts on what you learn. Voice record your response or even make a daily social media video with what God is showing you. By documenting what you learn, you’re more likely to remember and build upon your thoughtful experience. Reading the Bible on your own is one of the best ways to grow in your personal faith. Knowing the Bible is essential to knowing God and who He created you to be. But, don’t ever be ashamed if you need to seek out some educated insight. A helpful tool is a good study Bible that explains cultural, historical and geographical things (we suggest the ESV Study Bible for $18.99). The Bible is complex and difficult to understand at times. Don’t be overwhelmed, instead remind yourself that this is a personal journey and God is walking with you, hand in hand. Perhaps you can now engage more with the Word of God and understand more of His character.
