How to Read the Bible Better somehow packs everything I’ve ever been taught about understanding God’s word into less than 70 pages. 

With so much information in such a small book, you would expect it to be dense and difficult to wade through, but Richard Chin has a lightness and clarity about the way he writes. His succinctness means he is quick to get to the good stuff, and his many examples quickly drive home a point before he moves on to the next topic. 

In six chapters, Chin explores the different aspects of what makes for better Bible reading. He starts by unpacking why we should bother to read the Bible, discusses the different ways we approach God’s word, then helps readers understand how context unlocks the meaning of each passage. He provides practical frameworks – and I appreciated how they were accompanied by diagrams that clearly display how each framework operates.

This is the kind of book I wish I had been able to give so many people in the past – teens graduating from youth group, members of my Bible study, and delegates in groups at Bible training conferences. 

What makes it such a great gift is not just the subject matter, but the title itself. If Matthias Media had simply called it How to Read the Bible and omitted the “Better”, it would be an awkward gift that implied the receiver didn’t already know how to read their Bible. The “Better” is genius, as it scratches an itch we all have: to be able to know God more deeply and enrich our Bible reading experience.

This was Chin’s intent – to see people everywhere come to the Bible and be uplifted, encouraged and ultimately transformed by God’s word. However, his definition of “better” is more than just having a marginal improvement in your Bible reading time. He hopes that the book will result in people reading God’s word the way God intended: prepared to listen, love and obey the truth. 

How to Read your Bible Better is a handbook for getting the most out of your Bible every time you open it. You could easily read the book in one sitting, but it’s worth referencing each time you read your Bible. It will help sharpen your Bible reading skills, and prepare your mind and heart for encountering the living God through his word. 

It’s the kind of book we have come to expect that Matthias Media will produce – a no-nonsense, clear and accessible guide to helping Christians grow as disciples of Jesus, and go on to make disciples of Jesus.