But sometimes they do more harm than good. Yes, chapter and verse references help us locate specific sentences and phrases quickly. They can obscure the text and create artificial and sometimes inaccurate divisions. Bible “verses” didn’t even exist until about 1550, and “chapters” go back only to the 1200s. I am not a fan of chapter and verse references in the Bible. Read without any chapter or verse references. I understand the objection: “There’s no way I could possibly find time to do this.” But aren’t there other activities you do in life for prolonged periods of time? Do you read other books for a few hours at a time? Do you ever spend an hour watching a TV show or two hours watching a movie or three hours watching a football game? Why not prioritize lengthy, undistracted time in the life-giving word? Tip #3. Here’s a full list of the approximate times it would take to read each book in our English Bible. A book like Nehemiah would generally take about one hour. Have you ever read the Gospel according to Matthew straight through in one sitting? Or Romans? Or Job? Or Revelation? If not, you’re missing out. But if that’s the only way you read the Bible, it will be difficult to understand key literary features and the theological message of whole books of the Bible. There is value in Bible-reading plans that divvy up the readings so that you read one chapter from four different books of the Bible.

You might want to get started by downloading some free audio-Bibles from “Faith Comes by Hearing.” Tip #2. But it’s worth remembering that the congregations whom Paul addressed in his letters typically listened to Paul’s letters and did not own personal copies of them. This is evident when listening to dramatized audio-Bibles (such as my family’s favorite: The Bible Experience).

The pace is so fast that you miss all sorts of nuances, but you gain a valuable macro-perspective.Īudio-Bibles work well for the Bible’s many styles of literature, though they work best for stories as opposed to proverbs or letters. Listening to a different version than you are reading helps keep you engaged as you inquisitively consider various renderings. Sometimes I listen while doing other tasks such as driving or cleaning or running, but I’ve found it to be incredibly profitable to listen while following along in a different English translation (or in the original languages). When you listen to an audio-Bible, you’ll be surprised how quickly the time goes by and how much of the Bible you “read.” Here are three tips for better Bible reading: Tip #1. One way to get excited about reading the Bible is to rethink your Bible-reading strategy. You know it is.īut you might need some motivation. You probably don’t need to hear reasons that it’s important to read the Bible.

The bible experience audio bible john