Before we leap into Genesis here are some things to consider to help you better understand The Bible:
The Bible is divided into two books: The Old and New Testament. Both are important facets to understanding, God and better understanding our salvation in Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament is the Account of a Nation (The Hebrew/Israelite Nation). The Old Testament is comprised of 39 books including 17 Historical, 17 Prophetic and 5 Poetical
- Historical: Describe the Rise and Fall of the Hebrew Nation. Examples include Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Esther, etc...
- Poetical: Literature of the Nation's Golden Age. Includes: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs.
- Prophetic: Literature of the Nation's Dark Days and focus on coming of Christ
The New Testament is the Account of a Man, Jesus Christ, who was born in the flesh, the Son of God to die on the cross, free of sin so that our sins may be forgiven. You'll see reference to Christ and his coming early on in the Old Testament. From the minute Adam and Eve chose to sin, God was working towards Christ's coming and redemption of man through Christ's blood on the cross. If you bear this in mind when reading the Old Testament, it will help bridge the gap between the two books.
The New Testament is divided into the following sections:
4 Gospels: The MAN whom the Nation Produced. The Gospels tell a testament of God's only son, Jesus Christ coming down to the earth to live in human flesh and die to save us from sin. Christ was able to save us from sin because he faced every temptation known to man, but did not sin. His death on the cross was a sacrifice to redeem man, although Christ did not deserve to die.
Acts: HIS reign among all nation's begins. Acts details the beginnings of the Christian church after Christ's death and resurrection.
Epistles: There are twenty-one Epistles, letters written to educate and shed light on Christ's Teachings
Revelation: Forecast of His Universal Dominion
The Bible is a book written over many authors over a gap of centuries and yet it was inspired by one: God. Although many feel you cannot take the Bible literary, you can trust that every word within it's binding was divinely inspired by God and is God's Word, even if it was written down by human hands.
How to Read and Study the Bible (Summarized from my Study Bible Notes): Here are some helpful tips for understanding the Bible
I. The Lord Works through his Word: The Lord speaks his word throughout the Bible, through Jesus Christ's teachings and His words and the words of the Bible. The Lord Works i Two Ways: Law and Gospel: The Law teaches us moral ways and right and wrong, but it cannot in itself save sinners, that redemption comes through Christ's Word in the Gospels. The law sows us our sins and drives up toward repentance. The Gospel shows us how, when we falter from God's law we can find redemption through Jesus Christ.
2. Scripture Interprets Scripture: The scripture teaches and connects with other scripture. The Scripture Agrees within itself. That being said the Scripture should also be interpreted through context. You can find a passage to argue anything under the moon in the Bible, but if you don't understand the context of the scripture and it's meaning you may be falsifying an argument and claiming scripture for something that's not really being said within the passage.
3. The Holy Spirit Blesses the Use of God's Word through faith: The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to interpret scripture the way God wanted us to interpret it and helps to lead us toward a trust/faith in the Trinity through it.
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