Study the facts with me and learn why we have this book of writings that we call the Bible. Let us not read the Bible as a self-help guidebook. That does not mean the Bible isn’t for us living today, because it is. If we read the Bible without adding ourselves or searching for something to make us feel good, what do we see? What do we learn? What is the overall theme of the Bible? What is this book really about? I hope to answer these questions in today’s post to the best of my ability and understanding of studying the scripture. Let’s pray together for the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding so that we may know truth.

The Bible is not our story. The Bible is God’s story, it’s about his plan, his glory, and his heart is revealed. The scriptures were not given to us to use a weapon to win arguments with others and it wasn’t given to us to validate our own viewpoints and opinions. It wasn’t given to us for “life application” per say either. This doesn’t mean we can’t learn from scripture. We can and we should, however, we need to stop reading scripture from a me-centered perspective. Stop looking for what the Bible can tell you about you or an answer to some question you have about your life situation and instead read the Bible looking for God. What does it say about him? When you refocus your attention away from you, away from our lives here today on this planet, and place it on what it is saying about God, trust me you will read things very differently. Don’t read all those commentaries and books by all these people that tell you what the Bible is saying or what application for your life you’re supposed to get out of it. Sure, commentaries can be helpful sometimes, but you really just need your Bible, the Holy Spirit and you. I can tell you that when you do this a lot of the confusion you might have in your head from all the things you hear go away.

If you’ve read my other posts titled, “What does the Bible really say (part 1 and 2)”, you will know that context is key and very important to me when I read scripture and should be to everyone who proclaims Christ. Why is that important? Because far too often individual verses are pulled out of a larger passage/message in order to support some other idea that the passage in no way is referencing. To me, this is a big deal. This is not how I want to read the scripture and I don’t think it’s a good practice for anyone. Knowing who wrote the text (if we know), to whom it was written, what time frame was it written during or about, and why, are important factors to understanding it. For example, I far too often see Paul’s letters which he wrote to specific people/churches, with a specific message, being used to further some modern day idea about whatever topic, for example, “end times.” But, when you read his words in the context of when, who, and why, you might well find the truth of what Paul is actually conveying to the people. Yes, much of it we can apply to our lives like when he encourages Timothy to remain faithful and warning him of difficult times in his letters to Timothy. But don’t forget to ask yourself what those passages are revealing about God. Look how faithful God was to Paul during his ministry. Paul himself expressed how merciful God was.

When we read the scripture looking for our own pursuits, or what we can “get” out of the text we will no doubt miss the truth and not see how much more there is to know. The scripture is telling us who God is, and how he intends to redeem us from the consequence of sin and restore us to himself through the life, death, resurrection and the ascension of Christ. We are shown through the text the need for Christ to come, and it prophecies that coming. We can also see the truth about Christ’s second coming. It is a book about God working through people, teaching them (and us) about who he is, guiding them (and us) to better understand him. Instead of reading a story about a man being swallowed up by a big fish (Jonah) and seeing it only as this is what happens to us when we disobey God, maybe see it as, this is what happens when God shows his grace and forgiveness (for Jonah, the people of Nineveh). This is who God is. This is how he loves. This is how merciful he is and how patient. There will be a day of judgement and God’s judgement will be just, but God is also a God of love, evident by the willing sacrifice of his son. You can read these notes here on Jonah and Nineveh if you’d like and please dig deeper by reading the scriptures and weigh them with anything said at this website. Why was Jonah sent to Nineveh. I’m only including this link because they do point out the bigger picture about Jonah that many miss. (sometimes commentaries can be helpful)

So what really is the Bible about? I think we’ve established it’s about God and it’s about Christ. Read the Bible to learn about who God is and don’t miss the truth by seeing only the surface or looking for a personal answer about a personal problem or situation you face. Yes, we can apply much of scripture to our personal lives, but the Bible is not about us. Often we get caught up in timelines or “signs” of what some see as future events that we completely miss what scripture is showing us and make it say something else instead of what God is teaching us. Men wrote the words through the inspiration of the Spirit, but the times, the cultures, and the events (the who, what, where, why) are important to understanding the text the way it’s written. What is the overarching theme then of the Bible? Obedience to God. How do we obey? Love, that’s how. Christ was the ultimate example but we can see this recurring them throughout the whole of scripture. Obedience is important to God as is his love for humans, his creation. How do you show God you love him? Obeying him which can only be done in humility and faith to trust his will. Read the scriptures and you can’t unsee it. Also, Christ is coming back and in him we have the hope of restoration, and only in him. Reading the Bible then should give you joy, hope and understanding of who God is and what he’s done and continues to do and draw you closer to him while you await the day you come before him, on your knees, in worship which you can do today.

Edited 2/16/2026 to add something I wanted to say but forgot to write.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities —all things have been created through him and for him.¹⁷ He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,²⁰ and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. — Colossians 1:15-20 (CSB)

https://read.csbible.com