Hw t Study Yur Bible Sessin 1: Overview I. Why the Bible? The Hly Bible was by men, divinely by Gd and perfectly cmmunicates Gd s instructin t man. (2 Timthy 3:15-17) The Bible tells the stry f Gd s fr man, man s, and Gd s eternal f man starting with the beginning f time until the end f time. IMPORTANT: The Bible was NOT written t be a. If yu read it like ne, yu ll get tripped up. II. Structure f the Bible There are 66 bks f the Bible separated int tw majr sectins. The Old Testament (39) and The New Testament (27). The Old Testament Begins with and tells f Gd s interactin with his chsen peple,. The Old Testament represents the cmplete Hly Scriptures f peple t this day (Hebrew Bible) The 39 Bks f the Old Testament are separated int three different sectins: If yu knw what kind f bk yu are reading, then yu will knw what kind f infrmatin t expect, and yu can fllw the flw. Many f us make the mistake f assuming that the whle Bible is ne lng, unbrken stry and that it flwed cngruently frm ne bk t the next. 1
The New Testament Begins with the incarnatin f and tells f His life and ministry as well as that f His as they carried n after his death & resurrectin. The 27 Bks f the New Testament are separated int 3 different sectins If yu knw what kind f bk yu are reading, then yu will knw what kind f infrmatin t expect, and yu can easily fllw the flw. Cannizatin There are certain bks that are as cann, and thers that are nt. The primary requirements were f authrship, and with the undisputed teachings f Jesus. Synd f Ladicea (363) Frbade the reading f nn-cannical bks. 26 bks. Cuncil f Hipp (393) Cnfirmed the list f 27 New Testament Bks. III. Translatin f the Bible The Bible was riginally written in the native languages f,, and. The Bible began t be translated in in the early 17 th Century frm the mst reliable riginal scripts at the time. Knw Yur Versins! Translatins (KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, ESV) Paraphrases (The Living Bible; The Message) 2
Sessin 2: The Old Testament I. Histrical/Narrative Bks A. The Era (Genesis 1-11) Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur majr sectins f the Creatin Era : Man is made in the image f Gd (Genesis 1-2) : Sin entered the wrld (Genesis 3) : Judgment fr Sin (Genesis 6-10) : Beginning f the Natins (Genesis 11) B. The Era (Genesis 12-50) The birth f the peple thrugh a family f patriarchs, cvering a perid f tw hundred years Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur main men f this era: : Father f the Hebrew Peple (Genesis 12-23) : Secnd Father f Prmise (Genesis 24-26) : Father f the Natin f Israel (Genesis 27-35) : Leader in Egypt (Genesis 37-50) C. The Era (Exdus-Deuternmy) The f the Hebrew peple as they are delivered ut f fur hundred years f slavery in Egypt. Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur majr sectins f this era: : Freedm frm Slavery in Egypt (Exdus 1-18) : Gd s Cmmandments at Munt Sinai (Exdus 19-40) 3
: Place f Rebellin Against Gd (Numbers 10-14) : Cnsequences f Rebelling Against Gd (Numbers 20-36) D. The Era (Jshua) The cnquest f the peple upn their return frm Egypt. Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur main events f the Cnquest Era by the Hebrew : A Miraculus Parting f the Water (Jshua 1-5) : A Miraculus Cnquest f a City (Jshua 6) : The Defeat f Canaan (Jshua 7-12) : Finalizing Dminin (Jshua 13-20) E. The Era (Judges-Ruth) A fur hundred year perid during which Israel is gverned by rulers called Judges. Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur main subjects in the Judges Era: : The Leaders f Israel : The Breaking f Gd s Law : Repetitin f Israel s Misfrtunes : A Mdel Wman F. The Era (1 Samuel-2 Chrnicles) An additinal fur hundred year perid during which Israel becmes a fullfledged natin ruled by a mnarchy. Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur main perids f the Kingdm Era: (1 and 2 Samuel) 4
: A Civil War (1 Kings) (2 Kings) (2 Kings) G. The Era (Daniel-Ezekiel*) A seventy-year perid during which Israel s leaders live in exile, having been Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: by freign cuntries. H. The Era (Ezra-Esther) The return f exiled Jews t Jerusalem t rebuild the city and the temple. Majr Figure: Main Lcatin: There are fur majr subjects in the Return Era: : Destructin frm War & Neglect (Nehemiah 1:1-3) : Rebuilding the Temple (Ezra 1-6) : Spiritual Rebuilding (Ezra 7-10) : Restratin Cmplete (Nehemiah) I. The Era II. Petic Bks A final fur-hundred year perid between the clse f the Old Testament and the pening f the New Testament. Majr Figures: Main Lcatin: A. Three Majr Types f Hebrew Petry (i.e. Psalm 3; Psalm 42; Psalm 121; Psalm 150) shrt sayings (i.e. Prverbs 21) frm (i.e. Prverbs 7; Jb) Petry t be accmpanied by music, like a sng Petry t teach principles f living thrugh Petry a narrative that tells a stry in petic 5
B. Five Petic Bks : Suffering and Gd s Svereignty : Praise in Public Wrship : Wisdm, Skill fr Living : Futility f Tempral Pursuits : Gd s Marriage Manual III. Prphetic Bks Prphecy is prclaiming the Wrd f Gd, bth fr the future and in the present. Designatin: Types f Prphets Prphets Isaiah; Jeremiah; Lamentatins; Ezekiel; Daniel Prphets Time Perid (12) T Israel: Hsea; Ams T Judah: Habakkuk; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Jel; Micah; Zephaniah; Lamentatins T Assyria: Jnah; Nahum T Edm: Obadiah (2) Ezekiel; Daniel (3) Haggai; Zechariah; Malachi Types f Prphecy : Predicting the Future : Prclaiming the Teachings f Gd Expsing sin and calling peple t a higher mral standard Warning f judgment if the peple dn t refrm Prclaiming the Cming Messiah 6
Sessin 3: The New Testament I. Histrical/Narrative Bks A. The Era (Matthew-Jhn) Jesus cmes in fulfillment f the Old Testament prphecies f a that ffers buried, and resurrected. Him, mst and the true kingdm f Gd. While sme Matthew: Written t t prtray Jesus as Him and He is crucified, Mark: Written t and prtrays Jesus as the Luke: Written t as a f Jesus life. Jhn: Written t a wide audience t prtray Jesus as. Fur Main Divisins in the Gspel Era Early : Childhd t Baptism Ministry: Initial Acceptance Ministry: Grwing Rejectin Death & Resurrectin: Final Rejectin B. The Era (Acts 1-12) Peter, shrtly after the ascensin f Jesus, is used by Gd t establish the church, Gd s next majr plan fr man. Fur Majr Subjects in the Church Era : Birth f the Church (Acts 1-5) : Organizatin f the Church (Acts 6) : The First Christian Martyr (Acts 7) : A Missinary t the Gentiles (Acts 8-12) C. The Era (Acts 13-28) Paul expands the church int the the next tw decades Fur Majr Subjects in the Missins Era i. First Missinary Jurney: fr 2 Years (Acts 13-14). ver ii. Secnd Missinary Jurney: fr 3 Years (Acts 15-17) 7
iii. Third Missinary Jurney: fr 4 Years (Acts 18-21) iv. Trials & Imprisnment: Prisn fr 2 Years (Acts 22-28) II. Epistles & Revelatin A. What is an Epistle? written t churches, individuals, r in sme cases, the Christian public at large. Deal with specific prblems and issues f the day, but d s in a way that the infrmatin is and. Typical pattern is t write a sectin f truth and fllw up with practical f that truth. B. Pauline Epistles t the. Rmans 1 and 2 Crinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Clssians 1 and 2 Thessalnians C. Pauline Epistles t. 1 and 2 Timthy Titus Philemn D. Epistles Hebrews James 1 and 2 Peter 1, 2, and 3 Jhn Jude III. Revelatin 8
Sessin 4: Observatin I. The Setting A. Wh? Wh this? Wh is? Wh are they speaking? Wh are the speaking? Wh are the characters? Wh are the characters? What d yu abut these peple? B. What? What is the f the passage? What is? What is being? What are the in the passage? What d these terms? C. When? When des this take place in? What r markers des the text ffer us? When did these events take place within the verall? When did this take place in the? D. Where? What d yu knw abut the in the stry? What d yu knw abut the f the setting? 9
II. Learn Hw t Read A. Read B. Read C. Read D. Read E. Read F. Read G. Read H. Read I. Read III. What t Lk fr A. Things that are. B. Things that are. C. Things that are. D. Things that are r. E. Things that are. 10
Sessin 5: Interpretatin I. What is Interpretatin? A. Interpretatin answers the questin, what des this? B. Getting Over the Barriers 1. Barriers 2. Barriers 3. Barriers 4. Barriers C. Understanding types f literature 1. Narrative and Bigraphy 2. Parables 3. Petry 4. Epistles 5. Prverbs/Wisdm Literature 6. Prphecy/Apcalyptic Literature II. 5 Keys t Interpretatin A. Cntent B. Cntext 1. A text withut cntext is. 2. Cnsider the text in light f: The surrunding and. The in which it is fund C. Cmparisn 1. T Other Scripture will Never Scripture Is my interpretatin cnsistent with what the entire says? 2. T Prper Is my interpretatin cnsistent with trusted Christian? If yu have a new interpretatin, it s likely. 11
D. Culture The f the day shed light n what the text is saying. We err when we superimpse culture n the Biblical text. E. Cnsultatin An Exhaustive Cncrdance A Bible Dictinary Bible Handbks Atlases Bible Cmmentaries Study Bibles III. Figuring ut the Figurative A. Use the sense unless there is gd reasn nt t B. Use the figurative sense when the tells yu t d s C. Use the figurative sense if a literal meaning is r. D. Use the figurative sense if a literal meaning wuld invlve smething. E. Use the figurative sense if the expressin is an bvius. F. Use the figurative sense if a literal interpretatin ges cntrary t the and f the passage G. Use the figurative if a literal interpretatin ges cntrary t the general and f the bk H. Use the figurative sense if a literal interpretatin invlves a f ther Scripture. I. Use the figurative sense if a literal interpretatin wuld invlve a cntradictin in. 12
Sessin 6: Interpretatin I. Principles f Applicatin (2 Timthy 3:16) T knw and nt d is nt t knw at all. ~Hendricks There is ne, but can be cuntless. If yu get the interpretatin, yu ll prbably get the applicatin. A. Teaching B. Reprf C. Crrectin D. Training in Righteusness II. Fur Steps in Applicatin A. The Biblical (Rmans 12:3) Sund (1 Timthy 4:16) B. Cnnecting the with yur. Christcentrism Making Jesus Christ the central f the text and yur life. C. Think n the text thrughut the. Spend quiet time prayerfully the text D. Is there smeplace in my life where this truth is needed? Build and int yur life arund the issue. 13
III. Nine Questins t Ask A. Is there an fr me t fllw? B. Is there a t avid? (i.e. 1 Crinthians 10:1-13) C. Is there an,, r that I need t shift? D. Is there a t embrace? (i.e. 1 Thessalnians 4:13-18) E. Is there a t repeat? (i.e. Psalm 51; Matthew 6) F. Is there a t bey? (i.e. Matthew 26:36-40) G. Is there a t meet? (i.e. Jhn 15:7) H. Is there a verse t? I. Is there an t mark? J. Is there a t face? 14