Understanding God's Word

“I’m so grateful to finally have a clear, informative, and helpful introductory resource to help God’s people faithfully interpret Scripture. In Understanding God’s Word, Jon Nielson provides six ‘tools’ that give contours to hermeneutical application for the pastor and layperson alike. This volume will undoubtedly be my go-to recommendation for anybody wanting to rightly and accurately interpret the Bible!”

Brian Cosby

“These principles have transformed the way I personally read, understand, and teach God’s word. I have been using them for over a decade and highly recommend them. Jon Nielson clearly explains each principle using language we can all understand, working through multiple examples so we can practice and develop our own interpretive muscles. At the end of each chapter, I find myself confident and excited to keep trying. I pray this book will encourage many to dig into God’s word, producing fruit and life transformation. I can’t wait to use this in our church. What a fantastic resource!”

Abi Byrd

“What a clear and useful book! It will help anyone who reads the Bible. And for those who teach the Bible—study leaders, children’s class volunteers, parents training their kids—this book is a must-read. Give it to every teacher in your church. It’s easy to follow and full of wisdom.”

Jack Klumpenhower

“This is the book I wish I’d had twenty years ago! Jon Nielson has written an accessible guidebook to learning how to soundly interpret the Bible. The six interpretation tools and the opportunities to practice using them are invaluable and set this book apart. As one who teaches others how to study and teach the Bible, I cannot wait to recommend this book and add it to my library.”

Colleen D. Searcy

“The third volume in Jon Nielson’s excellent series Theology Basics lives up to the same standard set in the earlier books. This time Nielson aims to help the reader properly understand the Scriptures. What a vital subject for the church! Understanding God’s Word is a master class on how to make the complexity of proper biblical hermeneutics accessible to a wide readership. Here is a toolbox that serves to equip Christians to read and understand the Bible on its terms. Nielson takes up and explains the classic categories for proper biblical interpretation, such as identifying the passage’s context, its core emphasis, and its relation to Christ. This is a book suited both for individual and group study, with each section accompanied by suggested verses for memory and guides for praying. Like the first two volumes in this series, I will be enthusiastically commending Understanding God’s Word to the men and women I serve as pastor.”

Todd Pruitt

“In Understanding God’s Word, Jon Nielson provides a thoughtful and practical introduction to rightly handling the Bible. Written with great clarity, each chapter introduces a tool that will stir up the reader to make progress in reading, understanding, and applying the Bible. This book gives needed training that will help Bible readers feast on God’s word for a lifetime.”

Ben Panner