Developing A Personal Bible Study By Pastor William R. Cunningham Pursuing the Truth Ministries © 2006 All Rights Reserved A Study Guide To Help You Develop Your Own Personal Bible Study A study guide provided by Pursuing the Truth Ministries “Do you know the Truth, or just what you were told?”

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................................1 WHAT IS THE BIBLE?.............................................................................................................................................................1 Basic Facts ..............................................................................................................................................................................1 Scriptural Inspiration............................................................................................................................................................2 Scope of Inspiration .............................................................................................................................................................3 The Doctrine of Inerrancy.....................................................................................................................................................3 Books of the Bible ..................................................................................................................................................................3 The Apocrypha.......................................................................................................................................................................4 English Bible Translations ....................................................................................................................................................5 BIBLE TRANSLATION CONCERNS ......................................................................................................................................7 Translation Concerns Summary...........................................................................................................................................8 BIBLICAL CRITICISM .............................................................................................................................................................8 Textual Criticism ...................................................................................................................................................................8 Historical Criticism................................................................................................................................................................8 Literary criticism ...................................................................................................................................................................9 AUTHORITY ..............................................................................................................................................................................9 WHY STUDY THE BIBLE ......................................................................................................................................................10 Benefits of Bible Study.........................................................................................................................................................11 Know the Truth..................................................................................................................................................................11 Liberty................................................................................................................................................................................11 Protect Our Children ..........................................................................................................................................................12 Protection From False Teachings.......................................................................................................................................12 REVELATION KNOWLEDGE................................................................................................................................................12 General Revelation ..............................................................................................................................................................12 Special Revelation ................................................................................................................................................................13 Illumination ..........................................................................................................................................................................13 LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................................................................................................13 BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION .............................................................................................................................................14 Hermeneutics........................................................................................................................................................................15 Allegory.................................................................................................................................................................................15 METHODICAL BIBLE STUDY..............................................................................................................................................16 The Foundation of Methodical Bible Study .......................................................................................................................16 Validation Versus Deduction ..............................................................................................................................................16 TYPES OF BIBLES .................................................................................................................................................................17 Basic Bible ............................................................................................................................................................................17 Study Bible ...........................................................................................................................................................................17 Reference Bible ....................................................................................................................................................................17 Parallel Bible ........................................................................................................................................................................17

Nave’s Topical Bible ............................................................................................................................................................17 Thompson Chain Reference Bible ......................................................................................................................................18 The Gideon Bible .................................................................................................................................................................19 Technological Bibles ............................................................................................................................................................19 BIBLE STUDY TOOLS............................................................................................................................................................19 The Concordance .................................................................................................................................................................19 The Strong's Concordance .................................................................................................................................................20 The Young's Analytical Concordance To The Bible..........................................................................................................23 The NIV Exhaustive Concordance.....................................................................................................................................24 The New Strong’s Complete Dictionary of Bible Words ..................................................................................................24 Bible Dictionary ...................................................................................................................................................................25 Bible Handbook....................................................................................................................................................................25 Bible Commentary ...............................................................................................................................................................25 Bible Encyclopedia...............................................................................................................................................................26 Willmington’s Guide to the Bible .......................................................................................................................................26 Bible Atlas.............................................................................................................................................................................26 Religious books.....................................................................................................................................................................26 Biblical Surveys....................................................................................................................................................................26 Christian and Church History Resources..........................................................................................................................26 Audio and Video Resources ................................................................................................................................................26 Bible Study Software ...........................................................................................................................................................27 Biblical Oriented Magazines ...............................................................................................................................................27 On-line and Internet Services .............................................................................................................................................27 Apologetics Resources .........................................................................................................................................................27 Theology Resources .............................................................................................................................................................27 BIBLE STUDY METHODS.....................................................................................................................................................27 Reading the Bible .................................................................................................................................................................28 Outlining the Bible...............................................................................................................................................................28 The Art of Linking ...............................................................................................................................................................28 Topical Studies .....................................................................................................................................................................28 Word Studies ........................................................................................................................................................................29 Character Studies ................................................................................................................................................................29 Study by Parts ......................................................................................................................................................................29 BIBLE STUDY TECHNIQUES...............................................................................................................................................29 Preparation...........................................................................................................................................................................29 Topical Study........................................................................................................................................................................30 Start with A Clean Mind about the Topic ..........................................................................................................................30 Items Needed .....................................................................................................................................................................30 Gather The Information (Data) ..........................................................................................................................................30 Analyze the Scriptures .......................................................................................................................................................31 Conclude ............................................................................................................................................................................31

Study By Parts (AKA Scripture Study) .............................................................................................................................31 Items Needed .....................................................................................................................................................................32 Version Affect on Key Words ...........................................................................................................................................32 Go Back Statements...........................................................................................................................................................33 Character Study...................................................................................................................................................................33 Word Study ..........................................................................................................................................................................33 BIBLICAL LIBRARY...............................................................................................................................................................34 Your Notes............................................................................................................................................................................34 DAY-TO-DAY PRACTICES.....................................................................................................................................................35 OTHER CONCERNS ...............................................................................................................................................................35 CHRISTIAN HISTORY ...........................................................................................................................................................36 WHAT NEXT............................................................................................................................................................................36

INTRODUCTION Christians must study the Bible. Jesus said that we live by every word that comes from God (Matthew 4:4). However, many Christians simply do not know how to study the Bible. We are so inclined to simply accept what we are told from the pulpit that we don’t gain the skills necessary to search the word of God for ourselves. We need to study the Bible so that we would know first hand what God said. We need to study the Bible so that we know when the preacher is indeed telling us the truth or if he or she is propagating his or her own dogma. Most of all we need to study the Bible so that we would get to know God personally and intimately apart from religion or church. Over the years I have heard many teachings pertaining to the word of God only to find that these teachings were false. They were false because they were not consistent with what the Scripture actually says. Instead, Scripture was used and manipulated so that the preacher could promote a particular belief or dogma. Many believe the preacher since scriptures were used and they did not know the truth themselves. This study guide is designed to provide the information that you will need to develop a successful Bible study program. Take what you learn from this study and begin to study the Bible and develop your own personal Bible study. Jesus said that his disciples know the truth and the truth would make them free. A disciple is a learner or follower and Jesus instructed his disciples to make disciples of the whole world. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? If so then know the truth and be liberated. Study your Bible by implementing the techniques, methodologies, and philosophies presented in this study guide and know the Truth.

W H AT I S T H E B I B L E ? We know the Bible as a collection of sixty-six books divided into the Old and New Testaments. However, the Bible is actually much more than a mere book of books. The Bible is the canon (standard) of the Christian faith. It is the one document that preserves the truth of the Christian faith so that Christians today would believe the same thing pertaining to Christ as Christians did in the first few centuries A.D. The Bible keeps the truth of Jesus Christ secure. The Bible is the record of the Truths of God, which hold us to the true Christian faith. The Bible is not church-centric and therefore not specific to a particular denomination. The Bible transcends all of these denominations and deals with the revelation of God to humans that lead us to salvation through Jesus Christ and instructs us on how to live the Christian life. The Bible is the revelation of God to humans. We have available to us the will of God concerning godly living. The Bible reveals to us how to interact with others, the concepts of love and forgiveness, sexuality and much more. It is priceless to the Christian because of the revealed truths. The Bible is indeed how God reveals himself to us who are living two thousand plus years after Jesus physically walked the earth. The Bible is the Word of God.

BASIC FACTS The English word “Bible” is from a Greek word, “biblia,” which means books or scrolls. The word “scripture” is from the Latin word scriptura, which means writing. The following are some basic facts about the Bible. • The Bible is a collection of books, letters, songs, proverbs, poems, and other writings assembled together into one book. • The Scriptures were inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:17) • The Bible reveals spiritual principles, laws, and the very mind of God. •

The protestant Bible is composed of sixty-six books Bible Study - Page 1



Thirty or more different authors wrote the Bible



The Bible was written in three separate languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).



These books were written over a period of sixteen hundred years



The books of the Bible were written on three continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa)



Men wrote the books of the Bible from every walk of life. They were noblemen, statesmen, fig farmers, sheep farmers, tentmakers, priests, prophets, and teachers. Some of these men had never even heard of the others, yet throughout the whole Bible there is a consistent unity and a continuity of thought

• The Bible has two major sections: The Old Testament (39 books) and the New Testament (27 books) • The Old Testament was written before Jesus Christ’s birth and contains the Law, acts of the prophets, history, poetry, and songs • Most of the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language though a few chapters were written in Aramaic • The Bible is the written record of God’s revelation of himself to humans

SCRIPTURAL INSPIRATION Who wrote the Bible? Well people actually put “pen to paper” so to speak and wrote the text that is contained in the Bible. However, how did they know what to write? How can we be sure that the words of these people are actually the words that God wanted written? How can we be certain that the writings of men can be construed or believed to be the true Word of God? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.“ The word inspiration is the word in question here. What does that mean? How did God inspire the Scriptures to be written? The word inspiration here comes from the Greek word theopneustos and it basically means, “God breathed.” It means that God breathed into the Scriptures. There are actually two aspects of inspiration that is normally identified. They are plenary and verbal. Verbal inspiration means that the actual words that were used in the Scriptures are from God. That is, God ensured that the correct words were used to record the revelation that was given to the author. “Plenary” means that God inspired the entire Bible. This is distinguished from the belief that parts of the Bible were not inspired. So biblical inspiration is often thought of as plenary verbal inspiration, that is, the entire Bible is God breathed. Biblical inspiration is divided into two major categories: Verbal and dynamic. I will describe these below. 1. Dynamic inspiration holds that the Holy Spirit guides the Scripture writer’s thoughts but does not give specific words to write. In other words, the Holy Spirit is involved with the writing of the Scriptures but he did not necessarily influence the exact words that were used. This means that the inspiration of the scriptures was at the message level. 2. Verbal inspiration holds that the exact words used in writing the scriptures come from God. This means that the inspiration of the Scriptures were at the word level. Now there are also variations of this theory. One variation is that God ordered the background, circumstances, and even the writer’s genealogy and heredity in order to ensure that the correct words would be used. Therefore, God’s providence was the source of the verbal inspiration. The Dictation theory holds that the very words that the Scripture writer used were from God. That is, God actually dictated the words for the specific Scripture. The writers then become mere passive instruments of God. In any case, the verbal theory holds that God was in control of the actual words that the author used in writing the text that would later become part of our Bible. Bible Study - Page 2

SCOPE

OF

INSPIRATION

We should keep in mind that the scope of biblical inspiration is the original text. This is also true for the doctrine of inerrancy. God has not inspired the various copies of the original manuscripts, at least not in the way that he inspired the original authors to write what he wanted to reveal to us. It is a known fact that there are errors in the many copies of the original text. These errors range from translation errors, punctuation errors, to errors in the copying process. However, that is due to human nature and the propensity to err and not in what the authors wrote. We should consider the manual process of translating the Bible as well. Sometimes mistakes are made in the translation process. Sometimes these errors are corrected in subsequent versions of the translated text. This is evident with the Bible. The King James Version is a good example of this, which few people know. This doesn’t mean that the Bible is in error. It only means that the acts of men caused errors to be generated. My point is that the original texts were inspired by God and not the copies or translations of those texts.

THE DOCTRINE

OF

INERRANCY

The doctrine of inerrancy states that the Bible contains no errors. The doctrine of inerrancy guarantees that the Bible can be trusted. We could not rely or depend upon the message of the Bible if it were not inerrant since there would always be doubt as to its truthfulness. Does this doctrine mean that every number or count that is given in the Bible is 100% true? The doctrine of inerrancy states, in the positive, that the Bible tells the truth. This however, does not mean that we can ignore figures of speech, approximations or any other normal practice that would make, for example, the number of a particular group in one verse of scripture be different then the count given in another. This does not mean that if the Bible states that there were 300 men at the pond that there was an official count indicating 300 men. We do the same thing today. For example, we would say that there were a million dollars on the table, when in fact it merely looked like a lot of money to us. We might say that it was 500 degrees outside when in fact we mean that it was unusually or very hot. Now another aspect about the Bible and inerrancy is that we must consider the translation of the Scriptures. Translation is a human activity we are not infallible. We will make mistakes and this has been proven time and time again. Also consider that our English Bibles are indeed translations of ancient manuscripts, which where themselves copies of originals (No original biblical text has survived). There have been errors or inaccuracies with translations, even in the exalted King James Version of the Bible. These are not errors in the truths or declarations that the Bible presents. These are errors in the translation of those truths into another language. We will talk more about translation concerns later. The important thing to remember about the doctrine of inerrancy is that it indicates that the truths that the Bible declares are indeed true and trustworthy. This means that we can trust the message of the Bible even when there is no empirical data to support certain claims. It is very important that you realize that the message of the Bible is absolutely 100% true and without error. God inspired the Bible and God tells the truth. God is omniscient and does not make mistakes. To say that the Bible has errors is to say that God can make a mistake or that God did not inspire the Scriptures. Yes, the Bible is true because the Scriptures are God breathed and God does not err. People not God generate errors.

BOOKS

OF THE

BIBLE

The Bible is composed of books of the law, poetry, history, the Gospels, letters, etc. Figure 1 is a chart showing the various books of the Bible and their categories in each of the Testaments.

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OLD TESTAMENT The Law Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

Major Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel

History Joshua Judges Ruth 1 & 2 Samuel 1 & 2 Kings 1 & 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther

Poetry & Wisdom Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon

Minor Prophets Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT The Gospels

General Letters

Matthew Mark Luke John

Acts

Hebrews James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude

Paul’s Letters

Prophecy

Romans 1 & 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy Titus Philemon

Revelations

History

Figure 1 – The books of the Bible

THE APOCRYPHA The word apocrypha has come to mean extra-canonical books of the Bible, which implies nonauthoritative. In other words, the apocryphal books of the Bible are not considered authoritative and therefore should not be considered as Scripture. However, this is a small perception of the word “apocrypha.” Originally the word was used to identify writings that were thought to be hidden or for an inner-circle of people. Now we should not confuse the term apocrypha with extra-biblical Scriptures of both the Old and New Testament times. For example, there are many writings during the New Testament times that were not included as part of the New Testament Canon for various reasons (Ex: Gospel of Thomas, Shepherd of Hermas). These are not apocryphal writings, though we tend to think of them that way. They were more precisely extra-biblical texts that were not included in the Christian Canon. They were non-canonical writings The following is a list of the books in the Apocrypha in the order in which they occur in the English versions (the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)): (1) 1 Esdras; (2) 2 Esdras (to be hereafter called “The Apocalyptic Esdras”); (3) Tobit; (4) Judith; (5) The Rest of Esther; (6) The Wisdom of Solomon; (7) Ecclesiasticus (to be hereafter called “Sirach”); (8) Baruch, with the Epistle of Jeremiah; (9) The Song of the three Holy Children; (10) The History of Susanna; (11) Bel and the Dragon; (12) The Prayer of Manasses; (13) 1 Maccabees; (14) 2 Maccabees. (Taken from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The apocryphal writings were thought to have been written between 200 B.C. and A.D. 100. The Hebrew Bible (canon) did not include these apocryphal books. However, the apocrypha were included in the

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Greek translations of the Hebrew Old Testament, which is called the Septuagint. Therefore, Christians regarded the apocrypha as part of the Hebrew Bible. Later in the fourth century, Jerome, who translated the Bible into the Latin language of the common people (The Vulgate), regarded the apocrypha as belonging to a separate category, though he included them in his translation. What many people do not realize is that the King James Version of the Bible that we use today is not the same that was produced in 1611. The original King James Version of the Bible included the Apocrypha, which means that the original King James Version of the Bible had 80 books (Our 66 books plus the 14 Apocryphal books). The Archbishop of Canterbury officially removed the 14 apocryphal books in 1885 leaving the current 66 books of the Bible. There is actually much more regarding the Apocryphal books and the History of the Bible. However, that is beyond the scope of this study. You may acquire the study, “The History of the Bible” for more information. What you should keep in mind is that the original Hebrew Canon (our Old Testament) did not include the apocryphal writing.

ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATIONS There are many English translations of the Bible. Many people believe that the King James Version is the Authorized Version of the Bible that is to be used by all Christians exclusively or as a first source. However, this is not true. One should consider the fact that the early church did not have an official translation. Instead they dealt with the true standard, which is the Christian Canon—our New Testament. Therefore, though some Bibles may be better translations then others, it is not true that the King James Version of the Bible is the official Christian Bible. There are many modern translations of the Bible. Since 1500 AD there has been over 30 different translations including the King James Version. Some of the English translations of the Bible are listed below. The year of the translation is given to the right of each item. Old English Translation (700-1100): Parts of the Bible were translated into Old English Wycliffe Translation (1380): John Wycliffe translates the Bible from Latin to English. Tyndale Translation (1525/6): William Tyndale translated the New Testament from Greek to English. He was martyred in 1536 before he could complete the translation of the Old Testament. Coverdale Translation (1535): Miles Coverdale completed and published the first complete Bible in English from Tyndale’s work, Greek, Hebrew, and other sources. Matthew’s Bible (1537): The Matthew’s Bible was a complete English Bible developed from Tyndale’s and Coverdale’s work by John Rogers. This Bible received royal sanction of King Henry VIII. The Great Bible (1539): This was a revision of the Matthew’s Bible by Coverdale. The Geneva Bible (1560): This Bible Produced by Protestant scholars in Geneva from the original languages and from Tyndale’s work. (Sometimes called “Breeches Bible” because in Gen 3:7 Adam and Eve made “breeches” for themselves from fig leaves.) The Bishops Bible (1568): This was a revision of the Great Bible that was authorized by the Church of England as the official translation. Rheims/Douai Translation (1582 & 1609/10): This is the Roman Catholic translation from the Latin Vulgate of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament was translated in Douai in 1609-10 and the New Testament was translated in Rheims in 1582 The King James Version (1611): The King James Version (or Authorized Version) was commissioned by King James I of England and translated by a number of Bible scholars forming committees. This was a revision of the 1602 edition of the Bishop’s Bible with the use of the Hebrew and Greek texts and a dependence upon the work of William Tyndale. Note that the King James Bible originally contained 80 books, which included the Apocryphal writings. The Bishop of Cantenbury removed the Apocrypha from the King James Version in 1885.

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Today the King James Bible is the only Bible that is not based on the Critical Text. It is dependant on the Textus Receptus. More modern translations incorporate findings from later manuscripts and advancements in translation. The Revised Version (1885): This was a revision of the King James Version of the Bible. It incorporated more recently discovered manuscripts and used more modern language than the King James Version. The American Standard Version (1901): This was basically an American revision of the King James Bible. It might be thought of the Americanized version of the Revised Version of the Bible. The New Testament in Modern Speech (1903): This was R. T. Weymouth’s attempt to render Greek grammatical constructions carefully. A New Translation of the Bible (1924): This was a translation into everyday speech by James Moffatt. Centenary Translation of the New Testament (1927): This was a translation in everyday language by Missionary Helen B. Montgomery. Williams New Testament (1937): This was a translation by Charles B. Williams who attempted to translate the nuances of the Greek verbs in the Bible into English. The Bible: An American Translation (1938): E. J. Goodspeed and J. M. Powis Smith produced the first modern American translation with the Apocrypha. The Revised Standard Version (1952): This was a revision of the American Standard Version international translation. The Holy Bible (1955): This was a Bible that was translated from the Latin Vulgate by Ronald Knox, a Roman Catholic. The New Testament in Modern English (1958): This was a free translation by J. B. Phillips originally done for his youth club. The Amplified Bible (1965): This is a version by the Lockman Foundation suggesting various wordings throughout the text. This was first published for the New Testament only and its popularity compelled the Foundation to publish a version for the Old Testament as well. The Jerusalem Bible (1966): It is the English counterpart to a French translation. It is the first complete Catholic Bible translated into English from the original languages. Previously, Catholic Bibles had been translated from the Latin Vulgate, itself a translation. The New Berkeley (Modern Language) Bible (1969): A revision of the Berkeley Version of 1959 by Gerrit Verkuyl with attached notes. The New English Bible (1970): This is a translation with literary quality but some idiosyncratic language. Translated by representatives of Britain’s major churches and Bible societies and based on the most recent textual evidence. The New American Bible (1970): This is a new translation by Roman Catholic scholars (the Bishops’ Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) from the original languages. The New American Standard Bible (1971): This is a revision by the Lockman Foundation of the American Standard Version of 1901 with the goal of maintaining literal translation. The Living Bible (1971): This is a conservative American paraphrase by Kenneth N. Taylor originally for his children (begun in 1962). The Good News Bible (Today’s English Version) –1976: This is a translation by the American Bible Society into “vernacular” English. The New International Version (1979): This is a readable translation by evangelical scholars incorporating the most recent textual evidence. The New King James Version (1982): This is a modernization of the King James Version of 1611. It is based on the original language texts available to the King James Version translators.

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The New Century Version (1987): This is a translation committee’s update of the International Children’s Bible. The New Revised Standard Version (1989): This is a translation committee’s update of the Revised Standard Version. The Revised English Bible (1989): This is a British committee’s update of the New English Bible maintaining literary quality but avoiding idiosyncratic language. The Contemporary English Version (New Testament) – 1991: This is a simplified text originally conceived for children and produced by the American Bible Society. I’ll bet you didn’t realize that there were so many translations of the Bible. Well this list will continue to grow as new reasons to translate arise and as the translation process evolves.

B I B L E T R A N S L AT I O N C O N C E R N S There are many translations of the Bible as we saw above. Which is the correct or better version? How would a young Christian know if he or she is really reading the word of God as opposed to the words of men? Which Bible is the better translation? There is no definite answer to this question though some Bibles may be a better translation to an individual based on the translation method. I will not go into the details of the translation methods in this study since it is beyond its scope. However, there are many articles and books that you can purchase that will provide information on the translation process and of the various translations. There are three major classifications of translation methods: (1) Formal equivalency, (2) dynamic equivalency, and (3) paraphrase. Formal (Verbal) Equivalency – Formal equivalency (literal translation) seeks a more word-for-word translation of the Bible. This is sometimes thought of as a literal translation of the Bible. However, the formal equivalent Bible will also have some dynamic equivalency. Some formal equivalent translations are the King James Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised Standard Version. There are versions that tend to be more formal then others, however. For example, the Interlinear Bible is thought to be the most formal (word-for-word). One aspect of the formal equivalent Bible is that it lends itself well to word studies. This is because the translated text is close in structure and wording as the original. There are many study resources available for these types of Bibles. Because these types of translations are more word-for-word, they tend to be less readable. Now it is important to understand the correlation of readability and remaining consistent with the word and structure of the original language. If you were fluent in ancient Greek then there would be no translation concerns for you. You would not have a problem reading the Greek versions of the Bible. However, most of us do not know ancient Greek and therefore need translations. The closer these translations are to the original language the more unnatural it seems to be in how we speak, write, and develop our sentences. This is true for any language that is to be translated into another receptor language. Dynamic (Functional) Equivalency – Dynamic equivalency (thought-for-thought translation) seeks to translate the meaning of the original scripture sometimes at the expense of a word-for-word translation. We must consider that many times there are no word-for-word equivalent between one language and another. Also we have to keep in mind the idiomatic expressions of a particular language. I’ll discuss that shortly. Examples of the dynamic equivalent translations are the New Century Version, New Living Translation, and the New International Version. These Bibles tend to be more readable then the formal equivalent Bibles because they are written in a form that is understood readily by those that read them. There are resources for this type of Bible but not as many as the formal equivalent. Paraphrase – This is not really a translation in the strict sense. Here the scriptures are paraphrased with no regard to the original structure or wording. It is as if you retold the biblical story in a way that someone would understand. An example of a paraphrase Bible is the Living Bible and the Phillips translation. Bible Study - Page 7

These Bibles tend to be very readable and more readable even then the dynamic equivalent text. However, they tend not to be suitable for study since the original language is virtually lost and few resources are available for use in study with these Bibles. This doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t use them in your study program. You will not be able to readily get to the underlying biblical language with these versions.

TRANSLATION CONCERNS SUMMARY Different Bibles use different methods of translation, which fall into about three groups, namely the formal equivalency, dynamic equivalency, and paraphrase (not really a translation). This is important to understand when you consider the presentation of the Scriptures by a particular version. Some people prefer the thought-for-thought method of translation as used by the NIV. Others prefer the word-for-word method as used by the King James Version. However, in all cases we must realize that the basic message of the Bible does not or should not change. I admit that there are some translations that are better than others. We still learn about God and Jesus Christ. A deeper understanding of the Scripture requires that we understand how those scriptures are presented so that we can view them in their proper context. I am also not implying that you need to know these things for effective Bible study. These translation concerns become significant when we dig deeper into the Scriptures, which require that we investigate the underlying ancient language. At that point you should know whether the Bible uses the formal or dynamic equivalency or if you are using a paraphrase Bible. Ideally a balance is sought that would preserve the original structure of the Scripture and yet obtain relevance to the current period. That is, there is a balance between the formal equivalency such that the original language is not lost and dynamic equivalency such that the modern reader would understand the Scriptures.

BIBLICAL CRITICISM I would like to briefly present the concept of biblical criticism. Biblical criticism is the application of one or more methodologies in the study of the Bible. Note that this is a scientific approach to Bible study and it can apply to the study of any written document. The techniques used in biblical criticism are: textual criticism, historical criticism, and literary criticism. Let me briefly define these methods of criticism. However, please note that this is only an overview and is not covered any further in this study.

TEXTUAL CRITICISM Textual criticism deals with the analysis of the original Greek and Hebrew text of the Bible. Here we try to determine the actual wording of the original text. Keep in mind that none of the original text of the Bible has survived. All of the text used for biblical translation originates from copies of those lost originals. One term that you will encounter when dealing with textual criticism is Textus Receptus, which is Latin for received text. The Textus Receptus is the publication of the original Greek New Testament. The Textus Receptus was integral to the translation of the King James Version of the Bible. A discussion of the Textus Receptus is beyond the scope of this study.

HISTORICAL CRITICISM Historical criticism deals with the analysis of the biblical text in the context of the time period in which the particular text was written. Historical criticism can tell us much about the people, the culture, and customs during the time that the Scriptures were first written. Remember that the Bible was written over a period of sixteen hundred years so the historical setting becomes significant to help us understand the Scriptures and the people during that time.

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LITERARY

CRITICISM

Literary criticism deals with identifying when Scripture was written, who wrote the scriptures, and how those scriptures were written. The literary critic would recognize various writing styles for example in an effort to place the date of a particular passage’s writing and possibly help identify the author. For example, literary criticism is was used to help identify or confirm the author of a particular book in the New Testament. The writing style is examined to see if it is consistent with the writing style of a book that is known to have been written by a particular author.

AUTHORITY I think it is expedient that we discuss the topic of authority before we dive into the concepts of Bible study? Bible study becomes an intellectual endeavor and at worse meaningless without a clear understanding and perspective of authority. What is the authority of Christian truth? Furthermore, what is the authority of truth overall? I find it very interesting that people hold to different sources of authority when it comes to truth. How would you know when you have encountered the truth and where would you go to pursue truth? The following are some sources of truth that people rely on along with a brief analysis of that perceived truth. 1. Statements of Faith – Many people rely on their church or religious organization’s statement of faith, which is a summary of what that organization adheres to in terms of religious belief. People have beliefs about many areas that are founded upon the dogma of their religious organization. This is insufficient for true Christian authority because these statements are mere expressions of the particular denomination or organization. 2. The Mind or spirit of the Church – Here it is believed that the truth may be found in observing the move of the overall Christian thought. This is insufficient because the opinion of the overall church changes from time to time and we know that God does not change. Furthermore, whom would we consult if there were major differences in opinion about a particular topic? This is insufficient as the authority for truth. 3. Christian Experience – Some people hold that their personal experience of God is the source of authority for Christian truth. Many television evangelists such as Kenneth Copeland give credence to this type of authority and then pawn their experience onto an unsuspecting audience who in term reckon that experience as authoritative. This is flawed because we do not know when the objective truth of God is really evident or our own opinions, presuppositions, or will is in control. Sometimes our experiences might be moved as a result of the Holy Spirit and sometimes they are a result of our own desire for something. There is no sure way of determining which one was the source of the experience and therefore we cannot rely on this as the ultimate source of authority for truth. 4. Reason – Some hold that we can rely on reason to acquire truth. This means that human reasoning becomes the authority for truth? However, it is evident that the mind of man is indeed corrupt due to his or her sin nature. Therefore, we cannot rely on reasoning as the true source of authority for truth. 5. Religious Leader – Some hold that their pastor, bishop, elder or other religious leader is the source of Christian authority pertaining to truth. If the pastor said it then it must be so. If the pastor said it then I should do it. Those are some of the things that people really believe. However, this cannot be the source of Christian authority for truth because it involves humans. No human being is infallible and no human being can tell you how to live apart from God. The best that we can do is to present the truth based on the authority for that truth, which we will discuss in a moment. So the religious leader cannot be the source of authority for truth. 6. Local Church Institution – I have found that one of the greatest objects of authority that many Christians subscribe to is their local church. Many Christians submit to the teachings, practices, and dogma of their particular church or denomination, i.e., the institution. This is not to say that these churches are evil, ungodly, or deceitful. However, even these institutions are not the ultimate authority for Christian thought and practice.

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7. Prompting of the Holy Spirit – Many hold that the prompting of the Holy Spirit is the true authority for truth. We can rely on the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us to do things and to reveal things about God and His kingdom. This has the same difficulties as the personal experience. How do you really know that the Holy Spirit prompted you or that your unction is the result of an overwhelming desire? There is no objective method of determining true prompting by the Holy Spirit and prompting by our own soul. Therefore, this method becomes unreliable because it involves the fallen nature of man in the process of knowing God, which cannot be trusted. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will not contradict or transcend the Holy Scriptures, which brings us to the next source of authority. 8. The Holy Scriptures – There is only one true source of authority in regards to knowing the Truth and that authority is God himself. How then can we come to know God? We see that Christian experience or prompting by the Holy Spirit would seem to suffice here. However, God has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ and we have the testimony of Jesus Christ in the written word, the Bible. The ultimate source of truth therefore is God and God has revealed himself to us today through Jesus Christ through the Holy Scriptures. We could say that the Holy Scriptures are the living testimony and revelation of Jesus Christ, who himself is the living testimony or revelation of God. Therefore, the only true authority for truth in this day and age is effectively the Bible. This means that studying the Bible will help us to know the mind of God and the Truth.

Consider the following scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. God is the one that revealed himself to us through the Scriptures. He took the initiative to teach us about himself and His kingdom. We can do nothing of our own and especially in regards to knowing God. Therefore, of paramount importance is the study of the Bible if you really want to know God and to know the Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life.”

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE Why should we be diligent in studying the Bible? Does it really matter? Let’s discuss some points that show the significance of Bible study. We said earlier that the Bible is the written revelation of God to humans. We can come to know God through the living word, which is the Holy Bible. The truth that is revealed in the Bible transcends all creeds, confessions, dogma, religious statements of faith, denominational teachings, etc. The Bible is the revelation of the ultimate authority, understanding that God is the ultimate authority. Now consider the following passages of scripture. "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4 KJV) Jesus says here that we live by the Word of God in addition to the food that we eat to feed the body. We have to “feed our spirit” in order to be a true balanced human being. However, the distinction here is that the spirit should be fed the “spirit food” if you will, that comes from God. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63 KJV) The word “quickeneth” is an old English word that means to bring alive or give life to. Therefore, the words that Jesus spoke were spirit and therefore life. If we partake of the Words of Christ, which is the Word of God since Jesus spoke what God told him to say, then we partake of life and life comes to us. (1 John 5:14-15 KJV) "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: {15} And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

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Our Prayer life is dependent on the word (which is his will) of God: We can’t pray and expect to receive what we prayed for unless it is the will of God (of course we must consider God’s grace as well). The following are additional points for the significance of Bible study. 1.

To gain spiritual food (1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12-14, Matthew 4:4)

2.

To gain cleansing (Ephesians 5:25-26)

3.

To gain wisdom (2 Timothy 3:14-16, Titus 1:9-11)

4.

To gain guidance (Psalms 119:99,105)

5.

To increase faith (Romans 10:17, John 4:39-42, Acts 17:10-12)

6.

To be transformed into Christ's image (2 Corinthians 3:18, Acts 4:13)

7.

To gain a knowledge of God (Genesis 4:1, Matthew 1:24-25, Hosea 4:1,6:6, Jeremiah 9:23-24)

8.

To impart to others the blessing of the Word (1 Peter 3:5, 2 Timothy 4:2, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Deuteronomy 17:18-20, 2 Timothy 4:13).

Remember that the Bible is the record of the revelation of God to humans. Therefore, it is the primary source of that revelation, which means we should surely study it. The Bible documents the foundation of the Christian faith and the Kingdom of God. The standards of the Christian Life and the Godly life are within the pages of the Holy Scripture. There is no one that can add to what the Bible says or take away from it. All that you need to know about the ultimate plan of God is within the pages of the Bible. Why study the Bible? We study the Bible to learn more of how to live so that we would live according to God’s Way. The Bible is the word of God, which is our spiritual food. Upon eating and digesting God’s word, we become more capable of dealing with life situations. Upon acquainting ourselves with God’s word, we become more equipped to stand up to all types of temptations and situations and we are more able to help others who need life.

BENEFITS

OF

BIBLE STUDY

Let's now discuss the reason that Bible study is so important to the Christian. Bible study is important to the Christian because is provides a way for Christians to know the Truth of the Word of God. We are less likely to follow a false doctrine if we know what the Scriptures really teach us. Hosea 4:6 declares that God's people are destroyed because of their ignorance. Therefore, we can avoid destruction by false teachings by studying the Bible in order to know the truth.

KNOW

THE

TRUTH

I suppose that the greatest benefit that can be obtained from Bible study is the fact that you would gain the truth. An objective study of the Holy Scriptures coupled with the illumination by the Holy Spirit would enable us to know the truth of God’s word apart from denominations, church affiliations, and any religious dogma.

LIBERTY Another profound affect of Bible study is that one becomes liberated. What do I mean by liberated? Instead of being bound by a religious dogma, denominational doctrine, or just plain old false teaching, you would be bound to the truth and subsequently liberated to fully obey God. In a similar way as a scrupulous sales person is less likely to deceive a person that knows the truth about a particular product, a person knowing the truth about God’s word is less likely to be deceived by false preachers and teachers. The truth of God’s word indeed liberates us and allows us the opportunity to freely do what God wants. After all, how can someone freely do what God wants when he or she is bound by a certain religion?

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PROTECT OUR CHILDREN What about our children? If we don't know the truth for ourselves then how are we going to teach our children? Cults and false religions have targeted children because they are much more impressionable. Study your Bible so that your children, in addition to yourself, would know the truth from God's word. Not only that, your children would benefit from the Truths of the Bible as you would. The Bible says, Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6 You cannot train your child according to the word of God if you do not know the word of God yourself. Church is not the place that your child should be trained. Surely school is not the place that your child should be trained. You are responsible for training your children and doing so according to the Way of God. (See Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

PROTECTION FROM FALSE TEACHINGS As mentioned previously, studying the Bible protects you from the false teachings of men and women who claim to teach the true word of God. If you know the truth then you are less likely to fall for a lie. So studying the Bible and knowing what God really said protects us from false teachers and their heresies.

R E V E L AT I O N K N O W L E D G E Let’s sidetrack a little to discuss an important concept that is very much related to the Bible. Let’s discuss the concept of revelation knowledge. How does God talk to us? More precisely, how does God tell us about himself? It is believed that God reveals himself to humans through revelation knowledge and that there are two major types or classes of revelation knowledge. We have to consider that humans are finite and God is infinite so it is impossible for us to understand or know God unless God reveals himself to us at our level. There are two basic ways that God reveals himself to us. 1. General Revelation 2. Special Revelation

GENERAL REVELATION General revelation is exactly what it says. It is the method of God revealing something about himself to us in general terms and that all people have access to. This is done by observing nature, the basic characteristics of man, and creation in general. Consider the following scriptures. Psalm 19:1-4 (NKJV) “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world...” Here David tells us that we can see the glory of God through His creation. The creation speaks of the majesty and power of God among other things. Romans 1:19-20 (NKJV) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, Here Paul says that God’s creation reveals knowledge of God, which people are held accountable to even if they haven’t heard the Gospel preached. See also Romans 2:15. These are examples of general revelation because the knowledge of God that His creation reveals to us is indeed general to all people and it says nothing specific about the nature of God. Instead we learn of his might and power in that he created all that exists. We might conclude that he is a God of order. These and other things we can deduce from observing the general revelation.

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SPECIAL REVELATION Our perspective of God’s general revelation to humans is tainted at best because of our sinful nature (the flesh). It is impossible for sinful man to come to a true knowledge of God through general revelation. Therefore, God took steps to reveal himself more specifically to humans. This is called special revelation. There are at least three modes of special revelation, which are as follows. 1. Verbal – This takes the form of verbal communication, visions, and dreams between God and humans. 2. The Acts of God – God reveals himself through historic events. Sometimes we call this providence. 3. Jesus Christ – God reveals his nature and attributes through Jesus Christ. Jesus said that if you’ve seen Him then you have seen the Father (See John 14:9). This is the primary way that God has revealed himself to us. Now it is one thing for the infinite God to reveal himself to finite human beings. However, it is another thing for the finite human to comprehend what the infinite God reveals to him or her. We therefore need help to understand the revelation that God provides for us even though He does this at our level. Remember that our sinful and self-centered thinking will tend to taint what God reveals to us. Sometimes we filter such revelation knowledge through presuppositions, religious dogma, denominational teachings, or even experiences. Therefore, at best the human being cannot be trusted to properly receive the revelation that God provides him or her. Enter the Holy Spirit. This brings us to the topic of illumination.

ILLUMINATION Illumination is the belief that the Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding in regards to the revelation of God. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convince people of sin, righteousness, and judgment in John 16:8-11. He also said that the Holy Spirit would teach His disciples all things and reminds them of everything that Jesus taught them (John 14:26). See also John 15:26, 16:13, and 1 John 2:27. We should also consider that our ability to learn is indeed a gift from God. Our ability to comprehend the truths that are revealed in the Bible is much more than just a mental feat. It is because of the Holy Spirit that we are able to comprehend the things of God’s Kingdom that He reveals to us. ‘Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”’ - John 3:3 The main thing to remember about illumination is that the Holy Spirit enables us to comprehend the things of God. God’s ways are indeed higher than our ways. Therefore we need divine help to comprehend the things that God tells us about himself and to help us understand His Kingdom. The foremost method of accomplishing this is through Jesus Christ (special revelation). Another important thing to remember about revelation knowledge (both general and special) is that God initiated contact with us in order to reveal himself and he has taken the initiative to provide a way for sinful man to comprehend that revelation. It is a matter of God’s grace and love for us that we are given revelation of him and that we can comprehend that revelation.

LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE Let me discuss a concept that I believe is important in studying and interpreting the Bible and applying the Bible to your life. I believe that it is necessary to understand the different levels of knowledge pertaining to the Bible in order to understand the Bible’s contents and apply them to our lives. Bible knowledge can be divided into three categories: Application, Principle, and Context (raw data) levels. Brief descriptions of these categories are given below. 1. Contextual Level – This is actually the top level as far as study and acquiring biblical knowledge is concerned. From this level the other two can derive (though not always when considering

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indoctrination). At this level you know the actual scriptures in the Bible. You are also aware of the historical background, culture of the people, and customs at the time the scripture was written. That is, you know the proper context of the scriptures. A person proficient at this level knows what the Bible says about various topics. They are very acquainted with and intimate with the Scriptures. 2. Principle Level – At this level you are familiar with the moral and spiritual principles in the Bible, which are revealed by the analysis of the Scriptures. Ideally this level of knowledge originates from the contextual level. The scriptures in their proper context from the contextual level are analyzed until a biblical principle is revealed. The key here is that biblical principles are discovered through analyzing the scriptures, which means that you have allowed the scriptures to interpret themselves. Now keep in mind that a person might have a familiarity with biblical principles without going through the contextual level. He or she might have simply accepted teaching from his or her church or religious affiliation. This is not true principle level knowledge. True principle level knowledge is derived from knowing and analyzing the scriptures and coming to conclusions about those Scriptures and what they reveal. 3. Application Level – This level is characterized by the application of biblical principles. Ideally the application is derived from the principles discovered in the previous level. However, sometimes the application of biblical principles is presented as if it were the principles themselves. For example, a preacher might say that when he was in dire straights that he sacrificially gave to his local church and miraculously received a financial blessing. He then proceeds to say that when you are in dire need that you should give to your local church as well. Here the application of scripture, namely obey God or do what the Lord moves you to do, is presented as a particular application. This could result in disobedience because God could be moving someone to give to their parents or their neighbor in need and he or she gives instead to the local church. He or she followed what he or she thought was a biblical principle when in fact it was a specific instance or application of a biblical principle of someone else. 4. Familiarity – This is not really a level of knowledge but I include it here because it seems to be so common. This level is characterized by a familiarity with the scriptures. This person typically does not study but does know a few common or popular scriptures. However, there are probably many scriptures that all of us are familiar with and have not really studied. This level also includes quotes that are thought to be scripture but are really not. Also, a person familiar with the scriptures does not know the context of the scriptures and therefore correct interpretation is impossible.

B I B L I C A L I N T E R P R E TAT I O N How should the Bible be interpreted? Guidelines (rules) for the Christian faith were established by, among others, Tertullian (about 155-225 A.D.) and Irenaeus (140-202 A.D.) who were ‘fathers’ of the faith. However, a new method called allegorical interpretation of scripture developed. The allegorical interpretation of scripture held that a God inspired work must have a deeper spiritual meaning. Therefore, the scriptures not only had a literal meaning but also a spiritual and moral interpretation as well. A more literal and historical interpretation of the Bible developed in the 4th century. This method of interpretation focused on the biblical writers’ aims, motivations, usage, and methods. They believed that the moral application of scripture came from the literal and historical interpretation of the biblical text. A more multifaceted approach to biblical interpretation was developed at about the 5th century. During this time the canon was developed as a guide for the Christian faith and to establish the Christian belief. The canon also was a tool that developed to counter the rise of heresies in the church.

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It is important to understand that the Scriptures have one interpretation but many applications. For example, one passage of scripture will have one meaning or one message; however that message might be applied in various situations. This calls for an objective study of the Bible to reveal the true meaning of any given scripture.

HERMENEUTICS The science of biblical interpretation is known as hermeneutics. The basic principles of biblical interpretation and therefore Bible study are as follows. 1. The Bible It should be interpreted using the same method that any other book is interpreted. There is no mysticism or magic in regards to Bible study. Here the grammatical-historical method of studying the Bible is employed. The grammar of a particular Scripture is examined to determine what the author was saying and we use the historical background to help develop the proper context of the Scripture. The particular passage of Scripture cannot be interpreted outside of its original context and differently from how it would have been interpreted when it was written. The underlying principle here is that the passage should speak for itself. 2. Context. There is probably nothing more crucial to properly interpret the Bible than the context of the Scriptures. All of the Scriptures should be interpreted in light of the grammatical-historical setting. This may require background information about the culture and customs of the people during the time that the Scripture was originally written. Think of the context as a painting and the particular scripture as an object in that painting. That object must be interpreted in light of the whole painting. Another example is that of a statement made during the conversation between two people. That statement can only be interpreted correctly if the context of the conversation is known. 3. Determine what the author meant when he wrote the particular Scripture. This means that you will have to put yourself in the shoes of someone that lived during the time of the Scripture and interpret that Scripture as that person would have. This is a very important step in biblical interpretation. The Scriptures should never be interpreted outside of its original setting. 4. Determine the relevance for the current time period. This is where principles are constructed or revealed. From those principles you can begin to find ways to apply those principles to your life. 5. Apply the Scripture in your own life

ALLEGORY Allegory is a means of presenting or interpreting a story by focusing on hidden or symbolic meanings rather than the literal meaning. Allegory arose from the Cynic and Stoic philosophies from the fourth to second centuries BC. As a general phenomenon, allegorical interpretation was adopted when advances in knowledge and thought challenge sacred traditions. When no longer able to interpret the traditions historically, and being unwilling to discard the traditions themselves, followers of the traditions probed for deeper, symbolic meanings, which led to the allegorical interpretation method. The fundamental concept of allegory is that the stories in the Bible have a hidden meaning. However, the consequence of this interpretation is that the Bible can say whatever a person wants it to say. All that is necessary is to connect any event or teaching to a story's characters or events. Anyone could make up an allegorical key to decipher the hidden meaning in the scripture. I’m sure that you can see how this would cause a problem with biblical interpretation. We must realize that allegory interpretation of scripture is not a viable method of interpreting the scriptures. God intended the scriptures to mean exactly what they say. The scriptures can be applied to various things in our current times but that doesn't change the meaning of the scriptures. Some examples of a1legorical interpretations are: •

The Song of Solomon represents God's love for his church Bible Study - Page 15



Various events in current events represent the signs of Jesus' return



The temple represents the New Testament church organization

METHODICAL BIBLE STUDY This study guide presents a method of Bible study that is called the methodical Bible study method. Let me elaborate on this method. There are two basic ways to study the Bible. One can study the Bible inductively or deductively. Let me explain the difference. Deductive Bible study involves the validation of a preconceived idea (belief) or presupposition. That is, a biblical truth is assumed and scripture is located to prove that preconceived truth. Deductive Bible study is very subjective because it centers on the person’s preconceived ideas and beliefs and not on the truth emanating from the actual scriptures. The deductive student will tend to read his/her ideas and beliefs into the scriptures instead of allowing the scriptures to speak for themselves. This is not a viable method of Bible study. Inductive Bible study involves the gathering of facts from scripture and then drawing conclusions that are revealed by the facts. Inductive Bible study is an objective method of study. The inductive student tries to see the scriptures as they really are and allow the Holy Spirit to teach him or her what the scriptures reveal. The inductive student allows the Scriptures to speak for themselves and he or she tries to suppress any presuppositions that might exist during the interpretation process.

THE FOUNDATION

OF

METHODICAL BIBLE STUDY

The driving force behind the methodical study of the Bible is to allow scripture to interpret itself. By understanding the facts of the scriptures and the facts surrounding the scriptures (culture for example), we can better understand the scriptures in a way that was intended. This method of study is valid because it allows the scripture to “speak” for themselves. This provides a common and objective way to understand scripture else different people would have different interpretations making it appear that a scripture can have more than one message. A rule of thumb in Bible study is that the scriptures have only one interpretation but may have many applications. The methodical method of Bible study is in many ways like the method used by scientists. A scientist cannot presuppose the outcome of an experiment in order to support a theory that he or she has. That would be deductive science and would not work. The scientist records data (such as temperature or pressure) during the course of an experiment. Those data points are then analyzed in hopes of seeing what is revealed. Sometimes a relationship is discovered, which may in turn lead to the discovery of a physical phenomenon or law. The important thing to note is that the scientist is trying to discover and not necessarily prove a theory. Therefore, the goal of Bible study is to discover the truths that are revealed in the Scriptures. We are more than the scientist because the Holy Spirit will teach us and reveal the message of the Scriptures to us (See 1 John 2:27 for example). This simply means that it is not merely a mental activity to study the Bible. The Holy Spirit must be involved to enlighten us to the truths that are contained in the Word of God. Our objective therefore is to discover those truths. The foundation of the methodical Bible study is that of pursuit. We pursue the truth of God’s word with the expectation of discovering what the Bible teaches.

VALIDATION VERSUS DEDUCTION Sometimes we study the Bible to test something that has been told to us. That is, we might study the Bible to see if a particular teaching of someone is indeed consistent with what the Bible says. Therefore, we might go to the Bible and analyze the scriptures that were given to us to determine if they indeed say what we were told they say. This looks like a deductive approach but actually it is not. It is a process of validation. Validation and deduction are very similar on the surface. Both begin with an idea or teaching that is supposedly supported by scripture. The difference is very important though. In deduction, we assume Bible Study - Page 16

that the teaching or idea that we have is true and we do not question the truthfulness of what we have heard. We only go to the Bible, assuming our idea to be true, and find scriptures that support our presupposed truth. Validation begins with a teaching or belief but it is not assumed to be true. Someone who validates a teaching starts with the teaching and searches the scriptures to test the teaching. In this case validation is very much like induction but with a starting point. The starting point is not an assumed truth but rather an idea to TEST. Deduction revolves around proving something that is assumed to be true and validation revolves around testing something that is presented as truth.

DEDUCTION attempts to prove an assumed truth and

VALIDATION tests a PRESENTED TEACHING

TYPES OF BIBLES Just as there where many versions of the Bible there are also many types. The following lists some of the types of Bibles that are available for you to use in your studies.

BASIC BIBLE The basic Bible is nothing more than the Old and New Testaments. There may be a concordance in the back and other documentation such as information about the Bible or historical information in the Bible. This Bible is useful for reading and is not very conducive to studying since it lacks significant study aids. A church pew Bible is a good example of a basic Bible.

STUDY BIBLE This type of Bible usually has a limited Bible dictionary, a thorough scripture reference, a limited Bible concordance, maps, highlights of people in the Bible, and a limited scripture commentary.

REFERENCE BIBLE The reference Bible contains scripture references. Scripture references are other scriptures that are similar, supports, or give more insight on the current scripture being studied. This is very handy when you want to know more of what the Bible (God) has to say about a particular event or topic. I believe that it is a good idea to have a good reference Bible in your library.

PARALLEL BIBLE The parallel Bible is composed of two or more different versions of the Bible arranged parallel (side-byside) to each other. It is basically two or more versions of the Bible in one book. This is very convenient in order to get different wordings for the same scripture that may help you understand it more.

NAVE’S TOPICAL BIBLE The topical Bible is really an expanded Bible concordance. A concordance lists words along with the scripture referenced. If you wanted scripture on the word “love” you would look the word love up in the concordance and read all of the scriptures referenced. The topical Bible is similar except topics are listed instead of just words. The Topical Bible also quotes some of the main scriptures that it references. See image below.

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Sample Entry from Nave’s Topical Bible

THOMPSON CHAIN REFERENCE BIBLE This is an interesting Bible for Bible study. It uses a system of scripture reference linking, called chains to help the student assess the Scriptural teaching of any particular topic. In contains a helps section in the back that is linked to the various scriptures in the Bible via a pilot number. This section contains the complete reference chain for each topic along with additional information about that topic. Below is a sample of what the Thompson Chain Reference Bible looks like. Note this is the NIV version.

Sample of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible also has a companion book called “The Thompson chainReference Bible Companion.” It contains historical, cultural, and background information of the scriptures and is arranged to coincide with the Thompson Chain Reference Bible

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THE GIDEON BIBLE Have you wondered who the Gideons are? Anyone that has stayed in a hotel room has probably seen a Gideon Bible. Is this Bible different then the ones we use? Actually the Gideons are an evangelical organization that is focused on businesses and business people, especially to evangelize the traveling businessperson. They are not a sect or cult. They are Christians that evangelize in many of the same ways that any church or Christian organization would evangelize. The Gideons are a Christian business and professional men’s association and they have been around since around 1899 (founded July 1, 1899). However, the Gideons evangelize in more ways then merely placing Bibles in hotels. That is just one method that they use to evangelize. Actually, the association began in a hotel room on September 14, 1898, in Boscobel, Wisconsin. The manager of the Central Hotel there asked traveling salesmen John H. Nicholson of Janesville, Wis. and Samuel E. Hill of Beloit, Wis. to share a room in the crowded hotel, which was hosting a lumbermen's convention. Both men stayed in Room 19 of the hotel, which was above the saloon and they discovered that they were both Christians. They prayed and read the Bible together before settling down for the night. They discussed starting a businessmen’s association but parted ways without any plans to do so. However, they met by chance almost a year later and the idea was revisited and later became reality with the start of the Gideons in 1899. The name comes from Gideon in the Old Testament who was willing to do whatever God told him to do. Visit their website at www.gideons.org.

TECHNOLOGICAL BIBLES The Bible can also be found in the following forms.

1. On audiocassette tapes. This allows you to “read” the Bible while driving in your car for example. 2. Electronic Bible - These are the little computer units that contain the entire Bible electronically. These units allow you to search for scriptures by various methods in addition to viewing and adding notes. An example is the electronic Bibles offered by Franklin (Visit www.franklin.com).

3. Bible Software - Bible software comes in many variations. There is the simple Bible software that allows you to read the Bible on your computer. There is also Bible software that allows you to search for scripture by specifying any word or phrase, read the Greek or Hebrew definition of a word, and much more. These are very versatile and very useful Bible study aids. Examples of these are QuickVerse and Logos Bible Software.

4. Bible for the Palm Pilot – This is basically a software Bible for the Personal Digital Assistant (i.e., electronic organizer) called the Palm Pilot.

B I B L E S T U D Y TO O L S This section will cover some of the Bible aids that you can use in your Bible studies. Think of these aids as tools to help you understand the context, revealed principles, and application of Bible scripture.

THE CONCORDANCE The very first study resource that you will probably want, in addition to your Bible of course, is the Bible concordance. The Bible concordance is a word index to the Bible. The concordance is an excellent tool that you can use to help you find a particular scripture if you know one or more words that are contained in that scripture. There are two basic types of concordances: (1) Single Language (English only for example), (2) Multilingual, which deals with the primary language and the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek biblical languages. An example of the single-language (Ex. English only) is the Cruden’s Complete Concordance. An example of a multilingual concordance is the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. There are also at least two classes of Concordances. There is the exhaustive and the analytical concordance, which are

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described below. The Exhaustive Concordance should contain a reference to every word contained in the Bible based on the version of the Bible that the concordance is based on. It is arranged in alphabetical order and lists all of the biblical references for each word in the concordance. The Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance is a good example. Note that although the Strong’s is a multilingual concordance, such is not necessary to be exhaustive. The Analytical Concordance also contains a reference to every word in the Bible but it is arranged differently than the typical Exhaustive Concordance. It shows a complete index of all of the different words of a given translation except common words. Each word is listed in the concordance section. The Young’s Analytical Concordance is a good example. It should be noted that the analytical concordance could indeed be exhaustive as well.

THE STRONG'S CONCORDANCE The Strong's concordance is arranged in two overall sections. There is the concordance (Word index) section and the Dictionary section. There are various editions of the Strong’s Concordance. At the time of this writing there is the “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance,” the ”New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance,” and the “Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.” There is also a large print edition. The Strong’s Concordance is probably the most popular Bible concordance. The concordance section lists the words in the Bible, the scripture references for each word, and a partial quotation (“context”) of the scripture that is being referenced so that you can superficially review it for applicability or context. Each Word also contains a Strong's number that is an index key to the dictionary section. See figures 1a and 1b, and 2a and 2b.

Figure 1a - Excerpt from the New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

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Figure 1b – Entry from the Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (21st Century Edition)

The dictionary section is separated into two major parts: Hebrew and Greek. The Hebrew and Greek parts contains a listing of all of the words in the concordance section (in the original Greek or Hebrew), the corresponding Strong's number, and the definition of the Greek or Hebrew word. We will discuss how to use the Strong's concordance later in this study. The importance of the numbers is that you do not have to know Greek or Hebrew to look up a word in the dictionary. Just find it in the reference section and find the corresponding Strong’s number in the dictionary section.

Figure 2a - Excerpt from the New Strong's Concordance Dictionary

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Figure 2b – Strongest Strong’s Dictionary entry.

USING THE STRONG’S CONCORDANCE Let me show you a way to use the Strong’s concordance. There are three objectives for using the Strong’s Concordance.

1. To find a scripture given one or more key words of that passage of scripture. 2. To look up the Greek or Hebrew meaning of a translated word 3. Find as many scriptures as possible pertaining to a particular topic (word) FINDING

A

SCRIPTURE

Here’s how to use the Strong’s to find a particular scripture if you know one or more key words in that scripture. First of all consider that the word you use may or may not be in the Strong’s Concordance depending on which version of the Bible you use. The Strong’s Concordance is indexed using the King James Version of the Bible. Other versions, such as the NIV or NKJV, will have concordances and other tools specifically for there use. •

Simply look up the word as you would with a regular dictionary.



Read through the partial scripture quotes to see if you recognize the scripture you are looking for.



If you see it under the word that you specified then simply go to that scripture in your Bible. You have found it!



If you don’t recognize any of the partial scriptures then try another word that you think is in the scripture or think of another form of the first word you entered. For example, if you first used the word grows and it didn’t work then try the word groweth.

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LOOK

UP THE

GREEK

OR

HEBREW DEFINITION

Here’s a way to use the Strong’s for word studies by looking up a word in the Greek or Hebrew dictionary. Using the Greek and Hebrew dictionaries will allow you to fine tune your understanding of the scripture by understanding the underlying word in the original language. This is used after locating a specific passage of scripture to study. •

Find the particular word from the scripture using your Strong’s concordance.



Review the list of partial scriptures under that word and locate the scripture that you are currently reviewing. This step is necessary in order to get the correct translation for the word in the scripture that you are reviewing. One English word might have been translated from several Hebrew or Greek words so you have to be sure to get the underlying Greek or Hebrew word that was used in the particular scripture that you are reviewing.



Locate the Strong’s number to the right of the scripture reference and go to the appropriate dictionary at the back of the Strong’s. If the Strong’s number is italicized then use the Greek dictionary, if not then use the Hebrew dictionary. A rule of thumb is that if you are looking at a scripture in the Old Testament then use the Hebrew dictionary and if in the New Testament then use the Greek dictionary.



Locate the Strong’s number in the appropriate dictionary.



Review the definition provided (See figures 1 and 2).

FINDING SCRIPTURES CONTAINING

A

CERTAIN WORD

Follow the following procedure to find all scriptures that contain a particular word. •

Look up the word in the concordance section.



All of the scriptures containing the word in question are listed under the word entry. Simply review the scriptures in the Bible to check for context.

Note that the scriptures that are listed will be sensitive to the version of the Bible you are using. Some translations may use different words in some scriptures than in others. The Strong’s Concordance is best used with the King James Version of the Bible.

THE YOUNG'S ANALYTICAL CONCORDANCE TO THE BIBLE The Young's Analytical Concordance has the same basic utility as the Strong's concordance except it is arranged differently. The Young's Analytical Concordance lists all of the Greek or Hebrew words and definitions for a translated English word right in the same section. Therefore, the Young’s Analytical Concordance does not have separate Greek and Hebrew dictionaries. The concordance and dictionary are together in one layout (See figure 3).

USING THE YOUNG’S CONCORDANCE There are again three objectives for using this concordance.

1. To find a scripture given one or more key words in the scripture 2. To look up the Greek or Hebrew meaning of a translated word 3. Find as many scriptures as possible pertaining to a particular topic (word) Each of the above can be found by looking up a word in the Young’s Concordance. Under the word you will find the various translations of the word (which are numbered), the corresponding scripture references, and the Greek or Hebrew words along with their definitions. All of the information is located at one place whereas in the Strong’s you had to go to the dictionary section to review the definition of the Greek or Hebrew word.

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Figure 3 -Excerpt of Young's Concordance

THE NIV EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE The NIV Exhaustive Concordance (NIVEC) is actually a mixture of the formats used by the Strong’s and the Young’s concordances. The NIVEC is divided into four major sections, which are listed below. 1. The main concordance (as with the Strong’s Concordance) 2. The index of articles, conjunctions, etc. 3. Dictionaries (Hebrew to English, Aramaic to English, Greek to English) 4. Numbering Systems conversions (between the Strong’s number and the Goodrick & Kohlenberger (G/K) numbering system The basic use of the NIVEC is very similar to the use of the Strong’s Concordance. One aspect of this concordance that I like is that it does link itself with the Strong’s concordance via an index even though it uses a different numbering system. The NIVEC uses a numbering system called the Goodrick & Kohlenberger (G/K) numbering system, which is a more scholarly advanced system then the Strong’s numbering system based on advances in translation.

THE NEW STRONG’S COMPLETE DICTIONARY

OF

BIBLE WORDS

The Strong’s dictionary of Bible words is basically the Strong’s Concordance without the Scripture references. It contains the English Word index section (without the scripture references), and the Hebrew, and Greek dictionaries. You would use the Strong’s dictionary the same way you used the Concordance/Dictionary. You look up a word; use the Strong’s number to find the definition in the Hebrew or Greek dictionary at the back of the book. The only difference is that there are no scripture references. Also, there is a short Strong’s definition in the English index.

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Figure 4 - Excerpt from Strong's Complete Dictionary

BIBLE DICTIONARY The Bible dictionary supplies the definitions of words found in the Bible as well as identifying people and places. Many of the words that are in the Bible may not have a simple definition, have more than one definition depending on the context, or the meaning may be different than the way we use the same word today. The Bible dictionary will help to place these words in the proper context and thus increase your understanding of the scripture itself. Most Bible dictionaries include pictures, photos, charts, and graphs. The Bible dictionary is highly recommended for the serious Bible study student. Some examples of Bible dictionaries are the Holman Bible Dictionary and the New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

BIBLE HANDBOOK The Bible handbook includes a vast amount of information about the Bible’s content. It includes information about the people, cultures, doctrines, history, and places, as well as charts, maps, pictures, archeological notes, and more. The Bible handbook also provides some background commentary to the books and groups of scriptures in the Bible. The Holman Bible Handbook is an example of a Bible handbook.

BIBLE COMMENTARY Bible commentaries are books that are written to provide explanations and/or information about the scriptures in the Bible. Some commentaries are more exegetical than others. Some commentaries provide different scholarly views of scripture whereas others provide only the author’s view or explanation of scripture. Some commentaries include background and cultural information whereas other simply attempts to explain the meaning of the scripture. I find that commentaries that provide different views of a particular scripture as well as historical, cultural, and other background information are most helpful. There are a plethora of commentaries to choose from. They range from single volume to multiple volume commentaries. It may be beneficial to start with a single-volume commentary as a cornerstone of your library. Use this to orient yourself before you buy larger, more detailed, more expensive commentaries that contain many volumes. Always read a commentary before you buy it. It is good to read the entry on a scripture that you have had trouble with or a controversial scripture just to get a feel for the commentary. Does the commentary seem to be opinionated? Also be aware of denominational explanations of scripture. Your goal is to be as objective as possible and being bombarded with denominational dogma will not help in that effort.

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Commentaries can lead you to be a lazy studier if you are not careful. It is easy to simply use the author’s explanation of scripture as your own conclusion. Be careful to use the commentary as information to help you understand the scriptures objectively instead of using it as a means of spoon-feeding yourself biblical explanations.

BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA These provide a wealth of information about many topics, places, people, and times of the Bible. This is a valuable resource for your Bible study endeavors. They provide much background information about the Bible’s contents arranged as an encyclopedia.

WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE

TO THE

BIBLE

This is a teaching guide to the Bible arranged in outline form. It is very useful in preparing lessons for teaching and can be useful for gathering much information during study. However, this book seems to be designed for teachers or preachers preparing sermons. It is nonetheless a very useful resource for Scriptural and topical studies.

BIBLE ATLAS You may find it very helpful to use a good Bible atlas to link geography with scripture. It will help to put certain passages in perspective. Bible atlases come in both paper and software versions.

RELIGIOUS

BOOKS

There are numerous books about the Bible and its contents available at a Christian bookstore or a library. There are books on Jesus Christ, Paul, Creation, the parables of Jesus, the times of Jesus Christ, and many more. Consider these books to be resources that you can use to open your understanding of the context of scripture. They are very useful for a detailed and in-depth study of a particular topic.

BIBLICAL SURVEYS Bible surveys are books that give an overview and outline of the books of the Bible. They typically come as surveys for the Old or New Testament. They are good resources to get a general idea of the content of the books of the Bible without getting into too much detail. This tool works well with outlining the scriptures as presented in the “Bible Study Methods” section later in this study.

CHRISTIAN

AND

CHURCH HISTORY RESOURCES

I find it very helpful to read church history books and use other Christian historic resources. It will help you greatly in understanding many of the doctrines that are taught today. It will also help you to put scripture in its proper context and thus perspective. This will lead to more effective scriptural interpretation.

AUDIO

AND

VIDEO RESOURCES

Tapes of sermons, conventions, seminars, and some movies can be good for your Bible study. There are also movies that are narratives to various books of the Bible. These are good because they add a dimension of realism to the scriptures. I have also found that many documentaries are very helpful in understanding the Bible. These documentaries include videos on the times of Jesus Christ, characters in the Bible, and archeology. These documentaries often are shown on television stations such as the Public Broadcasting Network, the Discovery Channel, the Arts and Entertainment Channel, The Learning Channel, and other educationally oriented broadcasts.

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BIBLE STUDY SOFTWARE Bible study software offers versatility as well as utility to your Bible study program if you have a computer. Bible study software integrates many aids, such as the concordance and dictionary, into an easy user interface. This makes information much easier to obtain then if you had to sift through many books. Bible study software offers a vast array of information at the click of the mouse.

BIBLICAL ORIENTED MAGAZINES Bible magazines give a wealth of background information that is not explicitly stated in the scriptures. It is also wonderful to read about discoveries of civilizations and cultures that existed in Bible times. This is a very inexpensive way to obtain additional Bible related facts. However, I have found that you have to be careful with some of the articles of Bible historians and scholars. They can sometimes be very "ungodly" and "faithless" in that their main focus seems to be knowledge of scripture and the interpretation of known facts and not revelation of God's word.

ON-LINE

AND

INTERNET SERVICES

A great wealth of information awaits you on the Internet. An enormous amount of information is available about almost anything you can think of. Not only that, you can send E-mail messages to people, organizations or churches if you have specific questions. All that is needed to take advantage of this resource is a computer with Internet connectivity. There is a plethora of Christian websites dedicated to Bible study and things pertaining to Bible study such as apologetics and theology. I have a Christian web site at http://www.pursuingthetruth.org. You will find many Christian resources for you to read. There are many study guides, articles, and references to other Christian resources.

APOLOGETICS RESOURCES I thought that I would mention something about apologetic books and resources. These are not necessarily used in Bible study; however they are very useful in trying to understand Christian doctrine. For example, Apologetic books and the like is where I would turn to investigate such topics as “The Problem of Pain.” Apologetic resources are good in helping you apply what the Bible teaches to solve many problems that people seem to have with Christianity and with life in general. For example, some people might wonder why there is so much evil in the world when the Bible teaches that God is allpowerful and all loving. Reconciling this to such an individual would be difficult with pure Bible study because the Bible seems to assume certain things about God and the way He operates. Now faith is enough to answer this question for most people but some need to get over various hurdles before they come to believe in Christ or accept a particular revelation of God. Many might have experienced a catastrophe and want some answers to help them cope. Apologetics could help with these and similar situations.

THEOLOGY RESOURCES Theology is the study of God and his relationship to his creation. Theology resources are helpful as additional information for understanding God. It might come in handy when people approach you with problems in believing in God and things pertaining to God. Actually, I find theology most intriguing and very useful.

BIBLE STUDY METHODS The following are methods that can be used to study the Bible. They range from basic reading to become familiar with the Bible to in-depth studies to extract Scriptural revelation. The explanations of these methods are given below.

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1. Reading the Bible 2. Outlining the Bible 3. Linking Scripture 4. Topical Studies 5. Word Studies 6. Character Studies 7. Study by Parts (AKA Scripture study)

READING

THE

BIBLE

Though you may not think so, as I once did, reading the Bible through (Genesis to Revelation) is one of the most important things that you can do for your Bible study program. When you read the Bible in this way you are not really taking notes or developing thoughts. You are simply reading the Bible as you would a novel so to speak. This is important because the word of God is fed into your spirit as a seed. I have learned that it is beneficial to develop a plan where you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation over and over again. By doing this you will become more and more familiar with the Bible as a whole. At the very least you will know if someone is really referencing a scripture that really exists in the Bible or not. This helps with validation that was discussed previously in this study. You do not have to read the Bible sequentially from Genesis to Revelation. Instead you may read parts at a time. For example you may read the Pentateuch (Genesis - Deuteronomy) and then you may read the Gospels. There are many "read the Bible in a year" programs that you can use to accomplish this.

OUTLINING

THE

BIBLE

This is a very effective way to become familiar with the contents of the books of the Bible. In this method you summarize each topic, subject, or main thought or activities of the books of the Bible. After you have done this and gone over it a few times, you will become very familiar with that book and each of the chapters in it. If someone says 'I know the scripture says something like "Blessed poor in spirit"' you, being familiar with the book of Matthew, will immediately say something like "I think that it is the fifth chapter of Matthew" and go to it. You may not be exactly right but you are familiar enough with the book to know that it is somewhere in the vicinity. You see the Bible in "pictures" and not just words on paper. Also, Bible survey books help in this endeavor as well.

THE ART

OF

LINKING

A method that you can use to help you understand Scripture in its proper context is linking. Imagine that you are trying to explain something by the use of scripture to another Christian. You make a statement and then share a Scripture verse. There might be other verses that deal with the same topic or principle that you are discussing. Therefore, you would find a scripture that links with the one you have presented in your discussion. That scripture may in turn link to another scripture and so on until you have gathered many scriptures that deal with the same principle or topic of your discussion. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible is arranged in this fashion. Also, reference Bibles and most if not all study Bibles contain a scripture reference or linking feature.

TOPICAL STUDIES Topical Bible Study is the method used to learn about various biblical topics. You would select a topic such as "love" and focus your Bible study on love. In this type of study you will need at the least a Bible and Bible concordance. First decide on a topic that you want to study. Use your concordance to find the scripture references for the word. Review these references and select the ones that are applicable to what you are studying. Review the actual scriptures that you have selected from the concordance

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reference and be sure to review any other references that appear if you have a reference Bible. After you have gathered all of the information from the scriptures, meditate on them and form a conclusion based on your findings. Some very useful tools for this type of study are a Bible dictionary, Concordance, Nave’s Topical Bible, and background type resources.

WORD STUDIES A word study is the process of acquiring a detailed definition to a word or group of words in the Bible and how it is used in the Bible. This will help you understand a passage of scripture better. For example you may study the words in Philippians 4:8 to determine what Paul is actually saying and to reveal the principle behind what he is saying. The power of the word study is that you gain a good understanding of the word in question, the context in which it was used, and the various ways it was used.

CHARACTER STUDIES The lives of personalities in the Bible are examined in character studies. We can learn much by examining the lives of people such as Moses and Samuel in the Bible for example. Some things that we can look for when we do a character study are: The meaning of their names, parents and ‘upbringing’, their background or training, friendships, how they were influenced by others, what influences they had, what they did that was outstanding or different, their good and bad points, how they communicated with God, and major accomplishments. This helps us to analyze our own lives and how we relate to God.

STUDY

BY

PARTS

Studying the Bible by parts or sections is very useful to become familiar with certain sections or time periods in the Bible. Studying by parts/sections means to study a section of the Bible at one time. For example you may study the Gospels, the book of Matthew, or the Psalms. In this type of study you will be exposed to many principles as you move through the section. This may lead to limited topic studies so that you can at least be familiar with the spiritual principle that you have discovered. The purpose here is to concentrate or focus on a particular book, chapter or section of the Bible.

BIBLE STUDY TECHNIQUES Now we will apply the knowledge gained about Bible study so far. We are going to actually perform a brief Bible study to show you how to study the Bible. From here you can develop your own Bible study techniques. I will present to you the techniques for a topical study, word study, study by parts, and character study.

PREPARATION You must prepare for your Bible study sessions if you expect to receive a benefit from it. Use the general guidelines listed below. 1.

Make time for Bible study! Block some time out for your Bible study. Don't expect to study the Bible during free time because your free time may never come.

2.

Prepare your study area before you begin. Have a relatively clear area to work on and have available everything you will need (paper, pencils, pens, Bible, and study aids). Try to do what you can to limit distractions. For example, do not attempt to study the Bible while watching television. Let others know that you are busy and do not wish to be disturbed. If you will study in a room then perhaps you should close the door if possible. Sometimes you might not be able to completely isolate yourself from distractions (for example if you have young children then you will need to watch them). In any case, do the best you can to focus on your study.

3.

Establish the purpose of the Bible study session. Establish what you will study. Set a goal to

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learn something about a particular topic for example. 4.

Startup the computer system. Turn the computer on and start the Bible software and/or word processor that you will use if you are using electronic resources.

5.

Initialize the environment. If you want to listen to some music while you study then get your music ready to play. You don't want to have to run all over the house to get a particular tape to play in the middle of your study. It is recommended that you play only music that will relax the atmosphere. Play soft music at a low volume. You don't want to start getting involved with the music during your study. Do not turn the television on!

6.

Set the climate controls. Start your fan, air conditioner and whatever else is needed to make the area comfortable.

7.

Gather resources. Gather all of the resources that you will use for your study. This will reduce the need for you having to get up and get a dictionary, concordance or other resource during the course of your study. You might just put them on the floor beside you until they are needed. Also remember to get your notebook and something to write with.

TOPICAL STUDY Now you can begin your study. In this section we will discuss the process of a topical Bible study. It is assumed that you have already established the topic that you will study.

START

WITH

A CLEAN MIND

ABOUT THE

TOPIC

This is a very important step in topical Bible studies. Clear your mind of all preconceived ideas about the topic that you are about to study else you will accomplish very little. I call it starting with a "clean page." Let your conclusions about the topic be at the end of the study and not at the beginning. If you start with a clean page then you can more readily hear from the Holy Spirit and minimize biases and presuppositions. Starting with a clean page allows the Holy Spirit to correct you of inaccurate or wrong perceptions and beliefs. You will always receive new revelations by starting clear as opposed to starting with the end in your mind already.

ITEMS NEEDED The following is a list of things that are most useful for topical studies. 1. Good study Bible or at the minimum a reference Bible 2. A second Bible for scriptural linking purposes as described previously 3. A Concordance (The Strong’s or Young’s Concordance is preferred) 4. A Bible dictionary 5. Any books or other resources relating to the topic of study. 6. Informational commentary 7. Notebook (or word processor)

GATHER THE INFORMATION (DATA) The first step in a topical study is to gather as much biblical data as you can about the topic. Your data could come from any of the following sources. 1. Directly from the Bible via scripture references (linking) 2. Bible dictionary. Look up the topic and note the information that the dictionary provides

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3. Greek/Hebrew dictionary. Define the word from the original language. Also note how the word in English is translated from a number of Greek or Hebrew words. 4. Nave’s Topical Bible 5. Any other resource pertaining to the topic being studied At this stage you are simply amassing scripture references and information about the topic that you are studying. The important aspect of this stage is the scripture references. The other information should be used to help establish the context of each of those verses of scripture. You should have amassed a plethora of information about the topic in question at the end of this stage. As a matter of fact, you probably will have started to form a “picture” in your mind regarding the topic in question and what the Bible really says about it. There is always the question of how much information you should gather. There comes a time when you can stop gathering information and begin the analysis. I find that when you start getting consistencies and the data seems to only repeat what you have already acquired then it is time to stop. It is similar to a scientist taking measurements during an experiment. When should he stop? You should stop when things appear to have stabilized or if the new data indicates the same relationship as the old data. You will interpret the scriptures as you collect them even though this is the data gathering stage. The analysis part, which is next, is not to interpret the scriptures but to interpret the principle that comes from those scriptures.

ANALYZE

THE

SCRIPTURES

At this point you should have much data about the topic you are studying. You should have information from dictionaries and other resources as well as the interpretation of the scriptures that you have found pertaining to your topic of study. At the analysis state you are going to evaluate all of this information and develop the overall picture or teaching of the Bible on the topic of study. For example, you might have found a lot of scriptures about faith and you understand what each of those scriptures is saying. However, the principle is revealed when you look at all of those scriptures collectively to see if there is a single message or principle pertaining to your topic. This is where illumination by the Holy Spirit really comes into play. The Holy Spirit will take those pieces of the puzzle, if you will, and turn the light on the teaching or principle from the Bible. Now you are beginning to understand what the Bible really teaches about the topic you are studying by analyzing the information that you have generated in addition to depending on the Holy Spirit to teach you what God has revealed in the Scriptures.

CONCLUDE Summarize the results of your analysis and revelation that you have acquired about the topic you have studied. Now come to a conclusion after analyzing the information that you have generated. Now you are ready to declare what the Bible declares about the topic you have studied. Share and test your conclusions against other Bible study students. Be careful to share what you have learned with those who you know study the Bible as yourself. These will have a better mindset to comment on biblical knowledge and interpretation then those who do not study the Bible.

STUDY BY PARTS (AKA SCRIPTURE STUDY) Studying the Bible by parts is especially useful to become more familiar with certain parts of the Bible. This is the bread and butter of Bible study. You will probably do this more than any other study. You will always end up studying and interpreting a verse of scripture.

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ITEMS NEEDED The following resources are useful for a study by parts. 1. Bible 2. Dictionary (English, Greek & Hebrew) 3. Informational Commentary for background information 4. Other cultural, customs, and background resources 5. Bible handbook Start at the beginning of the section of the Bible that you are studying and traverse through it verse by verse until you get to the end. Interpret each verse and note what it says. Try to understand the context of the particular section to help with interpretation. It is also a good idea to outline the part of the Bible that you are studying. This will help you remember what the particular part is about. An example of a study by part is a study of Matthew chapter six or a study of the book of Job. A key technique to studying a particular scripture is to identify the key words within that scripture. For example, consider the following scripture. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Some key words that I would identify would be the following. •

Seek



First



Kingdom



Righteousness and God’s righteousness



Things (what things?)



The word “But” is also a key word because it implies a connection to the previous verses.

Now you would use your Bible dictionary and your Hebrew and Greek dictionaries to define these words from the biblical perspective and usage. You then better understand the verse of scripture if you know the definitions of the words that were intended by the author. Of course you still would need background, culture, and other such information to help establish the context of the verse that you are studying.

VERSION AFFECT

ON

KEY WORDS

Let me demonstrate something very important here regarding key words. This scripture is a good example as to why having more than one version of the Bible is beneficial. Consider the same scripture in the following versions. •

Matthew 6:33 (American Standard Version) But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.



Matthew 6:33 (New Century Version) The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.



Matthew 6:33 (New International Version) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation) and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

All versions seem to be consistent. However, upon closer inspection you might notice something different about the New Century Version besides its wording. Notice that the ASV starts with the word “But,” the NIV starts with the word “But,” and the NLT starts with the word, “And.” However, the NCV does not start with such a conjunction. All except the NCV indicates a linkage with the verse or verses preceding it. However, the NCV reads as though the verse stands alone. The interpretation of this verse would not be as accurate with the NCV as it would with the other three versions. The other versions would compel you to study the verses preceding verse thirty-three to see how they relate with verse thirty-three. The NCV does not compel you to do that. From studying this verse in the past, I know that it is significant for the overall teaching of Jesus Christ here that you understand what he says in previous verses. We should note that the scriptures as they stand above say the same thing. However, you would not get the overall message that the verse relays by isolating it. It must be viewed in light of the scriptures before it in order to be more meaningful in what the Bible teaches about trusting and obeying God in this particular passage. Another thing that you will notice is that the further away you get from formal equivalency, then the more likely the above situation as demonstrated with the NCV can occur. However, if you were diligent to establish context then you would still have arrived at the same message even with the NCV.

GO BACK STATEMENTS A conjunction (Ex: and, but, if, therefore) at the beginning of a verse of scripture is called a “Go Back” statement. That simply means, as conjunctions do, that the current scripture is related to the scripture or scriptures before it. That indicates that the proper interpretation of the current scripture means that you have to view it in light of the previous scriptures. Scriptures usually has to be viewed in light of its context, which means that you cannot read it alone and expect to interpret it accurately.

CHARACTER STUDY The following resources are useful for a character study. 1. Bible 2. Dictionary 3. Bible Handbook 4. Other resources pertaining to the character that you are studying

Your goal in the character study is to examine the life of someone in the Bible and then learn from it. You might find that this will be helpful even in a topical study. For example, you might take note of how Samuel, for example, demonstrated his faith in God. That information can be used in a topical study on faith. Gather as much information about the person as you can and just examine his or her life. What lessons do you learn? What was extraordinary about the person? What were the person’s weaknesses and strengths? Generate questions so that you can apply what you learned from this person’s life to your own if possible.

WORD STUDY Word studies are probably the foundation to all other studies except perhaps the character study. The goal of a word study is to determine what a word that is used in the Bible really means in the context that it was used. You might find that one English word was translated from a number of Greek words for example. Understanding the context as well as the definition of a word can change the interpretation of a

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given scripture. Therefore, word studies are the basis for interpreting scripture. A word study is done by looking up the definition of a particular word in a Bible dictionary, regular dictionary such as the Webster’s dictionary, Bible Encyclopedia, Greek, or Hebrew dictionaries. Word studies can progress into understanding not only the definition of the word but also how that word is used in the Scriptures. It is very helpful to find the definition of a particular word in its original language. This helps put the scripture in its proper context.

B I B L I C A L L I B R A RY Over a period of time you will build a personal library. Your library will consist of many books and resources that you use for Bible study. I recommend that you start your library with the following items. 1. A good study Bible, which includes a basic concordance, scripture reference, and commentary 2. A Bible dictionary and a regular dictionary 3. An Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible 4. Single Volume Commentary You can then branch off into purchasing additional commentaries, handbooks, research work, topical books, and more. The important thing is to beware of application type works. These are publications that deal with the application of scripture or a person’s understanding of a biblical topic as opposed to simple resource material that merely provide such things as background, cultural, or historical information. I am more sensitive to resource type of publications and tend not to purchase application type of publications. Most TV evangelists usually provide application publications. For example, they may have a book on Faith, which is not a biblical study on the topic, rather their interpretation of the topic from a religious perspective. Most mainstream Christians are more prone to purchase application publications (books, tapes, etc.) rather than resource publications. The typical Christian bookstore usually has more application publications then resource publications. I guess that is simple supply and demand. Your library doesn’t have to be limited to Christian material. For example, I have found that knowing something about the psychology of people often help me understand why people do certain things. I used the psychology text from my college course for that kind of study. In some cases physics books have helped me understand certain things while doing a study on the existence of God and the beginning of the universe. Your library will develop over time. There will be books and resources that you purchase and find that you don’t use or don’t want to use. There might even be some resources that scare you once you begin reading them. However, don’t be afraid of resources that present opposing views. It is always good to know opposing views so that you know how to defend the truth that you know and to test what you know. Your library will constantly evolve so give it time to do so.

YOUR NOTES It is very helpful to write your conclusions down. Record what you have learned during your Bible studies. Don’t simply rely on memory for the things you discover in the Bible. Establish a notebook for you to write your notes down in. I have on occasion created tapes of myself discussing various topics. So the bottom line is that you may find it very beneficial to record the discoveries that you make during your Bible study journeys. If you use a computer and word processing files then be sure to keep them organized. Know where you saved these files and save them in one directory structure. I don’t recommend saving files on the Windows desktop if you are using the windows or windows like operating system. Establish a folder within the directory structure for your study files. Also remember to backup your files.

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D AY- TO - D AY P R A C T I C E S There are certain things that you can do regularly to enhance your grasping of God’s word. Let’s look at a few of them below. 1. Read and study your Bible regularly. However, don’t feel as though you have to spend so many hours a day studying. Just be consistent in your Bible study. 2. Constantly read other resources concerning the Bible (History, Characters, etc.) 3. Listen to teaching tapes. Be a critical listener however. Don’t allow yourself to be indoctrinated by dogma. 4. Talk to other Christians. There are great benefits in sharing what you have learned and listening to other Christian’s conclusions pertaining to Bible study. 5. Participate in group discussions when possible or join a Bible study group on your job or sponsor one at your home 6. Use the Internet, On-line services and all other resources at your disposal to further your knowledge 7. Beware of the ‘Scholar Syndrome’ where you begin to be conceited because of your Bible knowledge 8. Establish a lifestyle of learning where you are always discovering new truths, principles, and applications from the word of God. A disciple of Christ learns from Christ. 9. Remember that the purpose of Bible study is to know more of what God has revealed to you so that you can live more according to God’s way. Bible study is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end, namely to know our heavenly Father.

OTHER CONCERNS There are some other things that I would like to share with you regarding Bible study. The more you study the Bible, the more you will know what God actually says and the more you will be able to stand on your own two feet so to speak. The more you study and learn the contents of the Bible, the more you will become accustomed to depending on the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the riches of the Bible’s revelations. If you are a true seeker of TRUTH then you will become more and more excited about the great discoveries you encounter in the scriptures, which will in turn motivate you to learn more. You may find that one day you are standing toe-to-toe with your pastor about something that you said. You may even be accused of spreading false teachings or dividing the church. These religious leaders will do anything to shut you up so that they could at least retain control over the lives of the remaining ignorant people. Don’t think for a moment that everyone you encounter will be excited about your progress in understanding the scriptures. To some you are a threat and a target for persecution. You may get your feelings hurt and you may become very upset at what other people, supposedly your brothers and sisters in Christ, will do to you. You may find that things were well when your mouth was shut and you simply followed the crowd. However, when you begin to know the truth for yourself and your religious and church leaders become aware of this then they may be among the first to attack you to dissuade you from continuing your biblical education. They may call you demon possessed or new in the faith but do not be discouraged at all. Continue with your studies. There are many on this Earth just like you. There are many Christian that began to know the TRUTH and were duly persecuted by church folk. So be aware of the fact that some professed Christians will not like the idea of you learning the Bible apart from what you are told. There are many pastors that want you to remain ignorant so that they can have control over your life. Therefore, do not be afraid of being criticized or opposed. Sometimes these may even benefit you as you test your knowledge about scriptures. Also take advantage of those who encourage you to study and don’t mind discussing doctrine with you even if he or she has an opposing or different point of view. Feel free to talk with your pastor or church leader since many welcome biblical discussions and do encourage you to study and learn for yourself.

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C H R I S T I A N H I S TO RY I have done much study in the area of Christian and Church history. I have found that these two are very different, at least to me. Christian history deals with the advancement of Christianity whereas church history deals with the evolution of the Church. I think that it would be of great benefit to learn something about Christian history. It is useful knowledge to know what the early Christians believed, what they suffered, and what it meant to be a Christian. Also, understanding the various conditions, circumstances, and environment of Christians will help us to understand the Scriptures in that we would be better able to put them in perspective. So I do recommend that you do some reading in the area of Christian history to help your understanding of the Scriptures and to have a better grasp of the heritage of the Christian Faith. You might also find it useful to read about the people of faith who preserved the truth of the Gospel. Some names that come immediately to mind are John Wycliffe, John Hus, and Martin Luther.

W H AT N E X T The next step for you is simply to begin your personal Bible study program. The more you study then the better you will become at it. The more you study the Bible then the more you will know about what God has revealed to you. The more you know what God says then the more liberated you will be so that you can freely do what God requires of you. So begin studying. There are an abundance of resources available that will help you in your study endeavors. You can always contact Pursuing the Truth Ministries with questions at [email protected]. I pray that you would have much success as you study the Bible and I pray that the revelation of God would become clear to you. I pray that the truth will reside in your heart and mind so that you can freely obey God, which is your whole duty anyway. God bless you always.

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