2 Tim. 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The word “study” is the word sp??d??? spoudazó (spoo-dad'-zo), which means, to make haste, give diligence, be eager, be zealous; to “shew”, not “show”; which is the word, pa??st?µ? paristémi (par-is'-tay-mee); which means, to present, or come up to by presenting thyself” – unto God as one approved.
What we see is studying our bibles has less to do with academia and more to do with receiving. Memorizing and knowing scripture, having a yearly bible reading plan, highlighting and taking notes, and all that jazz, is a good thing, but it’s not really the meaning of 2 Tim. 2:15. After all, BTK the serial killer was a deacon at his church and studied the bible regularly, and knew scripture.
What we’re going to go over, is not just some method, blueprint or system devised on how to study your Bible, but the 5 truth principles of how are bible is to be studied.
The first and most important principle.
2Peter 1:20-21
20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [j]interpretation, 21for prophecy never came by the will of man, but men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The word English word “prophecy”, which many tend to think means foretelling of some future event; is actually translated from the Greek word “prophéteia (prof-ay-ti'-ah); which means, communicating divine inspiration declaring the purposes of God. The phrase “of any private” is one Greek word ?d???, a, ? idios (id'-ee-os), meaning, personal, distinct or private. And, interpretation, ?p???s??, e??, ? epilusis (ep-il'-oo-sis), means to unpack, untie, give explanation or interpretation.
Scripture tells us, the first thing or first principle about reading or studying our Bible is, that we must know or ginóskó, (meaning, have personal intimately knowledge) that all scriptures, did not come from any private, personal or distinct reasoning or explanation of any man, who somehow was able to unpack, untie, explain or interpret the thoughts and expressions of God, what God spoke, means or revealed. Verse 21 then says, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. This tells us, scripture did not and does not have its origin in “the will” of man; but, that men spoke or communicated scripture, as they were moved, carried along, conducted, by the Holy Spirit.
This very important principle, is the beginning and end all of reading and studying our bibles. Intimately knowing that God Himself is the author of all scripture, not man. Though books of the Bible have been given titles of the men God used to communicate/transcribe His Word, these men served more or less as God’s “scribe”. A scribe is copyist, as well as, a teacher; all lead by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s revealed Word to man.
You cannot truly or rightly study your Bible without the assurance of what you are reading is God’s Word, directly from God. They Bible was written to believers, not none believers.
Rom. 10:17 emphatically tells us, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing comes from the Word of God. The word for “hearing” used in this scripture is ????, ??, ? akoé (ak-o-ay'); which is an ecclesiastical word, which means it is a word primarily used in bible language. This word akoé (ak-o-ay') means more than the general definition of hearing, which is defined as a process or function of perceiving sound. what akoé (ak-o-ay') means is spiritual hearing (to perceive, discern God's voice).
Now, it tells us, that “faith” comes by perceiving, discerning God’s voice, and that perceiving and discerning God’s voice comes from His rhéma (hray'-mah), His Word. So, if I approach my bible without the assurance that I am hearing God speak, then it can’t be spiritually hearing, and therefore, it is not of faith, and if it is not of faith, I will not, cannot receive anything from God. No matter how much I highlight scripture, reread it, use Bible tools, commentaries, concordances, lexicons, etc., you will get nothing from it, nothing spiritual, because you will not being hearing God.
Principle #2: The Holy Bible is a collection of testimonies!
When studying your Bible, you have to understand the Bible is a collection of testimonies, stories and instructions of God’s interaction with man and man’s interaction with God. Approaching God’s Word with this perspective gives us the opportunity to vicariously, to experience in ourselves through actions of another, of knowing how God does and will interact with us. So, how God dealt with David, Peter, Paul, and others, is how we are able to see how He will deal with us in given circumstances and situations. Now, granted, times were different back then, then they are now, but God’s principles, statutes, precepts and laws have not changed, He has not changed. So, this gives me the perspective of God’s will and truth for my life today.
When you approach studying your bible from the perspective of seeing yourself in scripture, you are able to place yourself in a position of knowing how God would interact with you. This is one of the main points of the Gospel, God the Son took on human form, that He may interact with man, and man with Him. And, as it tells us, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb. 13:8). He has not changed. So, through many examples throughout scripture, from Adam till Apostle John and us today, God shows us how He deals with us, and how we are to deal with Him. So, if you don’t see yourself in scripture when reading, hearing or studying it, you’re not connecting with God’s Word. You are merely intellectualizing it, which is nothing but head knowledge, with no means of practical application to your live.
When you see yourself in scripture, you will be more compelled to act upon what you discovered in God’s Word, because you know God is calling you, to the best of your ability, to apply His Word, His truth to your own life. Amen!
This is the whole point of studying the scriptures, to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18); We want our lives to change to conform, be like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29). This is why we study our Bible, to grow more and more in the spiritual likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. And when you work on applying His Word, His truth to your life, God will bless your efforts by conforming you just that much more into the image of the Son Jesus Christ.
Principle #3, Lean not to your own understanding!
Don’t force understanding of what you believe scripture to mean. When you force understanding of what you believe scripture to mean, it will and does lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation, and we see this happen all the time with many Christians, including, pastors and teachers of His Holy Word.
An example of forcing what you believe scripture means or trying to interpret it in your own knowledge, reasoning and skill, is repeatedly seen in Jesus’ continued admonishment of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the so called experts on the Torah, Law and the Prophets! Jesus continued to confront them about their misunderstanding, wrongful interpretation and self-reasoning of the Scriptures. Now, there are too many examples for us to go over; but, there is one particular passage that clearly defines what we’re talking about. Matt. 9:9-13 9As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. 10Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Jesus quoted to them Hosea 6:6, “6For I desire mercy[c] and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” And, He tells them, “go and learn what it means”! Obviously, He’s telling them they don’t understand scripture. With all their studying of the scriptures, they never understood them, because they lacked spiritual insight or guidance; although, their daily ritual was to recite the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
The failed to understand the whole Law, including the offerings and sacrifices, were to serve as an expression of love for God. They “obeyed the Law,” yet they did not display love toward God, and did not truly know Him. God desired their love over external practices of piety. He longed for His people to long for Him rather than simply continue in religious tradition.
Look at one of the most educated Pharisees, Saul of Taurus, who after becoming an apostle of the Lord, stated:
Phil. 3:5-8
5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Brother Paul, who in all his studying the scriptures, never knew the Lord or the true Word of God until He received and was lead and taught by the Holy Spirit. We know this by the fact when He spoke to Church in Galatia, he said to them:
Gal. 3:2-5
2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? a 4Have you experienced b so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Saul of Tarsus could have never said that. But, the Apostle Paul, who having been taught and lead by the Holy Spirit could.
1Cor. 2:12-13:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Now, the word teacheth or teaches, simply means to cause to learn. So, what 1 Cor. 2:12-13 tells us that Holy Ghost or Holy spirit causes us to learn by comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. Meaning, somethings you won’t get by simply reading or hearing God’s Word. There are many of the times, for us to fully gain understanding of what God’s Word means, we have to experience it. Somethings can’t be taught; they must be caught.
For example, we were all taught by our parents about real friends. We listened to our parents, even believed what they told us about friends. But, we didn’t really get or understand what they were telling us until we ourselves experienced what true friendship was or was not. We had to go through somethings to really get it, to truly understand what they meant.
This is the concept of comparing spiritual things with spiritual – somethings must be caught rather than taught to actually learn what God means. Experience is one of the main ways God actually teaches us the meaning of His Word. That’s why it tells us to count it all joy when we enter into various temptations, trials and tribulations, because we are to understand that God is actually causing us to learn something spiritual.
So, those times you are studying God’s Word, and you don’t fully understand it, don’t force it. Ask God to show you what it means, and how to apply it. Then let it lay until He brings you to the understanding.
Principle #4, common sense.
To many of us approach studying our Bibles trying to be to spiritual, looking for deep meanings that aren’t there. This not only minsters to us confusion, but also false and wrong interpretation.
I remember a friend of mine, an associate pastor, was trying to teach that God not only made Adam and Eve, but also made another set of people. And, before he could go to the scripture, I already knew what he was talking about. Gen. 1:27 & Gen. 2:7
Gen. 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth; and then in;
and then
Chapter 2:7; 21-22
7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He [h]made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
I told him, though Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 both give an account of God creating man, he’s putting too much on it, rather than looking at the passages from a common sense point of view, he reasoned scripture shows God creating man on two separate occasions. I explained to Him, Chapter 1, is a preamble, an introduction, a prelude to creation. And, chapter 2 tells us the story of God creating man. Common sense shows us, chapter 1, is a synopsis of creation, telling us that God created male and female, and then in chapter 2 it goes on to give a description of how God created them.
Another example of the use of common sense is when Jesus tells us, “if you eye offends you pluck it out. If your hand offends you cut it off.” We obviously know Jesus did literally mean we are to stab ourselves in the eye because we look at someone and lust, or to cut our hands off because we may covet. Yet, flagellation, which is beating and whipping yourselves as a form of religious discipline is still being used by many off-shoot Christian religions. However, common sense should tell me Jesus doesn’t want me to self-mutilate myself. So, what could He mean? Common sense then leads me to realize, what He’s telling me is that I should avoid, to remove, those things from within me, from around me, that may cause or lead me committing certain sins; such as sexual lust or uncontrolled coveting. Common sense.
Truth is, most scripture can be read with simple common sense understanding. But, as many of us do, we do too much – wanting to make it so spiritual. God has not made His Word complicated to fool or stump us. It tells us in Ps. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
Prov. 3:21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion. The phrase keep sound wisdom is the Hebrew word tushiyyah (too-shee-yaw'), which can be translated in modern vernacular as “common sense”
God is not trying to hide something from you, make you jump through hoops to find it, or spend your life trying to figure it out. Most of it is basic common sense. When you read your Bible from the perspective of common sense, and I assure you, scripture will start making more sense to you.
Principle #5, context, context, context.
You do know the Bible was not written in chapter verse format? Each book, historical writing, letter and epistle was written in a natural structure of conveying an intended message. It’s like receiving a letter from a friend or loved one, you don’t read it extrapolating certain sentences to try to detect what their trying to convey to you. No, you read it as it flows with continuity to glean the essence of what they are express to you.
However, many of us read the Bible and merely extrapolate scriptures that we feel apply to us or what we want to hear. For example, I have heard many Christian say, “God says He will give us the desires of our heart.”
But, yet, if you read this scripture within its context, the scripture before and the scripture after, it reads:
3Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit[a] your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Reading it in its context, it takes on a whole another meaning. In context, the passage conveys the meaning of trusting the Lord, feeding on His faithfulness, delighting yourself in Him and Him giving you the desires of your heart. Now, when I live trusting in the Lord, feeding on His faithfulness, delighting myself in Him, that means, His desires for me become my desires for me, and when my desires line up with His desires, He pours into me the desires in my heart that I have that are His desires for me. That’s a far different meaning of God giving me the desires of my heart having been extrapolated from its context.
When it comes to reading and studying the Bible, chapters and verses feel about as essential as the steering wheel of a car. We wouldn’t quite know what to do without them. They give our Bibles a structure we can grasp. They make things easy to find and they break down long passages into manageable, relatively uniform chunks. However, we must understand, the Bible was not written this way. It was written with confluence, continuity to convey meaning of thought, reason, to bring a complete understanding. It was made for reading, conveying God’s reasoning of thought. Why do you think Jesus was called the Word or Logos, Hebrews 1:1-3 says, 1In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,
When speaking to someone, you don’t do it by dictation, categorizing each word, sentence or paragraph. No, you communicate your expression of thought with continuity. Well, guess what, God also communicates with a sense of continuity, conveying His thoughts, express and reasoning’s along a line of communication.
When we read our bibles with each verse and passage being separate, we lose the continuity of what’s being communicated, which often leads to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. That’s why we see many denominations, religions and people craft entire theologies and church dogma around a set of verses that seem to support what they believe; but yet, the true meaning or essence of the passage is not what they think or believe.
Now, I can go all day discussing studying our Bibles, and there are other principles that you can add to the 5 I listed, but if you apply these 5 to studying your bibles, you will be enlightened and enriched with what God will show you.
May God bless and keep you my friends, In Jesus Holy and precious name. Amen!
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