How to Study The Bible
Here are tips on how to get the most out of the study of this “divine handbook.” These
pointers will help answer the most crucial question of all, “How can a young man
cleanse his way?” The psalmist responds, “By taking heed according to Your word” (Ps.
119:9).
Why Is It Important to Study the Bible?
Why is God’s Word so important? Because it contains God’s mind and will for your life
(2 Tim. 3:16, 17). It is the only source of absolute divine authority for you as a servant of
Jesus Christ.
It is infallible in its totality: “The law of the LORDis perfect, converting the soul; the
testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7).
It is inerrant in its parts: “Every word of God ispure; He is a shield to those who put
their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar”
(Prov. 30:5, 6).
It is complete: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in
this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18, 19).
It is authoritative and final: “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps.
119:89).
It is totally sufficient for your needs: “… that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
It will accomplish what it promises: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My
mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11).
It provides the assurance of your salvation: “He who is of God hears God’s words
…” (John 8:47; cf. 20:31).
How Will I Benefit from Studying the Bible?
Millions of pages of material are printed every week. Thousands of new books are
published each month. This would not be surprising to Solomon who said, “… be
admonished … Of making many books there is no end” (Eccl. 12:12).
Even with today’s wealth of books and computer helps, the Bible remains the only
source of divine revelation and power that can sustain Christians in their “daily walk with
God.” Note these significant promises in the Scripture.
The Bible is the source of truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth”
(John 17:17).
The Bible is the source of God’s blessing when obeyed: “But He said, ‘More than
that, blessed arethose who hear the word of God and keep it’” (Luke 11:28).
The Bible is the source of victory: “… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God” (Eph. 6:17).
The Bible is the source of growth: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2).
The Bible is the source of power: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it
is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for
the Greek” (Rom. 1:16).
The Bible is the source of guidance: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my
path” (Ps. 119:105).
What Should Be My Response to the Bible?
Because the Bible is so important and because it provides unparalleled eternal benefits,
then these should be your responses:
• Believe it (John 6:68, 69)
• Honor it (Job 23:12)
• Love it (Ps. 119:97)
• Obey it (1 John 2:5)
• Guard it (1 Tim. 6:20)
• Fight for it (Jude 3)
• Preach it (2 Tim. 4:2)
• Study it (Ezra 7:10)
Who Can Study the Bible?
Not everyone can be a Bible student. Check yourself on these necessary qualifications
for studying the Word with blessing:
• Are you saved by faith in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-16)?
• Are you hungering for God’s Word (1 Pet. 2:2)?
• Are you searching God’s Word with diligence (Acts 17:11)?
• Are you seeking holiness (1 Pet. 1:14-16)?
• Are you Spirit-filled (Eph. 5:18)?
The most important question is the first. If you have never invited Jesus Christ to be
your personal Savior and the Lord of your life, then your mind is blinded by Satan to
God’s truth (2 Cor. 4:4).
If Christ is your need, stop reading right now and, in your own words with prayer, turn
away from sin and turn toward God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast”
(Eph. 2:8, 9).
What Are the Basics of Bible Study?
Personal Bible study, in precept, is simple. I want to share with you 5 steps to Bible
study which will give you a pattern to follow.
STEP 1—Reading. Read a passage of Scripture repeatedly until you understand its
theme, meaning the main truth of the passage. Isaiah said, “Whom will he teach
knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned
from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Is. 28:9, 10).
Develop a plan on how you will approach reading through the Bible. Unlike most
books, you will probably not read it straight through from cover to cover. There are
many good Bible reading plans available, but here is one that I have found helpful.
Read through the Old Testament at least once a year. As you read, note in the
margins any truths you particularly want to remember, and write down separately
anything you do not immediately understand. Often as you read you will find that many
questions are answered by the text itself. The questions to which you cannot find
answers become the starting points for more in-depth study using commentaries or
other reference tools.
Follow a different plan for reading the New Testament. Read one book at a time
repetitiously for a month or more. This will help you to retain what is in the New
Testament and not always have to depend on a concordance to find things.
If you want to try this, begin with a short book, such as 1 John, and read it through in
one sitting every day for 30 days. At the end of that time, you will know what is in the
book. Write on index cards the major theme of each chapter. By referring to the cards
as you do your daily reading, you will begin to remember the content of each chapter. In
fact, you will develop a visual perception of the book in your mind.
Divide longer books into short sections and read each section daily for 30 days. For
example, the gospel of John contains 21 chapters. Divide it into 3 sections of 7
chapters. At the end of 90 days, you will finish John. For variety, alternate short and
long books, and in less than 3 years you will have finished the entire New Testament—
and you will really know it!
STEP 2—Interpreting. In Acts 8:30, Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you
understand what you are reading?” Or put another way, “What does the Bible mean by
what it says?” It is not enough to read the text and jump directly to the application; we
must first determine what it means, otherwise the application may be incorrect.
As you read Scripture, always keep in mind one simple question: “What does this
mean?” To answer that question requires the use of the most basic principle of
interpretation, called the analogy of faith, which tells the reader to “interpret the Bible
with the Bible.” Letting the Holy Spirit be your teacher (1 John 2:27), search the
Scripture He has authored, using cross references, comparative passages,
concordances, indexes, and other helps. For those passages that yet remain unclear,
consult your pastor or godly men who have written in that particular area.
Errors to Avoid
As you interpret Scripture, several common errors should be avoided.
1. Do not draw any conclusions at the price of proper interpretation. That is, do not
make the Bible say what you want it to say, but rather let it say what God intended
when He wrote it.
2. Avoid superficial interpretation. You have heard people say, “To me, this passage
means,” or “I feel it is saying.…” The first step in interpreting the Bible is to
recognize the four gaps we have to bridge: language, culture, geography, and
history (see below).
3. Do not spiritualize the passage. Interpret and understand the passage in its normal,
literal, historical, grammatical sense, just like you would understand any other piece
of literature you were reading today.
Gaps to Bridge
The books of the Bible were written many centuries ago. For us to understand today
what God was communicating then, there are several gaps that need to be bridged: the
language gap, the cultural gap, the geographical gap, and the historical gap. Proper
interpretation, therefore, takes time and disciplined effort.
1. Language. The Bible was originally written in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Often,
understanding the meaning of a word or phrase in the original language can be the
key to correctly interpreting a passage of Scripture.
2. Culture. The culture gap can be tricky. Some people try to use cultural differences
to explain away the more difficult biblical commands. Realize that Scripture must
first be viewed in the context of the culture in which it was written. Without an
understanding of first-century Jewish culture, it is difficult to understand the
gospels. Acts and the epistles must be read in light of the Greek and Roman
cultures.
3. Geography. A third gap that needs to be closed is the geography gap. Biblical
geography makes the Bible come alive. A good Bible atlas is an invaluable
reference tool that can help you comprehend the geography of the Holy Land.
4. History. We must also bridge the history gap. Unlike the scriptures of most other
world religions, the Bible contains the records of actual historical persons and
events. An understanding of Bible history will help us place the people and events
in it in their proper historical perspective. A good Bible dictionary or Bible
encyclopedia is useful here, as are basic historical studies.
Principles to Understand
Four principles should guide us as we interpret the Bible: literal, historical, grammatical,
and synthesis.
1. The Literal Principle. Scripture should be understood in its literal, normal, and
natural sense. While the Bible does contain figures of speech and symbols, they
were intended to convey literal truth. In general, however, the Bible speaks in literal
terms, and we must allow it to speak for itself.
2. The Historical Principle. This means that we interpret a passage in its historical
context. We must ask what the text meant to the people to whom it was first written.
In this way we can develop a proper contextual understanding of the original intent
of Scripture.
3. The Grammatical Principle. This requires that we understand the basic
grammatical structure of each sentence in the original language. To whom do the
pronouns refer? What is the tense of the main verb? You will find that when you
ask some simple questions like those, the meaning of the text immediately
becomes clearer.
4. The Synthesis Principle. This is what the Reformers called the analogia scriptura. It
means that the Bible does not contradict itself. If we arrive at an interpretation of a
passage that contradicts a truth taught elsewhere in the Scriptures, our
interpretation cannot be correct. Scripture must be compared with Scripture to
discover its full meaning.
STEP 3—Evaluating. You have been reading and asking the question, “What does the
Bible say?” Then you have interpreted, asking the question, “What does the Bible
mean?” Now it is time to consult others to insure that you have the proper interpretation.
Remember, the Bible will never contradict itself.
Read Bible introductions, commentaries, and background books which will enrich
your thinking through that illumination which God has given to other men and to you
through their books. In your evaluation, be a true seeker. Be one who accepts the truth
of God’s Word even though it may cause you to change what you always have believed,
or cause you to alter your life pattern.
STEP 4—Applying. The next question is: “How does God’s truth penetrate and change
my own life?” Studying Scripture without allowing it to penetrate to the depths of your
soul would be like preparing a banquet without eating it. The bottom-line question to ask
is, “How do the divine truths and principles contained in any passage apply to me in
terms of my attitude and actions?”
Jesus made this promise to those who would carry their personal Bible study through
to this point: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:17).
Having read and interpreted the Bible, you should have a basic understanding of what
the Bible says, and what it means by what it says. But studying the Bible does not stop
there. The ultimate goal should be to let it speak to you and enable you to grow
spiritually. That requires personal application.
Bible study is not complete until we ask ourselves, “What does this mean for my life
and how can I practically apply it?” We must take the knowledge we have gained from
our reading and interpretation and draw out the practical principles that apply to our
personal lives.
If there is a command to be obeyed, we obey it. If there is a promise to be embraced,
we claim it. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. This is the ultimate step: we
submit to Scripture and let it transform our lives. If you skip this step, you will never
enjoy your Bible study and the Bible will never change your life.
STEP 5—Correlating. This last stage connects the doctrine you have learned in a
particular passage or book with divine truths and principles taught elsewhere in the
Bible to form the big picture. Always keep in mind that the Bible is one book in 66 parts,
and it contains a number of truths and principles, taught over and over again in a variety
of ways and circumstances. By correlating and cross-referencing, you will begin to build
a sound doctrinal foundation by which to live.
What Now?
The psalmist said, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor
stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the
law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:1, 2).
It is not enough just to study the Bible. We must meditate upon it. In a very real sense
we are giving our brain a bath; we are washing it in the purifying solution of God’s Word.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then
you will have good success.
Josh. 1:8
Here is the spring where waters flow,
To quench our heat of sin:
Here is the tree where truth doth grow,
To lead our lives therein:
Here is the judge that stints the strife,
When men’s devices fail:
Here is the bread that feeds the life
That death cannot assail.
The tidings of salvation dear,
Comes to our ears from hence:
The fortress of our faith is here,
And shield of our defense.
Then be not like the swine that hath
A pearl at his desire,
And takes more pleasure from the trough
And wallowing in the mire.
Read not this book in any case,
But with a single eye:
Read not but first desire God’s grace,
To understand thereby.
Pray still in faith with this respect,
To bear good fruit therein,
That knowledge may bring this effect,
To mortify your sin.
Then happy you shall be in all your life,
What so to you befalls:
Yes, double happy you shall be,
When God by death you calls.
(From the first Bible printed in Scotland—1576)
