5 Questions to Ask Before Reading a Book of the Bible

Before I watch any movie, I like to watch the trailer—see who directed the movie, the genre, the time period it is based on, and get as many preliminary details as possible before I dive into it headfirst. Knowing these details beforehand helps me better appreciate and understand the story unfolding on the big screen. Watching a trailer does more than just entertain us for a few minutes; it opens the curtains ever so slightly into the essence of the movie. 

While not every movie appeals to us, every book of the Bible shows us the character of God and who we should be in response. Every book is a chapter in the bigger redemption story. They all will appeal to us somehow, simply because it is God’s love letter to his beloved.

But, like with every movie I watch, we first need to watch the trailer for the book of the Bible we are reading. To do this, we need to ask five essential questions. 

These are the five questions that Jen Wilkins, in her book Women of the Word, suggests we answer before diving into a book. I have chosen the book of Philippians to give you an example of what it would look like. 

Who wrote it?

You don’t have to go far to find who penned this letter. In the first verse of Philippians, we read that it is “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ…” Even though they are mentioned together, Paul is the author, while Timothy, his spiritual pupil, faithfully served as the scribe. 

Even though Paul grew up learning about the Word of God, his desire to uphold it surpassed his desire to serve the Lord. It took God blinding him on his way to imprison Christians to show him the better way of living for Christ (Acts 9:1-19). 

From that point forward, Paul was committed to living by faith (Galatians 2:20), and he did so amidst the many sufferings that come from being a disciple and apostle of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). Philippians is widely known as the “epistle of joy,” and rightly so! Paul’s joy in Christ and the church in Philippi saturates each verse. But we also know, from Philippians 1:13, that Paul wrote it when he was in prison. When we read of Paul’s imprisonments, we can take the admonition of “Rejoice in the Lord” (Phil. 3:1) seriously because we know that the author was living it out. His worship of God and continual encouragement to the church amidst trials speak to his unwavering joy in Christ. 

When was it written?

Like learning the setting of a movie sheds light on cultural norms, so does dating the book allow us to pinpoint assumptions of that time in history. 

Paul wrote Philippians when the city of Philippi became a Roman colony, ushering in privileges such as tax exemption and Roman citizenship that would have made the Philippians proud of their status. 

So, when we read phrases like “citizens of heaven” and “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy” (which in Greek means to live as a citizen ‘politeuesthe’), we understand that Paul is trying to appeal to their patriotism. Having this cultural knowledge in the back of our minds adds meaning to the key statements made throughout the book. 

To whom was it written?

Paul founded the church in Philippi on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-40). The Philippians comprised a group of Greeks, Romans, Thracians, and Jews who, as noted above, were proud of their Roman citizenship and thus worshiped the emperor rather than Jesus Christ. Even though Paul experienced resistance on his trip because of the Philippians’ patriotic nationalism, many came to believe in Christ. These are the people Paul is addressing in this letter. 

In what style was it written? 

The Bible, per God’s creative means of communication, is written in various literary styles. To know the styles of each book of the Bible is to gain insight into the author’s purposes. How we read the historical narrative of creation differs from how we read Psalms. One is meant to recount an event in the history of God’s faithfulness, while the other uses figurative language to extend worship unto the Lord. If we try to read the Psalms at face value without taking into account the emotions of the psalmists, we miss their beauty. 

Another literary style is prose discourse, which Paul uses to write Philippians. 

Knowing the genre of a movie—whether it is adventure or romance—sets us up to expect a specific pattern throughout the film. From the meet cute to the top secret mission, we already know what to look for. So it is with every book of the Bible and its unique literacy styles.

Discourse uses logical, linear arguments to inspire new behavior in the readers. It seeks to inform, comfort, encourage, or warn; many times, it’s a combination of two or three of these purposes.

When we read the book of Philippians in light of this literary style, we can focus on transition words such as therefore, so, and yet. We spend more time dissecting why one paragraph follows another and how that sequence builds the book’s argument.

Why was it written?

Just as every director executes a movie for a reason, every author writes a book with a purpose in mind. It is no different for authors of the Bible. From the start, Philippians reads as a letter of gratitude and joy toward dear friends. Paul spends time thanking the Philippians for their generous gift, explaining his circumstances and how God used them for the sake of the Gospel, and encouraging a spirit of joy and unity. His purpose for this letter is to encourage and exhort the beloved church in Philippi.

Wilkin writes that “knowing the purpose for which a text was written guards us from reading it solely for our own purposes” (Women of the Word, p.74). Reading the text through the eyes of the original readers or hearers first gives us the understanding to correctly apply it to our lives.

But how do we find the purpose? Or, for that matter, how do we find the answer to any of the previous questions? Study Bibles include an introduction for each book of the Bible with answers to these questions. Then, as we start reading the book, we can add to our initial notes. If you don’t have access to a Study Bible, you can also find the information online.

I pray that you find so much joy, understanding, and greater delight in the Word of God by answering these five introductory questions. After all, who doesn’t love a good trailer?