January 17
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Yesterday we looked at the first five steps of how to study the Bible. Today we will look at the remaining five steps.
6) If your topic is a particular verse that you want to understand better, start by reading over the verse multiple times and writing it out. Try diagramming the verse and analyzing sentence arrangement and structure. Study the context of the verse by reading multiple times the entire chapter that the verse is in as well as at least one chapter before and after the chapter the verse is in. Try to get a good idea of the context so you don’t misunderstand the scripture you are reading.
7) Using the concordance, start looking up key words. Find out what the words are in Greek (New Testament) or Hebrew (Old Testament), how else they are translated in other parts of the Bible (this will help you get a greater understanding of the meaning of the word in its original language and use), and start looking up other verses where those words are contained.
8) As you go, write down observations, write down what you are seeing and observing in your notebook. Your first and primary task is to just gather information. Much of what you write in your notebook will be simple facts and observations, such as, “This word is _____ in the Greek and is used 56 times in the NT. It is translated these different ways (list them) this many times. It is used in such and such a verse to communicate such and such a concept….” etc.
9) After you have diligently gathered the “raw data” as we say in scientific circles, you can then begin to try to understand what it means. It is crucial to start with the data gathering and study first, and not just read the verse and jump to what you think it means. Let the Lord show you what He means through diligent study and observations. These thoughts also should be written down in your notebook.
10) And after gathering the observations and thinking about the meaning that God intended, now you can write down what you think the Lord would have you do with this. Ask Him to show you applications for this teaching. Ask Him to produce in you those kinds of changes. Write these down also, including if you like a prayer to God. Make these notes personal and flexible. Don’t get stuck in a rut or try to be too formal. This is yours only and between you and God. Keep it simple, keep it fresh, keep it interesting. If your study of the Word becomes boring or a heavy burden, that is your fault, not the Lord’s or the Bible’s!
By just making observations about words and phrases, you will begin to see connections, and you will increase your understanding of what the Bible says. As you do this, you will begin to see the concepts at a deeper level and in a new light. You will be more confident about things, because you have studied the issue yourself and drawn your own conclusions.
Then I believe the Lord will begin to give you new insights into His word and show you deeper things that you never noticed before. It can be very exciting, and you will notice that little by little, you are being transformed into His image. As we are transformed by studying the Word, we will see our desires for sin lessened and lessened. We cannot continue to cling to sin when we are in the Word. One or the other has to go.
In the next few days we will touch briefly on meditating on the Word and memorizing the Word.