{"id":21232,"date":"2026-05-28T16:33:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbndeutschland.org\/reading-the-bible-as-non-theologians\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:41:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T14:41:50","slug":"reading-the-bible-as-non-theologians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbndeutschland.org\/en\/reading-the-bible-as-non-theologians\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading the Bible as Non-Theologians"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Reading the Bible as Non-Theologians<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">6 Steps for Your Personal Bible Study<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>By Anja Scholl, Head of Online<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 120%;\">The Bible is filled with countless mysteries, complex connections, and many ways to interpret it. At first glance, this can be overwhelming. But you don\u2019t need special training to understand the Bible! A few practical steps can help you dive into God\u2019s Word:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>1. Create the right conditions<\/h3>\n<p>Some people need absolute silence, while others concentrate better with soft background music. Put your phone away, make a hot drink of your choice, and <strong>create yourself a place where you can read comfortably without distractions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Examine your attitude<\/h3>\n<p>Think honestly about why you\u2019re reading the Bible. Are you doing it simply because that\u2019s what Christians are supposed to do, or because you feel guilty otherwise? Reading the Bible isn\u2019t a chore; it\u2019s about nurturing your relationship with God\u2014and relationships thrive on genuine interest. Discipline helps, but your attitude is what matters most: <strong>I want to get to know God,<\/strong> understand His thoughts, and let Him transform me. If you realize that this is not your core motivation, bring it before God in prayer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>3. Consider the context!<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Context, context, context!<\/strong> It cannot be emphasized enough: A passage read out of its immediate context (the surrounding chapter or Bible book) and out of the wider context of the whole Bible could lead to completely absurd conclusions. Context is important!<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, there are well over 300,000 cross-references in the Bible\u2014that is, passages that refer to other passages in the Bible. We cannot understand many texts without these references.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The following questions can help with interpretation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who is speaking here, and to whom is the text addressed?<\/li>\n<li>What was the situation of the person described and\/or the author of the Bible text, and, if applicable, the recipient?<\/li>\n<li>Does the text refer to another Bible text? (Many Bibles include cross-references.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A few minutes of research online or with a good study Bible can help avoid misunderstandings.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>4. Become an observer<\/h3>\n<p><strong>First, observe without interpreting:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is happening?<\/li>\n<li>Who is acting\u2014and how?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any key terms?<\/li>\n<li>Pay attention to repetitions, contrasts, metaphors, and symbols.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>5. Interpret and apply to your life<\/h3>\n<p>In this step, you can reflect on what the text might mean for your life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask yourself:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What do you think the person described or the author was feeling?<\/li>\n<li>What does this text say about God?<\/li>\n<li>Which of God\u2019s attributes is revealed here?<\/li>\n<li>What truth or principle lies behind this?<\/li>\n<li>Where does this challenge me?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>6. Give God space to speak<\/h3>\n<p>Consciously take a moment of silence and ask God to speak to you through His Word. He knows how to reach you. God can use His Word to speak to us personally about our situation or to guide us toward the next step.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Find out what works for you!<\/strong> Whether it\u2019s the steps mentioned above, a set routine, a reading partner, or a devotional book that helps you make sense of what you\u2019ve read. Pick up the Bible and discover how God wants to build a relationship with you.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading the Bible as Non-Theologians &nbsp; 6 Steps for Your Personal Bible Study &nbsp; By Anja Scholl, Head of Online The Bible is filled with countless mysteries, complex connections, and many ways to interpret it. At first glance, this can be overwhelming. But you don\u2019t need special training to understand the Bible! A few practical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":975902,"featured_media":21224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1392],"tags":[2227,3523],"class_list":["post-21232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-devotional","tag-devotional-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Reading the Bible as Non-Theologians - CBN Deutschland<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You don\u2019t need special training to understand the Bible! 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