Have you ever picked up the Bible and just felt overwhelmed, unsure where to begin, unsure how to start reading such a massive and important book? Well, you aren’t alone. Figuring out how to read and understand the Bible seems really scary. But there are plenty of good and helpful resources out there to guide you. Here’s another one.
I’ll admit, I was sceptical to pick up another book about reading the Bible. There are so many already and I wasn’t sure this one was going to bring anything new, but I was hooked within a few pages. Read This First by Gary Millar is a great book! I love the way Millar starts, he doesn’t take you on a guilt trip, or say that Christians should be reading their Bible every day. He actually starts with seven good reasons not to read the Bible, you’re so intrigued that you have to keep reading.
Millar then helps you see why the Bible is a really important book to read, even if you’ve never done it before. I like this book because Millar assumes nothing. He doesn’t use that much Christian jargon, there is no expectancy that you have any biblical knowledge and the whole book is pointing to the Bible.
In just seven short, and very practical chapters, Millar helps give the reader confidence about how they can read, understand and apply the Bible. In this little book you’ll find a guide that will help you distinguish different genres of biblical literature, it will help you decipher the tone of texts, help you put passages in their context to understand them better and equip you with a toolkit of questions to ask that will help you understand and apply the Bible.
If you’re a new Christian or if you struggle to know where to begin with Bible reading, this book is for you. I read it over the course of two afternoon, it’s not a difficult read, it’s a breeze to get through. Throughout the book you get practical advice and each chapter ends with a ‘your turn’ section that helps you put the principles you’re learning into practice.
If you’re looking for a set of two books that will help you, or someone you know, think about Bible reading I suggest you buy these two books: Read This First – Gary Millar and Time Will Spent by Colin Webster. Together these two short books will help you get into a good routine of reading and understanding the Bible well.
*** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not change the way I rate the book. My views are my own. ***
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