Studying the Bible

This part of the 201 series is intended to teach how to study the Bible more effectively. You will learn how to dig into the scripture and discover what it says literally and practically. That is what it says and what it is trying to say to your life. In order to gain maximum benefit from the Word of God, you must learn to concentrate on and deliberately study the Word and apply it to your

life.

After completing this part of the series, you will have developed study skills that will help you uncover truths in the Word that you never knew were there. You will no longer be satisfied with just putting in your Bible reading time; instead you will look deep into the Word for its meaning to your life. Uncovering a Biblical truth is like unearthing a precious gem.

Effective Bible Study will help you to develop mature faith. No longer will you be satisfied with spoon fed truth. Your own daily Bible Study will move you to a closer encounter with God. Before you learn to study the Bible methodically, you must become familiar with some tips and helps for studying the Bible:

TIPS FOR GOOD BIBLE STUDY

• Purchase a good Bible translation. The NIV Study Bible is highly recommended for its easy reading style.

• Read the portion of scripture slowly. What is it saying? Read it again and notice things you missed the first time.

• What style of writing is it? Is it a narrative (story), poetry, or doctrinal teaching?

• Put the text or passage into its proper setting. Why was the author writing it? To whom was he writing? What about the historical time in which he was writing? What do the surrounding passages say that might help you understand the passage you are studying?

• How did the writer get his theme across? What chain of logic did he use?

• Attempt to understand the meaning of all the words. Are there cultural matters that must be studied and interpreted before the passage can be applied to life today? How does this passage relate to today?

• Put yourself in thee passage. What would you have done had you been there in the shoes of the writer or the listener who heard the message?

• Use Bible reference helps, for example, a bible dictionary or Bible concordance. (These will be explained in the next section)

• Ask yourself what God is saying to you through the passage. What practical lessons can you learn from it? Write out you responses. Pray about what God is trying to speak into your life. Meditate on practical ways you can apply the Word to your life. If necessary, confess any shortcomings of the past.

BIBLE STUDY RESOURCE HELPS DEFINED

All true students of the Word equip themselves with helpful resource tools that assist in the uncovering of Biblical truths. You should consider adding some of the following valuable tools to your library. Proper use of them will greatly improve your effectiveness during Bible Study. The following is only a partial list of what is available to you:

CONCORDANCE

A concordance is like a Bible index. It can be used like a dictionary.For example: Let’s say you are trying to find a certain verse in the Bible, but you can remember only word or phrase from the verse. Look up the word or phrase you remember. The concordance will list all the verses that include that word or phrase. Check the listings until you find the verse you are looking for. A concordance is extremely helpful when you are doing a topical study, such as “prayer” or “fasting.” Using the concordance, you can quickly locate all verses that include either of the two words. Probably the two most popular concordances areStrong’sandYoung’s. Also, most good study Bibles come with a small concordance in the back. This valuable resource can help you determine the full meaning of a verse as you see how your “search word” is used elsewhere is Scripture.

DICTIONARY

Use a well-known dictionary like Webster’s. Look up words you don’t understand. This tool will give you a clearer picture of the definition of terms in the English translations of the Bible. It is amazing to discover the words we use in various parts of the country have different meanings and usages. It is quite enlightening to discover the true definition of a word that we take for granted.

BIBLE DICTIONARY OR ENCYCLOPEDIA

Written with the Bible in bind, a Bible dictionary or Bible encyclopedia gives detailed descriptions of words, people, or customs in the Bible. They provide both the definition and the historical significance of a word or topic.

BIBLE ATLAS

A Bible atlas will help you understand geography and its historical significance to the Scriptures. Some study Bibles come equipped with maps in the back, which help put things in perspective.

OTHER TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE

Along with the recommended New International Version, it would be good for you to read any of the following translations: Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Version, and the Amplified Bible. Some people even find the Chronological Bible helpful. It places the stories in chronological sequence so that it reads like a historical narrative. Another helpful book is The Complete Bible Study Tool Kit by Start Briscoe (InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1991). This is one of the best study help books for would-be bible scholars. It has excellent graphics that divide the Bible into understandable segments.

APPLYING BIBLE STUDY TO YOUR LIFE

METHODS OF BIBLE STUDY

A football team has one objective – to win the game. The coaching staff develops a strategy for each part of the competition. The defense works on plays that prevent the other team from advancing the ball and scoring. The special teams build strategies for things like goal stands, kickoffs, punt returns, and field goals. The offense works on the running and passing games and tries to score points. Each of these segments of the game has special players working for the common objective – to win the game.

The same objective relates to Bible study. However, our goal is to be effective in handling the truth in the Bible. Second Timothy chapter 2 and verse fifteen says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word to truth.”

There are several methods of studying the Bible; we will examine three methods that will help you: the analytical, inductive, and topical methods. If you learn to use these study methods well, you will be prepared to excel not only in the B.A.S.I.C.S. Series, but in future ministry opportunities as well. Each method takes a different look at and approach to the Bible and the books contained in it.

METHOD #1 – THE ANALYTICAL METHOD

The analytical method is like a football team that develops an overall game plan for a specific opponent. In Bible Study, it is the method that takes a wide overview look at a particular book in the Bible. It examines the book as a whole for the purpose of discovering the theme the author is communicating to his audience. In this section we will do and analytical study of the book of 2 John together. We will follow the following steps carefully in developing our analytical study of 2 John:

THE BASIC STEPS OF THE ANALYTICAL METHOD:

• Read an entire book of the Bible through at least three times. Use your NIV Study Bible.

• On a piece of paper write a brief statement about each paragraph or passage and what it is saying. This will serve as your general outline.

• Look for a train of thought that might dominate in each paragraph.

• Under each of your paragraph outline statements, explain what each verse is saying.

• Group the thoughts in each of the paragraphs to come up with an overall theme of the book.

• Write a brief sentence that states the book’s purpose and theme.

• Using other Bible study helps, determine the author, the date in the history the book was written, to whom it was written, and the setting in which it was written.

METHOD #2 – THE INDUCTIVE METHOD

The inductive method is like a football team planning a specific play. The coaches draw out the play, person by person, second by second, showing how things work together. Using this method of Bible study, you take a deeper look at each paragraph. It’s like taking a magnifying glass to the Bible.

THE BASIC STEPS IN THE INDUCTIVE METHOD OF BIBLE STUDY:

• Take a piece of paper and draw three columns down the page.

• Write the passage to be examined at the top of the page.

• In the left column, write the main thoughts of each part of the paragraph being studied. Include as many details as you can think of. Check the paragraphs before and after the one you are studying to make sure you get the proper idea the author is communicating. This will help you keep things in context, and your interpretation will properly reflect the writer’s thoughts.

• In the middle column, write the basic questions as possible, using your study text. Notice important phrases or words.

• Look up words you don’t understand in a Bible study reference book, such as a dictionary. You may want to create a list of words or phrases to learn and look up as you study. This is very helpful when you are studying difficult books like Revelation.

Create an inductive Bible study notebook on each of the books of the Bible, and you will have a ready-made resource available for future use. This resource will become valuable when begin to teach or lead Bible studies. The more organized you are, the more your work will benefit you and others.

METHOD #3 – THE TOPICAL METHOD

The topical method of Bible study is like a football team studying certain aspects of the game, such as punt returns, blocking, rushing the quarterback, etc. The topical method studies a subject as it relates to the Bible as a whole. Using this method, you can discover what the Bible has to say about almost any issue: salvation, the Holy Spirit, water baptism, communion, etc. One of your assignments will be to do a topical Bible Study on “prayer and fasting.”

THE BASIC STEPS IN THE TOPICAL BIBLE STUDY METHOD

• Use colored markers to highlight themes in the Bible, such as red for salvation, blue for Holy Spirit, green for love, etc.

• You can develop a code system of your own – brackets, parenthesis and underlining – that would help you identify certain topics in the Bible.

• As you research a topic, ask important questions each time you find it located in the Bible: What does this word mean in this particular verse? How is the word being used in this situation?

• Check the meaning of the Word with a dictionary of concordance. You will find that a word will have different meanings in different verses. Check the meanings in each verse.

• Write out your findings on paper and sum up the meaning of the word according to the Bible. In essence, write a report on the topic.

This approach to Bible Study can be the most fun and very informative because most people have questions about life, and the Bible has all of the answers. This method of study can be extremely beneficial when you are witnessing to a friend who might have some questions about a certain topic.

Please remember, how you train yourself to study the Bible this week determines the outcome of your walk with Christ for the rest of your life. The Bible talks about success, but, interestingly enough, it has to do with our response to studying the Scriptures.

“Do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).

THE WORD 201 IN CONCLUSION

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS

1. Read the book of 1 John through four times. Then do an analytical study of the book. Be sure to follow the steps provided for you in this lesson. Use the Word Resource Sheet 1.

1. Memorize the following verses:

• 2 Timothy 2:15
• Psalm 119:9-11

1. Read the Book of 1 John again. This time, do an inductive study of chapters 1 and 2 (The word Resource Sheet 2).

1. Do a topical study on prayer and fasting throughout the whole Bible (The Word Resource Sheet 3).

1. Read your Bible at least 15 minutes per day.

1. Complete the Accountability Sheet.

1. Contact your discipleship partner at least one time this week outside of church. Get their input on how they see their faith growing.

1. Complete the Sermon notes for every service you attend, minimum of one.

1. Pray a minimum of 15 minutes per day.