Want to grow in biblical theology? Try these 6 strategies in 2025

The new year is already here, and I can hardly believe it. Have you thought about what goals you might have for your Bible reading? You should form a plan. I realize that our plans aren’t written in stone, but you’re more likely to sit down with your Bible if you have a plan you’re trying to execute.

There’s no more important book in the world than the Bible. So if you’re planning on reading other books this year, both fiction and nonfiction, be diligent about prioritizing Scripture at the top of that list.

We want to meditate on the text. Meditation stirs delight.

Would you be interested in growing more in the discipline of biblical theology, seeking to see and interpret passages in light of, and in the flow of, the Bible’s big story? Do you want to reflect more on how later biblical authors use earlier biblical texts? Do you want to study the various ways that the New Testament connects to the Old Testament?

I think the subject and discipline of biblical theology are thrilling, and I’d love for you to be thrilled by it as well.

Let’s think about six strategies that you can implement in the new year that will help you grow in your understanding of biblical theology.

1. Read chunks

The more you read, the more you see. You can get through the whole Bible in a year by reading four chapters per day. But what if some days you read more than four? For instance, what if you sat down and read through Genesis 1-11? And then Genesis 12-25? Or consider reading Genesis 1-4 on day one, Genesis 5-8 on day two, and all of Genesis 1-11 on day three?

The emphasis is on larger swaths of text, so that you have more characters, dialogue, and events to connect. If you only read a chapter here and a chapter there, or a few verses here and a few verses there, the interconnectedness of the big story will not shine as brightly.

If you’ve never read through the whole Bible, then this upcoming year is a great time to do it. And when you read several chapters in a chunk, you’re positioning your mind and heart to see and enjoy the lively interconnectedness of the Bible.

2. Ask questions

The goal is not simply to take in information. We want to meditate on the text. Meditation stirs delight. One way to think about the text is by inquiry. Ask questions about what you’re reading, like these.

• Can you restate, in your own words, what you just read in that Bible chapter?
• Are you reading a narrative, or is it another genre?
• What characters were involved?
• Do you remember what the characters said and/or did, and do you know why they said and/or did it?
• Did anything happen in the chapter that reminded you of something earlier — maybe a pattern of actions or a certain turn of phrase?
• What does the Bible passage teach about the Lord and about his people?
• How does what you’re reading connect to what you’ve read earlier?
• Do you have a sense of what the present chapter contributes to what’s coming next?
• Are there particular commands to understand?
• Are there places you need to find on a map?
• Are there promises you need to rejoice in?
• How does the passage demonstrate a need for Christ?
• Do you know whether this passage is quoted or incorporated somehow in later texts?

The goal for these questions — and others — is to process the passages. You’re thinking about what you’re reading, and asking questions helps you think. You’re trying to notice, to really notice, what you’re reading.

3. Go backward

Reading forward isn’t always the best way to process Scripture. Because of the interconnectedness of the biblical writings, earlier themes and passages are developed and unfolded. There are patterns to discern and similarities to identify.

For example, when you’re reading in Genesis 9 about how Noah sinned with fruit and ended up in a situation of nakedness and shame, that should remind you of things that happened in Genesis 3. You should absolutely flip backward to the earlier chapter and compare things.

When you’re reading in Exodus about plagues upon Egypt and people being delivered from Pharaoh, the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 12 may come to mind. Go back to Genesis 12 and meditate on the ways that Abraham’s life foreshadows what happens later in Israel’s national life.

Going backward will aid understanding because it reinforces the unity of the Testaments and the congruence of the biblical writings. So while you’re reading forward in the Bible this year, make sure you take time to go backward, too.

4. Pray fervently

Don’t read the Bible without praying. We shouldn’t be trying to understand the Bible in our own strength. We should want to come to the biblical text with a heart of dependence and humility. We are the ones in need. We are the ones who have faith seeking understanding.

In prayer to the divine author, we are asking the Lord to illuminate our understanding and to guard us from error. We are asking him to stir delight in us as we read and meditate. We should pray for focus, perseverance, and discipline. We should pray for spiritual growth and strength and renewal.

We’re investing our souls in the trustworthy and inspired writings of the divine author.

Our Bible reading needs fervent prayer. Hermeneutical formulas and analytical questions aren’t sufficient. We need the gracious and faithful work of the Spirit to help us think, believe, internalize, and respond.

Bible reading can also prompt prayer. We will be reading things that will prompt faces we know and situations we know about. We should interlock the practice of prayer with the practice of Bible reading. Those disciplines will serve each other, and both will serve our souls.

5. Get resources

Don’t think of the new year as a time with just you and your Bible. Many people have thought about and written about the Bible, and they have gone before us as a cloud of witnesses who can instruct and edify us through their writings. We need good resources.

Here are some to consider.

James Hamilton’s "God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment: A Biblical Theology." Hamilton works through the books of the Bible, and his book would be a great companion to your Bible-reading plan. His book "What Is Biblical Theology?" would further acquaint you with the concept and practice of biblical theology.

There is a "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament" and a "Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament." Those two resources are full of insightful explanations and articles.

Jeremy Kimble and Ched Spellman have written an "Invitation to Biblical Theology," and you should take them up on their invitation. I love DeRouchie, Martin, and Naselli’s book "40 Questions About Biblical Theology." T.D. Alexander has a concise and helpful volume called "From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology," and I highly recommend it. "Exodus Old and New" is by L. Michael Morales, and it’s one of my favorite books from the past several years.

There are so many good resources. InterVarsity Press has a whole series called "New Studies in Biblical Theology," and the volumes therein are impressive and useful. Crossway has a series called “Short Studies in Biblical Theology,” and these studies are fantastic.

I’ve written a few things that might be useful in 2025 for you.

My books "Hope for All the Earth" and "Good News for All the Earth" explain the content and unfolding drama in the Old and New Testaments. The books are concise, aimed at thoughtful readers, and work well as a pair. My book "Short of Glory: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall" explores Genesis 3 in light of the canon of Scripture. And "40 Questions About Typology and Allegory" is my effort at seeing how the various patterns and figures and symbols of Scripture point to — and are fulfilled in — Christ.

We live in a time of abundant biblical-theological resources. The problem is deciding what to read first! Don’t sleep on the many resources that exist to help you understand the Bible and theology more.

6. Be patient

Getting better acquainted with the Bible takes time. There are no shortcuts. We need immersion in the text. We need to read and reread. Growth in biblical theology will be stimulated as we internalize more of the Bible and as we increase our grasp of the big picture.

You may miss some Bible-reading days. Don’t let guilt bog you down. Instead, let the beauty and glory of God’s redeeming plan draw you back into the sacred text for study and meditation and prayer. Keep reading; keep plodding. You might start some resources that you don’t finish. That’s okay, too. The point is to learn and keep learning.

Growth in biblical theology is not about a quick fix. We’re playing the long game. We’re investing our souls in the trustworthy and inspired writings of the divine author. We can read Scripture with a humble yet expectant posture. We can trust that God will grow us, strengthen us, uphold us, bless us, nourish us, and renew us.

May we start the new year ready and eager to be people shaped by the Bible, with lives submitting to God’s authority and hearts delighting in what God has made known through his word.

This essay was originally published at Dr. Mitchell Chase's Substack, "Biblical Theology."