Overcoming Bible Unfamiliarity: A Guide for New Readers

One of the biggest roadblocks to engaging with the Bible is simply not being familiar enough with it. If you don't know your Old Testament from your New Testament, or whether Moses came before John, you're not alone. The Bible is a big, complex book, and feeling intimidated by it is completely normal.

Perhaps you became a Christian, started reading Genesis with enthusiasm, but got bogged down after a few weeks. Maybe you tried to learn more about Jesus online but found yourself unexpectedly swamped with theological debates you knew nothing about. Or perhaps you hear others talk about all the great things they find in the Bible, but when you read it yourself, you just feel lost.

The Truth About Bible Unfamiliarity

The starting point is acknowledging where you truly are in your relationship with the Bible. If you didn't grow up with it or attend a Christian school, you likely know less about it than those who did. This isn't a judgment—it's simply a fact.

Not being able to quote chapter and verse doesn't mean you love Jesus less. Stumbling over unusual Old Testament names when reading aloud says nothing about your spiritual maturity. Your level of Bible experience is mostly an indication of your background, not your relationship with God.

What Are the Disadvantages of Being New to the Bible?

When you're unfamiliar with the Bible, you might:

• Be slower at looking up verses
• Not recognize every biblical character mentioned in church
• Have few Scripture verses memorized 
• Lack a clear picture of the Bible's timeline
• Feel intimidated to participate in discussions about the Bible
• Struggle to evaluate if teachers know what they're talking about

These disadvantages are all results of limited experience, and they can change as you grow in familiarity.

What Advantages Do New Bible Readers Have?

Surprisingly, being new to the Bible gives you some significant advantages:

• Your mind isn't cluttered with various interpretations
• You have fewer preconceptions getting in your way
• You don't need to "deprogram" childhood teaching
• You likely have little church baggage
• You're not pre-committed to long-held theological perspectives
• You can see the Bible in a clearer light
• You can connect with Bible stories in a more visceral, emotional way
• You experience it as a story rather than as a sermon with a moral

Being unfamiliar with the Bible doesn't make you less spiritual. In fact, there are ways the Bible can be more immediate and engaging for you than for lifelong readers.

How Can I Build a Relationship with the Bible?

Unfamiliarity becomes a roadblock only if it makes you feel insecure. When you can't find your way around, it's easy to be intimidated, especially around people who can navigate the Bible effortlessly. Here's how to move past this:

Get Intentional About Learning

The Bible is like any body of knowledge—the more time you spend with it, the more comfortable you'll become. Set aside regular time to read, whether daily or weekly, but don't read randomly. Read with an intentional plan:

• Start with the Gospels
• Move through the New Testament
• With just 15 minutes daily, you can read the entire New Testament in about six weeks
• In six months to a year, you can develop a working knowledge of the Bible

Understand the Big Picture

The Bible isn't a single book—it's a collection of 66 books written over a long period by different people in different cultures. Getting to know how the Bible is laid out will help you feel less lost.

A surprising first step: Read the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Though technically a children's Bible, it's beautifully written and provides a chronological overview that introduces central themes, especially how Jesus fits into the whole story. This will give you a mental map to place passages and stories as you read.

Go Deeper with Study Resources

The Bible is like a little library containing different kinds of writing. Learning about these different genres will help you enormously. Consider resources like:

• "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" by Gordon Fee
• "Let the Reader Understand" by McCartney and Clayton

These books help you understand the nature of the Bible, how to read different kinds of literature within it, and provide introductions to cultural backgrounds. "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth" is particularly accessible—short, focused, and practical.

Don't Lose Your Fresh Perspective

As you gain familiarity, don't lose the gift of coming to the Bible without baggage. Keep an open and inquiring mind, and stay connected to the story rather than just extracting moral lessons. The Bible is a tool God uses to shape our hearts and minds—if you stay open to being shaped, it will never lose its power in your life.

Life Application

Getting familiar with the Bible is like learning anything else—give it time and attention, and it will come. Remember that knowing a lot about the Bible doesn't make you a better person, and knowing little doesn't make you worse. We engage with Scripture not to become better people but because God has promised to speak to us through it.

This week, take these practical steps:

• Set aside 15 minutes daily for Bible reading, starting with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John)
• Consider getting a beginner-friendly resource like the Jesus Storybook Bible to understand the big picture
• Find a reading plan that works for you (many Bible apps offer these)
• When you read, ask yourself: "What does this reveal about who God is?" rather than just "What should I do?"

Ask yourself:

• What has kept me from engaging with the Bible more consistently?
• Which of the advantages of being new to the Bible resonates most with me?
• How can I approach Scripture with both fresh eyes and growing knowledge?
• What specific time and place will I commit to regular Bible reading this week?

Remember, if you're new to the Bible, just jump in and get familiar. Trust that God is working through this ancient document, and as you spend time with it, God will bring it to life in a powerful way just for you.