ChristiansUnite Forums

Hi,

 I am a recently born again Christian that is trying to read as much of the Bible as I can in my spear time (not much these days, working a lot), I have (2) versions of the Bible (NIV and KJV). I am having some trouble from time to time understanding some of the Gospels. Is there another version of the Bible that is easier to understand? I have heard that the "New Living Translation" version is written in such a way that it is easily understood. Any thoughts/comments?

Thank you,

Tom

A person can have a difficult time understanding the written word no matter what Bible version is used if they are not in prayer with God before and during study. I say the word study because there is a difference in reading God's word and in studying His word. A person can read the entire Bible from cover to cover over 100 times and not be able to get one single thing out of it if they do not truly study what it is saying to us along with the Holy Spirit's guidance. This is the reason that we see so many false prophets and teachers today that are able to quote scripture word for word yet are not able to explain a word of it correctly.

When you pick up your Bible, fist ask God to give you the understanding according to His will. Then as you read, take your time in reading it, study that portion. Keep in mind that Bible reading is not a speed reading contest. If you spend an hour on just a few verses it is better than reading many chapters in that same time frame if you get something out of it. If you come across a word you are not sure about then use the references such as Strong's or the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge's cross referencing to help you understand the meaning of how that word is used in the context of that verse and chapter. Then end that time with a prayer of heart felt thanksgiving. Also Keep in mind that God is only going to reveal that which He is ready for us to know and that we are able to handle. In other words don't expect to know/understand everything all at once.

Another thing that can be very helpful is to join in with others more knowledgeable in a Bible study. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them here. There are quite a few wonderful, knowledgeable people here that would love to help you out.

Pastor Roger,

Thank you so much for your advise in regards to studying the Bible. I do belong to a local church that does have Bible study classes on an ongoing schedule. I think it would be to my advantage to join that group to better understand the readings. That way, I could ask questions as they arise and be able to get a better understanding of what we just read. Thank you again for your advise!!

God bless you,

Tom