How To Study The Bible

Although the authors were human beings, God directed the production of His Book in a way that it is totally free from error. That’s the meaning of the term "inspired."

The bible is the record of God’s dealing with mankind. The theme is salvation. The character is Jesus Christ. The Bible traces how God has revealed Himself down through history, His final and complete revelation being Jesus Christ, the God-man.

The Old Testament shows us the sinfulness of mankind and the need for a saviour. It predicts the coming of the Messiah, the Redeemer.

The New Testament tells of the entrance of God into the world in the person of Jesus Christ (Messiah). It tells how Jesus provided salvation for you and me by His substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. It predicts His second coming and gives us a picture of eternity.

• The Bible Tells Us Everything God Wants  Us To Know About Our Relationship To Him.

Most spiritual problems are a direct result of failure to study and apply God’s Word.  Imagine Having the Very Word of God Within Your Grasp and Never Investigating It!

• God Has Something To Say To You.
  
• If your physical eating habits were the same as your spiritual ones, what kind of shape would you be in? Feed on The Word.

You must realize that you can’t be an effective disciple apart from God’s Word.

John 3:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

•  In order to be a true disciple, you must abide in the truth which is The Word of God.
  
•  You must schedule a time in your daily routine for Bible study. Read God’s Book!!

Here are some helpful hints that will help you in your Bible study:

There are so many versions of the bible on the market that people often get confused about which one to use. Well, which one is best, anyway? The FIVE most popular versions are the King James Version (or Authorized Version), The New King James, the New American Standard Version, the New International Version, The New Living Translation. These five are certainly the best of the best in the English language. Each has its good and not-so-good points.

The main thing is to have a Bible that’s useable. Don’t get one with tiny print that strains your eyes. Select a type-style that’s easy to read. Wide margins are nice for making notations. Each of the "big five" versions introduced above is available in serveral different Bible formats. If you get one that will last, you’ll pay a good bit for it, so take your time and get one that will give good service for many years to come. My favorite study Bibles are: NIV Study Bible and the Open Bible.

When verses are isolated from their contexts, they sometimes lose the force of their true meaning. Don’t make verses say what they don’t mean. Always seek to discover what the original author meant to say.

Just make sure you know what it is saying! Take any passage literally unless the context suggests otherwise. It will usually be obvious whether a passage is literal or symbolic.  As you study, ask questions like, "Who is speaking?" "Who is spoken to?" "What is the historical setting?" "What cultural elements are important?"

There will be passages that are puzzling to you. As you continue to read and go deeper into God’s word, the difficult passages will come into focus and the pieces will begin to fit together. Interpret difficult passages in the light of clear, understandable passages that deal with the same subject matter. Concentrate on what you understand and trust that God will provide understanding of the hard passages as you gain knowledge and spiritual insight from His Word.

A good concordance (a kind of Bible index) is very helpful. Keep a dictionary of the English language handy. Bible dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, commentaries and word study books are valuable aids to Bible study. Above all, a good Study Bible.

This can be a rewarding practice. Write down key thoughts. Jot down questions. Take notes. A notebook helps you keep up with your own thinking and progress.

You know how important Bible study is to your life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Do it!

Let’s take a brief look at what you’ve learned.....

  His Reply

Are You Ready to Pray?

 ARE YOU SEEKING HIS WILL IN ALL THINGS?

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

ARE YOU SEEKING HIS WILL IN ALL THINGS? 

John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

ARE YOU DEPENDING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT'S GUIDANCE?

 Romans 8: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

ARE YOU TRUSTING GOD IN SPITE OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE?

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

WILL YOU PRAISE GOD NO MATTER WHAT?

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 Material adapted from "The 2959 Plan" by Peter M. Lord