Bible Study Basic Christian Doctrines 9

BIBLE STUDY

Christian Doctrines 9

1. We Should Study the Bible.

God gave us the Bible to read and study. It is a textbook to study, not a picture-book to browse through. There is a big difference between simply reading a book and seriously studying it. One is leisure, the other is work. God wants us to study our Bibles, not use them for pressing flowers. To study the Bible is to research it to discover its meaning. It asks, "What does this mean?" The term "hermeneutics" is the technical term for the science of interpretation. “Exegesis” is the practice of correct interpretation, by which we draw out of a passage what is really there. The opposite is “eisegesis” or putting into a passage what is not there. That is putting our words into God's mouth, rather than vice-versa. Eisegesis is twisting the Scriptures to suit our preconceived notions (2 Pet. 3:16).

2. It Takes Faith to Study the Bible.

When we study the Bible, we should set aside wrong presuppositions and preconceived ideas. We need to be teachable. We should pray before and during Bible study, and rely on the Holy Spirit in us to teach us what He says in the Bible. Faith comes to us by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17); more faith comes to us by more Bible study. Without faith, we can understand the Bible only in a natural way, not a supernatural way. Studying the Bible profits us nothing unless it is mixed with faith (Heb. 4:2).

3. It Takes Work to Study the Bible.

We should be like the noble Bereans who "received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures to find if these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Serious Bible study means to "search the Scriptures" (John 5:39. Cf. 7:52). Search and you will find. Dig deep and you will find new treasures of gold hidden in this field. Like the Bereans, we ought to study the Bible "daily" as well as "diligently". Alas, some Christians have not even read the entire Bible yet. Others try to read it through every year. It takes work, but the Holy Spirit enables us to understand (cf. I John 2:29). We should "prepare our hearts to seek the Law of the Lord" (Ezra 7:10). A lacksadaisical attitude betrays low respect for the Bible and little faith in God. But serious Bible study is work which brings rest.

4. The Bible is Understandable.

Though the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, it is still understandable through reliable translations (not to mention the scholarly study of the original languages). We may profit from preachers and teachers who explain the Bible to us (Acts 8:30-31). But we are not held hostage to a priestly class of guardians who alone can study the Bible. The Bible is for everyone. Though some parts are harder to understand than others (2 Pet. 3:16), the basic message of the Bible is quite clear. Even a cursory study of the Bible will yield great results. No one can use the excuse, "I just can't understand it." The Bible uses basic human language. Even its occasional parables, types and figures of speech are not some kind of "hidden code" or esoteric allegory. We use the "Historical-Grammatical Method" of Bible study. We study the historical setting of Scripture (human author, original readers, date, geography, manners and customs, archeology, etc), as well as the normal meaning of the language (its lexical meaning, grammar, syntax, context, etc).

5. We Should Study All of the Bible.

We should study all of it, not just our favorite parts. Read both testaments. Use a concordance and cross references to compare Scripture with Scripture. It has great variety. All Scripture is inspired and deserves our study.

6. The Bible Uses Many Literary Styles.

Just as God used many human authors, so he used their backgrounds and a variety of literary styles. Much of the Bible is narrative of historical events (Genesis, Joshua to Esther, the Gospels, Acts, much of Exodus and Numbers, parts of others). Other parts are poetry, not prose (Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, parts of others). In these, we find prayer and praise to God, and wisdom in dealing with life. Then other books are mainly laws (Exodus-Deuteronomy, parts of others). Some laws are straight-forward commands or prohibitions, while others are case laws. Then other books are mainly prophecy, recording direct messages from God, including accurate predictions of the future. There are three "major prophets" (larger books like Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, and Ezekiel), and twelve "minor prophets" (the last twelve books of the Old Testament). Some of these are mainly symbolic and "apocalyptic" (Revelation, much of Daniel, Zechariah and Ezekiel, parts of others). Lastly, there are the epistles of Paul and others. All these styles form a wonderful harmony.

7. The Bible Centers on Christ.

One important principle of Bible study is knowing and noticing that Christ is the center of Scripture. The Old Testament pointed forward to Him, the New Testament pointed back to Him. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies, types and symbols of the coming Messiah (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 53, Psa. 22, etc). Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. Some are explained in the New Testament (see Luke 24:25-27, 44-46, Acts 10:43). And sandwiched between the Old Testament predictions of the future and the New Testament explanations of the past, we find the four Gospels which describe the person and work of Christ in a special way. They are "holy biographies" which concentrate on His special person, message and mission.

8. The Bible Teaches Us Salvation.

Since it is a book about Christ, the Bible is therefore a book about how we may be saved from our sins through Him. It makes us wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). This message of salvation is given through Special Revelation in Scripture, not through Natural Revelation in Creation (Rom. 1). Some parts of the Bible more directly discuss salvation, such as the four Gospels, Acts and Romans. But all parts of Scripture fit into this comprehensive entity. Thus, the Bible was given to us that we may know how to be saved and how to have the assurance of salvation (John 20:31, 1 John 5:13). We can also use it to tell other people the Gospel of salvation.

9. The Bible is Spiritual Food.

The Bible is frequently compared to food. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). We ought to thirst for it like a baby thirsts for milk (I Pet. 2:2). The basic message of the Bible is like milk; the additional details are like meat (Heb. 5:12-14). We need both. The Bible is the means that God uses to nourish His children. It gave us the new birth and sustains our new life. We grow spiritually anemic when we ignore it. So, we need to regularly read and study it, and meditate on it like a cow chews the cud. The more we do, the stronger we will grow spiritually.

10. The Bible Has Many Uses.

We study the Bible to learn about God. When we study it, we always need to find what God wants us to do in light of that passage. It teaches us how to live for God and helps us resist Satan and temptation, worship God in the way acceptable to Him, and witness in the world. It encourages us through its many promises, aids us in prayer, points out our sins and assures us of forgiveness, strengthens our faith, answers the basic questions we have for guidance, and so much more. So let us diligently read it, study it, believe it and obey it (cf. Matt. 7:24-25, 2 Tim. 3:16-17).