How to Study the Bible. This Lesson At A Glance

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1 GETTING STARTED How to Study the Bible MEMORIZE: PSALM 1:1-2 To be disciples who make disciples, we must be people of the Word. The Bible is the one true story of the world. All Scripture points to Christ and has a redemptive focus: it exposes our spiritual brokenness and it leads us to our Savior. Before we begin studying God s Word together, it may be helpful to spend some time setting up a few guardrails so that we are rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). The Bible is ancient literature, and as such, certain reminders can be helpful to make sure we are not making it mean whatever we want it to. Treating Scripture as subjective, or changing meaning based on one s preference, is dangerous grounds. So we will focus on five simple principles to help gain confidence and competence in the process of how to study the Bible. What Bible study training formal or informal have you been exposed to before? Do you find studying the Bible intimidating? Why or why not This Lesson At A Glance PRINCIPLE 1: CONTEXT IS KEY What is true of most literature is true also of biblical books. The 66 books that make up the Old and New Testaments were written by real people, in real situations, with real motivations for communicating their messages. The writer of Hebrews teaches us that it s a living and active book. Written over a period of about 1500 years. Around 40 different authors with diverse backgrounds (shepherd, priest, prophet, tent-maker, fisherman, physician, tax-collector, singer, farmer). God-breathed (2 Timothy 3: 16). Without error or contradiction (Psalm 19:7). One purpose to unite all things in him [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:10), to the praise of his glory (Ephesians1:12). 11

2 In light of the Bible s diversity and uniqueness, understanding the immediate context of a verse or passage and also the historical and cultural context can significantly help us to understand the true meaning of a passage. CIRCLES OF CONTEXT One of the first things to consider when looking at a passage is where it fits in the chapter, the book, and the overall redemptive storyline of Scripture. Each circle can give additional meaning to a passage of Scripture. For example, if we were to consider the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, we might find a very familiar story. But the prodigal son is often not read alongside the other two parables in Luke 15 the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. Understanding the movements of those two parables (something lost, something found, then rejoicing) would better prepare one for the shock of verses that disrupts the pattern with the introduction of the older brother. This part becomes the culmination of the three parables instead of just something randomly interjected in an otherwise heartwarming story. As we study, it is often helpful to look before and after our specific passage to discover its near context and to gain greater understanding. Scanning back to Luke 14:1 reveals the setting where these teachings likely took place. Jesus was in the house of a ruler of the Pharisees a perfect representative for the older brother as the tax collectors and sinners were all drawn in to listen (15:1). Again, when considering that this is in the Gospel of Luke, these parables fit nicely with what many believe to be the theme of Luke s book: For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). And Luke s Gospel is one of four of the Gospel accounts that all have similar settings. Jesus has many harsh words for the religious leaders, such as his woes in Matthew 25. Zooming out to the New Testament, we see how Jesus comes at a time when sin had manifested itself in legalism and religious zeal, and that even our best efforts to be religious were failing. The message of the New Testament is clear and informing all of us need Jesus. Finally, when we consider the entire storyline of Scripture, we see how Israel in the Old Testament was often guilty of the same sin self-righteous legalism instead of fulfilling their call to be a light to the nations. Each layer, each circle adds more understanding and helps hold the true meaning of the passage in place. As we work through passages of Scripture, be sure to keep in mind the following: 12

3 If it is a verse or a passage, try reading the whole chapter to help set it in context. Consider who is writing it and what the author s argument or narrative has been up to this point. Use an outline of the book to help identify the major movements of the letter/book. Briefly consider how this story fits into the redemptive storyline of Scripture. Hopefully, these are some easy guidelines to get you started thinking and processing Scripture in context. YOU TRY IT Take a look at Ephesians 5:1-2. Let s try out going through the circles of context. Glance around the letter to find its general flow. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. What is the near context (passages before and after) and how does it inform these verses? What are the themes in Ephesians and how might they give insight to Ephesians 5:1,2? (For help with book outlines, themes, etc., you can use a study Bible or blueletterbible.org is a trusted online site for Bible resources.) Do you see any similar themes in the New Testament as a whole? Or the entire Bible? Let s try this exercise again with a passage that is a bit trickier. Look at Isaiah 1: When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 13

4 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow s cause. Look ahead to the framework of the Bible from the Overview of the Bible lesson (pages 26 and 27), what has happened (in broad strokes) in the Old Testament up until this point? How does this help you understand these verses in Isaiah? Now consider the entire Bible how does what will happen in the New Testament inform this passage? Now consider the entire Bible how does what will happen in the New Testament inform this passage? PRINCIPLE 2: UNDERSTANDING BIBLICAL GENRES Austin is a big music town. From 6th street to the live music festivals such as Austin City Limits (ACL) and South by Southwest (SXSW), music makes its mark on our city. The thing that's great about music is the diversity in genres and how each type is unique. You don t listen to country the same way you listen to pop music. They are doing different things. Hip-hop is poetic, whereas country often tells a story. 80 s rock is full of intense emotion. Each song needs to be understood in its genre to help make sense of it. 14

5 The same is true of Scripture. There are different types of genres (literary styles or types) throughout Scripture and knowing the uniqueness of each can help bring more understanding to a passage and safeguard from bad interpretations. Below is a brief survey of biblical genres and then a few questions to make sure we re taking it all in. GENRES Old Testament LAW Old Testament law has often been misinterpreted because we do not recognize that the Old Testament is not the testament or covenant under which we live today. These were mostly laws set up for the nation of Israel that God had established to help them live and interact with himself and the nations around them. Two categories of Old Testament law have not been renewed in the New Covenant civil laws (such as penalties for crimes) and ritual laws (think Leviticus). Jesus fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17), but also reinstitutes some of its major principles, such as the foundational love ethic. The Old Testament laws pointed to Jesus and he fulfilled all they pointed to. Jesus fulfillment gives perspective on why we still use some of the Old Testament commands and set aside others. Even though much of the Old Testament law was not written for us, it is still God s Word to us. There is much we can learn about God s character and desire for our lives if correctly interpreted. The law reveals the sin in our hearts and points to our need for a Savior. HISTORY Old Testament narratives are primarily descriptive, not prescriptive. This means that the description of a story or an account does not necessarily suggest or prescribe something we should be doing. For example, we definitely don t want to follow the example of David and Bathsheba. Part of the task is to figure out why the author included this passage, and always relate it to the larger story. WISDOM Wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and so on) compels us to look to Christ for meaning and for the ability to live wisely. It is not intended for us to find promises to claim; it is meant to glean general principles. When counsel is given, there is no guarantee attached other than likely outcomes. For example, Proverbs 22:6 says Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. This is excellent advice, but some parents have trained up their child well, and for whatever reason, they decided to depart from it. General truths, not promises. POETRY Poetry is full of imagery and figures of speech. What is important is to understand the nature of poetry. Things are not often literal but spoken in symbols for added effect. Similes, metaphors, and all types of literary devices highlight this genre. Poetry is meant to engage our emotions. PROPHECY The dominant purpose of the prophetic books in the Old Testament was to teach and warn the nation of Israel to rid their hearts of idols to spiritually divest themselves of the things they valued over and above God. This focus might be different than our expectations because when we hear the words prophet or prophecy, we often think of predicting the future. In reality, only about a fourth of all biblical prophetic literature is future-oriented. Prophetic books contain both foretelling learning what God will do and forth telling applying what God has said to a current situation. 15

6 New Testament GOSPEL The Gospels capture the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ with each Gospel writer having a distinct flavor and unique perspective. The Gospels were intended to recount the life of the Messiah not only to give an account of what happened but also to convince others towards faith and belief in Jesus as the Messiah. PARABLE Parables are stories told by Jesus in the Gospels, which may or may not have taken place, with the purpose of communicating a spiritual truth or principle. It is important not to push the analogies too far, but to understand the why behind Jesus use of the story by identifying characters and general movements. HISTORY (ACTS) Acts is actually a sequel to the Gospel of Luke that is capturing the birth and expansion of the early church. Similar to Old Testament narrative, the book of Acts is more descriptive than prescriptive, meaning that it is not necessarily intended to be a blueprint for how church is always to be done, but rather to capture the narrative of how God was moving when the church first started to expand. LETTERS (EPISTLES) The Epistles are separated into two categories Pauline and general. These were primarily letters written to a particular group (or groups) of people and were motivated by specific circumstances that were happening. By finding out who wrote the letter, what prompted them to write it, and who they were writing to can help bring clarity to some of the passages that are more difficult to interpret. Commentaries are extremely helpful here (and for all genres, really). The Epistles offer theological insight and explanation on the significance of the person and work of Christ for the church. APOCALYPTIC Revelation is considered apocalyptic (prophetic, visionary) literature. Jewish believers in the first-century church would have been familiar with the rich and descriptive symbolism through numbers, images, and metaphors. At its heart, Revelation is primarily a revealing of Jesus it gives a window into the future glory of Christ as he brings in his heavenly kingdom. REFLECT Are there certain biblical genres that you enjoy reading more than others? Why do you think that is true? How could understanding genres broaden your desire to read more of the Bible? What are some passages that have been hard to understand for you in the past? How might understanding biblical genres give clarity to them? 16

7 What is the danger in not interpreting Scripture through the lens of the right biblical genre? Have you seen the Bible misused before? How? PRINCIPLE 3: AUTHOR-INTENDED MEANING Have you ever been to a Bible study where you are studying a passage in a group, and everyone has a different take on the passage, some of which seemed to contradict? This next principle of biblical interpretation takes aim at this dilemma: How many meanings are there to a passage of Scripture? We will look at some general rules of interpreting a specific passage that will help us make sure we are handling Scripture correctly. WHERE IS MEANING FOUND? The authority in a passage lies in what the author originally intended when he wrote it to the original audience. For example, if we were to take a passage by Paul, who would have written with a specific goal and intention, and then turn it to make it mean something that he never intended, then we leave the boundaries of God s inspiration. Biblical interpretation is not subjective and does not change from person to person or age to age. With that said, there is a difference between identifying meaning and then applying that meaning. There is only one meaning, but there may be different applications of that one meaning. An often-quoted verse is Philippians 4:13 in which Paul writes: I can do all things through him who gives me strength. To say that Paul meant for this to give us the freedom to do something unethical or as a general approval for our own desires is to misconstrue what Paul originally meant. All things has boundaries that are supplied by the context. Paul is talking about how he has learned to be content in each situation in all things. Now, we may apply this principle in many ways, but any application that falls outside of context and intended meaning does not carry God s authority with it. It might sound good, or preach well, but it lacks any authority. The question then arises how can we know what the author intended? The process of determining what an author intended is the task of observing and interpreting the Bible correctly. We look at historical and literary context. We make observations by bombarding the text with questions. We use the study notes in our Bible and commentaries by trusted scholars. We ask mentors and those who teach us. We seek diligently to understand the Scriptures to the best of our ability, and then we trust and believe in the Holy Spirit working in and through us to reveal the truth of God. 17

8 PRINCIPLE 4: INDUCTIVE STUDY Our spiritual lives depend on spending time in God s Word and prayer. Building the study of God s Word into your daily routine will greatly benefit your spiritual life and help continue to allow you to be shaped and formed by God s Spirit. What follows is a simple, but effective method of studying Scripture. This grid can function as a starting block for how to approach your time reading through a passage. There are three basic steps: OBSERVATION Observation simply means reading through the selected passage and making notes of different things you notice. Your goal here is to discern, what did God say through the original author to the original audience. Here are some questions to consider: What stood out to me? Who are the characters? Where and when did this take place? What does that word mean? What is the context? (what comes before and after the passage) Once you get a feel for some of these questions, try to keep an eye out for keywords or phrases, repeated words, contrasts, and comparisons. By paying attention and recognizing the details, it will become much easier to gain a good understanding of the passage. INTERPRETATION After noting anything that might stand out, you move from the question, what did God say? to the question, what is God saying? What are the timeless, eternal truths contained in these verses? These might be aspects of God s character and ways, things about people and culture that were true for the people of the Bible and are still true for us today. Remember, this meaning must flow from what you have found to be the author s intended meaning. The meaning of a passage can never be separate from the meaning that the author intended. APPLICATION Lastly, after noting any observations and then figuring out the timeless truths, simply ask, how do I respond to what God is saying? Consider how you can apply the new-found truth(s) from the passage by asking: How am I like the people in the passage? Where do I need correction? Is there something to confess? What encourages me? In what way can I praise and give thanks to God for his character? In what way are Jesus and the grace of the gospel the answer to my problem? Is there something I need to do or change? Because God is, I. You may set up practical steps or just make it a point to talk to a friend about a new insight God has challenged you on or revealed to you. 1, Carrie Runn and Lorri Winkcompleck, Becoming, (Austin, TX: Austin Ridge Bible Church),

9 PRINCIPLE 5: COMMUNITY AND SOURCES Scripture affirms that hearing the Word through preaching and personal devotional and study time are ways that we encounter God and are changed. But one of the beautiful things about the body of Christ (i.e., the church) is that God has wired us to compliment and help one another in this endeavor. Searching for meaning and understanding in a community, where we listen and encourage one another, is God s desire for us (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Personal study and time in the Word are vital, but if we are only seeking biblical meaning on our own and not consulting others, we put ourselves in danger of misinterpreting Scripture. We are intended to sharpen one another, and this can apply to how we gain a deeper understanding of God s Word as well. The last principle of biblical interpretation zeroes in on two particular means by which we receive input outside of ourselves. THE GATHERED CHURCH Our regular church attendance does not obligate God to grow us, but it does reorient our lives and our affections. It does refocus our perspective on people and purpose. It does allow us to cooperate with the mission of God and hold others accountable as they do the same. Simply put, being involved with a local body of believers positions us to experience God s presence in a way that we cannot on our own. There is nothing magical about a church building, but in a gathered body of believers, there is power. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says, Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them (emphasis added). 1 With this in mind, read Hebrews 10:24-25 and 1 Timothy 4:13. What do these biblical commands tell us not to neglect? As it relates to knowing the Bible, why do you think it is important to attend and participate in the gathered church regularly? The Word brings accountability when we hear it together. The Word sharpens us when we hear it together. It leads us when we hear it together. We go to where the Word is taught, we listen, we grow. The key to this is first finding a church that has a high view of Scripture and teaches from the Bible and not just a certain tradition. Once there, make every effort to be attentive, taking notes during the sermon if that helps you learn. Attend Bible studies so that you can gather together with other believers to discuss God s Word. We weren t meant to live in isolation, and we weren t meant to dig into God s Word in isolation. 19

10 SCHOLARS AND SOURCES In addition to being a part of a Bible-believing community who holds God s Word as authoritative, using other resources can help with Bible interpretation as well. Throughout the history of the church, God has called many men and women to serve as scholars whose sole mission was to better understand the Scriptures through in-depth study and research. Many of these scholars have recorded their hard work in reference books and commentaries. Understanding this group as part of the body of Christ and valuing their contribution to the church looks like trusting that the Spirit of God works even outside of our own relational circles. The key to using these resources well is the ability to identify trustworthy sources and not just accepting everything that seems scholarly. Beware of random internet searches as you seek truth. Many people write things about the Bible that are wrong. Getting a general understanding of the credibility of a source will help you navigate through those sources that are solid and those that are lacking. By tapping into resources like commentaries and reference books, you place yourself under the teaching of respected scholars who can help bring light to passages that may have been tricky or confusing. MAKE IT PERSONAL What is your favorite verse or passage in the Bible? Apply the things you have learned this week and study it. Be ready to share what you learn with your group this week. For a comprehensive approach to studying Scripture, we recommend How to Study the Bible for All Its Worth by Douglas Stuart and Gordon Fee, or Living By the Book by Howard Hendricks. 20

11 CHALLENGE: MEMORIZE THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE One of the best things you can do for your ability to study the Bible is to memorize its books in order. This exercise will help you gain confidence when you open it by knowing where you are and how to get to where you want to go. A helpful way to remember the layout of the Bible is to say (like a football chant): Practice saying that out loud a few times. It ll stick! What is that? It s the layout of the Bible. The 66 books of the Old and New Testament are broken down: OLD TESTAMENT 5 - Books of Law 12 - Books of History 5 - Books of Wisdom literature and Poetry 5 - Major Prophets 12 - Minor Prophets NEW TESTAMENT 4 - Gospels 1 - Book of History 21 - Letters 1 - Apocalyptic letter Old Testament New Testament APOCALY- PTIC 21