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 How
to Study the Bible
Reprinted from
www.biblethruths.net
Approach the Bible with the right attitude. Many approach the Bible simply
to prove what they already believe or to find fault with the Bible. The
right attitude is to engage in a study of the Bible because you believe it
is the infallible word of the Being who created and loves you (Ps. 119:
89, 138, 2 Tim. 3: 16, 17).
A respect and love for the truth must characterize the student. A disciple
is a student who learns to obey (Jn. 8: 31, 32, Jn. 15: 8). Love of the
truth is a prerequisite (2 Thes. 2: 10-12). We must believe God's word,
the Bible, is of God, his final revelation, and that we must not distort
or change it in any way (Jude 3; Rev. 22: 18, 19; Gal. 1: 6-9). The
motivation to study the scriptures is "…if ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples (learner and doer, dm) indeed; and ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn. 8: 31, 32).
A study of the scriptures is required. The primary reason there is so much
confusion regarding what the Bible is believed to teach is because of the
lack of actual Bible study. Some believe in special revelation, the Holy
Spirit reveals truth directly to them apart from the Bible or the Spirit
provides them with an esoteric meaning of the scriptures. Some just
randomly open a page in the Bible and read a verse, making their own
arbitrary application. Others, carelessly and without any sound discipline
"read" the scriptures (no study). Their goal is simply to read the Bible
from cover to cover once every two years. "Study to show thyself approved
unto God," Paul enjoins on Timothy, "a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2: 15). Beloved we
must study or give diligence to handle aright the word of truth (ASV). The
Bible is how we learn and determine if others are teaching the truth (Acts
17: 11, I Jn. 4: 1).
Approach the Bible with order and system. The Bible has natural divisions
(see "The Bible" in the subject index on the Archives page). We must learn
and catalog these divisions and natural sections. You would not turn to
the gospels (Matthew - John) to learn of the meat that the Jew was
forbidden to eat under the Law of Moses (Lev. 11). You certainly would not
go to Leviticus (third book in the Pentateuch) to learn of Jesus' life
(found in the gospels). Those who randomly turn to Leviticus 11 and bind
the avoidance of certain meats on people today are in violation of I
Timothy 4: 3, 4. In this vein, it must be realized that one verse may
modify, qualify, and/or augment another verse.
When we access a given verse of scripture, we need to have a general
understanding of the design and scope of the book in which the verse is
found. I mentioned Acts 17: 11 under "a study of the scriptures is
required." The verse shows what nobility involves, daily searching the
scriptures, "whether those things were so." The book of Acts is a
presentation and documentation of the history of the early church (Acts 1:
1-4, ca. 30 years). Acts contains accounts of the beginning of the gospel
and church and how people became Christians. Possessing a general
knowledge of Acts enhances our appreciation of the described action found
in Acts 17: 11. We need to realize that verse eleven is actually part of a
paragraph or passage (Acts 17: 10-15). This passage (vss. 10-15) is part
of a sequential presentation of Paul's second trip in preaching the
gospel. Hence, Acts 17: 10-15 (in which verse eleven occurs) is part of
Acts 15: 36 - 18: 22). Paul began this second trip at Antioch and
concluded it at Caesarea and returned to Antioch (Acts 15: 35, 36; 18:
22). This second trip involved about three years, and they traveled
through large districts of Asia Minor, visited the European cities of
Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea (Acts 17: 11), Athens, and Corinth (Acts 15:
33-18: 22). See the difference in studying the Bible and in just "reading"
it?
An understanding of any prevailing customs in addition to the design and
scope of the book. Foot washing, the holy kiss, and the "veil" involved
customs and practices which are mentioned and "used" in the teaching of
different books of the Bible (Jn. 13: Rom. 16: 16; I Cor. 11). Some, not
understanding these contemporary, indigenous customs have been guilty of
making ananchronistic arguments (person, object, thing or event that is
chronologically out of place…, see "The Truth About the 'Veil'" in subject
index under "Time Studies").
Employ the right method of study. D. R. Dungan in his acclaimed work on
hermeneutics commented thus on method: "Methods are general and rules are
special, hence the method governs all rules, and directs their use"
(Hermeneutics, pg. 48). Professor Dungan proceeds to list a host of
incorrect but common methods used in Bible study. Methods such as the
mystical, allegorical, spiritual, hierarchical, rationalistic, and
literal. After having exposed the fallacies of each of these often
employed methods of interpretation, Dungan then introduces the inductive
method. "A leading or drawing off a general fact from a number of
instances…" writes Dungan in explaining the inductive method (Ibid., pg.
82). In other words, the inductive method (used by every reliable science)
gathers all the pertinent information on a given subject and then makes
the necessary deductions. Hence, the truth, whole truth is established.
The use of good study aid books. A good exhaustive Bible concordance is of
great value to the student. In order to deduce you must first induce. You
can look up the word baptism and baptize, for instance, in a concordance
and establish the Bible's teaching, as a whole, on that subject. You can
learn the action (immersion, Col. 2: 12), the element (water, I Pet. 3:
20, 21), the subjects (Acts 2: 38, 37), and the purpose of baptism (Acts
2: 38, 22: 16, see "Water Baptism" in the subject index). A good Bible
dictionary helps you to understand the meaning(s) of words. Commentaries
can help you to intelligently approach a study of the Bible (see the links
to study aids on my Links page, accessed from Archives). I used a
commentary to quickly review the second trip of Paul in Acts (see
"approach the Bible with order and system"). Of course, man is fallible
and we must double check man's work.
Some simple rules of Bible study. Always allow, when possible, the Bible
to interpret itself. If you compare related verses and passages, you can,
to a large extent, allow the Bible to explain itself. Using the earlier
example of baptism, by comparing Acts 16: 33 with such verses as Acts 2:
38 and I Peter 3: 20, 21, you see why they were "baptized straightway
(immediately, dm)." Always establish who the speaker or writer is and to
whom he is speaking (the devil is also quoted in the Bible, Matt. 4: 6).
Study a word or phrase in the verse, context, and even remote context in
which it occurs. Learn all the rules of syntax you can and apply them.
Make use of the telescopic and microscopic approach, broadly study a
subject and then focus in on all the minute detail.
Concerned reader, this material on "how to study the Bible" is by no means
exhaustive. However, if these truths and principles herein taught are
applied, one will be well on the way to being a successful and blessed
student of the Bible, "handling aright the word of truth." (If you are
interested in learning more, click on, "Hermeneutics, Handling Aright the
Word.")
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