The Bible can seem like an intimidating book, but it may be easier to understand than you think.

Bible Gateway interviewed pastor David Whitehead (@PstDave) about his book, Making Sense of the Bible: How to Connect with God Through His Word (Bethany House, 2014).

What should be the reason a person reads the Bible?

Pastor Whitehead: I believe that the greatest reason to read the Bible is to get to know the God of the Bible. When we do, we come into an awareness of God’s blessings and judgments—God’s thoughts about life. James 1:25 tells us that those who act upon God’s words will be blessed, and in order to act accordingly, you have to know his Word.

How would you explain what the Bible is to someone who hasn’t read it and doesn’t know much about it?

Pastor Whitehead: The Bible is a book that captures how God interacts with humanity. More than a book of morals, the Bible reveals the nature of God as well as our nature. In a way, the Bible is as much a book about men and women as it is about God. To not have knowledge of the Bible puts one at a serious disadvantage when it comes to understanding human nature. Even if you’re not a believer, reading the Bible provides a treasure chest of insights about what it means to be human. I believe this brings credibility to the Bible’s presentation of God.

Why are there so many translations of the Bible and how should a person decide which one to read?

Pastor Whitehead: I devote an entire chapter to this. The Scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, but fortunately there are people who have dedicated their lives to translating the Scripture into modern languages. Each translator has to find the tension between accuracy to the original text and verbiage that relates to the modern reader—not an easy job.

In terms of choosing a translation, or a paraphrase in some cases, one must determine which is the easiest to personally understand. The Bible describes us as a community of chosen people (1 Peter 2:9), so one option would be to choose the translation your local church is using.

The Bible refers often to a person’s heart. Why is that important to consider?

Pastor Whitehead: Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart, for from it flow the rivers of life. The heart (as the center of our emotions) is the processing center of all that we see and experience, so the condition of the heart is vital in reading the Scriptures. Does the Bible feel dead and dry to you? That may be more of an indication of where your heart is than it is about the translation you are reading. Fortunately, the Bible has much to say about how to change our hearts.

Why should a person be aware of the different writing styles of the books of the Bible?

Pastor Whitehead: It’s vital that you understand the writing style of the book you’re reading so that you don’t misunderstand it. You don’t approach the Psalms the same way you approach the apostle Paul’s writings. The Psalms are poetry; Paul’s letters address specific issues in specific churches. One of the main ways Scripture is misused is to confuse one style of writing for another. This can mislead people in their understanding of God and His ways.

How can a person make sense of the Bible when it contains seemingly mundane and archaic minutia, such as instructions for dealing with mildew and fungal infection?

Pastor Whitehead: The laws of the Israelites were given to remind them that God is perfect in all His ways, and it would be impossible for anyone to keep the laws (over 600) spelled out in the Torah, the first five books of Moses. The Israelites needed a way out of the requirements of the law. Once a year they’d bring a spotless lamb to the temple as a sacrifice for all the ways they had fallen short of the law. This set the stage for the day when God himself would provide a lamb for the sacrifice—his Son, Jesus Christ. So these seemingly minute laws are important to the story, because they remind us that outside of Jesus we would still be subject to them. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It’s a gift given on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice of himself.

When is it appropriate for people to apply a particular Bible verse for their own lives as opposed to interpreting the verse to be appropriate only for the original context in which it was written?

Pastor Whitehead: A seminary professor once told me that over time the church has abused every doctrine in the New Testament! How does that happen? By taking Scripture out of the context in which it was written. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, so there will be times when a particular Bible verse will stand out to us, but it’s our responsibility to also understand the situation that Scripture was addressing when it was written. With careful study and godly council, we can discern the difference between a wrong application of Scripture and a divine prompting by the Holy Spirit.

How should a person who’s never read the Bible begin?

Pastor Whitehead: I was an atheist as a young man, so when I had an encounter with Christ I wanted to know who Jesus really was. This is why I recommend starting with the life of Jesus in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some people may think that Genesis is the place to start. I respectfully disagree, because Jesus’ teachings lead to the Old Testament. Jesus’ critique of the religious structures of Judea helped me wrestle with my own hypocrisies and the hypocrisies of others. Jesus is the center of this story, so I’m confident that viewing the Old Testament through the life of Christ is a very effective way to approach the other books of the Bible.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Pastor Whitehead: I wrote Making Sense of the Bible to help people understand the “big picture” of the Bible in simple, but not simplistic, language. I pray that it’ll help many people have the courage to delve more into the Scriptures.

Bio: David Whitehead, author of Making Sense of the Bible, is a former atheist who has been helping people connect with Jesus Christ for more than 30 years in churches throughout the United States and abroad.

In 2009 David launched thedailybibleverse.org, which receives over 600,000 unique visitors a month, and growing. He is the lead pastor of Grace (@GraceNewYork), a congregation in Manhattan, as well as a church planting coach for Redeemer City to City (@RedeemerCTC). David lives with his wife and two daughters in Manhattan.