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Studying God’s Word

Where can we find guidance in a dark world? Psalm 119, verse 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.”

The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

In light of this, if you want to become complete and useful in God’s service; if you want to know how you should live your life, it is important to study the Holy Scriptures. In other words, you need to study the Bible and apply the lessons and principles which are found in it to your life.

What to study

The Bible is a large book. It contains enough material for a lifetime of study. Where should you begin – especially if you have only recently become a follower of of Christ? While the whole Bible is beneficial, Christ’s followers should give priority to studying the New Testament.

You might want to begin with one of the gospels which record the life and ministry of Christ. The first 3 gospel records are quite similar, while the 4th, which was revealed through the Apostle John, adds additional material and emphasizes the theological meaning of Christ’s ministry.

Of the other books in the New Testament, the inspired letters of Philippians, Colossians, James and 1st Peter will be of particular benefit to new followers of Christ. The letter to the Romans is more difficult but will give you a deeper understanding of the faith.

Revelation can be very difficult to understand. We suggest that you study it only after you have a good background in the entire Bible.

The main purpose of the Old Testament is to demonstrate our need for Christ. “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:23-25)

It is important to understand that Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses. Therefore, followers of Christ are not bound by the rules and regulations given in the Law. Nevertheless, the Old Testament provides valuable background information which helps in understanding the New Testament. The book of Genesis is of particular benefit to the followers of Christ. Much encouragement can be received from the Psalms. Of the writings of the prophets, some of the most beneficial are the books of Isaiah and Malachi.

The proper attitude

The attitude you bring to the Bible will determine, to a large extent, what you learn from it.

1) Approach the Bible with the expectation that you will learn. If you think you already know everything, new treasures of insight will be closed to you. “…if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.” (1 Corinthians 8:2)

2) Come with a spirit of obedience. “…receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:21-25)

3) Ask the Spirit to reveal the truth to you. “Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The process of Bible study

Though the Bible is inspired by God, the process of studying it is much the same as studying any other book. If you are able to read and understand other books, you are capable of understanding the Bible as well.

1) Read the text in its entirety so you understand how the passage you are studying fits with what comes before and after.

2) Ask questions of the text.

Basic questions in the following 6 categories will help you discover the meaning of a text.

a. Who? For example: Who is speaking? To whom is the instruction given?
b. What? For example: What is the main or central theme of the passage?
c. When? For example: When was the passage written? Has Christ fulfilled it already? Does this promise apply now, or is it for a future time?
d. Where? For example: Where did this take place? Where were the people instructed to go?
e. Why? For example: Why did this happen? Or, does God give a reason for this command?
f. How? For example: How can I apply this principle to my life?

Questions from all 6 categories will not always apply to every passage you study. The more questions you ask, however, the more answers you will discover.

3) Progress from the simple to the harder. If there is something which you don’t understand, leave it and concentrate on what you can understand. The hard things will often become clear after you have put into practice the things you do understand. God may grant or withhold understanding in order to direct our attention to the things which are most important. Jesus said, “Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has.” (Luke 8:18) For example, why should God allow me to understand the 70 weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) when I have made no effort to do as He asked in controlling my temper? (See Ephesians 4:26-27.)

4) Look for practical ways to apply the text to your life. God wishes to transform us so that we become like Christ. (See Romans 8:29, Ephesians 4:15.) How can the passage of Scripture you are studying help you become like Him?

Study aids

There are several tools which can help you in your studies. Some of the basic ones are:

1) A reference Bible. Some Bibles are published with a list of Scripture references in the margin. These references point to passages which may be similar to the one you are studying, or to other places where the same words are used. Comparing these passages can help you understand what you are reading. Keep in mind, however, that though these references are printed on the same page as God’s word, they are not inspired but have been compiled by men.

2) A concordance. A concordance is an alphabetical listing of the words in the Bible and the places where they are found. This tool is extremely useful in helping you find passages of Scripture. Note, that you need a concordance which has been prepared for the specific Bible translation you use. Otherwise, the words listed in the concordance will not always match the words which are used in the translation.

3) Bible software. Many electronic study aids exist. If you have a smart-phone or a computer, it is much easier to use an electronic concordance than one printed on paper. One advantage is that it allows you to search for more than one word at a time. Other advantages of Bible software include the ability to easily compare different translations. An excellent, and free, Bible computer program is e-Sword.

4) An Atlas. Unless you have a good grasp of geography, it can be difficult to understand the importance of the places which the Bible mentions. Maps can help you gain that understanding.

Example 1

To illustrate this method of Bible study, let’s look at the Apostle Paul’s inspired letter to the Philippians, chapter 1, verses 3 through 6.

“I thank my God whenever I remember you, always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy, for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

After you have read the entire letter in order to get a sense of the theme and the tone of what Paul wrote, it is time to start asking questions about the specific verses under consideration.

Question: How often did Paul give thanks?

Answer: Paul writes that he gives thanks every time he remembers the followers of Christ at Philippi.

Question: Why did Paul give thanks for these people?

Answer: Paul lists 2 reasons. 1) Because of their “ partnership in furtherance of the Good News.” 2) Because God would complete the good work He had begun in the people.

Question: What is meant by ‘the Good News’?

Answer: Since the letter to the Philippians is found in the New Testament, it is likely that the definition of the phrase ‘Good News’ will also be found in the New Testament. By searching you will discover that there are many verses which link the phrase ‘Good News’ with the Kingdom of God. In addition, you will find verses like Romans, chapter 1, verse 16, which says: “For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.” Going further, we learn from 1st Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1 through 4, that Paul defines the ‘Good News’ as the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. So, we see that Christ’s death, burial and rising from the dead is called ‘Good News’ because through His death we can receive salvation and be included in God’s Kingdom.

Question: What does Paul mean by “partnership in furtherance of the Good News?”

Answer: 1) Paul could mean that the people at Philippi had cooperated in the spread of the ‘Good News’ when they accepted it themselves. 2) From chapter 4, verse 3 we see that people at Philippi had been actively involved in helping Paul tell others about the good news. 3) From chapter 4, verses 15 through 16 we see that the people at Philippi had sent Paul gifts to help in spreading the good news.

Question: What work is God doing in the people at Philippi?

Answer: In chapter 2, verse 13 Paul says that one of the works God does is that He gives us both the will and the ability to fulfill His plan for us. If you look up the word ‘work’ in a concordance or a Bible software program, you will find many other descriptions of the work God does in and for His people. In short, God is working to make us like Christ (see Romans 8:29).

Question: When will God finish His work?

Answer: 1) When it is completed. 2) “Until the day of Christ Jesus.” In other words, when Christ returns.

Whenever we read the Scripture, we should try to apply it to our own lives. Here are some examples of application questions you could ask yourself while studying this passage: When people think of me, do they remember me with thanksgiving or with sorrow and anger? How often do I give thanks? Do I consider Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection ‘good news?’ Have I accepted Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf? What am I doing to spread the good news? Do I believe that God will not quit the work He has begun in me until it is competed?

You can apply this same process to the rest of the letter to the Philippians – or to any passage of Scripture.

Example 2

As another, more complex example of the process of Bible study, let’s look at the first verse of the book of Ruth. First, you should read the entire first chapter so you have an idea of what happens in the story. Then, we will look at the first verse.

“It happened in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.”

After reading the text, we ask a series of questions in order to understand the meaning.

Question: The story of Ruth takes place “ in the days when the judges judged.” Who were the judges and what were those days like?

Answer: The Bible contains another book called Judges. It is reasonable to expect that the answer to our question will be found in it. In 4 different places the book of Judges says that the Jewish nation had no king. Upon further reading, we discover that the period of the judges extends from the death of Joshua until the first king of Israel was appointed. Therefore, we know that the story of Ruth takes place after the death of Joshua and before the time of King Saul.

Judges chapter 2, verses 10 through 19 tell us what conditions were like during the time of the judges. They were days of great social, economic and spiritual unrest. The people would turn away from God, God would send an invader to punish them, they would call out to God, He would send a judge to rescue them, but when the judge died, the people would turn away from God again. This background helps us evaluate the characters and actions of the people who are mentioned in the book of Ruth.

Question: “There was a famine.” What does the Bible say about the causes of famine?

Answer: In order to answer this question, we will need to use a concordance or a Bible software program. It seems logical to search for verses which contain the word ‘famine.’ This will point to many places where famine is mentioned in the Bible, but will not give us much useful information about what causes famines. When a word-search does not provide the information you are looking for, try a different word. In this case, the word ‘rain’ leads us to Deuteronomy, chapters 11 and 28. There, God promises the Jewish people that if they are obedient to the Law of Moses, He will prosper them with abundant crops and herds. On the other hand, if the people do not obey Him, God will send famine and economic hardship. So, when we read in the book of Ruth that there was a famine, we know that it was a result of the people turning away from God’s Law.

Question: They “ went to live in the country of Moab.” What does the Bible say about relations between the Jewish people and the people of Moab?

Answer: Looking up the word ‘Moab’ in a concordance or Bible software program leads us to Genesis chapter 19, verse 27. There we learn that the Moabites were descended from Lot who was the nephew of Abraham. In other words, the Israelite people and the Moabites were blood relatives. Looking further, however, we find that the Moabites tried to prevent the Israelites from reaching the land God had promised them. They also tried to bring a curse on the Israelites, and when that failed, tried to turn them away from God by enticing them into idolatry. You can read the story in the book of Numbers, chapters 22 through 25.

Looking up the word ‘Moabite’ will lead you to more information about these people. In Deuteronomy chapter 23, verses 3 through 6, God instructs the Israelite’s not to let any Moabites join them nor to seek their peace. In other words, the Israelites were not to have friendly relations with these people. So, when we read in the book of Ruth that Elimelech and his family moved to Moab, we know that doing so was in violation of God’s will.

Whenever you study the Bible, you should look for ways in which you can apply what you read to your own life. For example, here are some application questions you could ask yourself as a result of your study of Ruth, verse 1: Is the hardship or difficulty I am experiencing a result of disobedience to God? How do I respond to God’s discipline – do I repent, or do I run away? With whom do I associate, and is God pleased with my choice of the people with whom I spend my time?

Here are some examples of questions you would want to ask while studying the rest of Ruth, chapter 1:

Verse 4. What are God’s laws concerning marriage? Were the marriages legal for an Israelite?
Verse 6. Does the end of the famine indicate a change in the hearts of the Israelite people?
Verse 15. What were the gods of the Moabites and what was involved in worshiping them?
Verses 16-17. What did Ruth give up in order to follow Naomi? What does her vow to follow God imply about her life before?
Verse 20. Why did Naomi change her name? What do the two names mean?

These are illustrations of application questions you might ask yourself as you study this chapter:

Does my marriage honor God? What am I willing to give up in order to follow God? Does adversity cause me to turn toward God, or do I become bitter?

In summary the process of Bible study is:

1) Read the text.
2) Ask questions about the text.
3) Answer the questions.
4) Apply what you learn to your life.