How to Truly Understand the Bible
“He opened up the Scriptures so they understood what they’d been reading all their lives.” Acts 17:3 (MSG)
That moment in Thessalonica is powerful. Paul was speaking to people who knew the Scriptures by heart. They had heard them since childhood. Yet, until that day, they didn’t fully understand.
That’s both a warning and an invitation for us. It’s possible to read the Bible faithfully and still miss its meaning. But it’s also possible to have your eyes opened so that the words on the page become life to your soul.
If you want to truly understand the Bible, not just read it, here are three essential keys.
1. Ask the Holy Spirit to Open Your Eyes
The Bible is not just ink on paper; it’s God’s living Word. And God’s Word was inspired by the Holy Spirit, so we need the Holy Spirit to understand it.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:12, “We have received… the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
Before you open your Bible, take a moment to pray:
“Holy Spirit, open my eyes so I can see the truth. Help me not just read these words, but understand them and be changed by them.”
This isn’t about getting mystical. It’s about inviting the Author to explain His own book.
2. Keep Jesus at the Center
When Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Luke 24:27 says, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
Every page of the Bible points to Jesus, even the parts that seem confusing or far removed from the Gospel story. The Old Testament points forward to Him. The Gospels reveal Him. The rest of the New Testament explains life with Him.
A simple question to ask as you read:
What does this passage reveal about God’s plan of salvation?
How does this show my need for Jesus?
How does this help me follow Him more closely?
When Jesus is the focus, Scripture comes alive in a whole new way.
3. Learn in Context and in Community
One reason the people in Acts 17 finally understood the Bible was because Paul gave them context. He connected the dots between what they knew and what God had fulfilled in Christ.
Understanding the Bible often requires:
Historical Context – What was happening when this was written?
Cultural Context – How would the original audience have understood this?
Literary Context – How does this verse fit in with the verses before and after it?
We don’t have to figure this out alone. God designed us to learn in community. That’s why studying the Bible with others, in small groups, Bible classes, or even with a trusted friend, can reveal insights we’d never discover by ourselves.
Acts 8 tells the story of an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah. When Philip asked if he understood what he was reading, the man replied, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” That’s the value of spiritual community.
The Bible is deep enough for a lifetime of study and simple enough for a child to grasp its main message. You’ll understand it more fully when you:
Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Keep Jesus at the center of every page.
Learn in the right context and with the right community.
God isn’t hiding His truth from you. He delights to reveal it. So the next time you open your Bible, remember, you’re not just reading words. You’re meeting with the Author.
