The main key to reading the Bible effectively with true understanding is a simple one and yet it is often overlooked.

The Bible is a collection of sixty six books that have been divided into chapters and verses to make it easier for us to find whatever we are looking for. This is often very helpful but it creates a trap that many fall into. A lot of people will lift a verse out of the surrounding context and then debate as to what its true meaning is.

One person will tell you the verse means one thing and another person that it means something else and some people get very adamant about their view and opinion. But "God is not the author of confusion" (1 Cor 14:33 - the context being to speak with understanding at church meetings. Compare verse 15)

The best way to truly determine what a particular verse means is to interpret it within the context of the surrounding verses. There are themes that run through the entire Bible, there are themes that run through each of its books and there are themes that run through each chapter. The true meaning of any verse will be in line with these themes. These themes will become more obvious, the more time you spend reading your Bible.

If you really want to know what the Bible teaches, this point cannot be overemphasized.

The best way to start reading the Bible is to pick up a copy