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Thoughts on Bible Study

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All Christians should be studying their Bible. Bible study is a lifelong pursuit, an enjoyable endeavor that does not end until we close our eyes in the sleep of death. Growing in our knowledge of God’s Word will increase our faith, Romans 10:17. Bible study is to be a major part of our lives and as such, I offer some thoughts on Bible study.

  1. I Recommend Getting a Good Bible. Not only should it be a reliable translation (the King James Version and the American Standard Version are the two most accurate in my view), but I also mean a good quality Bible. I developed a preference for wide margin Bibles early in my Christian life. However, the one I purchased initially was bonded leather. After 5 years I had to have it rebound. I have replaced it now with a good quality leather bound Bible. If you want your Bible to last for years of longer use, a good quality Bible is important.
  2. Decide A Specific Time for Bible Study and Develop a Habit. The time you choose to study daily will vary from person to person. One may prefer to study shortly after arising before beginning their day in earnest. Some study at lunch time at work. Some prefer the quiet time of the evening to wind down from the day in Bible study. Whatever time you choose, make it a habit. We develop good habits and we develop bad habits. Bad habits are hard to break, but so are good ones. The world will try to crowd into your life and crowd out your Bible study time. Be firm in your resolve to study your Bible and resist anything that would take you away from that time in your day.
  3. Be Systematic in Bible Study. A person decided to study their Bible and not knowing how to begin decided to let their Bible just fall open and pick a verse at random and see what they would learn. Letting their Bible fall open and picking a verse at random, they pointed at 1 Samuel 31:6, “And Saul died…” Well they said to themselves, I learned that Saul died. The next day they decided to try their “method” again and let the Bible fall open, pointed at a verse, and read Acts 9:26, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples…” Shutting their Bible the person exclaimed “I can’t understand the Bible. At one point it has Saul dead, then later has him going into Jerusalem”. This humorous illustration (I thought it was humorous anyway) points to the fact that if we just jump from one chapter to another, this method will not increase our understanding of the Bible. Choose a book of the Bible to study, or a topic, or a character (could it be the Saul’s in our illustration was not the same person?). Read the Bible through or the New Testament through. Bible study is much more effective if an orderly method is used.
  4. Take Notes. Keep a notepad next to your Bible when you study. Write down any questions that may arise so you can go back to them at some point. Do this as you study as you may forget what your question was. Your spouse, Bible class teacher, elder, preacher, or a good commentary can help you with the answers.
  5. Make Bible Study a Priority. In our daily life of “to do lists”, don’t put Bible study at the bottom. If we really want to know the will of the Lord, if we want to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and increase in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10) we will put daily Bible study at the top of our daily to do list.

 

-Jerry D. Sturgill

Questions for Study

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We must put forth effort to understand and correctly handle the Bible.  Paul told Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  There are many who twist the Scriptures to their own liking, but also to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).  Satan misuses scripture as a temptation (Matthew 4:6), and those who handle the word of God deceitfully are following the devil’s lead (2 Corinthians 4:2; cf. 1 John 4:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20).  Since the Gospel can be perverted into a different message which does not save (Galatians 1:6-9), we must work to make sure we arrive at the true meaning of the soul-saving message.  Here are some questions to ask in studying scripture:

  1. Who is doing the speaking? Is Satan speaking?  Is Job venting his frustration at God? Is the man who is speaking in this text inspired or not?  Does the overall context of the Bible show that this statement is one approved by God?
  2. To whom is the statement addressed? Peter gives one answer to those who have yet to obey the gospel (Acts 2:38), but a different answer to one who has been baptized but has fallen back into sinful ways (Acts 8:22, cf. v. 13).  1 John 1:9 is addressed to those already in the Christian walk; it is not to be taken as the way a person is initially washed from sins (Acts 22:16).
  3. Under which covenant is this passage found? How many people today still regard the command to, “remember the Sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8), while never considering the difference between the New Covenant and the Old (Colossians 2:14-16)?
  4. What is the true meaning of the words in this verse? Words such as “baptism” and “bishop” carry a different meaning to many today than what the word in the original conveyed when the Bible was written. Sometimes it takes some digging to make sure the way we are taking the words are not colored by modern definitions.
  5. Is the language in this passage literal or figurative? The book of John is filled with examples of people taking Jesus literally without catching the metaphor He was employing.  While the Bible usually is to be taken literally it does use figurative language.  We recognize this in everyday conversation, we must apply it to reading the Bible as well.
  6. What is the immediate context of this verse? The best habit we can make in studying the Bible is considering the topic at hand. Looking at the verses preceding and following a certain text will help us to ascertain the meaning.  While chapter and verse divisions have added to our ability to locate precise portions of scripture, sadly, they’ve also caused people to isolate verses from the surrounding material.  This makes twisting the scripture very easy.
  7. Is this all that is said on this subject? In addition to considering the verses immediately surrounding a certain verse, proper understanding comes from also fitting a verse into the overall teaching of Scripture.  All too often people will quote a portion of scripture that they use as a proof-text for their beliefs without considering what else the Bible says on the matter.  If my interpretation of a passage contradicts other passages of scripture, then I have misinterpreted something.  We must always consider the entirety of Bible teaching on a subject before determining what a certain verse means.

 

-Mark Day