As you’re reading one of the Biblical biographies of Jesus each month (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) for the Jesus Life Challenge, here are some ideas for experiencing the Gospels in different ways.
1. Switch between paper and electronic versions.
If you normally read a paper book Bible, try reading on your computer or tablet or phone. The YouVersion app is free and has multiple translations in many languages. BibleHub is a good online Bible that offers a parallel version where you can see the same verse in many translations at the same time. If you usually read an electronic Bible, try sitting down with a paper copy.
2. Try different translations.
Reading the same truths arranged in different words can give you new insights. If you usually study the Bible in a certain translation, try a new one. Read an amplified Bible or a paraphrase for new ways to experience the words.
3. Read in a different language.
Try reading the Bible in a language other than your native one. The subject matter will be familiar, but you’ll learn new vocabulary and understand things in new ways. My “Albert Heijn” Dutch is pretty good, but I don’t know much Dutch vocabulary about Christianity. (So I can discuss food but not my faith!) I’m hoping that reading the Gospels in Het Boek will improve both my Dutch vocab and my understanding of Jesus.
4. Listen to the Gospels.
You can get the Bible on CD, or YouVersion offers audio recordings of some translations. You can listen while you’re exercising or working around the house. Tip: It takes about five chapters of Luke to bake a chocolate cake.
5. Read out loud.
Read to your roommate, your kid, or your cat. Especially if you learn well by hearing, engaging the words out loud can help you understand and remember them better.
6. Check out a children’s Bible.
Whether or not you have kids, a simplified children’s version can help you connect with the Gospel truth. If you do have kids, try reading to them the same stories you’re reading for yourself. Katherine (7) is old enough to read a full children’s translation of the Bible, so I suggested that she read the same Gospel I’m reading in her own Bible. Joshua (5) can’t read yet, so I read to him some of the same parables in an illustrated story Bible.
7. Read all at once.
If you spread out your Gospel reading throughout the month, try reading one book in one day. It can help you stay in the flow of the narrative and give you a new perspective on the events when you read them all together. Mark is the shortest Gospel. I got through most of it in about two hours while Providence (baby) and Estel (2) napped one afternoon.
What are some of your favorite ways to experience the Gospels? Share your ideas in the DRIC Community Facebook group.