Basics

If one is to properly understand the message of the Bible, he or she must first understand how the Bible is structured. We need to be able to read the Bible’s “blueprint”.

Two major sections

The books of the Bible are separated into two major sections. The first 39 books are contained within what is referred to as the Old Testament. The remaining 27 books are in the New Testament. The books of the Old Testament were written in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. The New Testament books were all written in Greek.

Reading and studying the Bible is vital to all disciples of Jesus. The Bible is our “instruction manual” for living a life that will be pleasing to God. The Bible is a guide to everyday living and a standard by which we can measure the quality of our lives. It should be the goal of every Christian to become as familiar with its contents as possible. Here are a few tips that might help in gaining greater knowledge about God’s book.

There are so many different kinds of Bibles, which one should I use? Which version is the best or most accurate? There probably isn’t one version of the Bible which is particularly better than the others. It generally makes more sense to use several good versions rather than relying on just one. Why is this so? The languages that the original Bible documents were written in were Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. So, unless you are fluent in all three of these ancient languages, you are going to rely upon a translation. Each Bible translation has its strengths and weaknesses. When you casually read the Bible, any well respected translation will do. When you need to intensely study some passage or topic, you will probably find it insightful to see how several different translations read.

Respected English Language Versions

The King James Version (KJV) — Translated in 1611 by 47 scholars. In spite of its age, this is still a very good Bible translation. For hundreds of years it was the version of choice in the English speaking world. The 1769 edition is the one popularly in use today. Its Elizabethan style Old English is difficult for modern readers. This is still a good translation for those who can handle the Old English.