When Passion Meets the Page: Growing in Biblical Literacy
As I began this blog, my heart was not only to build a community of believers, but also to encourage biblical literacy. I grew up in church; however, although I was a passionate follower of God, I did not truly know my Bible until after college. This was not due to a lack of teaching at church. I chalk this up to being passionate about God while, at the time, not taking time to fully understand the Word as a teenager and young adult.
In my mid-twenties, sensing a call to write and speak, I returned to school to pursue Theology and Biblical Studies. I learned a great deal, but I certainly have not arrived. What I did know is that we serve a BIG God, and if we believe, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5), then each time we approach the Word of God, it should be done with reverence—learning how to rightly and faithfully engage it.
Before I truly understood God’s Word, I prayed and listened for God’s voice. I was like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, hungry to know Him better, without realizing that His Word and His voice are inseparable.
Today, I have grown to love the Bible, recognizing it as a story comprising many books and themes that point to God’s creation of humanity and His desire for a relationship with humanity. A holy God made a way for unholy people to be in His presence.
As I have matured, I am still a student of the Bible; however, what I have learned is that many people profess to love God and yet somehow separate His Word, as I did in my teens. They want to know the will of God but don’t want to know Him through His written Word.
In John 1, the disciple John explains, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus, the Living Word (logos), was present at Creation, and through Him, God spoke into human history.
I am not seeking to disparage those who attend church on Sundays but do not study or truly understand the Bible. What I am saying is this: if you, too, are passionate about God, as I was, and still am, I would encourage you to take the time to study your Bible. If you spend time in the Bible, you will get to know God and His character. You will see His purpose for you.
So how do we become biblically literate?
First, we begin with:
Author: The Bible is written by the Divine Author (God) who spoke the word through many men over a course of 1000 years. God used ordinary men to pen His words through each of their personalities and cultural settings. “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, NIV). God chose to reveal Himself to us through the Word of God. The Bible is also God’s specific revelation of Himself to His people.
Author’s Purpose/Audience: Each biblical author, whether documenting historical narrative or the Gospels, had an intended audience. Understanding who the author of the individual books is, along with their intended audience, gives us further insight and context into each particular book.
Genre: The Bible contains different genres of literature. You cannot approach poetry the same way you would approach a historical book or even prophecy. The Bible consists of the Old Testament and New Testament, which means the Old and New Covenants. Both Testaments comprise many books of differing genres: The Law, History, Poetry, Major/Minor Prophets, Gospels, Church History, Letters, and Prophesy.
Courtney Doctor, in her book From Gardens to Glory: How Understanding God’s Story Changes Yours, says it best, “The overarching genre of Scripture, the genre that holds it altogether as one, coherent piece of literature, is narrative. The Bible is a story—not a fictional story, but a story nonetheless—one story, written over many centuries. Within the story, we find historical records (e.g., 1 and 2 Chronicles), poetry (e.g., Psalms), historical narrative (e.g., Exodus), and several different kinds of literature, but the overarching genre is narrative (30).
Through the narrative, God demonstrates who He is through scripture and invites us to know Him better.
Historical/Cultural Context:
Since the Bible spans over 1000 years, the way families migrated and lived in clans in the Old Testament is different from how people and families lived in the New Testament. Understanding dating, historical events, and cultural implications assists the reader in understanding specific books and the intent of the author.
When we examine these areas: author, audience/purpose, genre, historical/cultural context, then we can more accurately understand the background of the book, and we can correctly interpret what we are reading and, if appropriate, systematically apply it to our lives.
Biblical literacy is not about mastering information or approaching the Bible as a textbook. It is about coming to know God who reveals Himself through Scripture. As we learn Scripture in its proper context, Scripture comes alive. We gain clarity, depth, and a more faithful understanding of who God is and how He works in the world. Most importantly, we are invited into a deeper relationship with Him. The same God who spoke at Creation still speaks today through His Word, drawing us closer to Himself.
My prayer for you in 2026 is that you would approach the Bible with humility, curiosity, and reverence.
Prayer: Lord, as we commit to studying your Word, we pray that you would transform our hearts and lives. You are the Living Word, and as we submit our lives to you, we thank you that you will continue to reveal your plans and purposes for us. Thank you for loving us, making a way for us to be in a relationship with you, and ordering our steps. We are grateful to be a part of your plan. In Jesus name, Amen.
As a side note, if you are taking the time to read these posts, please subscribe to my blog.
Suggestive Reads if you are new to Scripture:
Courtney Doctor, From Gardens to Glory: How Understanding God’s Story Changes Yours
Angie Smith, Seamless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story
Tara-Leigh Cobble, The Bible Recap