How To Study The Bible
Many Christians struggle to read their Bibles. It’s such a big book. It’s difficult to know where to start. Some of it can be confusing and hard to understand what it means.
Therefore, many just don’t ever even try. However, others love reading the Bible but approach reading in a way where they interpret it based on what feels right to them. Some allegorize everything and try to find “deeper” symbolic or hidden meanings beyond what is intended.
Others treat the Bible like a motivational book and are looking to be inspired. Honestly, that’s how I treated it when I was growing up and playing sports. I tried to find verses here and there that inspired me to work harder and to believe that I could succeed.
The Bible is inspirational, but that is not what it is in its’ primary sense. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. He inspired the authors of Scripture to write what is in our Bibles. That’s why Paul uses the term “God-breathed” in 2 Timothy 3:16.
How can we approach reading God’s word in a way which will lead to His intended meaning behind it? That’s what we are looking for. Not what we want it to mean or think it should mean, but what He intended it to mean is the understanding we are looking for.
Let’s look at how to study the Bible.
THE BIBLE IS ONE BIG STORY
Before diving into the specific method, it’s helpful to know that first and foremost the Bible is telling one big story. It’s the story of how God created the world, what went wrong with it, how He fixed what went wrong, and how it all will end.
In a nutshell, there are four acts in this story or this play: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Glory.
Creation
The first act (Creation) we see in Genesis 1-2 when God creates His perfect world and everything in it, including humanity.
Fall
The second act (The Fall) happens in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve are tempted by Satan and disobey God’s instruction. Sin, death, brokenness, and decay are brought into the world.
Redemption
The third act (Redemption) begins in some ways with God’s plan of rescue introduced in Genesis 3:15 and working through the building of the Israelite nation through whom the Savior would be born. We see this plan unfolding all throughout the rest of the Old Testament as God continues to move things forward in spite of sin and rebellion all along the way.
This act culminates with Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, providing forgiveness and reconciliation for all who will believe in Him. We read about this in the gospels found in the New Testament of our Bibles. The rest of the New Testament tells the story of God’s redeemed creation (the church) living in this world until God’s final act of glory and restoration.
Glory
The fourth act (Glory) is about how God destroys sin and death permanently and ushers in the new heaven and earth. We read about this primarily in Revelation 21-22.
If you understand the overall story of the Bible, then this will help to come to a better understanding of what you are reading when diving into specific parts of Scripture.
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
In the book, Grasping God’s Word, authors Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays outline a Bible study method called The Interpretive Journey. It helps bridge the historical, cultural, and linguistic gap between the ancient text and readers today.
There are five steps on the interpretive journey.
STEP ONE: GRASPING THE TEXT IN THEIR TOWN
The question you are trying to answer in step one is, “What did the text mean to the original audience?”
God, through the Holy Spirit, was first and foremost saying something to the original audience the book was written to. This is what we must find first in order to draw proper meaning for us today.
In this step, you read carefully and try to observe all that you can. You are looking closely at the specific words and the grammar found in the section you are reading.
You will also want to look at how the passage relates to what preceded it and what follows it. You want to understand the passage in its proper literary context.
This is also when you should look at the historical context which can be find in good study Bibles and biblical commentaries.
After analyzing everything in context, write out what the passage meant for the biblical audience in one or two sentences.
STEP TWO: MEASURING THE WIDTH OF THE RIVER TO CROSS
The question you are trying to answer in step two is, “What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?”
Differences in culture, language, situation, time, and covenant form a river that hinders us from moving straight from meaning in their context to meaning in ours. Sometimes the river will be extremely wide and other times it will be like a narrow creek.
In this step you will look for as many differences between the biblical audience and us today as modern readers. Things that applied to them may not apply to us today. We cannot just assume that whatever the passage meant to the original audience means the same for us today.
One of the biggest differences you are looking for is covenant. If you are reading an Old Testament passage, you will want to identify the significant theological differences that came as a result of Jesus’ finished work on the cross to usher us into the New Covenant today. We live by the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (law). (Romans 7:6)
STEP 3: CROSSING THE PRINCIPILIZING BRIDGE
The question you are trying to answer in step three is, “What is the theological principle in this text?”
The principle will be a timeless principle. It will not be tied to the culture or situation the biblical audience was in at the time it was written.
In this step, you do not try to create meaning. The principle will be drawn out of the meaning that you determined in step one was intended by the author. You are looking for the universal, timeless, theological principle(s) that come out of the authorial intent.
Write out the theological principle in one or two sentences. It should be reflected in the text, not culturally bound, not tied to a specific situation, and relevant to both the biblical and contemporary audience.
STEP 4: CONSULT THE BIBLICAL MAP
The question you are trying to answer in step four is, “How does our theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible?”
During this step you must reflect back and forth between the text and the teachings of the rest of Scripture. The theological principle that you derive should not only be present in the passage, but it must be congruent with the rest of Scripture.
STEP 5: GRASPING THE TEXT IN OUR TOWN
The question you are trying to answer in step five is, “How should individual Christians today live out the theological principle in their lives?”
In this step, you apply the theological principle to your specific situation today. How does it apply to your real-life situation today?
This is when you are looking for how the Holy Spirit is leading you to respond to the truth He has revealed to you through this text. Again, not everything in the passage will apply to you today because of the difference in situation, culture, customs, and especially covenant. But your application will be tied to the timeless principle established in step 3 and your current situation in life today.
DEPEND UPON THE HOLY SPIRIT
It is crucial to understand the role of the Holy Spirit and to depend upon Him as you study the Bible and work through the Interpretive Journey steps listed above.
It takes the Holy Spirit to illuminate Scripture. He gives understanding to us as we read and depend upon Him. He must turn the lights on for us to see the truths found in the Bible.
Therefore, don’t study the Bible and work your way through the interpretive journey steps without praying and trusting the role of the Holy Spirit to interpret proper meaning and discover the application to your life.
Also, as He reveals how passages apply to your life directly, don’t forget that it takes the Spirit to empower you to live it out. Remember, Jesus said you are a branch and He is the Vine. Branches are receivers. You must receive power from the Vine to carry out the application revealed by the Spirit.
CONCLUSION
Studying the Bible is an amazing journey that the Lord will use to reveal His love, grace, mercy, and amazing plans for your good and His glory. As you begin to use proper methods for studying and depend upon the Holy Spirit as you read, He will show up in unimaginable ways. So, open up your Bible and jump in today!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting our ministry through the book purchases you make through this site.
