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A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better
The number one predictor of a person's spiritual health is the regular practice of personal Bible reading.
But this is precisely the point where many Christians stumble. Why? For many reasons, but one of them is simply that reading the Bible can be challenging. Even when we set aside the time and space, we don't always know where to begin, understand what we're reading, or know how one part connects to the next. Wouldn't it be helpful to have a guide for reading the Bible better?
A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better is an accessible handbook to help you better read God’s Word, whether you are new to the Bible or have been reading it faithfully for decades. This book was designed to be experienced together by an entire church, studied by a small group, or engaged by an individual looking to sharpen his or her Bible reading skill.
A clear and concise roadmap for reading God’s Word well, this book will equip you to open God’s Word with intention, purpose, and context every time, so that you may see God transform your hearts and minds as you read.
But this is precisely the point where many Christians stumble. Why? For many reasons, but one of them is simply that reading the Bible can be challenging. Even when we set aside the time and space, we don't always know where to begin, understand what we're reading, or know how one part connects to the next. Wouldn't it be helpful to have a guide for reading the Bible better?
A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better is an accessible handbook to help you better read God’s Word, whether you are new to the Bible or have been reading it faithfully for decades. This book was designed to be experienced together by an entire church, studied by a small group, or engaged by an individual looking to sharpen his or her Bible reading skill.
A clear and concise roadmap for reading God’s Word well, this book will equip you to open God’s Word with intention, purpose, and context every time, so that you may see God transform your hearts and minds as you read.
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Published November 15, 2022
23 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
George H. Guthrie
52 books24 followersDr. George Guthrie serves as the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, TN. As a student of the New Testament and Koine Greek, he is the author of numerous articles and seven books, including, The Structure of Hebrews: A Textlinguistic Analysis (Supplements to Novum Testamentum, 73. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994; republished by Baker Books in 1998), Biblical Greek Exegesis (Co-authored with J. Scott Duvall, Zondervan), the NIV Application Commentary: Hebrews, and Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Hebrews. Dr. Guthrie has participated in translation projects, such as the revision of The New Living Translation, and has served as a consultant on the Holman Christian Standard Bible, the New Century Version, and the English Standard Version. He has also served for five years as a co-chair of the Biblical Greek Language and Linguistics Section of SBL, has served on the Executive Committee of the Institute for Biblical Research, and has served on the editorial board for Sheffield's JSNTS monograph series. At Union University he has led in the establishment of, and serves as Senior Fellow in, the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, which is committed to promoting sound Bible reading, study, and interpretation at the grassroots level of the church. Dr. Guthrie holds both the Ph.D. and the M.Div. degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Th.M. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 11, 2025
I thought this was a fantastic book. I read one very similar to it - “How to Read the Bible” by David Platt, and while that was a very helpful book, and it had some insights this book did not, this one also filled in some gaps that Platt’s book didn’t. Overall, I would rate them very similarly but would encourage anyone looking to understand the Bible better, on a beginner-intermediate level, check these out!
November 8, 2022
Christians believe in the Bible. They declare it in their creeds. They study it in small groups. Many would spend their devotional time with an open Bible. Some would also be inspired to go to Bible School. For the layperson, while the spirit is willing, the know-how is weak. Many of us can read but not many know how to appreciate the different genres, interpretive methods, or basic reading skills. God's Word is life-giving but do we know how to receive this life-giving Word? Whatever it is, all if not most of us would agree on one thing: Whatever our stage of expertise, we all need to take our Bible reading to the next level. This short book helps us to do just that. Author and professor George Guthrie is a well-known teacher of the Bible. Having been involved in several Bible translations, he knows the nuances and skills necessary to read the Bible well. He starts off the book with an invitation to consider and ponder the power of words. Subtly, he hints at the following: If words can be such powerful tools to move the human heart, what about God's Word? Surely, that would move not only human hearts but inspire them to do greater things that no ordinary mortal being could do. Guthrie focuses on:
1) Spiritual Foundations for Reading Scripture
2) Learning how to read the Word with understanding
3) Reading the Bible in the community
4) Reading the Bible for Personal Transformation
5) Learning the grand story of Scripture
6) Learning to use the various tools to improve Bible reading
Guthrie reminds readers that the way to understanding the Bible begins not with the brain but with the heart. What are our motivations? Why do we want to read the Word of God? Are we prepared to be shaped by the Word? If our motivation is positive, the Word of God becomes a lamp of guidance, a sword of correction, a rock of stability, a delightful treat like honey, etc. In fact, the Word can do spiritual open-heart surgery on us. From the heart, we go to the ears to be trained the hear the Word. Learning to listen well is the art of understanding. We are warned of the dangers of having eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Spiritual listening requires us to practice contextual reading as well as getting a good translation. Guthrie gives us a list of different contexts and how to choose from the different kinds of translations available to us. Next, we read with eyes of awareness to the different genres. Guthrie shows us the uniqueness of different genres in both the Old and New Testaments. The type of literature we read determines the way we interpret them. Guthrie then shows us the importance to enter the story of the Bible and how it informs our stories at a personal level. He shows us three grand acts of Scripture that we can participate in God's Plan, Covenant, and Will. The final chapters of the book list some valuable tools we can use to further study the Bible.
My Thoughts
==============
This is one of the most readable primers on how to read the Bible. The instructions are clear and easily understood. As a guide, there are several things readers can benefit from. For the Community, this book is a resource for teachers, preachers, and facilitators to use in basic Bible learning and understanding. Sometimes, when we ask people to simply "read the Bible," we can get stumped by the amount of material to cover. From the 66 books, where do we start? This might discourage some readers from even starting to read the Bible. With this primer, we can start reading systematically and more importantly, intentionally. First things first, Guthrie is right in beginning with the heart. Attitude determines the altitude of understanding. Motivation drives the determination to read the Word, no matter how complex or difficult the Word might be to us. If the heart is not in the right place, understanding would be limited. If the heart is open and humble, the Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding.
If I have any critique, it would be the lack of references to online material. With the pervasiveness of the Internet and the rise of online resources, we need help in discerning the use of such online materials. Questions remain with regard to what kinds of websites we can trust. Perhaps, the author could include an appendix that lists down some web resources, complete with their history, background, strengths and weaknesses. This need I believe will continue to grow exponentially.
Finally, let this book be a call for us to actually read the Bible. Learning techniques and reading strategies alone do not necessarily lead to people reading the Bible. The danger in learning the techniques and methods is that these things can sometimes become an end in themselves. That is why reading the Bible well begins with the heart. A heart that loves to read and study the Word will not easily fall prey to the tools and devices. Use this book in community settings as well as for personal devotion.
George H. Guthrie, author of Read the Bible for Life, is the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He helped establish and is now a Senior Fellow at Union’s Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, which is committed to promoting sound Bible reading, study, and interpretation at the grassroots level of the church. Guthrie has also participated in developing or revising several popular Bible translations including the HCSB, English Standard Version, and New Living Translation.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B and H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
1) Spiritual Foundations for Reading Scripture
2) Learning how to read the Word with understanding
3) Reading the Bible in the community
4) Reading the Bible for Personal Transformation
5) Learning the grand story of Scripture
6) Learning to use the various tools to improve Bible reading
Guthrie reminds readers that the way to understanding the Bible begins not with the brain but with the heart. What are our motivations? Why do we want to read the Word of God? Are we prepared to be shaped by the Word? If our motivation is positive, the Word of God becomes a lamp of guidance, a sword of correction, a rock of stability, a delightful treat like honey, etc. In fact, the Word can do spiritual open-heart surgery on us. From the heart, we go to the ears to be trained the hear the Word. Learning to listen well is the art of understanding. We are warned of the dangers of having eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Spiritual listening requires us to practice contextual reading as well as getting a good translation. Guthrie gives us a list of different contexts and how to choose from the different kinds of translations available to us. Next, we read with eyes of awareness to the different genres. Guthrie shows us the uniqueness of different genres in both the Old and New Testaments. The type of literature we read determines the way we interpret them. Guthrie then shows us the importance to enter the story of the Bible and how it informs our stories at a personal level. He shows us three grand acts of Scripture that we can participate in God's Plan, Covenant, and Will. The final chapters of the book list some valuable tools we can use to further study the Bible.
My Thoughts
==============
This is one of the most readable primers on how to read the Bible. The instructions are clear and easily understood. As a guide, there are several things readers can benefit from. For the Community, this book is a resource for teachers, preachers, and facilitators to use in basic Bible learning and understanding. Sometimes, when we ask people to simply "read the Bible," we can get stumped by the amount of material to cover. From the 66 books, where do we start? This might discourage some readers from even starting to read the Bible. With this primer, we can start reading systematically and more importantly, intentionally. First things first, Guthrie is right in beginning with the heart. Attitude determines the altitude of understanding. Motivation drives the determination to read the Word, no matter how complex or difficult the Word might be to us. If the heart is not in the right place, understanding would be limited. If the heart is open and humble, the Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding.
If I have any critique, it would be the lack of references to online material. With the pervasiveness of the Internet and the rise of online resources, we need help in discerning the use of such online materials. Questions remain with regard to what kinds of websites we can trust. Perhaps, the author could include an appendix that lists down some web resources, complete with their history, background, strengths and weaknesses. This need I believe will continue to grow exponentially.
Finally, let this book be a call for us to actually read the Bible. Learning techniques and reading strategies alone do not necessarily lead to people reading the Bible. The danger in learning the techniques and methods is that these things can sometimes become an end in themselves. That is why reading the Bible well begins with the heart. A heart that loves to read and study the Word will not easily fall prey to the tools and devices. Use this book in community settings as well as for personal devotion.
George H. Guthrie, author of Read the Bible for Life, is the Benjamin W. Perry Professor of Bible at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He helped establish and is now a Senior Fellow at Union’s Ryan Center for Biblical Studies, which is committed to promoting sound Bible reading, study, and interpretation at the grassroots level of the church. Guthrie has also participated in developing or revising several popular Bible translations including the HCSB, English Standard Version, and New Living Translation.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of B and H Publishing and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
November 1, 2022
First sentence: This is a book about words. Words have already shaped your life a great deal, putting things in motion, setting trajectories for your relationships, work, interests, commitments, and hopes. Words have hurt or healed you, delighted or devastated you, instructed and informed you. In short, words have played a large role in defining who you are today.
George H. Guthrie has written a handful of books about the Bible--namely how to read the Bible. This one strives to be short(er) and (more) concise. His mission (obviously) is to get his readers to read the Bible (the VERY WORD OF GOD) better. Guthrie writes, "If our purpose in life is to live for him and to his glory, and the Scriptures shape us for his mission, then God's Word provides us with a means to that very desirable end...The Scriptures play a vital role in us fulfilling our purpose in the world. Consequently, there is no more important task in life than hearing from God and trusting him on the basis of his Word... Everything else in our lives is shaped by whether or not we are living out of a life grounded in the Word of God, the Bible. We need to read it and read it better than we ever have before, so that we can live it well."
Each chapter seeks to help believers read the Bible better. It is essential, in Guthrie's opinion (and my own) for believers to live in the Word. His chapters cover a variety of topics all working together to help believers read the Word better. Topics include motivation and spiritual condition, how to better understand the message of Scriptures (including picking a translation), how to read the Bible with others, how to read for personal transformation, the big picture of the Bible, Bible reading plans, and selecting useful tools or resources for study.
I love that first and foremost he makes this a heart issue. I think it is so easy to forget this. Our attitude is not something that we can just shrug off. It doesn't matter if my heart is open or closed--or distracted or engaged--so long as I check Bible reading off my list. That's not how it works. The Word of God is powerful and life-giving. It is food for our souls. Spending time in the Word should strengthen, encourage, convict, transform. It should be a joyous meeting of our souls with God.
I appreciated this one. At times--and I am not saying I could approach this topic any better--it felt a little like product placement. Read these books [a good many but definitely not all seemed to be published by his publisher]. I don't know a way around this. I don't. But overall, I greatly appreciated it and would recommend it.
George H. Guthrie has written a handful of books about the Bible--namely how to read the Bible. This one strives to be short(er) and (more) concise. His mission (obviously) is to get his readers to read the Bible (the VERY WORD OF GOD) better. Guthrie writes, "If our purpose in life is to live for him and to his glory, and the Scriptures shape us for his mission, then God's Word provides us with a means to that very desirable end...The Scriptures play a vital role in us fulfilling our purpose in the world. Consequently, there is no more important task in life than hearing from God and trusting him on the basis of his Word... Everything else in our lives is shaped by whether or not we are living out of a life grounded in the Word of God, the Bible. We need to read it and read it better than we ever have before, so that we can live it well."
Each chapter seeks to help believers read the Bible better. It is essential, in Guthrie's opinion (and my own) for believers to live in the Word. His chapters cover a variety of topics all working together to help believers read the Word better. Topics include motivation and spiritual condition, how to better understand the message of Scriptures (including picking a translation), how to read the Bible with others, how to read for personal transformation, the big picture of the Bible, Bible reading plans, and selecting useful tools or resources for study.
I love that first and foremost he makes this a heart issue. I think it is so easy to forget this. Our attitude is not something that we can just shrug off. It doesn't matter if my heart is open or closed--or distracted or engaged--so long as I check Bible reading off my list. That's not how it works. The Word of God is powerful and life-giving. It is food for our souls. Spending time in the Word should strengthen, encourage, convict, transform. It should be a joyous meeting of our souls with God.
I appreciated this one. At times--and I am not saying I could approach this topic any better--it felt a little like product placement. Read these books [a good many but definitely not all seemed to be published by his publisher]. I don't know a way around this. I don't. But overall, I greatly appreciated it and would recommend it.
November 16, 2022
Understanding God’s Word
"Dear Bibliophilos, words are more powerful than a nuclear bomb, for words move the world!"
In the above sentence, George Guthrie uses the word "Bibliophilos", which means, “Friend of the Book.” I pray that you, as myself, are friends of the Word seeking to obtain more understanding of God's Word. In this book, the author states that no one knows how to wield words for good like God!
We are continually seeking answers, fellowshiping with others, and praying for miracles on our journey to fully understand God’s Word. George states that in Hebrew 11:3 that "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible". He demonstrates God’s spoken Word throughout the bible.
He further states that there is no more important task in life than hearing from God and trusting him on the basis of his Word, and below are the six things he discussed in this book:
1. Motivation and spiritual condition as foundational for reading Scripture
2. How to understand the messages of Scripture
3. How to read the Bible in community with others
4. How to read for personal transformation
5. How to enter the grand story of Scripture
6. How to access great tools for better Bible reading
By reading this book, I personally, enjoyed all the scriptures and practice exercises. This book is great, when read in a group or with someone else. I plan on finishing it with members of my bible study group.
"Dear Bibliophilos, words are more powerful than a nuclear bomb, for words move the world!"
In the above sentence, George Guthrie uses the word "Bibliophilos", which means, “Friend of the Book.” I pray that you, as myself, are friends of the Word seeking to obtain more understanding of God's Word. In this book, the author states that no one knows how to wield words for good like God!
We are continually seeking answers, fellowshiping with others, and praying for miracles on our journey to fully understand God’s Word. George states that in Hebrew 11:3 that "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible". He demonstrates God’s spoken Word throughout the bible.
He further states that there is no more important task in life than hearing from God and trusting him on the basis of his Word, and below are the six things he discussed in this book:
1. Motivation and spiritual condition as foundational for reading Scripture
2. How to understand the messages of Scripture
3. How to read the Bible in community with others
4. How to read for personal transformation
5. How to enter the grand story of Scripture
6. How to access great tools for better Bible reading
By reading this book, I personally, enjoyed all the scriptures and practice exercises. This book is great, when read in a group or with someone else. I plan on finishing it with members of my bible study group.
March 9, 2023
This book is only six chapters and less than two hundred pages. It has practice points and discussion questions. Clearly, this is not just a book to be read cover to cover, but a guide to help the reader do what the book title states.
The author makes the case for why studying and knowing the bible is so very important. We all know this, but the author highlights that the Bible is God’s world and should be used as a foundation for life itself.
This book would make a great gift for a new Christian, or someone that is overwhelmed with how to get into the word. This book would also be a great study for small groups.
*I received this product for review from the publisher, this does not affect my personal opinion.
The author makes the case for why studying and knowing the bible is so very important. We all know this, but the author highlights that the Bible is God’s world and should be used as a foundation for life itself.
This book would make a great gift for a new Christian, or someone that is overwhelmed with how to get into the word. This book would also be a great study for small groups.
*I received this product for review from the publisher, this does not affect my personal opinion.
February 1, 2023
An excellent little book to help Christians become better Bible readers. Most books on how to read/study/interpret the Bible are directed toward college and seminary students, but few are written for your average Christian in the pew. This books is a definite remedy to this. It simultaneously makes one excited to read the Bible (regardless of past training and experience) and gives some simple tools and questions to ask when reading the Bible.
For lay Christians, yes, this is a book you can read to much benefit!
For pastors, you will also read this for much benefit, but also it's a great book to recommend to your congregation to inspire better Bible reading skills and habits.
For lay Christians, yes, this is a book you can read to much benefit!
For pastors, you will also read this for much benefit, but also it's a great book to recommend to your congregation to inspire better Bible reading skills and habits.
October 21, 2022
Well-written and easy to read guide with just six chapters on how to read the Bible better. Some salient points to help someone who wants to dive deeper into the Word of God. I will admit to being somewhat disappointed that there is not more mention of meditating and memorizing.
I loved the recommendations on what study bibles or other resources to buy to help us understand more. Will go back and make a note on those.
4 stars from me.
I loved the recommendations on what study bibles or other resources to buy to help us understand more. Will go back and make a note on those.
4 stars from me.
January 15, 2023
I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.
This is a good basic primer of why to read the Bible and how to get started. It would be a good place to a new believer to begin this discipline. It was less helpful for longer term believers and the authors constant self-promotion (Buy my other books...) was off-putting. It was ok, but not stellar.
This is a good basic primer of why to read the Bible and how to get started. It would be a good place to a new believer to begin this discipline. It was less helpful for longer term believers and the authors constant self-promotion (Buy my other books...) was off-putting. It was ok, but not stellar.
January 21, 2023
Short and concise, yet rich with encouragement to read the Bible [better]. I loved the word pictures of the Bible as our lamp (guide), sword (correction), rock (stability), and honey (delight) taken straight from the Scriptures and explained in such a way that I am drawn in. I also appreciate the practical tips. Well done!
January 21, 2026
A very basic beginner’s book to reading the bible. This book targets first time readers who feel overwhelmed or don’t know where to start and provides them with the necessary tools and encouragement to get started. It is not the be all end all, and was not ever intended to be. Apart from a small section in on the necessity of the illumination of the Spirit it is a pretty doctrinally sound book.
December 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and got a lot of helpful tips and reminders in it. I would have liked it to go a little further, which is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
August 9, 2023
This book is a lot of anecdotes. They aren’t bad but it takes too long to get to the content. When you arrive, it’s solid but very basic.
October 17, 2023
This accessible, tiny book lays a great foundation for how engage with the Bible better on a daily basis. Well done!
Read
November 12, 2024This is an inspiration on how to read the bible better. The suggestions are good and point the ways we can learn to read the Bible better with greater insight and transformation,
December 6, 2024
Solid introduction to the why and how of Bible reading, though I didn’t find it particularly remarkable.
October 10, 2025
This is a fine little work for new Christians as so many struggle to know how to study their Bible. Recommended.
December 1, 2025
simple but good :)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews