For many, getting into the Bible is like discovering a new universe where a completely different language is spoken. It's the same hallelujah, amen or gospel, every now and then we come across stories about talking animals and about angels...
In trying to read the Book of Books, the “ugly ditch of history” unfolds before us. Whether a person has a Bible in hand for the first time or is a regular fan of it, it comes in handy to be familiar with a few basic tips on how to deal with those mysterious texts.
The Holy Scriptures are not just for the saint!
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1. Star Wars Principle
Opening the Bible on the first page and reading it gradually to the end is a superhuman task! Indeed, the Bible contains many different genres and passages that are difficult to interpret (we have already talked about unknown words), which complicate such a daring reading. As a rule, it is advisable to start with more understandable texts, such as Gospels in the New Testament. They contain the most important spoilers, but reading the next passages will be all the easier.
I call it the Star Wars principle. As in the Star Wars story, in the Bible it pays to start from the middle.
TIP ⚠️ Read all four Gospels first (you can start with Mark's, which is the shortest, or Luke, which is written for “heathens”), continue the Acts of the Apostles, the first letter of John will introduce you to the practice of Christian life. You can also read the first book of Moses (Genesis) and the second book of Moses (Exodus) until chapter 20, then the books of Jose—Esther. This will give you a basic insight into the Bible stories.
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2. Which translation to choose?
The encounter with the spiritual overlap that the Bible offers us is through its language. We have the oldest manuscripts available in Hebrew, Greek and a little in Aramaic. However, as a rule, these languages are inaccessible to ordinary mortals, so it is appropriate to choose one of the many (high-quality) Czech translations. In the varied offer you can reach for the generally accepted Czech Ecumenical Translation (PIN) or after a little more understandable Bible 21 (B21).
➡️ Don't know which translation to choose? You can read more here!
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3. The Bible is not a history textbook
When we start into the Book of Books, we soon discover that the vast majority of these are ancient stories. However, reading the Bible merely as a record of human history fundamentally reduces its effort to reach man across time. What made the Bible the Book of Books, what has spoken to billions of people from ancient times to today, does not lie in the credibility of historical facts (although it is today in), but in the spiritual depth that these texts contain.
“In order to believe, as children banished from the paradise of naivety, we must understand; but the task of understanding is to enable us to believe again. “ Paul Ricoeur
When we read the Bible only as a history textbook, its main content is silent. It resonates when we step out of the “paradise of naivety” and begin to read the Bible as a tool that can improve our spiritual life and direct us to what is beyond us.
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4. Meet
The Bible's message can be heard in us through personal meeting. The Bible is full of stories about how people met God. Each encounter reveals something of how the heavens interfere with our lives. Reading that absorbs us into its story leads us to try to really listen. If it is not a mere record of history, it is a historical record. information, this is primarily about trans formationthat takes place in the meeting. Let's try to read the Bible as an open story in which there is a place for us today as well.
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5. Search for a new world
Reading the Bible, an attentive reader may notice that some sayings (e.g., the well-known “love your enemies”) and the general direction of not only Jesus' proclamations somehow defy our “spirit of the times.” Listening carefully to this celestial polyphony recognizes a new layout of the world, a new perspective that is offered to us. The Bible offers an old-new, alternative view of the world. Walter Brueggemann speaks of the “defiance of the gospel imagination”, which opposes the polished mozians of the age, such as consumerism, the emphasis on performance, and other ills.
As we read, the Bible invites us to take a fresh look at the reality of the world. Through new glasses. The world in the biblical representation is not a random and meaningless grouping, but from the nothingness of chaos emerges a meaning that confers immense value not only on the Bible reader. The appropriation of such a biblical view can open doors in our lives to true joy and hope that transcends the horizon of our being.‍
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These five general tips can serve as a starting point on how to read the Bible and still get something out of it. However, when reading more difficult passages, you need to search further. Each genre has its own rules of interpretation, the differences of ancient languages are considerable, and our cultural context is also very different. But reading the Bible is a challenge that bears sweet fruit!
