Bible Studies - Learn from The Bible

Daniel Millions asked:


Many people have studied the Bible. It is considered one of the most ancient and respected books on earth. The Bible is used by Christians of many denominations. There are several different versions of the Bible, with one of the most popular being the King James Version of the Bible.

You can study the entire Bible in a year by dedicating some free evening or morning time to this project. Most people read the Bible as it is presented chronologically. For those new to Bible study, getting a Bible study workbook can be quite useful as this will suggest passages of the Bible you may wish to reflect on and ways to organize your study. Some who have attended church for a long time or those who have studied the Bible in the past may be more confident with self-study methods. By simply reading a page or two of the Bible each night, you will work your way through the Bible most often in a calendar year.

Some that decide to study the Bible may be surprised to learn that an excellent tool to add to your study methods is by actually writing in your own Bible. Adding your own personal notes about sermons, passages that have inspired you or even meditations on Bible quotes can only deepen your learning experience. The Bible is a book that you can study again and again. Many that take up Bible study choose to study it year after year, learning something new about passages they have re-read for years as their knowledge and understanding increases.

Taking a Bible study class can also be quite useful. Your church or town may offer a Bible study class. Sometimes if your church does not offer one, it can be an excellent idea to volunteer to start one. Usually you are not the only one in your church congregation studying the Bible. Other church members would likely welcome the company of a group to study the Bible. Your priest or minister could lead the group, or you could be a self-led group run by church volunteers. Bible study classes are a great way to encourage learners at different rates as everyone has something valuable to offer.

Each church member comes to the Bible with different personal experiences and a unique perspective. Some may have studied the Bible for years and others may be very new to this experience. The richness of this type of group can be a valuable experience for everyone. Even those who have studied for years can learn something from the fresh viewpoint of someone who is new to Bible study.

No matter your personal beliefs or perspective, Bible study will offer you a world of its very own. This ancient book has been studied by scholars, priests and people from all walks of life. There are passages in the Bible that can be adapted to modern day concerns of every kind: from environmental concerns, adultery, cheating on your taxes, pre-teen dating, premarital intercourse and drug addiction. The Bible offers great wisdom and a unique perspective on the world unlike any other: it is the word of God.



Eric

Groshan Fabiola asked:


True understanding of any subject takes time, exploration, questioning, and reflection. Robert R. Moton, president, Tuskegee Institute writes, “When you eat fish, you don’t eat the bones. You eat the flesh. Take the Bible like that.” True understanding takes delving into the written words for insight and appreciation. A reader must flesh out the meanings and innuendos of words and passages. There is more than one approach to studying and understanding the Bible. One method for Bible study is more suitable than another depending on personal learning styles and goals. With close and analytical reading, you can read and study Scripture to enhance understanding to more completely embrace God’s Word. As understanding matures and grows, so will your grasp of The Word grow and mature. With the correct Bible study method, your faith will grow and mature as well. With the suitable reading approach, you can delve into Scripture and better comprehend and apply His Word into your spiritual and daily life.

Charles H. Spurgeon states, in How to Read the Bible, “…[one] can read a great deal and not read anything.” He continues, “The eye glances, but the mind never rests. The soul does not light upon the truth and stay there. Understanding the meaning is the essence of true reading. Reading has a kernel to it, and the mere shell is little worth.” Clearly, simply reading the Bible is not enough. Those looking for rewarding Bible study must become involved in the process. For complete comprehension, the reader must take time to be nourished by the Word.

Pastor Andy Deane serves as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in central New Jersey where he oversees a vibrant junior high ministry and has written a study guide for those wanting a better understanding of the Bible. Learn to Study the Bible offers forty different step-by-step Bible study methods to facilitate discovery, application, and enjoyment of God’s Word. Chapter topics include study methods such as: question, rethink and restate, verse by verse, chapter study, themes, and word studies. He suggests focused study by Bible types, prayers, miracles, parables, and Psalms. Pastor Andy Deane believes that you must slow down and patiently and prayerfully reflect as you read. Anyone interested in furthering their knowledge and understanding of the Bible will find this book to be an invaluable Bible study tool.

Learn To Study The Bible (www.LearntoStudyTheBible.com), teaches you 40 Bible study methods to approach both difficult and familiar passages and help you to absorb more of their meaning. Visit author Andy Deane’s website at www.andydeane.com.



Lorenzo

Susan Slobac asked:


When was the last time you read a book? You might frequent your local library to pick up titles, but unfortunately many people in the United States, over half the adult population, never pick a book up after they leave high school. Many do not spend time each day reading, and this can have an affect on their Christian spiritual growth. People who do not know what the Bible says cannot grow in their faith and knowledge. There is an easy way, however, to add the Bible back into your life, and that is by utilizing an audio Bible. The Bible is available on CDs that can be played on your computer or a CD player, and also in mp3 format. This allows you to play it on your computer or through an mp3 player. Now that the Bible is available in a digital format, the audio Bible can be used for sermons, for conducting an audio Bible Study, and by individuals with disabilities.

If you are trying to reach a group of people but cannot speak their common language, communication of your message will break down. If you want to share the Bible with them, you will either have to learn to speak the audience’s language well enough to read the Bible to them, or you can rely on other means. The King James audio Bible, for example, is available in over 250 different dialects and comes in a variety of in digital formats including the MP3 audio Bible. A pastor anywhere around the world can play these digital files for their parishioners, and communicate the Word of God in a meaningful way. Not everyone has the benefit of an adequate public education where they learn to read. That being the case, almost everyone can hear, so one way to learn what the Bible has to say is to listen to it, and digital audio Bibles can make a difference in everyone’s spiritual growth.

Bible studies can also benefit from the mp3 audio Bible. Not everyone has time to settle in for Bible reading, or reading is so unfamiliar that they feel awkward doing it, and so avoid it altogether. On the other hand, if the New Testament is broken down into short sections, anyone can select it on their mp3 player and take it with them on the bus, on the walk to school or work, or anywhere you can listen but need your hands free. Just delving into the content of the Bible will improve students’ understanding of what it says, with spiritual results that can last a lifetime and beyond.

Those with disabilities, such as blindness, might have difficulty with printed material. An audio Bible can be just the item they need to help them stay abreast of Bible teaching, and they too can learn by utilizing this innovative technology.

Whether you are out and about, in your car, at work, or at home, you can access the amazing beauty and knowledge that comes from an understanding of God’s Word by listening to an audio Bible.



Kurtis

Brandon Staggs asked:


Psst — there’s a secret to learning the Bible. It’s a secret any good Bible teacher, preacher, and pastor knows. Since the Bible is God’s mind revealed to man, this secret is one that allows you to know God on a personal level. Before I expose this secret, let me tell you some things that have nothing to do with learning the Bible.

Things that have nothing to do with learning the Bible

1. Learning the Bible doesn’t have anything to do with learning Greek or Hebrew. You do not have to spend time in the original languages of Scripture to learn what the Bible teaches. In fact, someone who tries to learn Greek or Hebrew just to find golden nuggets in God’s word that they think are missing in English is more likely to get tripped up, confused, and sent down rabbit trails than someone who doesn’t bother. And why is that? It’s simple: It takes a lot of time to learn a language as well as you already know English. You’re better off reading the language you understand rather than trying to learn a language for the sake of Bible study.

2. Learning the Bible doesn’t have anything to do with going to school. I know this might ruffle some feathers, but this is really quite simple. God’s word is not hidden away in the crypts of academia and scholarship. God’s word is for everyone. I know of no passage that makes this more clear than Deuteronomy 30:11-14: “For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.“

3. Learning the Bible doesn’t mean understanding everything the first time you read it. When you come across a problem verse, it’s okay not to “get it” the first time.

4. Learning the Bible doesn’t mean trusting a man to tell you what it means. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek help; quite the contrary. But your ultimate trust must be in God, not in men, for your understanding of Scripture. Proverbs 29:25 states: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” If your understanding of a verse is based on your trust of what someone else has told you, you are not in a safe place.

The first secret to learning the Bible is…

Study.

That’s right, this big secret is study.

1st Timothy 2:15 states: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” See that key word there? Study. (As a side note, not only does this this verse tell us to study, it tells us how. But I’ll leave the how for another article.)

All the systems and methods someone can teach you are irrelevant next to this simple truth: learning what the Bible says takes study. The old Webster dictionary, published in 1828, says study is “a setting of the mind or thoughts upon a subject; hence, application of mind of books, to arts or science, or to any subject, for the purpose of learning what is not before known… To endeavor diligently.“

A lot of us probably don’t like the idea of study, since we often associate it with hard work and mind numbing rote, though true study is far more than just memorization. Even the writer of Ecclesiastes said (12:12): “much study is a weariness of the flesh.” And that’s a good thing. As anyone who takes time to work out at the gym knows, whipping your body into shape is weariness! So to it can be with study.

In the end, the secret is that there is no secret to learning the Bible. Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” And God’s will is revealed to you in that he wants you to study, as study shows your approval to God, and it is the study of the word of truth (Scripture) that gives us understanding of the mind of God.



Brendan

Hannah Henderson asked:


There are five very effective tips that anyone who desires to understand the Bible can put into practice immediately, regardless of how much or how little his knowledge of God’s word may be. The biblical passage of 1 Corinthians 2:14 that states that the things of God must be spiritually discerned has been misused to deter the average person from engaging in serious self-study of the Bible for fear that he may not be spiritual enough to understand scripture. However, when a person seriously seeks the Lord, he can be assured that it is with his spirit that he seeks as the natural part of him, which the Bible often refers to as the "flesh", is too weak to seek God. Jesus explicity said, "…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (King James Bible, Mat. 26:41).

The first tip is to bear in mind that the dictionary’s definition of a word does not always match the Bible’s definition of that same word. According to Webster’s pocket dictionary, the word "believe" means to accept something as true or real and to hold on to religious beliefs, but biblical scripture demonstrates that faith in God is not merely an intellectual acceptance of the veracity of something. Genuine belief in God is defined by the Bible as obedience to God. The apostle Paul wrote, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report" (Rom.10:16)? Scripture also says, "Even so faith (belief), if it hath not works (obedient action), is dead, being alone" (James 2:17). If the dictionary’s definition of "obey" is applied to the scripure of St. John 3:16 which states that whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life, everyone with a simple intellectual belief in God has eternal life. However, according to the Bible, this is not the case. Jesus warns in the scripture of Matthew 7:22 that many will call him Lord in the last day but he’ll respond that he never knew them. The misinterpretation of the word "obey" is only one of numerous words that are misunderstood due to the application of a modern dictionary’s definition.

The second tip consists of paying close attention to the scriptures just above and below a scripture in question as well as the context and situation taking place in a given passage. Many Christians teach that God’s commandment in the scripture of Matthew 5:48, to be perfect as he is perfect means striving to never commit sin. Although the scriptures of Romans 6:1 and 1 John 2:1 clearly admonish against committing sin, Ecclesiastes 7:20 is one of several reminders that there is no mortal man that never sins. Consequently, the application of what appears to be a logical explanation of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:48, gives rise to a contradiction of God’s own word. In the scriptures immediately above that of Matthew 5:48, Jesus is teaching on the perfection of love. The Savior explains that his servants do not limit their love to those who love them and to their friends, but extends the love of Christ to the utmost in bearing love for their enemies as God also has demonstrated his love for his enemies (St. John 3:16, Rom. 5:10). Man’s reasoning defines perfection as total abstinence from sin, but God measures perfection based on the love of Christ that he sees in the heart of the believer who is commanded to love him first, his neighbor (Mark 12:29-30), and even his enemy (Mat. 5:44). The confirmation of this interpretation is found in the scripture of Colossians 3:14 which says, "And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness."

The third tip is to wisely choose a Bible to read and study aids. If a person is truly seeking to understand God’s word, it’s advisable to read the King James version of the Bible. The New King James version of the scriptures has done so much more than simply remove pronouns such as "thee" and "thou" and replace them with "you". At the time of the translation of the authorized King James version of the Bible, the usage of personal pronouns that indicate singularity and plurality had already become obsolete (Terry Watkins). The translators took special care to use them because of their significance in understanding exactly what was taking place and to whom God or another person was speaking. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article by Ann Rodgers, a 1st-century text from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah was discovered among the scrolls of the Dead Sea. It perfectly matched the Hebrew text from the year 1006, proving the preservation of the scriptures. There is justifiably much suspicion regarding the employment of the modern versions and new translations of the Bible. Bible students may want to make use of a paraphrased Bible which does not claim to re-translate the scriptures, but rather to simply paraphrase them. This keeps the student alert to the fact that a paraphrase does not make the exact same statements as the original work, and therefore, must be regarded as possible help and not necessarily answers. Also beware of commentaries. They can be of assistance in comprehending the Bible and they can unfortunately add to confusion by rendering incorrect interpretations of biblical passages. Recommended commentaries include The Wycliffe Bible Commentaries for the Old and New Testaments, by the Moody Bible Institute. Again, not every explanation of these commentaries is correct, but they can serve as important guides on most biblical questions. Serious students of Bible study often use an amplified Bible which fills in some of the "blanks" and thereby promote greater understanding.

The fourth tip involves the Bible student’s resistance against frustration when answers escape him. Understanding of the scriptures takes time, patience, dedication, a pure desire to learn to obey God and faith in his promise to fully satisfy everyone that hungers after righteousness (Mat. 5:6). It’s helpful to notate in a notebook or on index cards, questions as well as scriptures that are confusing and review them periodically. Purchase Strong’s exhaustive concordance if finances permit and run reference on individual words in the passages that are unclear. Strive to find every scripture that relates to the question or scripture for which an explanation is sought. Often, anti-biblical doctrines are formed by failure or unwillingness to consider all scripture on a particular subject. When learning from other Christian writers, it’s important to make sure they’re supporting all statements with biblical scripture. Opinions and man’s logic must be rejected when seeking spiritual truth. It’s not enough to see scripture cited in Christian writings. The serious Bible student must imitate the Bereans who verified what they were being told was scripture was truly written in the Bible (Acts 17:11). The student should not linger on confusing scriptures, but rather should continue his studies. The Bible is literally a commentary on itself and perplexity over a particular passage or question often becomes clear in the reading of other passages that may seem completely unrelated to the one that is confusing. Remember that the Bible is one long account of the gospel of Jesus who is shadowed in the Old Testament and revealed in the New. Although the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New, lived in different time periods, lands, and situations, they all preached the same message. Genesis opens with man in paradise with full access to the tree of life, and Revelation ends with the return of redeemed man to paradise with full access to the tree of life restored, in accordance with God’s perfect will. Not everyone is able to dedicate much time everyday to the study of the Bible due to daily obligations. Fifteen minutes of productive Bible study with the intention to be a doer of God’s word is better than hours of study without comprehension or intention to obey Christ.

The fifth and final tip requires the prayer of faith that boldly and confidently asks God for wisdom. The very purpose of knowing God’s word should be to find and travel the road that leads to eternal life, back to paradise in the hereafter. That road can only be travelled by faith that begins with believing that God will put and keep one’s feet on that journey. The Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But, let him ask in faith, nothing waivering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

It is a most wonderful experience to sit and learn at the feet of the great Rabbi, Lord Jesus.

© 2007-2008 Heavenly Manna and Hannah Henderson

Works Consulted/Cited:

Rodgers, Ann. “Dead Sea Scrolls ‘fragments’ on Exhibit”.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sunday, 23 May 2004, N. pag.

Watkins, Terry. “New King James Version Counterfeit.” n.d. Dial-The-Truth-Ministries.

04 Sept. 2007

The Bible

Webster’s Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language. New revised ed.

N.p. Allied Publishing Group, Inc., 2005



Katelynn