A Closer Walk With God
Studying The Bible -Cont.
Having looked at some reasons given for not studying the Bible we will look at some ways we can study the Bible when we continue this lesson. How shall one study the Word of God? There are several approaches or methods of Bible study. There is the "planned lesson" method. "A Closer Walk With God" is an example of this method. Someone prepares lessons on a subject, then it is studied in a class or at home. This is a good way to study, but one's study should not be limited to this method.
There is the "subject" method. This involves selecting some subject (such as for example, "baptism"), then collecting and studying each passage in the Bible on the subject. This method has its advantages, but it can be easy to take things out of context and draw the wrong conclusion.
The "book" method consists of an intensive study of a single book of the Bible. Since the Bible was written a book at a time, this is probably the best way to study the Bible. Daily Bible Reading programs can easily utilize this approach to the Scriptures, by following a program to read through the entire Bible each year. For example, taking a chapter each week to read and study daily, you can cover the New Testament in depth over a five year period. -- Doing both of these will give a person an overall understanding of the Bible and an in-depth understanding of the New Testament.
To get more out of the studying you do, here are some suggestions for Bible study. Set a regular time to study or read. Regularity is a key to success, so set aside some regular time for study. For "night owls", the best time may be late at night, after the children are in bed. For "morning larks", early morning before the children arise might be better. Family study is a good practice, but each person needs also to have a regular time in which he or she can come face to face with God's message alone.
Pray as you study. Begin your study with prayer - Psa 119:18 "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.". As you study, ask God for the wisdom and strength to understand and obey His Word - Psa 119:5 "Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!", 6 "Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.". End your study with prayer - Psa 119:10-11 "With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
Utilize various Bible study helps. Using various translations can help make understanding the Bible easier. The more reliable translations are:
1) King James Version (a classic, but somewhat archaic).
2) New King James Version (my personal choice).
3) American Standard Version (most literal, but hard to read).
4) New American Standard Version (a wordy update to the ASV).
Some translations that are easy to read can be used as references (for example, New International Version). One should not put much stock in versions translated By one man (such as, The Living Bible) or by individuals from one denominational background (such as, The New World Translation). Dictionaries. Not knowing the meaning of words is the most common cause for not understanding the
Bible. An ordinary English dictionary can be used, but there are special Bible dictionaries that are more useful and accurate. A good one is "Vine's Expository Dictionary".
Concordance. This useful work contains words in alphabetical order along with a list of verses in the
Bible where they are found. It can be a great time saver in finding verses based on a given subject. If possible, use a concordance based upon the translation you use.
Encyclopedias. This type of reference gives detailed articles on the people, places, and things mentioned in the Bible. Two good sets are: Zondervan's Pictorial Encyclopedia Of The Bible and The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
Commentaries. These are books written by scholars commenting on various books of the Bible. One must be careful, as these scholars are not inspired and are subject to mistakes. But their insights and the fruit of their own study can be helpful. It might be good to ask mature Christians what commentaries they can recommend. -- These and other reference helps are often found in church libraries and may be available for your use; in time, you should gradually develop your own library of Bible study aids.
Such aids can be a great help, but make sure that the conclusions you draw are based upon your own careful study of God's Word! What is most important is that we are engaged in some sort of consistent, systematic study of the Bible so that we are ever being blessed by the Word of God!
The following questions are to stimulate your thinking.
How long do you study the Bible daily?
Do you study the class lessons at home (when available) that you have in church?
If you are not doing so now, are you willing to spend 15-30 minutes daily in Bible study?
What's your biggest problem in studying?
