What we’re reading may have a totally different meaning than we first assumed when we realize that it’s just the beginning of a much bigger point.Įxample: Who doesn’t love Romans 8:28 when life seems random? And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. When we’re trying to understand what the Bible is saying, it can often help us to read ahead and see where the writer is going. The opposing side will often yell “Objection!” and it’s always exciting when the judge warns “I’ll allow it, but you’d better be going somewhere with this.” When we watch lawyers on TV, we often see a lawyer ask vague, mysterious, and seemingly random questions as they try to get a confession from a witness. (Check out this article to see how I breakdown Philippians 4:13) What happens after? Is he really talking about how Christ is a source of self-empowerment and our means of escaping hardships or is Paul talking about what it takes to serve Christ in all circumstances, including when things are going well?

Notice that he talks about difficult and good times. However, reading Philippians 4:10-12 shows us why Paul is saying this and what he means. We always quote this in the face of adversity and difficulty as we look forward to fair skies and easier living. It’s the rallying cry for anyone who is going through self-doubt, and it’s what we tell ourselves when we want to nail a job interview or win a competition. In other words, why did the author say it? By going back and seeing the buildup to what we’re reading, we can often get a bigger idea of what is being said.Įxample: The verse “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” ( Philippians 4:13) has found itself on countless coffee mugs, living room walls, and human bodies. If we don’t want to take God’s words out of context, an important step we can take is looking at what was said leading up to a particular verse. When we do that, we often misrepresent God by making Him say things He didn’t say. Without reading what’s happening around the verse, we’ll conclude its meaning apart from the larger context of where that verse is being said. We have the unfortunate tendency to decide what a Bible verse means based on how it makes us feel. (See my discussion about creation here) What happened before? a letter speaks to a specific audience.Īll three can speak the truth, but they all require different approaches as we read them if we hope to understand the truth they’re speaking.Įxample: Is Genesis 1-3 real in how it reports creation and the Fall, or is it a myth? If we read and understand Genesis chapters 4-50 as a literal, historical account, what does that mean about how the first three chapters are understood?.a poem gives truth through creative language and style.Think of it like this: a poem, history book, and letter require us to read and understand them differently. Authors have different writing styles, and certain books are different in their genres. The entire Bible is essential and true, but each book is unique in its own way. In time, you’ll find that you’re asking (and answering) these questions without realizing it. Treat this as a resource to help you as you go deeper into God’s word.

Don’t treat this like a checklist – instead, think of it as prompts that can get us moving in the right direction. This list can seem intimidating and mentally exhausting, especially if we’re just trying to understand a single verse. Regardless of how Bible verses stand out to us, there are some questions we can ask as we dwell on them and seek to understand certain verses better. Sometimes they seem incredibly encouraging, frustratingly confusing, or oddly contradictory to other parts of the Bible. When we’re reading, there are often verses that stand out to us. And part of that means going deeper into what the Bible says. Whether we are already regular readers or still struggling, we want God’s word to come alive as we seek to understand what God reveals in it. As our walk with Christ deepens, we want our understanding of the Bible to deepen as well.

Bible verses about digging deeper