Read This First

Alistair Begg

I recently provided new believers with study Bibles filled with notes, maps, quotes, and explanations. Instead of finding it helpful, they were bewildered. If only I could have given them a copy of this excellent book. From now on I will definitely recommend that they read this first.

David Mathis

There is, of course, no better way to learn to read the Bible for yourself than to read it for yourself. Yet we all need help with learning to read—and all the more with the most important book in history and the very words of God himself. Gary Millar is a gifted guide for this most important of pursuits. Learning to read the Bible will not only give you answers; it will give you life—the very kind of life in your soul you’ve been longing for.

“Great introduction to reading the Bible and hearing from God”

Gary Millar’s new book with The Good Book Co., Read This First, is an introductory guidebook for those engaging with Christianity for the first time or for new or confused Bible readers. Millar’s goal is to help people become confident readers of God’s Word by learning how to discern the differences between genres, the meaning of various texts, and the context within God’s storyline, as well as how to see Jesus throughout all of Scripture. If you yourself are new to reading the Bible, or know someone who is, Millar’s book is a quality, quick read to prepare for a lifetime of reading the Bible and hearing from God.

Millar writes, “Hopefully, reading this book has convinced you that reading the Bible isn't as hard as you thought. Yes, it's from a different ‘world.’ Yes, it's different from any other book. But in God's kindness, he has set things up so that when we read it, we hear his voice, speaking right into our world, right now, by the power of his Spirit. And incredibly, through this book, God speaks to every believer—including you—no matter how long you've been a Christian or how little or much you know. You can hear him just as clearly as someone who's been reading the Scripture for decades! The Bible is God’s precious gift to you.”

“good starting point”

I was very intrigued by this book as I know many believers, new and experienced, struggle to study and understand the Bible. They often have no idea where to even begin. So a book like this would seem to be quite helpful to most.

The book is structured with seven chapters and a special appendix:

- Why bother with the Bible?

- Learning to Read

- What's the vibe?

- You know what I mean?

- King Context

- It's not about me (although it is!)

- Over to you

I love that he starts with the introduction and the first chapter discussing the importance and validity of the Bible. He mentions that the Bible is the number one selling book of all time and thus seems to be a legitimate reason for anyone, believer or not, to seek it. He also provides a list of seven reasons why not to read the Bible - all of which are realistically common within our society but ultimately excuses. Later on in chapter one, he addresses the results of the Bible claiming to be God-breathed.

Each chapter condoles with a "your turn" section. This section provides a scripture reference along with activities and exercises to complete. These are meant as gradual steps to learning how to read, study and understand the Bible.

Having been a believer and done many bible studies, I did not find this book necessarily helpful for myself. For those who are new believers or even non-believers seeking to learn more, I can see where this book would provide some helpful starting points in understanding the Bible and its purpose.

God makes it clear in Scripture that our knowledge and wisdom of the Bible, the Gospel and God is simply because the Father has chosen to reveal it to us. So we can read every book ever written about the Gospel, but ultimately God is the one who will reveal his Gospel to us as He sees fit.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

“A Great Introduction to Bible Reading”

For many of us, picking up the Bible and reading, expecting God to speak to us, is a daunting task! We can be unsure of what certain passages mean, struggle to feel motivated, and have no idea where to start.
Millar shows us the basics (such as the different genres of biblical text) as well as some more advanced techniques (such as interpreting the impact of context). Each chapter ends with "your turn" - an opportunity to read a passage and understand its key point.
Whether you're new to reading the Bible or just want to feel a bit more confident, this would be a really helpful book to get you started.