What Are The Best Methods To Study The Bible?

“Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalm 119:33-35 NIV)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

The BIBLE is the Word of God.

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It is the most important instruction book you will ever need to guide your life.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2 NIV)

The Greek word ‘logos’ is translated as “word,” which means speech. It is described as a word, uttered by a living voice, by the sayings of God. ‘Logos’ is also defined as a decree, or a mandate, and the moral precepts given by God, who is the source.

God the Father, just as He spoke in the past through the 39 books of the Old Testament, continues to speak to His people today through the 27 books of the New Testament (and not through tradition) by using His Words spoken to Jesus, who then spoke to His 12 Apostles, who wrote them down, which are the books of the New Testament (Luke 10:16; John 13:20,17:17-20). When contending with the religious leaders, those who abused God’s law, and the devil, Jesus, responded: “It is written,” and not it is “said” (Matthew 4:4-10,21:13; Mark 7:6,10:5). The writers of the New Testament constantly appealed to the Scriptures alone as their base of authority in declaring what was, and was not true biblical teaching (Matthew 21:42; John 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:10-12, 2:2; 2 Peter 1:17-19; Acts 17:11).

The Bible has been translated numerous times in a one-step process from the original languages into multiple languages throughout history. However, it has never been rewritten. There are approximately 5,700 copies of the Greek manuscripts that were made very close to the time of the originals, and they all agree with each other to 99.5% accuracy. The .5% variation would include textual misspellings or minor word alternations. There are also over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages, which brings the total supporting New Testament manuscript purity to over 24,000 copies.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to mind all that He had said, as well as taught the 12 Apostles, thereby confirming that what was written in the New Testament was inspired and authoritative and warned that anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not keep or believe in the complete sufficiency of His Word is deceiving themselves, and is of their father the devil (John 14:25-26,17:17-21).

THE BIBLE IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY

The foundation of Christianity is the Bible, and it is the absolutely perfect revelation of Jesus Christ and the absolute and final authority in the life of the Born-Again Christian. It has been said that it contains 31,102 verses and approximately 757,400 words [I haven’t confirmed that]. It is the only infallible, inerrant, inspired, and dependable source for humankind to know God's voice. His Word sustains everything in the Cosmos and has the answers to all eternal questions. The focus of all Scripture is ultimately on Jesus. It is the blueprint of Heaven and the only reliable source of truth for all moral and spiritual information by which humans can successfully live each day and build a foundation for any endeavor. In its original text, the Bible is the all-inclusive, inerrant, divinely inspired word of God (See Psalm 19:7;119:142,160, Proverbs 30:5-6, Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 4:4;24:35; John 10:35;14:16-17; 23-26;21:25; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 3:15-16).

"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5-6 ESV)

Jesus accepted the full authority of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-18). He said the religious leaders were in error because they did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God, and constantly criticized and rebuked them for corrupting the basis of truth by equating their traditions with God's Word and making it ineffectual (Matthew 22:29; Mark 7:13).

Jesus consistently referred to the authority of the Scriptures. He said, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished,” and “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17 ESV). He told the Disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” and prayed, “Your word is truth” (John 16:13,17:17 ESV).