Understanding the Bible & Christianity
Q: I’m a born-again Christian, and Jesus Christ is at the center of my thoughts and even my social feed. I love the relationship I’m building with Him. My friend and I often talk about the Bible, and she’s been encouraging me to read it more. At first, I didn’t have a Bible, but I was able to get a free one. The problem is, the wording is hard for me to understand. I also tried a Bible app, but reading on my phone doesn’t help me connect, and I’m not great with audio either.
That’s why for Christmas, I’ve picked out a CSB Bible I really want and added it to my Amazon list. Now it’s just a matter of waiting (for 3 months).
In the meantime, how can I stop feeling “less Christian” for not reading as much right now?
A: Youre not less. Youre desiring the Word. 3 months is too long. Just listen to Scripture with audio book now and later too, it will make sense as you go. Dramatized versions are way better. It breaks it up and brings it to life.
As to understanding...The Holy Spirit will reveal its truths to you, and your pastor and any solid study Bible will help you go deeper into the Scriptures too. It takes a lifetime to study, but there are some books that can help you grasp it faster (below).
A free study Bible app here will go into the Word verse by verse, topic and section by section. Honestly, it is better to use a more reputable translation and study into it better than to go with weaker less reputable versions (unless you have 4th grade reading comprehension illiteracy issue). You want to be able to understand what its actually saying, not a altered version for easy reading.
You also want to get the version your local church pastor uses and is standardly used in Sunday School so you can follow along when youre being taught by these shepherds.
Here is a solid study Bible, in a few versions, and the associated app (that explains things).
Keep plugging away day by day and you will grow to understand. You can read one story over and over a few times to understand what happened and to see what God might be explaining to you about: God, Jesus, salvation or also about avoiding sin and bad choices folk made, to be an example to avoid, but also Scripture shows you the righteous example to follow.
Note: Things expected of and told to Jewish Israel are not going to be things for us Christians. Same God, but outside of the 10C and treating people rightly, the rest were laws for that nation. Just as our nation and states have [good] varied laws, even modesty & decency laws (good old ones or looser modern ones to our societies peril), food laws (for food safety), etc. Jews by Jesus time added to God's law commands to follow, and they added 40k laws! No wonder Jesus spoke against the religious rulers. Their nation was run religiously, but they burdened the people, added fines, outcasts folk, and kept them from sacrificing to God [as God required] if they were kicked out the Temple. It was the only place they could go to sacrifice for their sins. The people lived in real fear of these mostly wicked rulers, priests and temple folk too.
Here's some resources to help you understand the Bible. Go thru them.
The Bible reveals God to us. Holy perfection. How from Eden man is a sinner, it points to righteousness, holy living, and to Christ who reconciles us to God, & restores believers to their proper image bearing. Who then pursues holiness cuz he has been transformed. It tells believers of God's promises, how He is with us, in us, guides us, works out all things for good and His Glory. And tells us of the sin free eternity with Christ that awaits us.
What's in the Bible? & the nutshell nuggets to know.
A Introduction Summaries of Bible books to get a good understanding, are found here. (A cool dramatized audio is linked vua Bible helps at bottom too).
What are the Essential beliefs of Christianity, according to God by Scripture.
Find out what doctrinal teachings are in Scripture that God wants us to know.
Clarity: Christianity is not legalism, its not following rules, but that by the new nature you naturally pursue and live out what us Holy and righteous, because God by Christ gave you spiritual life, transformed you into a new Creation. These explain more:
Attributes of God & how being restored to who we were "made in His image" to be, shows the new nature of believers -which produces that holy fruit, so we live out righteousness. Here
Understanding & learning more about who our Truine God is. And how this brings comfort, peace and joy, in all of life's circumstances.
Attributes of God (deeper look)
Hope these help and bless you.
God bless
