The basic message of the Bible is so simple that the least educated person can readily understand it. On the other hand, given the long history of its shaping, some portions of the Bible will stump us and demand diligent study on our part before we can reach an adequate understanding of them.
Let me share some proven methods that can assist you in your study of the Bible and increase your confidence and competence in your understanding of this great and holy Book.
FIRST, BEGIN YOUR BIBLE STUDY WITH PRAYER
Prayer will deepen your devotion and quicken your intelligence to receive what the mind, unaided, cannot easily handle (i.e., reports of miraculous events).
Concentrated attention is important when studying any subject matter that is exacting. In studying Scripture one also needs a mind that is open to God, a mind devotionally attuned to listen and to learn from what has been revealed. A prayer-informed attentiveness helps this to happen.
SECOND, PERIODICALLY READ THROUGH AN ENTIRE BIBLICAL BOOK
An understanding of the doctrines of the Bible deepens as one becomes familiar with whole books of the Bible. The immediate purpose in reading through an entire book is to grasp the book's main message. Only thus can attempts to deal with smaller sections or portions of the writing be successful.
Every book in the Bible has its distinct "feel," and the historical situation that it reflects, or to which it speaks, needs to be sensed by reading the book through with this in mind. Many Biblical books treat some event and most answer some question, or teach a particular truth, or portray experiences in the lives of persons of importance to the community of faith. Reading through an entire book enables the reader to see the main point. Thus, much of "the big picture" can become clear long before section or verse problems are tackled.
THIRD, TAKE CAREFUL NOTICE OF THE GREAT EVENTS REPORTED IN THE BIBLE
The first book narrates the creation of all things, and the second Israel's deliverance from bondage. This is, later, a large portion of the Old Testament that treats the story of Israel's nationhood, the exile, and the subsequent return of the Jews to the Holy Land.
The historical pleadings of the prophets in the books that bear their names—as well as the books of Kings and Chronicles—should be studied with full attention to their warnings, rebukes, prophetic announcements and critiques of human waywardness.
But the paramount study in Scripture involves the most significant event in all of history: Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Again and again the New Testament writers highlight these events as central in the larger story of Jesus' life.
The New Testament offers us a theological assessment of the history connected with the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, as well as the implications of that history for human hope. In fact, this is the central message of the New Testament, and no study of the Bible that does not take this into account is redemptively profitable.
FORTH, STUDY THE BIBLE'S GREAT WORKS OF FAITH AND DOCTINE
Whereas the Gospels report specific events and teaching in the life of Jesus, Paul's writings (which comprise the largest portion of the New Testament) expound what those events mean in God's larger plan of salvation. The same is true of the writings of Peter, James, and John. The great words of faith found in their letters should be studied with a view to developing a theological understanding of what God has done in Christ for our salvation.
FIFTH, COPE WITH THE PROBLEMS YOU ENCOUNTER AS YOU READ
Spend time with the tongue-twisting names you come across when reading your Bible. Locate help for pronouncing them by checking the appropriate entry in the Bible dicitonary or Bible encyclopedia. In many instances, a Biblical name holds particular meaning in a family or community and becomes a means of remembering an experience, or a symbol of hope and promise (see Gen 3:20; Ex 2:10, 22; Isa 7:14; Hosea 1:4, 6, 8; Matt 1:21).
Numerous aids are available to assist in Bible study. If the Bible you use provides study notes on its pages (such as the NIV Reflecting God Study Bible)—and if you follow the leads those notes give, you can gain a much better understanding of the text.
Bible dicitonaries and encyclopedias provide brief entries on Biblical names, places, writers and the like. A Bible atlas gives specialized information about geographical places and references.
Concordances are books that list many or all of the verses containing the same word or that bear on the same theme or topic in the passage you are studying. Use a concordance to find out more about a word or verse through insights from other Biblical settings where that word or verse theme is also found.
Usually written by scholars, commentaries reflect on the meaning of the book or passage or verse you are studying. Some commentaries are devotional, dealing mainly with the meaning and application of the Biblical text. Many are technical and treat not only meaning but also matters of grammar, word usage and the theology of the writer of a text, etc.
It is best to begin your study of the Bible with a one-volume commentary that treats the entire Bible. Then move on to single volumes on each book of the Bible. Search carefully and seek good advice from the pastor and teachers in your church.
A few final words of advice: In you studying, plan your time so that your task can be fruitful, and without undue interruptions. Immerse yourself in the study until the spirit of the book, the passage, the chapter, or the verse is felt— and its lines are etched firmly upon your heart as well as on your mind. Remember what Jesus said (quoting Deut 8:3), "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4).
