How To Study The Bible

 

II Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

 

We live in a time in the history of the Church when there is no shortage of Bible Teachers   or Studies.   We run from one Bible teacher to another in an attempt to hear from God.   But the Bible is to be studied by all of God's children, not       just the preacher or teacher.       And as any good father gives clear guidance to his children, even so God has left us in   His word   all that we need to know to be saved, sanctified and come to a full maturity in Christ.

Before we begin to look at how exactly it is we should study the Bible, two things must be understood.   First, the Bible is a closed book to the world.   It is true that an unregenerate man can learn the facts, stories and teachings of the Bible, but things such as the virgin birth, the blood atonement and the verbal plenary inspiration of the Word of God can only be received by the regenerate. I Corinthians 1:10-12

The next thing that must be understood is that the Word of God is opened to the child of God only by the Holy Ghost through prayer. For "we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;   that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.   Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."   I Corinthinans 2:12-13

Finally, it must be understood that the following is not meant to be an all inclusive exposition   on Bible study, but a concise   group of keys that can help   us in our daily devotional reading of the   Scripture.   There is a place for   commentaries,   concordances and historical books, but there seems to be a super abundance of these and a great lack of   individual, exegetical Bible study.   In light of this, I pray that the following may be of help to somebody.

 

 

 

As we read individual books of the Bible, it is helpful to have an overall understanding of them.   This can done by first of all reading the book in it's entirety, preferably in one sitting.   The following are some other helps in understanding individual books of the Bible.

 

 As we study our Bible it will be helpful   for us to remember   that it is the words that are inspired. Exodus 4:15, Deuteronomy 4:2   So as we read the the scripture the emphasis should not be on the chapters or the verses but the individual   words.

 

Most Bible students recognize the correlation between Christ and the Word in the New Testament. We have in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  Then we read in John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."  We see here that the New Testament equates the Word with Jesus. But there is also a link between the word Wisdom and the person of Christ in the Old Testament.

 

 There are five poetical books contained in the Word of God, Job, Psalm, Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Lamentations.  The poetry contained in the Scritptures is not the same as we are accustomed to in the Western culture.  Our focus in poetry tends to be on rhyming. The emphasis of the poetry in our Bible is a repetion of thoughts or ideas, whether compared, contrasted or expanded.  This is called parralelism. 

   

 

 

 

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