Be a faithful reader, regularly and with the eyes of faith. Be an active reader, intelligently and critically. Put the texts in context, read from a tradition and a believing community. Read the Bible as a whole, not isolating passages. Understand the background of each book. Try to understand the consensus opinion about texts. Appreciate the major themes and narratives. Be open to God and his word. Be aware of the continuity and discontinuity. Try to translate the Bible to your life situations
major themes
Living waters (Zech 14:8-14:8)
“On that day,
Living waters
Shall flow out
From Jerusalem.
Half of these waters
Would go to the eastern sea.
The other half of these waters
Would go to the western sea.
It shall continue
In summer
As in winter.”
On this glorious day, half the living waters would flow from Jerusalem to the eastern sea or the Dead Sea, while the other half would flow to the western sea or the Mediterranean Sea. These living waters would flow both during summer and winter. The idea of flowing living waters were one of the major themes of the early Christians.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 