Why Study the Bible
John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is
truth.”
John 17:17 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them
your word, which is truth."
II Tim 2:15 “Work hard so God can approve you. Be a
good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed
and who correctly explains the word of truth"
Why study the Bible? Why would you want to study the
Word of God? What do words that are several
thousands of years old have to do with your life? Is
there more to God’s Word than words on a page? How
do you study God’s Word? These are all questions that
we can address in this lesson today on studying the
Word of God.
The Bible is a marvelous book containing 66 books
written by an estimated 40 different men over a period
of over a thousand years. You would think that the
message of 40 different authors written over that large a
period of time would differ greatly. However, when you
read the Bible, you really don’t notice a transition from
one author to another. It all flows together peacefully
and in a coherent, orderly fashion. The Bible is a
narrative or story of God’s relationship with and love for
mankind.
God desires to have a relationship with you. Studying
your Bible is one of the ways you can develop and
strengthen that relationship. You study the Bible to
hear what God has to say to you – to learn what is in
God’s mind that He wants you to know and to see what
God’s position is on any given subject or circumstance
you may come across in your own everyday lives.
The Bible contains God’s words written down for all
mankind giving you a framework by which to live within
His will. It should be among your most cherished
possessions. Now we're not talking about worshipping
the Bible itself – we're talking about worshipping the
One who wrote it – the God that directed an estimated
40 men to write 66 integrated books spanning
thousands of years.
Is there more to the Bible than words on a page? Is the
Bible an ordinary book? Is it a book that you read like
any other and then put away? What makes the Bible
worth studying?
Historically the Bible is accurate and is cited/used by
historians and scholars all over the world as an
accurate source of historical knowledge. Leviticus 13
taught quarantine as a remedy for contagious diseases
that, had the people known, could have stopped the
Black Plague during the Middle Ages, or outbreaks of
other plagues. Hundreds of years before the birth of
Jesus, prophets told of His coming, the places He
would go and the things He would even say. The Bible
told us thousands of years ago before science proved
it, that the earth was round and hung in space. Job 26:7
“God stretches the northern sky over empty space and
hangs the earth on nothing. Isa 40:22” It is God who
sits above the circle of the earth. The people below
must seem to Him like grasshoppers! He is the one who
spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes His
tent from them.”
No other book in the history of the world has impacted
the world more than the Bible. No other book exists that
contains more wisdom. The forty men who were
inspired to write the Bible were ordinary men -- farmers,
shepherds, kings, young, old, poor, rich, educated and
unlearned. Despite over 1600 years of writings and
differences of people and culture, the teachings of the
bible all fit together in perfect unity spelling out God’s
intentions for us as His special and unique creation.
The Bible is an instruction manual for human beings.
Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these
words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise
man who built his house on the rock."
James 1:21-25 21 “So get rid of all the filth and evil in
your lives, and humbly accept the message God has
planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save
your souls. 22 And remember, it is a message to obey,
not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only
fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don't obey,
it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing
nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see
yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25
But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law-
the law that sets you free-and if you do what it says and
don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for
doing it.”
It is more than just reading and hearing – you must
follow through with what you learn into your daily lives.
It must be lived. Luke 11:28 “He replied, "But even more
blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into
practice."
How do you study the Bible? There are many different
ways to study the Bible. You can study each book
separately. You can pick a topic and see what God has
to say about it in His Word. You can do a word study.
Regardless of the method chosen, first you must set
aside time for your study. Make it a priority by
scheduling it into your day. Put God first.
Pray. After setting aside the time, ask God to bless the
study and lead you in it. Ask Him to open up His Word
to you so you can learn the lesson He wants to give you.
Journal. Have a notebook and pen or pencil handy to
jot down your thoughts and insights into the text as you
read it.
Meditate on a text, read and reread. Meditate on it
throughout the day.
Memorize key verses.
Start with your favorite translation of the Bible when
studying and not a paraphrase. NOTE: A "translation"
attempts to communicate word-for-word from the
original language. A "paraphrase" takes the meaning of
a verse or passage of scripture and attempts to express
the meaning in the “plain language” of today.
Context is important – interpret a passage in the light of
its context. Context is the portions of scripture
surrounding the passage being studied, both before
and after it.
Language can be tricky. Interpret according to the
correct meaning of the words. Some words change
their meaning over a period of time. Use a Bible
dictionary to understand the original meaning and the
grammar of a sentence.
What's the intention? Ask yourself “Why did the author
write the text?” Knowing the purpose of the writing can
help in interpreting texts. Interpret the scripture in the
light of the historical, geographical and cultural
background as far as can be known. There are many
reference books that will help you in this process.
While studying look for repeated words and phrases.
These can have great significance in a passage. God
frequently repeats Himself when He wants to make a
point.
Resources and Tools:
There are many tools and techniques available to aid
and enhance personal Bible study. One such tool is
called “journaling” and consists of daily bible reading,
along with writing a journal.
Prayer
Always begin with prayer. Ask God to open your heart
and mind to His Word so you can understand it well
enough to apply it to your life today.
Scripture
Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Write
down verses that have meaning to you. When you are
done, reread the verses you wrote down and see if
there are any that have particular meaning to you. You
can also highlight, underline or place a mark in the
margin of your Bible next to the scriptures that stand
out to you.
Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this
scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal
the meaning. Paraphrase and write this scripture down
in your own words in your journal.
Meditation
Think about what you have read and observed. What is
God saying to you that these particular scriptures
jumped out at you or had particular meaning to you? Is
there something going on in your life to which these
scriptures would apply?
Application
Write how this scripture can apply to you today. Find
ways to incorporate what you have learned into your
daily life until it becomes part of you
Pray Again
Ask God to help you use this scripture, or ask for a
greater insight on what He may be revealing to you.
Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be
sure to listen to what God has to say! Then, write it
down.
There are many resources available to you today to
help you in your study of God’s Word. Many of these
resources can be bought at your local Christian Book
store or even checked out at the public library. Here are
a few:
Concordance -- a concordance will help you locate
other passages that contain the same word. Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance contains every word in the
KJV (King James' Version) Bible along with Greek and
Hebrew references so you can learn the original
meaning of the word.
A Bible dictionary will define the meaning of a word in
the original language. Smith’s Bible Dictionary not only
has definitions of words, but also contains many
pictures delving into ancient history.
Lexicons – further resources into the original
languages in which the Bible was written. There are
Hebrew and Greek lexicons that are also linked to the
numbering system in the Strong’s Concordance.
Other Bible translations or paraphrases: reading text
stated in a different way may allow for a greater
understanding of the passage. Different translations
NKJV (New King James' Version) and NLT (New Living
Translation) may say the same thing in different ways
that help in your understanding of what is being said.
Parallel Bibles contain several different translations
side-by-side so you can easily compare what they say.
Topical Bibles contain the topics covered in the Bible.
They are very helpful for word studies and theme Bible
Studies. Nave’s Topical Bible is very thorough.
Bible Handbooks contain much background
information – Halley’s Bible Handbook is one of my
favorites.
There are many online resources I have found that help
me to study my Bible, prepare lessons for my teens and
prepare for Bible studies with groups. Here are a few of
my favorites:
www.blueletterbible.org
www.biblegateway.com
Rockhay Tripod
With these tools and God’s Holy Spirit enabling you to
comprehend His Word, you can begin doing your own
Bible Studies.
Psalms 119:11 ”I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.”
Learning how to study your Bible will open up God’s
Word to you like nothing else. There are many buried
treasures in the Word of God. You can use these tools
to dig them up and make them a part of your lives. You
will learn about God, about His character and His love
for all mankind.
