Category: FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH

Perhaps someone has given you a Bible, or you have had one sitting on a shelf for years, and you have finally opened it — only to find more than a thousand pages, sixty-six books, and no obvious place to begin. If that is you, take heart. The Bible was never meant to overwhelm you, and you do not need to understand everything at once. What follows is a gentle path in, one small step at a time.

It is all right not to know where to begin

The Bible is not really one book but a library, written over many centuries. That is why starting on page one and reading straight through can leave a newcomer weary somewhere in the middle of Leviticus. There is no shame in this. The good news is that there is a far kinder way to start.

Begin with the story of Jesus

The heart of the whole Bible is Jesus, so the most natural place to begin is one of the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. If you would like a warm, unhurried introduction, begin with the Gospel of Luke; if you would like to go straight to the wonder of who Jesus is, begin with John (John 1:1-14). Read it the way you would read a letter from someone who loves you — slowly, and expecting to be spoken to.

Read a little, and read it slowly

You are not in a race. A handful of verses, read thoughtfully, will feed you more than three chapters skimmed in a hurry. Pause where something stirs you. Read it twice. The aim is not to finish the Bible quickly, but to let the Bible begin to shape you.

Pray before you open the page

Scripture is living, and it is best read in the company of its Author. Before you begin, you might simply pray: “Lord, open my eyes, that I might see wonderful things in Your word” (Psalm 119:18). It need not be eloquent. A few honest words are enough to turn reading into listening.

Choose a translation you can understand

If the words feel stiff or strange, you may simply have an older translation. There are many faithful, readable versions in plain modern English — do not be afraid to use one. The best translation to start with is the one you will actually read and understand.

Do not worry about the parts you do not yet understand

Every reader, however seasoned, meets passages that puzzle them. When you come across an unfamiliar word, you are welcome to keep our Bible glossary close by — it explains many of the terms you will meet most often. And when a passage stays cloudy, let it be for now. Understanding tends to come not all at once, but as a patient gift over time.

Let the Psalms teach you to pray

Alongside your Gospel, dip into the book of Psalms. Here you will find honest prayers for every season of the heart — joy and sorrow, fear and trust. Psalm 23 is a tender place to begin, and Psalm 1 a quiet picture of the blessed life (Psalm 23; Psalm 1). Many people pray a psalm a day and find their own words slowly growing.

A gentle first month

If you would like a simple shape to follow, try this: read a short passage from one Gospel each day until you reach the end, and pair it with one psalm. That is all. By the time you finish, you will have walked with Jesus from beginning to end, and learned to pray alongside the saints of old. If you would like more structure, our guided reading plans can carry you gently from there.

Jesus once said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Reading the Bible is, in the end, simply drawing near to the One who said those words. You do not need to arrive an expert. You only need to begin — today, with a single open page.

If you have ever opened the Bible and met a word that left you puzzled, you are in very good company. Scripture carries a vocabulary all its own — words shaped by centuries of faith, prayer and worship. This little glossary gathers some of the words you will meet most often, explained simply and warmly, so that the meaning behind them can become a doorway rather than a wall. Wherever a verse is mentioned, you can hover or tap to read it for yourself.

Apostle

An apostle is someone sent out with authority to carry a message. In the New Testament it refers especially to the twelve men Jesus chose to be with Him and to proclaim the good news after His resurrection (Luke 6:13). The word itself simply means ‘one who is sent’.

Atonement

Atonement is the making right of what sin has broken between us and God. Through the death of Jesus, the distance is closed and we are brought back into friendship with our Maker (Romans 5:11). To remember its meaning, some read the word as ‘at-one-ment’ — being made one with God again.

Baptism

Baptism is a washing with water that marks a person’s entry into the family of faith. It is an outward sign of an inward change — the old life laid down and a new life received (Matthew 28:19). Jesus Himself was baptised, giving us the pattern to follow.

Covenant

A covenant is a sacred, binding promise. Throughout Scripture God makes covenants with His people, pledging His faithfulness and inviting theirs in return. The ‘new covenant’, sealed by Jesus, offers forgiveness and a fresh relationship with God to all who believe (Jeremiah 31:31; Luke 22:20).

Disciple

A disciple is a learner and a follower. To be a disciple of Jesus is to walk closely with Him, to take in His teaching, and to let it shape the whole of life (John 8:31). Every believer is invited to be a disciple, not merely an admirer.

Faith

Faith is trust placed in God — a settled confidence in His character and His promises, even when we cannot yet see the outcome (Hebrews 11:1). It is less about having all the answers and more about resting in the One who does.

Gentile

In the Bible, a Gentile is simply anyone who is not Jewish. The good news of Jesus, first entrusted to Israel, was always meant to reach the Gentiles too — that is, the whole world (Romans 1:16). If you are not of Jewish descent, this is the doorway through which the gospel came to you.

Gospel

Gospel means ‘good news’. It is the announcement that God has come to rescue and restore us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (Mark 1:1). The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels because they tell this story.

Grace

Grace is the love and favour of God given freely, not earned. It is the gift we could never deserve and never repay, offered to us simply because God is good (Ephesians 2:8). Much of the Christian life is learning to receive it with open hands.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God Himself, present and at work within those who believe. He comforts, guides, teaches and gives strength for daily living (John 14:26). Though unseen, His presence is as real as the wind in the trees.

Incarnation

The Incarnation is the wonder of God becoming human in the person of Jesus. ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14). It means that God did not stay at a distance, but came near enough to be held.

Justification

To be justified is to be declared right with God — not because of our own goodness, but because of what Jesus has done on our behalf (Romans 5:1). It is as though the record is wiped clean and we are welcomed as though we had never strayed.

Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God is God’s loving rule and reign — wherever His will is honoured and His ways are followed. Jesus announced that this Kingdom had drawn near, and invited everyone to enter it (Mark 1:15). It begins quietly in human hearts and will one day be seen in full.

Lord’s Supper (Communion)

The Lord’s Supper, also called Communion, is the sharing of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus’ death (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). On the night before He died, He gave this simple meal to His followers as a way of remembering Him, and of being nourished, until He comes again.

Mercy

Mercy is kindness shown where judgement might be expected. Where grace gives us good we have not earned, mercy spares us the consequences we have. God’s mercies, Scripture says, are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Messiah

Messiah means ‘anointed one’ — the long-promised King and Rescuer whom God pledged to send. Christians believe Jesus is that Messiah, the fulfilment of centuries of hope (John 1:41). The Greek form of the same word is ‘Christ’.

Parable

A parable is a short, everyday story told to reveal a deeper truth. Jesus taught often in parables, using seeds, sheep and lost coins to open eyes to the things of God (Matthew 13:34). Simple on the surface, they reward a thoughtful heart.

Prophet

A prophet is a messenger who speaks on God’s behalf, calling people back to Him and pointing towards what He is doing (Hebrews 1:1). Prophets sometimes foretold the future, but more often they spoke courageously into the present.

Psalm

A psalm is a sacred song or poem of prayer and praise. The book of Psalms gathers a hundred and fifty of them, giving voice to every season of the soul — joy, sorrow, fear and hope (Psalm 95:1). Many have found their own prayers waiting for them there.

Redemption

To redeem is to buy back something precious that was lost or held captive. In Christ, God redeems us — paying the price to set us free and call us His own (Ephesians 1:7). The word carries the warmth of being wanted and recovered.

Repentance

Repentance is a turning — a change of heart and direction, away from sin and back towards God (Acts 3:19). It is not mainly about feeling guilty, but about coming home. Every turning, however small, is welcomed by a waiting Father.

Resurrection

Resurrection means rising to life after death. The heart of the Christian faith is that Jesus rose bodily from the grave, conquering death itself (1 Corinthians 15:20). Because He lives, His followers are promised life beyond the grave as well.

Righteousness

Righteousness is being and doing what is right in God’s eyes. We cannot achieve it on our own, but in Christ we are given His righteousness as a gift (2 Corinthians 5:21). It describes both God’s perfect goodness and the new standing He grants to those who trust Him.

Sabbath

The Sabbath is a God-given day of rest and worship, woven into the rhythm of creation (Exodus 20:8). It is a gift more than a rule — an invitation to lay down our labours and remember the One who sustains us. As Jesus said, the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath.

Salvation

Salvation is God’s rescue of us from sin and its consequences, and His gift of new and everlasting life (Acts 4:12). It is received not by earning but by trusting in Jesus (Romans 10:9). At its heart, to be saved is to be safely held by God.

Sanctification

Sanctification is the gradual work of being made holy — of becoming, over time, more like Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:3). It is the journey of a lifetime, and the Holy Spirit walks every step of it with us.

Scripture

Scripture is another name for the writings of the Bible, regarded by Christians as God-breathed and trustworthy (2 Timothy 3:16). To read Scripture is to listen for the voice of God speaking through the words on the page.

Sin

Sin is anything that falls short of God’s goodness — in what we do, what we fail to do, and the bent of the heart beneath (Romans 3:23). The Bible takes sin seriously because it wounds us and separates us from God, yet it speaks of sin always in the light of a remedy.

Testament

A testament is a covenant or solemn agreement, and it gives the Bible its two great divisions. The Old Testament tells of God’s dealings with His people before Jesus; the New Testament tells of Jesus and the church that follows Him (Luke 22:20). Together they form one unfolding story.

Trinity

The Trinity is the Christian understanding that the one God exists eternally as three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The word itself is not found in the Bible, but the truth runs all through it. It is a mystery to be worshipped more than a puzzle to be solved.

Words like these are not meant to stay on the page. As you read, may each one become a little more familiar, and a little more your own — until the language of faith feels less like a foreign tongue and more like home.