Study your Bible practically. Put into practice what you learn.
Bible study is more than an intellectual exercises. Knowledge without application is vain. God’s Word should change your life.
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Psalm 119:9
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11
A simple knowledge of the Scriptures without application is empty. It might give you the “big head” but it is lacking in spiritual power.
“Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” 1 Corinthians 8:1-3
When we love God it shows by the proper application of His Word. There are many who can explain the Bible but fewer who live the Bible. Do you recall what we discussed in Bible Study Tip #5 – Anthrop0logically. We examined James 1:22-24.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
Too many people were hearing the Word but not doing the Word. Make your Bible study practical by living it. As you read questioningly, ask yourself “How can I practically apply this passage?” What positive example should I begin applying. What negative example do I see that I must avoid? What command from Christ appears that demands my obedience? What principle from Proverbs demands my application?
Jesus made it very simple in John 14:15.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Consider Josiah. He was a very young king in the southern kingdom of Judah. The nation was in great decline. God’s Word had fallen into disuse. In fact, it had been so long since they read their Bibles they couldn’t even find one. Then one day Hilkiah the priest discovered it! He found the book of the law and shared this great news with Shaphan the scribe who brought it before the king (2 Kings 22:8-11).
When King Josiah heard the Word he rent his clothes in grief. He was suddenly aware that they had not been living by the Word of God. Immediately he sought the Lord and won His favour “because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place” (2 Kings 22:19).
Turn the page to the next chapter and you will read of Josiah’s choice to make his Bible study practical.
“And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.” 2 Kings 23:3
Josiah won God’s favor because he applied God’s Word to his life in a practical way. Don’t just be a hearer of God’s Word. Determine to be a doer and your Bible study will be practical! The more you implement God’s Word the greater the impact. Be more than a hearer be a doer. The Bible is only as real to you as you apply it in daily life. The more you “do it” the more you will “get it.”
Read your Bible PRACTICALLY.
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Write that statement down somewhere in your Bible and remember it. Many false doctrines have been created by quoting a Scripture out of context. This is the same thing politicians do all the time. Have you ever heard a sound bite on the news and you instinctively knew that this wasn’t what the person intended to say? Some slick editor simply cut out the comments before and after leaving a false impression of what the individual was truly trying to communicate? Many people pull this same trick on the Scriptures.
Maybe you’ve heard the comedic example of an illiterate preacher candidating at a church. He was passionate in his delivery as he butchered the Scriptures mixing up one passage with another. Listen to him “preach.”
Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment. And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here! And he hung there forty days and forty nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it begin to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, “Come in and take supper with me.” But he said, “I can’t come in, for I have married a wife.” And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, “Throw her down out of there,” and they threw her down. And he said “Throw her down again,” and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! Now my question to you today is: In the resurrection whose wife will she be?
This humorous illustration demonstrates ho some people can twist some strange ideas out of the Bible. They can wrestle a verse right out of its original context and make it say just the opposite of what the Holy Ghost intended it to say. Some people do this simply out of lazy Bible study habits, some out of ignorance and some quite simply out of hostility towards God’s Word. Very often it is simply the result of folks trying to justify sin and heresy. This isn’t just a modern phenomonon. It actually began before the New Testament was completely written. Listen to Peter’s rebuke of those who were already experts at it.
“As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.” 2 Peter 3:16-17
Speak to someone involved in a cult and before long you will learn that they can’t stay and focus on a single passage of Scripture. They love to jump from one place to another bringing unrelated passages together to confirm their unbiblical positions.
Liberal theologians do this frequently in order to deny miraculous events like creation. For instance, many want to deny a literal six day creation in favor of Darwin’s religion of evolution. Yet they don’t want to give up the whole Bible. So they take 2 Peter 3:8 and say “A thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years” and invent the Day/Age Theory. This means that a day in Genesis 1 might have really been a thousand years. Why don’t these same people apply that same principle to Exodus 20:9-12. There we learn of a six day work week based on the days of creation. So if a day is as a thousand years, we ought to work for 6,000 years then take a thousand off. You say “That’s ridiculous!” I agree and so is the Day/Age Theory because it takes the Bible out of context.
It is irresponsible to piecemeal unrelated passages together to confirm your man made theories. If you read the Bible in context you will never wind up with such ludicrous ideas. If we are going to read our Bibles contextually, there are just a few simple questions we ought to ask ourselves when we read. The resources discussed in Bible Study Tip #6 will help you find some of these answers. However, they can usually be found right there in your reading.
The first thing I want to know is who the author is. Who is writing. Now as believers we all know that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Author (2 Peter 1:21). But we cannot forget that the Holy Spirit used men and their experiences. It helps me to know if this was written by Paul or by Moses. When I understand that a certain Psalm was written by David, it adds clarity to the meaning.
Then I want to know the circumstances of the writing. If I can place this Psalm within a certain portion of David’s life that helps me even more. When I am reading 1 Corinthians and I understand the troubles in that church, it adds depth to my understanding of each passage. When we understand the political climate during the time of the gospels, we better understand how and why people reacted as they did. Knowing that Paul was writing from prison adds perspective to what he is saying. When we can place the Old Testament prophets in context of the events of their day, we can make mores sense of their warnings.
This leads us to inquire about the time period in which a passage was written. It might be a simple as discerning between the Old Testament and the New. It could be learning if this prophet was writing during the days of David, Solomon, Ahab, or Josiah. Was this before or after the Resurrection? Before or after the Great Commission? Before or after Pentecost? When we understand that 2 Timothy was penned just before Paul’s execution, we better understand why he said certain things to Timothy.
That brings us to our next contextual question. Who is the author writing to? Was Paul writing to Timothy, Titus, the church at Corinth or the church at Ephesus? When we understand the context of who the author is addressing, we will better understand the text. As we read Paul’s writing to the Philippian church and hear him teach them to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) we can recall that it was in Philippi that Paul sang and worshiped God while in jail. His jailer is now a member of this church in Philippi and knows that Paul practices what he preaches. Do you see how context can affect our understanding?
One of the great essential principles of contextual bible study is to simply look and the surrounding passages. While praying and counseling with a dear family the wife came to me with a verse she found encouraging. It said “For we walk by faith, and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). She was hoping (and justifiably so) that this might be a sign that her husband would live. I had the same hope and prayer. However, I wanted her to be prepared for whatever God might have for her. So, as gently as I could, I helped her see the context of the verse. The very next verse reads “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” As it turned out, God did take him home to heaven. However, we have the confidence that 2 Corinthians 5:8 was true for him. He always said that he was a winner either way.
Mormons have developed the unbiblical practice of baptizing themselves for the dead by taking 1 Corinthians 15:29 out of context. There is no possible way that this passage teaches that a person can get baptized in the place of the deceased in order to procure their salvation. The context teaches us that if we don’t believe that Christ rose again, there is no point in being baptized in His name. You would be baptized in the name of a dead person: Jesus. Baptism symbolizes the death burial and resurrection. If you don’t believe in the resurrection, you can only do a half baptism! I don’t know too many who are willing to go for that! I’m glad that Jesus isn’t dead but is risen. We baptize in the name of a living Savior not a dead one! The surrounding passages give us the true context.
Use Scripture to interpret Scripture. This does not mean we should use unconnected passages as discussed in the Day/Age Theory. However, it does mean that we should consider the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). All major doctrines and teachings are illustrated and supported in more than one passage of Scripture. Many Christians find Scriptures that, standing alone, may seem to say one thing but in context say something else. Their approach ignores the whole counsel of God in favor of an isolated passage.
The biblical justification of social drinking is a train wreck of contextualization.
An example of this is the current trend to endorse social drinking. “After all,” they argue, “Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine and deacons are not to drink ‘much’ wine.” They take these passages (1 Timothy 3:8 & 5:23) to justify drinking in moderation. Of course they love to add in that Jesus turned water into wine. This type of exegesis is a train wreck of contextualization. It is understandable that a young Christian might make this mistake but it is a tragedy when supposed Bible scholars do. It make you wonder if they were drinking while interpreting.
What do you do with Habakkuk 2:15? “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” How do you ignore passages like Proverbs 23:31?
“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. Read the surrounding verses (29-35) for further condemnation of drinking. Can we include Proverbs 20:1? “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
I can understand if a young Christian is confused at this point. The Bible appears to say two different things. At this point a worldly Christian stops studying contextually and just chooses the verses that say what he wants them to say. However, one that really wants to know continues to search for the context. In this case, context will mean to consider but language and culture.
Linguistically speaking, wine was the term used for any beverage that came from the fruit of the vine. It included fermented and unfermented. So the fact that Jesus turned water into wine means nothing more than grape juice. To suggest otherwise would be to pronounce a curse upon Him because of Habakkuk 2:15 cited above.
Culturally we must consider the methods of water purification in those days. Wine was mixed with water for purification purposes. Mixed in appropriate proportions there was no intoxicating effects. However, when much wine was added to the water, it became more recreational and less medicinal. Thus Paul told Timothy “a little wine.”
Not only do I want to know who is writing as mentioned above but I also want to know who is speaking. While the Scripture is all accurate we must realize that sometimes it is an accurate record of a lie that is being told. For instance, some verses quote what Satan says (Genesis 3:5).
In Job we find lengthy passages that are quotes from his friends that are actually false accusations against Job. Eliphaz asserts that righteous people don’t suffer Listen to him condemn Job in Job 4:7-8.
“Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.”
It would be dangerous to randomly select one of these passages and quote them as a biblical precepts without considering who is actually speaking. Would we want to quote Jezebel, Judas or Lucifer without acknowledging their spiritual condition? Be mindful of who is speaking when you consider the context of a verse or passage.
When we read the Scriptures without context we are more prone to find what we want to find and overlook that which is distasteful to us. However, when we read it contextually we are forced to grapple with the truth as we discover it. Some truth is uncomfortable. God’s truth will require adjustments in our lives. It will compel us to holy living. We have a choice in how we handle the Scriptures. We can do so deceitfully by bring our preconceived ideas and preferences to the text or we can do so honestly, allowing God’s Word to speak for its self.
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:2
Read your Bible CONTEXTUALLY.
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“The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.” 2 Timothy 4:13
Although we don’t know exactly what the books and parchments were, we do know that they were resources for Paul. Certainly, one of them must be a reference to Scripture which is our only completely reliable resource. The other may have been his own writings and perhaps some of his inspired epistels themselves. Perhaps they were unfinished correspondence. They could have been resources to aide in his study.
We know that Paul was a learned man and even quoted sources outside the Scriptures.
“ For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Acts 16:8
“One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.” Titus 1:12
Jude quoted the First Book of Enoch. He found this literature helpful although not a part of the inspired Scriptures.
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 1:14-15
When you study your Bible, you should do so resourcefully. That doesn’t mean to fill your time with secular works or reading. It doesn’t mean to get sidetracked into extra-biblical Christian writing. But it does mean that you can benefit from research and the study of others. Apollos was greatly helped when Aquila and Priscilla “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” according to Acts 18:26.
Disclaimer
We can and should benefit from the knowledge and research of others. However, I would admonish the discerning reader to be cautious in the resources you use and the amount of faith you place in them. Understand that anything but the Bible is imperfect. Hopefully, my writing is inspirational but it is certainly not inspired. No commentary, dictionary or biblical encyclopedia can replace nor should it correct the plain and simply teaching of God’s Word. Any work of man that attempts to do so should be discredited immediately.
Unfortunately, there are commentators who will say things such as “whosoever doesn’t mean whosoever” and so forth. Others will attempt to erode your confidence in the bible you hold by suggesting that certain passages do not appear in more reliable manuscripts. Resources that would suggest such things are not your greatest resources regardless of how popular they might be. A catchy cover doesn’t guarantee reliable content.
Learn to discern between opinion and fact. Recognize bias when you come across it. Just because some is a recognized “spiritual leader” that does not make him spiritually discerning. Question anyone who questions God’s Word.
Useful Resources
With our disclaimer behind us let us examine some resources that a student of the Scriptures might want to posses.
Golgotha: The Place of the Skull
A Bible Dictionary or Encyclopedia is a great resource. They can help us to discover the meaning of difficult or unfamiliar words. They will usually provide facts about places such as named mountains, cities, nations and people groups. You can look up the Edomites and discover that they are the descendants of of Esau, Jacob’s brother. You can learn that the Ammonites and Moabites are the nations produced by Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters. You can learn that Golgatha means the place of the skull and you might even find a picture that demonstrates why.
A lexicon will help the student of the Scriptures dig deeper into the original languages in which the Bible was written. This is not for the purpose of correcting the English but rather for discovering added nuance or depth of comprehension. For instance we find two Greek words translated as love in John 21. One is agape and the other phileo. Agape represents the highest form of love and is the word Christ used the first two times. Phileo means to like strongly and is the word Peter used in reply and the Lord used the last time. While we found our King James absolutely correct, an understanding of the Greek words gives added insight.
Bible Maps can add depth to your Bible study. The Scriptures are filled with the names of cities, provinces, nations and so forth. Without a geographic understanding these names and places have less significance than they could. For instance, just how far was Tarshish from Nineveh? Did you realize that Jonah was going 2,694 miles out of the way by boat? This helps us to understand the extent of Jonah’s rebellion.
Bible maps can often be found inside your Bible and Christian bookstores will carry more detailed maps. One of the best map resources, however, is online. Using GoogleEarth (download) you can find every biblical location. You can zoom in and out and calculate distance. You can see the topography and much more. The geocoded bible can be found at http://www.openbible.info/geo/.
Jonah's rebellion started him on a 2,694 mile journey out of God's will.
Concordances can be very useful. The Strong’s Concordance is an exhaustive list detailing where to find any word in the Bible. Do you want to know what the Bible says about the blood. Look it up. Every verse with that word is listed. A topical concordance, such as Torrey’s, will list all Scriptures pertaining to a specific subject.
A Study Bible can be a good resource. However, the reader should discern between the inspired Scripture and the uninspired notes. Unfortunately, most study bibles are not produced with a conservative or fundamental mindset. There are some exceptions, however, such as the Rock of Ages Study Bible. Many fundamentalists enjoy the Old Scofield or the Thompson Chain Reference Study Bibles. Even these have some shortcomings. Personally, I think that there is a vaccum that needs to be filled in this area. However, a Spirit-filled and discerning reader can benefit from a variety of study Bibles as long as he is able to know the difference between what is inspired (God’s Word) and what is opinion (study notes).
In addition to maps, good study bible will provide the reader with several beneficial features. Cross references are an excellent tool found in almost every one. Usually found in the center column, you will find references to other passages in the Bible that are relevant to the passage or verse you are currently reading. This is helpful when comparing the gospel accounts of the same event or in following topical studies.
Book overviews and outlines are usually found at the beginning of each book of the Bible. This will help you to understand who is writing, when and why. The outline will help you discover major themes of the author helping you to see the big picture. It is wise to read the introduction to each book of the Bible before reading that book. In fact, it is good to read more than one person’s perspective. Use the notes in your study bible. Compare those with a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia. Look into a reliable commentary and see what that author says.
Commentaries can aid you in your understanding of Scripture. However, I think its always a good idea to read the Bible first. Draw your own conclusions first and make notes. In fact, read a passage more than once before consulting a commentary. This allows you to allow the Holy Spirit to be the first to influence you. Reading a commentary first may cause you to approach a passage with the commentators bias first. Remember, even the best commentators are only men.
After reading a good commentary, you will likely find that he is restating some things you already discovered. Good for you. Then you may find him linking this passage to another. He may give historical or geographical information that adds significance. He may apply the passage to your personal life. Each commentator has a different style and approach. Some are academic while others are more devotional or inspirational. Many fall somewhere in between. However, a good commentator will help you expand your understanding of the text.
Once again, we find that the market is flooded with a lot of fluff as well as liberal and even unscriptural commentary. Be discerning. Look for authors who do not over allegorize but who interpret the Bible literally. Dr. David Sorenson has produced a reliable commentary on the entire Bible that is available in hardback or on CD.
Bible Software
The information age has made all of these resources readily available to the average user. Typical Bible software contains the text of the KJV for free. That’s all you need anyway. It will usually include a few dictionaries, commentaries and topical concordances. One of the greatest features is the search engine. Type in any word you like and it will search the entire text of the Bible. Additionally, you can search for a specific phrase or a range of words with instant results. Without ever taking a language class, you can look up the Hebrew or Greek words and discover their meaning. Most programs even give you the ability to make your own notes. Anyone with just a touch of computer literacy can have a massive library’s worth of resources at his fingertips for little or no cost. The Power Bible is inexpensive and very useful. E-Sword has many advantages as well and is FREE!
While absolutely nothing should replace your Bible, there are many resources which can enhance your Bible study and enrich your understanding of God’s Word. Many of these resources are available in line with your Scriptures in the form of a study Bible. Other resources are available online or in software packages.
Study the Bible RESOURCEFULLY.
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Don’t let this seventeen letter word scare you. Anthropos is simply the Greek word for mankind. Anthropology is nothing more than the study of mankind. Sociologists have studied mankind for many years. However, we want to examine ourselves through the lens of Scripture. If God is our Creator the God’s Word is our users manual. When we study God’s Word theologically we are discovering who God is. When we study it anthropologically we are discovering who we are and what God expects of us.
As we study the Bible we begin to see who we are so that we might be changed and conformed into His image. James says that the Bible is like a mirror that reflects our image so that we can make the appropriate changes.
” But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” James 1:22-24
“Introduction to Psychology was a required course for those of us studying philosophy at Allahabad University. In the late 1960s, the department was dominated by behaviorism, the school of psychology championed by B. F. Skinner. Behaviorism presupposes that there is neither God or soul. Consequently, human beings are chemicals-turned-animals, qualitatively no different from dogs. Chemistry has no soul or ‘free will.’ It functions as a closed, deterministic system of causes and effects.”
Can you already see how disturbing anthropology can be without God’s Word? It strips mankind of his soul and free will. It robs him of any real purpose in life. No wonder the world is in such a mess. Young minds are being taught foolishness on the University level and receiving doctorate degrees for it! Young Mangalwadi was not satisfied with the emptiness of such a false education.
“As I started rereading the Bible’s first chapter, I found a radically different view of human self. It says that God created human beings in his image (‘man” – both male and femal). On one hand both dogs and I are creatures. We are similar in many ways. For example, we are both mammals. Yet, in fundamental ways we are very different. I cannot know the essence of my humanness by studying dogs. If I am made in God’s image, would not knowing God be essential to knowing myself? What does this first champter of Genesis tell me about God and myself?
“The Bible opens by declaring: ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ God is the Creator. A dog is only a creature. What am I? If Genesis is right, then I am both a creature (made by God) and a creator (made in the image of the Creator). I am a creative creature.
“That was a epiphany for me. Those few short sentences from Genesis matched my experience better than the voluminous words from the department of psychology. The biblical words made sense because they were true to what I knew about myself. Machines produce. Human beings create. What’s the difference? We create what we choose to create. Freedom, or choice, is the essence of creativity.”
We learn the value of mankind not onlybecause we are created in the image of God but also because of the great effort and sacrifice He has made to redeem mankind. God’s love for man was so extreme that He would give “his only begotten Son” to redeem him! We also learn from the Scriptures why man needed redemption. We discover our sinful nature passed down from Adam (Romans 5:12) and see it illustrated on every page. We discover the struggle between the old nature and the new (the flesh and the spirit) as well as how to obtain the victory (Romans 7:14-25).
What the Bible taught Mangalwadi was vastly different than what he had learned either from the eastern religions or from the university. The Bible taught him the truth about mankind! It is only to the extent that we understand our human condition and God’s remedy that we are empowered to have success in our lives and make a difference in the lives of others.
Every Bible story is a study in anthropology. One of the greatest examples is the contrast between King Saul and King David. In both we witness the extent of sin in which man can fall. One teaches the remorse of rebellion while the other demonstrates the remedy through repentance. We can study the twelve apostles and learn how close a man like Judas can be to the truth and still not find it. Likewise, we can learn from Peter and Paul how far we can fall and still find redemption and success. Every story, every Psalm and every proverb teaches us something about ourselves and our fellow man that can guide us gracefully through life’s journey.
Ready your Bible Anthroplogically. Learn about yourself and your fellow man.
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Theology is nothing more than the study of God. This sounds too simple to say but I’ll say it anyway. Look for God when you read your Bible. God’s Word is His revelation of Himself to mankind. Every book, every chapter and every verse is God revealing Himself to us. So what is He saying? What does this passage teach me about God?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
If you don’t gain your perspective of who God is from your personal Bible study, then where does it come from? Without the Bible, a person can get some strange ideas about God. Just for a little perspective, I checked in with YouTube to see what kind of ideas young people had about God. Take a look at what they said.
Though one might find some humor in these childish perspectives, the tragedy is that many adults can’t do any better. Their concepts of God are just as fictional and baseless. What is the basis for your perspective on who God is? Your opinion must have a foundation outside of yourself.
Certainly, there is no greater authority on who God is than God, Himself. The Scriptures teach us that God reveals Himself to us in two ways. Bible scholars have classified these as natural or general revelation and special or specific revelation.
Natural revelation is just what it sounds like. It is God revealing Himself through nature. When you look up to the stars of the heavens or the depths of the seas we understand that this beauty and order is not a product of random chance. Common sense tells us that there is no design without a designer. It takes much more faith to believe in Darwin than it does to believe in God.
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20
However, as indicated above, natural revelation is very general. It doesn’t give us the specifics. It tells the man with common sense that God exists and that He is orderly and loving. But it doesn’t tell us who God is. It doesn’t teach us of His plan of redemption or how we can communicate with Him. It fails to teach us of mankind’s fall in Eden or of the cross of Calvary. We cannot conceive of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ simply through nature. The attributes and expectations of God are not clearly defined through natural revelation. This is only available through special revelation which is more specific.
Special Revelation is found in Holy Scripture. This is also known as specific revelation because it gives us the details. The answer to the question “What is God like?” is not left to mere opinion or speculation. The Bible is a factual representation of Who God is. It is a shame for a believer to answer that question with statements that begin “Well, I feel like God….”. Who God is is not a matter of how we feel. We were not given the responsibility or privilege of creating or defining God according to our feelings. We need something more tangible than our feelings to understand God. We need His special revelation of Himself.
Every passage of Scripture teaches us something about Who God is and what He expects. As you peer into God’s Word today ask yourself, “What does this teach me about the character of God?” Look for meaning in your search for a closer relationship with Him. The better you know God the more capable you are of pleasing Him. The more you know Him and desire to please Him the closer your walk with Him will be. The closer you walk with God the more fulfilling your life is.
Examine a few Scriptures that speak to us about the privilege and power of knowing God.
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” 2 Peter 1:2
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:8
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.” Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
Have a goal when you read you Bible. Ask questions about Who God is and be sure to write down what you discover.
Read your Bible Theologically.
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A genuine biblical knowledge of God changes us completely. Take a look at Isaiah 6:1-8. There the prophet saw God as He was and it changed him dramatically. Use the reply section below to discuss just how Isaiah’s knowledge of God changed him.
Share a personal testimony. How has God changed you since you came to know Him?
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This is not to be confused with doubtingly or skeptically. In fact, Believingly, is a future topic. However, today I want to encourage you to ask questions as you read.
As a journalism student at James Madison Junior High in Pontiac, MI, Mrs. Pattera taught me the value of the 5 W’s and H. When writing an article ask Who, What, Why, Where, When and How. These are great questions to ask when reading your Bible.
When working with drama teams at the Academy of Arts, Nicky Chavers taught me how to explore characters within a drama. “Ask these questions,” he said. “What does your character love? What does he hate? What does he want most in life and what is he willing to do to get it? When you find the answer to these questions you will discover the heart of your character.” I found that these questions weren’t only good for dramatic production but that they really helped “Make the Bible Come Alive!” (“Making the Bible Come Alive” is the Academy of Arts motto.) Ask these same questions when studying the life of Moses, David, Peter or Paul and you will add value to your Bible study.
If you are looking for answers, it might be a good idea to have questions. A children’s Bible song asks “What does it say? What does it mean? What is God saying to me?” That’s pretty good advice for adults!
Before you every peel open the pages of God’s Word in the morning you ought to ask God what He has for you this day. Ask Him to give you something specially designed for you. What does God want to teach you today? Then explore His Book looking for answers.
Have you ever noticed how many questions Jesus asked? I’ve researched that personally but I’m not going to give you the answer. Instead, I’ll give you an assignment. The Gospel According to John contains more of the words of Christ than any book of the Bible. Begin in chapter one and just skim through each verse and chapter counting all the question marks you encounter until you reach chapter twenty-one. Only count the ones in red if you have a red letter edition. What did you find? You found that Jesus asked a lot of questions. Why? Was it because He didn’t know the answers? Of course not. Jesus understood the art of the question. Questions are designed to provoke thought. When you approach the Bible with questions you will soon learn that it has the answers.
“I know your not suppose to question God.”
I can’t tell you how many times I have had to correct this statement. That is a false assumption. We are not suppose to doubt God but He welcomes questions. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
David receives the high honor of being called a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22). Have you ever read any of his Psalms? He asked some seriously probing questions. Take a look at just a few.
Ps 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Ps 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
Ps 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Ps 13:1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
David found the answers because he wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. Do you want your Bible study to be meaningful? Approach it with questions. The Lord Jesus made a wonderful promise in Matthew 7:7. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Bring your questions to the Lord. However, don’t be one of those who asks and doesn’t listen for the answers. Many people will ask in prayer but never look to His inspired Word for the answer. Others wait till they have a serious question, then begin to probe desperately looking for the answer somewhere between Genesis and Revelation. That’s a lot of territory to search when you need an answer now! I’m not suggesting that God won’t give it to you but there is a better way.
I believe that every student of Scripture has shared similar circumstances. A question in life arises and you take it to God in prayer. What happens? The Holy Spirit searches the database of His Word in your mind and brings that Scripture to the forefront of your thoughts. Jesus said that He would do just that. But He will not cause you to recall what you have never read. Consistent, systematic and questioning Bible study will prepare you in advance for the questions that will develop in your life. When you have questions, He will guide you back to the passage with the answer.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
Develop questions as you read. Ask questions along the way. Why did Jesus say this? What caused David to do that? How far is it from Nazareth to Jerusalem? Why did they go down into the water? What is the significance of frogs, lice and darkness? What does this word mean? How much is a shekel worth today? What is the third hour of the day? How much time has passed from the last chapter to this one? Ask questions all along the way and don’t rest till you have discovered the answer. The more questions you ask the more answers you will find. Some you will discover that day while others may take time. But never stop asking questions as you read God’s Word.
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Reply below and share how God’s Word has answered some of your greatest questions.
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The lack or order and structure in your Bible study will result in a lack of orderly understanding of God’s Word. Random reading leads to random results. Some people read their Bibles as though they were spinning the money wheel on The Price is Right. They just flip through the pages, poke their finger randomly on the page and start reading.
One fellow tried this method and his finger landed on Matthew 27:5 where he read that Judas “went and hanged himself.” Thinking he might have better luck if he tried again, he let the pages fly till his finger landed on at the end of Luke 10:37 where he read “Go, and do thou likewise.” Eventually, he decided that random Bible study wasn’t for him.
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:9-10
Spiritual maturity requires a system of Bible study that begins with the basics and continually builds. There are several legitimate methods of systematic Bible study and I recommend that you use more than one. Two popular methods are chronologically and topically.
Chronological Bible Study
Reading chronologically can actually take two forms. The most popular method is to simply begin in Genesis and work your way through to Revelation. Many people find this method very satisfying.
However, you will discover that the books of the Bible are not ordered in precise chronological order. Some books actually run parallel to each other. In other words, two or more books tell the same story. This, of course, is true with the four gospels. 1 and 2 Kings share a timeline with 1 and 2 Chronicles. The major and minor prophets appear at the end of the Old Testament but were written contemporary with many events that take place in the historical books. The Psalms are spread over life of David and also include other writers such as Moses. While this can get confusing, a person who wishes to read in exact chrological order need not dispair. There are resources available to help you sort this out. My favorite guide for biblical chronology is the Reese Chronological Bible. Charles Reese has rearranged the text of Scripture chronologically and place concurrent passages inline with each other to give the reader a time related perspective.
Topical Bible Study
Another effective method of Bible study is to examine God’s Word topically. Perhaps you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit. Using your resources (to be discussed more later) you might look up every verse in the Bible that teaches about the Holy Spirit. Maybe you want to know more about a particular character in the Bible such as Moses. In addition to reading the historical narratives, you might look up New Testament passages that talk about him. What did Jesus say about Moses? Did Peter or Paul mention him? What did they say? Perhaps you might devote time to the construction of the tabernacle and the temple. What did the furniture represent? Why was it constructed in such a specific way? What was the meaning of each sacrifice or they special feasts in Israel? What does the Bible teach about angels or demons? A topical Bible study can be very educating and enriching. What topics draw your attention?
Scheduled Bible Study
There are multiple sources for reading your Bible through in a year. You can even buy a One Year Bible specially formatted to help you read the Bible in a year. Several websites will offer you a schedule to follow and will even allow you to follow links to read online, keep track of your progress and even allow you to choose between different systems of daily reading. You can even find some designed for your smartphone. I have included a few links below as samples but must include a disclaimer. I am only recommending these sites as options for Bible reading plans. I do not necessarily endorse all of the content on each of these pages and I exclusively recommend reading from the KJV for complete accuracy.
What about finding a good book or devotional and reading that? There are pros and cons to this. The great temptation is do do more reading about the Bible than actual Bible reading. This means that we fail to go directly to the Source. A devotional booklet is good but should be used to supplement your Bible reading rather than replace it. Commentaries are helpful but they are no substitute for the real thing!
Devotional books and other Christian literature are helpful only as they draw us directly into God’s Word. Look up the verses they reference. Read them in context. Use these resources to add to your reading of God’s Word rather than replacing it. Christian books are filled with men’s ideas about God’s Word. The Bible IS God’s Word. It is better to be filled with God’s Word than even the best of men’s words. The goal of any good devotional author is the drive the reader deeper into God’s Word rather than replacing the reader’s consistent, systematic Bible reading.
Balanced Bible Study
Don’t limit yourself to one method of Bible study. Change things up occasionally. Variety keeps you on your toes and keeps you from becoming lazy. Whatever methods you use should eventually take you through the entire Bible. We all have our tendency to favor certain portions. Maybe you love the Gospels. Who wouldn’t? But to study the Lamb of God but never read about the sacrificial lambs of the Old Testament would leave you missing something. You might read chronologically until you have completed the Bible then try some topical studies. Use resources to guide you along the way. The system you use isn’t as important as having a system and following a plan that will take you through the entire Bible. If Paul thought it was important to declare “all the counsel of God,” certainly, it is equally important for us to read the whole counsel of God.
“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Acts 20:27
Ready your Bible systematically.
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Reply below and let us know what system(s) of Bible study you have found helpful. What topics have you enjoyed studying or would you like to study. What was it like when you read the Bible through for the first time? What are some of your Bible study goals.
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