Tips for Studying the Bible

In our last blog post, we left off talking about the importance of studying the Bible. We mentioned that all you have to do is ask for wisdom and believe you will receive it and it will be given to you.

James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

But I told you that I would offer some helpful tips as to how to start studying your Bible. In addition to asking God for understanding, there are many other useful tips you can use to help understand the Bible.

1.     Pray

a.     I cannot stress the importance of praying enough. We want to understand the Word and know how to apply it to our lives; therefore, we ask the Holy Spirit to be with us to enlighten us as we read and study.

2.     Try using a study Bible

a.     There are many study Bibles available with commentary throughout the Bible to assist the reader in connecting and understanding events.

3.     Ask a mentor for help

a.     Find someone you trust and talk about the things you do not understand. This could be your pastor, Sunday school teacher, or a friend who you know has knowledge in this area.

4.     Use a supplemental Bible Study Guide   

a.     There are so many Bible Studies available, and I caution you with this because it is not always guaranteed that what you are reading is correct. Everyone interprets the Bible differently meaning there will be differences within the Bible Studies you may select. I will suggest my favorite study to get you started. It is always a good idea to get someone to look over your selected Bible study before using it such as your pastor or a trusted individual.

                                                        i.     My favorite Bible study for beginners is Seamless: Understanding the Bible As One Complete Story by Angie Smith

Lastly, I want to introduce the concept of inductive Bible study. Inductive Bible study is a specific method many people find useful when studying the Bible. Simply put, inductive Bible studying is an investigative way to study the Bible. There are three basic steps to inductive Bible study:

1.     Observation: What does the text say?

a.     Think of this portion as if you are a detective arriving at a crime scene. The very first thing you are going to do is look around and try to figure out what is going on. It isn’t until later after observing the details that you will try to piece together who is guilty.  

b.     Observe the W’s (who, what, when, where, why, and how), mark keywords, and keep a record of what you find out.

                                               i.     Look at who is talking and who the author is.

                                             ii.     Think about when and where this is taking place.

c.     Make note of repeated words or phrases. When God repeats himself, listen.

2.     Interpretation: What does the text you have observed mean?

a.     Consider the context in which the verses were used.

b.     What does this mean to the intended audience?

                                               i.     AKA those during the time the book was written or the audience that is being spoken to.

3.     Application: How should this affect you?   

a.     How does the text relate to life today and more specifically, your life?

b.     This phase may vary from person to person.

c.     What is this message trying to teach me today?

 

There are many ways to study the Bible. The only wrong way to study the Bible is not to study it at all. Experiment with various study styles until you find one that works for you. The Bible can be used as a way of keeping your heart pure, strengthening your relationship with God, and can even be used as a weapon against bad thoughts and intentions.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

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