How to read the Bible?

When we read our Bible, it is very important to stay within the context of the verse that we are reading. Quoting or reading a verse from the Bible out of its original context can change the whole meaning of what the verse is actually saying. It is a good practice to remember the following guidelines while reading our Bible:

What book in the Bible are you reading?
Who is the speaker?
Who are the audience?
Topic under discussion?
Is the verse which we are reading stated in the old covenant of the law (Old Testament) or the new covenant of Grace (New Testament before/after Jesus's death)?

By following the above points as a guide you will be able to understand the Bible as it is written, word for word, and when we apply the appropriate scripture verse to a situation in our life, the Lord will turn it into wine, which we would experience when our situation that we are going through changes for good.

Are there examples in the Bible showing us how to stay within the context of a verse and not to take it out of context. Yes Indeed. Our Lord Jesus reading Isaiah 61:1-2 in a synagogue, where our Lord stays within the context of the verse.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him." - Luke 4:18-20

Lets apply the guidelines:

What book in the Bible are you reading? - Gospel of Luke
Who is the speaker? - our Lord Jesus
Who are the audience? - Jews
Topic under discussion? - Jesus being the Messiah
Is the verse which we are reading stated in the old covenant of the law (Old Testament) or the new covenant of Grace (New Testament before/after Jesus's death)? - Its being read in the New Testament before Jesus's death

Notice our Lord closed the book half way while reading Isaiah 61:2. But if we read from the book of Isaiah we find it saying:

"To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn" - Isaiah 61:2

Why didn't our Lord read about "the day of vengeance"? It is because, Jesus's First Coming was to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, in other words, He came to proclaim the Lord's favor upon His people. The proof is, blind eyes were being opened, the sick were being healed, the dead were resurrected, which we read throughout the Gospels during the Lord's ministry on earth. This is why our Lord Jesus closed the book after reading about the acceptable year of the Lord. This is How our Lord was staying within the context while reading the Bible.

Is there an example in the Bible where a verse was quoted out of context? Yes Indeed. When our Lord Jesus was in the wilderness when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, as seen in Matthew 4 where satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12 out of context saying:

"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone" - Psalm 91:11-12

When we read the complete Psalm 91, we understand that the Psalmist is talking about God protecting His people who has made the Lord as their refuge, and are walking in God's will. A person who is walking in God's plan will not be suicidal and neither will he/she test the Lord in vain, as they will be too blessed to be stressed, since they are walking in His Grace. Such people will have a lifestyle based on Bible values and principles, and anything built upon the Word of the Lord is like a house built upon a rock, as they are not relying on their own efforts to sustain their life but rather on the Lord's Grace which sustains them. But here is satan quoting Psalm 91:11-12 out of context. Our Lord Jesus didn't waste any time on satan by using practical examples but rather He used the Word of the Lord to shut him down by saying "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God". This is a verse quoted by our Lord from Deuteronomy 6:16. Notice just before Matthew 4, God the Father proclaimed His pleasure in Jesus saying "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" in Matthew 3:13, and yet Jesus never said a word regarding this to satan. This is because, satan only understands the law, he does not understand Grace. This shows that it is very important to stay within the context of a verse, and any verse taken out of context will result to inculcating a wrong belief system which ultimately will be dangerous. When you believe right you will live right.

A person who is new as a Christian, or if you are reading the Bible for the first time, you need to be very careful while applying verses from the Bible to a situation in your life, to rightly divide scriptures and stay within the context. It is for the above reasons the Bible says:

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" - 2 Timothy 2:15

A very popular verse that is quoted out of context today is Matthew 24:13 which says "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved". This is quoted and said that we believers in Christ have to endure till the end, thereby taking away Grace and making it a "works based gospel". The Gospel of Christ is a Grace based Gospel and not of works. Apostle Paul clarifies this in his epistles saying:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" - Ephesians 2:8-9

The words written by Apostle Paul are not his words, but rather they are the Words of the risen Christ. Before reading Matthew 24, we need to read Matthew 23:37-39 that says:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" - Matthew 23:37-39

By reading Matthew 23:37-39 we understand that the event in Matthew 24 is taking place right after the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, therefore Israel no longer is under the Lord's protection, their temple is desolate. Jesus is not going to come back until the Jews say "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord". This episode continues in Matthew 24 where Jesus says to his disciples that "there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down". In other words He explained what will happen to the Jerusalem temple, now that it is left desolate. That is when Jesus's disciples asks Him the following 3 significant questions in Matthew 24:3:

Tell us, when shall these things be?
What shall be the sign of thy coming
The sign of the end of the world?

Lets apply the guidelines so we can stay on track:

What book in the Bible are you reading? - Gospel of Matthew
Who is the speaker? - Jesus
Who are the audience? - Jews
Topic under discussion? - The destruction of Jerusalem, sign of Jesus's second coming, and the end of the world
Is the verse which we are reading stated in the old covenant of the law (Old Testament) or the new covenant of Grace (New Testament before/after Jesus's death)? - Its being read in the New Testament before Jesus's death

All of the above questions completely relating to the Jews and the nation of Israel. The rest of Matthew 24:4 onwards is our Lord explaining to His disciples the answer to the above 3 questions. These are all related to the Jews. Matthew 24 is nowhere related to the Church or its believers. The destruction of Jerusalem happened in A.D 70, where the Roman army led by the future Emperor Titus who burned down the city and the temple of Jerusalem, and it was just like the Lord had described in Matthew 24:2, not one stone was left on another. Here is a link describing the historical event of A.D. 70. This was when the Jews were scattered. The Church was nowhere in this picture.

Context plays a very important role while reading or quoting verses from the Bible. This is how when Matthew 24:13 which says "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" quoted out of its original context can change the whole message. The Jews who listened to the words of Jesus, escaped the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Josephus who was a Jewish Historian has documented this. Apostle Paul never ever quoted this verse in any of his epistles to the believers in Church. Much of the Church truths were shared by the Lord in the upper room where He said:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" - John 14:1-3

Lets apply the guidelines first:

What book in the Bible are you reading? - Gospel of John
Who is the speaker? - Jesus
Who are the audience? - Jews
Topic under discussion? - Jesus comforting His disciples, Church truths, and the coming of the Holy Spirit
Is the verse which we are reading stated in the old covenant of the law (Old Testament) or the new covenant of Grace (New Testament before/after Jesus's death)? - Its being read in the New Testament before Jesus's death

The above verse is talking about the "Rapture of the Church" which Apostle Paul writes in detail in his epistles, where Jesus comes first for His Church, the Bride of Christ, and after 7 years of tribulation on earth, which the church will not be a part of, He will come back for the nation of Israel during His Second Coming. How do we know the verse stated in John 14:1-3 is talking about the church? Here are the related verses from Apostle Paul's epistles:

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Lets apply the guidelines:

What book in the Bible are you reading? - Letter of Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians
Who is the speaker? - Apostle Paul
Who are the audience? - Believers in the Church
Topic under discussion? - The Rapture of the Church
Is the verse which we are reading stated in the old covenant of the law (Old Testament) or the new covenant of Grace (New Testament before/after Jesus's death)? - Its being read in the New Testament after Jesus's death

There are other churches where Apostle Paul describes about the Rapture of the Church, they are as follows:

To the Church at Corinth - 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
To the Church at Philippi - Philippians 3:20-21

The Bible is God Breathed, and He used people to write it down, just like how our Lord Jesus is 100% God and also 100% man. It is a good practice to read the Bible as it is God's Word, and it is very important to rightly divide and stay within the context of the verses, this is how we can enjoy the Good News stated in the Bible. When we come before the Lord in humility, saying "I know nothing, give me Your Wisdom so I can understand You from Your Word", that is when you see the Lord revealing Himself through His Word. It is for this reason Jesus rejoiced by saying:

"...I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" - Luke 10:21

Context plays a very important role while reading or studying the Bible. A verse quoted in the right context will result in a person being blessed, and on the other hand, a verse quoted out of its context will result in a person's life getting destroyed. The Bible is a love letter from the Lord Himself which contains the Good News of the Kingdom of God where He is our Father and we are His children.