How to Study the Bible
Why Study

Read vs. Study

So which is best, studying or reading? There is a place for both, but both are essential. Be weary of anyone who only advocates for reading.

Reading

  • Reading is quick and able to cover large chapters (at times an entire book in one sitting).
  • Reading the Bible cover-to-cover grasps the metanarrative big-picture of the entire Bible story. The 66 books of the Bible tell one large story. We wouldn't read a book like Harry potter by only reading parts out of order and skipping whole entire sections. Why would we treat the Bible with less respect?
  • Reading is quick and easy, but it cannot substitute study by itself.

Study

  • Study should be slow. David Platt compares studying scripture to glossing over a meaningful love letter from a High School crush.
  • Study is hard work requiring time, effort, resources, and help.
  • Working through difficult problems promotes learning and growing. It's a great practice to look up every question you have. Don't skip the difficult stuff.
  • Have you read the story of the Bible cover to cover?
  • Do you tend to lean mostly towards reading or studying?
  • What's the slowest you've ever studied a passage? Have you studied something for one hour or more?
  • I am a creature of a day. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book.
    - John Wesley
  • The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed.
    - Thomas Paine
  • Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.
    - R. C. Sproul

What scripture says about itself

God’s word is the primary way God speaks to us

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

It helps and comforts us in hard times

Psalm 119:28

My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.

We enjoy God through his word

Psalm 19:9-10

“the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.”

It helps us to make life decisions and test our feelings

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path

We learn how to live as Christians with a renewed MIND

Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We study to understand, so in turn we can correctly APPLY

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
  • Have you read the story of the Bible cover to cover?
  • Do you tend to lean mostly towards reading or studying?
  • What's the slowest you've ever studied a passage? Have you studied something for one hour or more?
  • I am a creature of a day. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book.
    - John Wesley
  • The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed.
    - Thomas Paine
  • Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.
    - R. C. Sproul
Textual Criticism

Bible Origin

Textual criticism:

“The study of a literary work that aims to establish the original text”

Merriam Webster

Who wrote the Bible, God or man? Yes.

2 Peter 1:21

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Available Theories

  • Intuition Theory:

    Writers exhibit a natural intuition also found in other religions

  • Illumination Theory:

    Writers Inspired by the Holy Spirit just like you or I would

  • Dynamic Theory:

    God told the writer what concepts to write, the writer picked the words

  • Dictation Theory:

    God tells the writers the exact words. No human influence like a stenographer

  • ✓ Verbal Plenary:

    Dual authorship free from error. The words were written in human personal styles, and at the same time, God superintended all the words were his exact intention.

40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, Robert L. Plumer (Chapter 3 pg 31-34)

A Literary Masterpiece


http://www.openbible.info/blog/2010/04/bible-cross-references-visualization

God spoke through 40 different persons in a variety of circumstances over a 1,500 year period. Look at the cross references (one part of the text referring to another) above woven in unity through all 66 books of the Bible. Christians today are in so much disagreement today that they could never agree to write something with such unity, nevermind Christians over a 1,500 year time span! The Bible is truly one complete message from God with intricacies too impressive to be forged. No man-made literacy works have cross references nearly as diverse as this.

You can learn more about the Bible authors here, https://overviewbible.com/authors-who-wrote-bible


  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Canon

“Canon is a closed list of books that Christians view as uniquely authoritative and inspired. The Greek word canon originally meant reed or measuring rod. The canon is an authorized collection of writings.”

40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, Robert L. Plumer (Chapter 6 pg 57)

The Old Testament Canon

39 books were written between 1400 and 430 BC. There was a progressive recognition of books being canonical right from their inception by readers and listeners who were contemporaries with the writers. Jewish canon had been settled from the time of King Artaxerxes 465-423BC.

New Testament Canon

  • Apostolic: written by or tied closely to an apostle
  • Catholic: widely if not universally accepted by the churches
  • Orthodox: not in contradiction to any recognized apostolic book or doctrine Complete agreement was obtained AD 300-400 ‘(Council of Hippo 393, Council of Carthage 397)’

The Apocrypha

Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians have some additional books in their Old Testament that Protestants do not consider Scripture. These books were written by Jews in the roughly five hundred year period between the Old and New Testaments (430 BC-AD 40).

Why we don’t accept them as Scripture

  • The Jews who authored the books never accepted them into their canon.
  • The Apocrypha contains clear factual errors and form the standpoint of Protestants, theological errors
  • The Roman Catholic Church did not officially recognize the books in the Apocrypha as canonical until the Council of Trent in 1546. ‘[After Martin Luther in counter-reformation]’
  • While there are debatable allusions to the Apocrypha in the New Testament, New Testament authors nowhere cite the Apocrypha as Scripture.
From 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, Robert L. Plumer (Chapter 6 pg 57-66)

The canon of Scripture is CLOSED

"While the church has had some disputes over exactly which books belonged in the Canon, it always agreed that the Canon was closed with the death of the last apostle. While no Christian today seeks to add to the Canon, there are those within the visible church who claim to have new, direct, binding words from God. Beware of this dangerous heresy in the modern church."
From Ligonier Ministries, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/the-canon-of-the-bible



Revelation 22:18-19

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Attributes of God's Word

What scipture says about itself

Inerrancy

The Bible (original manuscripts) are free from error in all it affirms.

Infallibility

The Bible is unfailing in its purpose.

Sufficiency

The Bible contains all needed information for Christian living.

Authority

The Bible carries the right to prescribe beliefs and actions.

From John Macarthur, https://www.gty.org/library/questions/QA168/why-is-it-important-for-me-to-study-the-bible
  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Transmission (Copying Manuscripts)

The term “transmission” describes the ancient process of copying Hebrew and Greek manuscripts to preserve them for future generation and to distribute them for greater use.

The Masoretic scribes (A.D. 500-1000) in charge of the Old Testament manuscript copying used a very meticulous system of transcription and had a deep reverence for the text. God used their almost obsessive respect for the text to preserve the text’s accuracy. They had specific rules on the type of ink and the quality and size of parchment sheets. No individual letter could be written down without having looked back at the copy in front of them. The scribe could not write God’s name with a newly dipped pen (lest it blotch) and even if the king should address him, while writing God’s name, he should take no notice of him. They were so meticulous that they counted all the paragraphs, words and even letters, so they could know by counting, if they had done it perfectly. They knew the middle letter of each book so they could count back and see if they had missed anything.

The reliability of the New Testament Greek texts is even more certain than the Old Testament texts. The New Testament was written between A.D. 45 – A.D. 90. Some fragments of Greek texts exist that date back to A.D. 120 and A.D. 150. That’s only 35-100 years after the originals that Paul, John, Luke and others wrote!

Another big help to Greek textual scholars is the fact that there are 4,000-5,000 New Testament Greek manuscripts (partial or complete) existing. Textual criticism compares these manuscript “variants” to build accuracy. By comparing these many copies, scholars can weed out many possible copying mistakes. The more copies, the more we can build accuracy (obviously the earlier the copy the more weight it carries). So essentially, scripture gets more accurate with every archaeological discovery.

(From Sid Litke graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, 2008, Bible.org)

The following chart compares the New Testament manuscript evidence with other Greek literature from the same era.

Manuscript Earliest Existing Manuscript Copies
Plato 1,200 years later 7
Caesar 900 years later 10
Herodotus 1,300 years later 8
Aristotle 1,400 years later 5
New Testament Only 35-100 years later 5,000+
(From Sid Litke graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, 2008, Bible.org)
  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Translation (Manuscript to language)

To "translate," is to express in another language. … To the degree that we have done so accurately, we have made an accurate translation. Because of differences in idiom between languages, a strictly literal translation is impractical if not impossible. What is needed, then, is a version that is translated in such a way so as to be true to the original yet readable in itself as a literary work.

(Auburn University, J.R.C. Concordant Studies Scripture Translation Principles)

Isn’t the Bible just a copy of a copy of a copy?
How can we trust our translation?

“It's not true that we’re dealing with “a translation of translations of translations,” as if the original Greek first went into Chinese, which went into German, which went into Polish, and finally we got around to putting it into English. No, we’re able to translate directly from the original Greek and Hebrew into English and other languages, so at worst we’re dealing with a translation, full stop.”

(Greg Gilbert, Why Trust The Bible, 2017 Crossway)

Languages don’t match perfectly so every translation is an interpretation, like it or not. For instance there are four words for love in Greek: Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape. But there’s only one word for love in English. “I love my wife,” “I love pizza,” “I will love the needy.”

40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, Robert L. Plumer (Chapter 2 pg 33)

Is there such thing as a good or bad translation?

YES. Because there is only one truth to a passage, there is only one true translation. Accurate translations are typically formed by a committee of scholars and use textual criticism to assess original manuscripts accuracy, examine language and the author’s writing styles, dischipher historical distance such as units and measurements or euphemisms, as well as examine grammar and syntax.

So which translation should I use?

The best idea is to use a couple of accurate translations and compare interpretations. For the sake of suggestion, some of our favorites are the ESV, HCSB, NASB, and Amplified. For regular use we’d recommend avoiding more thought for thought translations like the NLT and Living translations, but they can be great to compare with. Bad translations are less accurate translations. Translations like the KJV and NIV were created using fewer manuscripts available at the time of translation so they are usable but not as accurate as others. Please avoid the Message Bible entirely because it is a paraphrase not a translation. It doesn’t claim to be a translation and even comes with the author, Eugene H. Peterson’s name on the cover.



Based on a chart from Zondervan.com

This chart shows the variation of word for word and thought for thought. Since word is the smallest piece of interpretation, we’d recommend using a good word for word. Thought for thought translations are great for new believers reading for the first time, but are heavier with the translator’s interpretation.

Some translations are officially closed, but some occasionally get updated. You’ll notice your older copy of a translation with a few different words than someone else with a newer print date. Or you’ll notice your Bible app on your phone getting “updates”. Don’t be fooled by finatics claiming that they have the only 100% accurate translation. Be warned, they are out there. You'll also notice that cults claim this same thing. They have the only single source of accurate truth.

Below is a chart showing what sources were used when building our modern translations.
  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Chapter & Verse Numbers

Chapter and verse numbers are not a part of original manuscripts. They were published for convenience in the fifteenth century. They can be great for study reference and memorizing, but they can get in the way for reading. You can purchase a reader’s Bible without numbers. Paragraph breaks can vary per translation as well. Original manuscripts don’t contain paragraphs.

Lous Klopsch, editor of Christian Herald magazine added the red letters to the Bible in 1901. Not all modern Bibles contain the red letters. Some see the red letters as controversial because they can underemphasize the other words in scripture (including the Old Testament) as if some are more authoritative than others.
"The Origins of the Red-Letter Bible" by Crossway, https://www.crossway.org/articles/red-letter-origin



ESV Reader's Bible
In the Reader’s Bible, verse numbers, section headings, and translation footnotes have been removed. The result is a new kind of Bible-reading experience in a volume that presents Scripture as one extended storyline.


  • Is the Bible a reliable book? How do you know?
  • What are some characteristics of the Bible?
  • What translation do you prefer, and why?
  • Nothing is more offensive to the Author of Scripture than to disregard, deny, or distort the truth He has revealed (Rev 22:18–19). To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent the One who wrote it. To reject its claims is to call Him a liar. To ignore its message is to snub that which the Holy Spirit inspired.
    - John MacArthur
  • Inerrancy is nothing less than the affirmation that the Bible, as the Word of God written, is totally true and totally trustworthy. When the Bible speaks, God speaks. This is the Bible’s own testimony about itself, and it is the historic faith of the Christian church.”
    - Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Genre

Overview

Certain books in the Bible were written in genres that are familiar to us, but others are foreign to the modern reader. And even the familiar generes sometimes include assumptions that the modern reader might not expect. The most common genre in the Bible is historical narrative.
40 Questions About Interpreting The Bible, Plummer Ch. 21 pg. 186



God used so many styles of communication to speak to us. Because the printing of our modern Bible is so visually uniform, it can be easy to miss this drastic variety! Take a moment to appreciate such an amazing cornucopia of literature.

Your Bible today is not sorted by the chronological order it was written, but rather it is strategically grouped and divided. It is possible to study using a chronological reading plan. By the way, some books can contain more than one genre so look carefully!


  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read the Law

  • There are over 600 laws in the Old Testament (civil, ritual and moral)
  • See them as God’s fully inspired word for you and not as God’s direct command to you
  • See God’s character, justice, love and holy standards revealed in Old Testament law
  • The OT law is a gift from God to his people
  • OT law is a covenant law
  • Unless the OT law is repeated or reinforced in the NT it is no longer directly binding on God’s people

Laws that are NOT reinforced

  • Civil laws
  • Ritual laws
"How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth," Fee G.D. and Stuart D., chapter 9 pg.180
David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 50-52

  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read Historical Narrative

  • God is the HERO of all Biblical narratives
  • NOT narratives are intended to teach moral lessons. They are not allegories with hidden meanings intended to teach doctrine.
  • They ARE stories with a specific purpose. Accounts of what happened not what should've happened. They are selective and incomplete.

Look for

  • Plot: the development, conflict and resolution
  • Scene: time and place
  • Characters: compare and contrast the characters
  • Dialogue
  • Narrator: irony and meaning he gives

Interpret OT narratives on these levels

  • Individual history
  • National history
  • Redemptive history

AVOID

  • Allegorizing: looking for hidden meanings
  • Decontextualizing: ignoring the historical and literary context
  • Selectivity: picking what you like to read
  • Moralizing: asking what the moral is at the end of each story
  • Personalizing: thinking the narratives are all about YOU
  • False appropriation: misapplying to contemporary culture
  • Redefinition: changing it to say what you wish it would say
  • Imitation: looking at the narratives for permission or obligation to act a certain way
David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 46-47







  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read Wisdom

  • The goal is to apply the word to practical living
  • They are not a collection of universal promises. They are insights and guidelines for development of godly character.

Proverbs

Basic approach to life- rational and ordered

Job

The suffering of the righteous

Ecclesiastes

The failure of the rational, ordered approach to provide ultimate meaning

Song of Songs

The romantic love between a husband and a wife

David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 62-63





  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to Read Poetry

Types of structure:

  • Parallelism:
    One thought expressed by two-four lines of text. The lines are Synonymous (close similarity)
  • Developmental:
    Second line develops the first line
  • Illustrative:
    The first line conveys the idea and the second line illustrates it
  • Contrastive:
    Contrasts between lines
  • Acrostics:
    Each line of poetry starts with the first letter (Of the Hebrew alphabet)

Notice figurative imagery

  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Exaggeration
  • Personification and anthropomorphism
  • Cause and Effect
  • Representation (Part for the whole)
  • Apostrophe (Addressing a person like they are present but they are not)
David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 53-56






  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read Prophecy

  • The Prophetic books are among the most difficult parts of the Bible for people of later times to interpret or read with understanding
  • Oracles are in poetry and can be hard to understand so a commentary, Bible dictionary and Bible handbook are helpful
  • Be aware that as prophets predicted the future, it is now our past. Some of the future events have happened and some are yet to come. The prophets spoke them both together.
  • Most have one meaning, but there can be second meanings to a prophetic passage. We do not determine second meanings, they are a process of inspiration (Paul in 1 Cor. 10:1-4). This process can be tricky and many have been caught up creating false teachings and bizarre numerology. Beware of these people and compare conclusions with trusted sources.
"How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth," Fee and Stuart, ch.10 pg. 199-204

Based on a chart from "How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth" Fee and Stuart, ch.10 pg. 201

  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read the Gospel & Acts

  • The gospels are composed of the teachings of Jesus and the stories about Jesus
  • They are written by different authors. There are two settings at work: historical setting of Jesus and historical setting of the authors.
  • The first three gospels are called synoptic “common view” because they are so similar
  • Each gospel is written to a different intended audience
  • Look for literary forms in the gospels:
    • Exaggeration
    • Irony
    • Rhetorical questions
    • Parallelism
    • Contrastive (Second line contrasts with the first line)
    • Developmental (Second line repeats the first line, and continues the thought to a climax)
  • Look for how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament law
  • Look for how Jesus teaches about the kingdom
  • Look for the applicable (larger context of individual stories)

The book of Acts is a sequel to Luke

  • Acts is a story with a specific purpose
  • Acts is organized
    • Thematically (Gospel, Holy Spirit, the Church, the world)
    • Geographically (Witness of the church in Jerusalem, witness of the church in Judea and Samaria, witness of the church to the ends of the earth)
  • There are precedents and principles to be found in Acts
  • The book of Acts is a model for how God intends the church to share the gospel through the Holy Spirit
David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 39-42, 44-45
Duvall, J. S., Hays, J. D. 2008 "Journey Into God’s Word" pg. 110-111
Fee, G.and Stuart, D. 1983 "How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth," pg. 127-145

How to read Parables

  • The main point of the parable is crucial
  • The main purpose of the parables is to lead hearers to respond in a certain way like the characters mentioned
  • Read it from the hearer’s perspective
  • Determine how the original hearers would have responded to the parable
  • Look for one main point for each character or group of characters in a story
  • In one or two sentences write down the main point intended by Jesus when he shared the parable with the original hearers
  • We want to tie the parables in overall truth in Scripture avoid looking too deeply into them
David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 43
  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read the Epistles

  • Basic rule: The text could not mean what it never could have meant to its author or readers
  • Second rule: Whenever we share comparable particulars with the first century hearers. God’s word to us is the same as his word to them.
    "How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth," Fee and Stuart, ch.4 pg. 74-75
  • New Testament letters are occasional and situational (written to address specific problems or situations related to the author or reader)
  • Differences in form can be a clue to meaning
  • As you study think paragraphs
  • New Testament letters are not theological treatises

The common form of the letters

Introduction
- Identification of the author
- Identification of the audience
- Greeting
- Prayer of thanksgiving
Body
Conclusion
- Final greeting
- Farewell Duvall, J. S., Hays, J. D. 2008 "Journey Into God’s Word" pg. 100-101

  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer

How to read Revelation

  • Be careful to interpret the symbolic images according to the author's intent
  • Old Testament apocalyptic passages are most helpful in understanding Revelation (especially Daniel)
  • Should be read from the perspective of the original audience
  • The symbolic references should not be taken literally
  • Revelation is not meant to be read chronologically
  • There is a lot of metaphorical language. Do not take everything you read literally but do take it seriously.
  • Focus on the main idea and don’t get stuck in all the details
  • Pay close attention to when John identifies an image
"40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible," Robert L. Plummer, Ch. 25 pg.216 & Duvall, J. S., Hays, J. D. 2008 "Journey Into God’s Word" pg. 126-128



  • How is the Bible organized?
  • What genre are you most comfortable reading? Which are you most uncomfortable reading? Do you find yourself avoiding the uncomfortable genres?
  • The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.
    - Augustine, A.D. 354-430
  • Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
    - A.W. Tozer
How to Interpret

How to Interpret

Why interpret? Why can't we just read?

Here are some confusing examples of why we can’t always read the plain meaning:

Deuteronomy 22:5

“A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Deuteronomy 22:9

“You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited.”

1 Corinthians 11:6

“For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short.“

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Hermeneutics

“A method or principle of interpretation”

- Merriam-Webster

Hermeneutics is a fancy word for the study of using methods of how we should interpret a text. You can use hermeneutics with any other text, it’s not only for studying the Bible.

The aim of good interpretation is simple: to get to the plain meaning of the text, the author's intended meaning.

- How To Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, ch. 1 pg. 22

✓ Exegesis: reading out of the text

“Exegesis”, a method of hermeneutics, is the careful systematic study of Scripture to discover the original intended meaning.

Eisegesis: reading in to the text (heresy)

Interpreting a text in such a way that the process introduces one's own presuppositions, agendas, or biases into and onto the text. We are not the center of scripture, Jesus is.

- “Let God Speak: His Word is Authority” By David A. Swincer

Scripture Interprets Scripture

We should always read a passage in the light of the entire Bible. The Bible is the best commentary. Begin interpreting confusing passages with clear passages.

“Reading and understanding the Bible involves lots and lots of interpretation. Not just in light of the world and culture around us, but in reference to other parts of the Bible.”
- John Piper

The Holy Spirit

The Holy spirit helps us with application. Your goal is not to come up with a new theology, but a new application.

Let the Bible Speak for God- the bible is a book about God. The Bible does tell us who we are and what we should do, but it does so through the lens of who God is.

Let the mind lead the heart- The heart cannot love what the mind cannot know. As we grow more in knowledge of God’s character through the study of his Word, we cannot help but grow into an exponentially deeper love for him.

- "Woman of the Word" (Chapter 1 pg. 23-33) by Jen Wilkin

Context

Context

What is context?

“The parts of a discourse that surround a word or passage and can throw light on its meaning.”
- Merriam Webster


Based off a chart from David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 26

Why is context important?

Almost all interpretation issues arise with with improper context. Context is crucial for a correct exegetical interpretation. There are a few types of context to observe.

Common verses taken out of context

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Matthew 7:1

Judge not, that you be not judged.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
  • Where would you look to find out more about historical context?
  • Literary context is the easiest to tackle without outside assistance. Are you wishing you paid more attention in high-school english class?

Historical / Cultural Context

  • Who wrote it
  • Who was it written to
  • When was it written
  • Why was it written
  • The social, geographical, topographical and political factors, religious conditions
- J. Wilkin, "Women of the Word," 2014 pg. 64 and David Platt, 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 26-27
Based off a chart from Duvall, J. S., & Hays, J. D. 2005 "Grasping God's word: A hands-on approach to reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible" 2nd ed.
  • Where would you look to find out more about historical context?
  • Literary context is the easiest to tackle without outside assistance. Are you wishing you paid more attention in high-school english class?

Literary Context

The style or genre it was written in and the grammar such as phrases, clauses and words in the text. Look for,

  • Repeated words
  • Parallels
  • Order
  • Verb tense (past, preset, future,imperative,active or passive)
  • Exaggeration
  • Connecting words ( Therefore, and, because, since, but, for, or)
  • Prepositions (look, for, by, with, from, in, on, upon, through, to)
  • Pronouns (I, me, he, she, herself, you, it, that, they, each, few, many, who, whoever, whose, someone, everybody, etc.)
  • Cause and effect
  • Questions and answers
  • Conditions ( If ... then)
  • Lists
  • Chiasm ("A literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The result is a “mirror” effect as the ideas are “reflected” back in a passage. For example, the structure ABBA refers to two ideas (A and B) repeated in reverse order (B and A). Often, a chiasm includes another idea in the middle of the repetition: ABXBA. In this structure, the two ideas (A and B) are repeated in reverse order, but a third idea is inserted before the repetition (X). By virtue of its position, the insertion is emphasized.")
    Definition from https://www.gotquestions.org/chiasm-chiastic.html
  • Allegory
  • Major shifts
  • Compare and contrast
  • Metaphor
  • Mood/tone
    • David Platt 2007 "Secret Church: How to Study the Bible" pg. 10-20
  • Where would you look to find out more about historical context?
  • Literary context is the easiest to tackle without outside assistance. Are you wishing you paid more attention in high-school english class?

Metanarrative

The guiding theme, a story about stories, encompassing and explaining the “little stores” it overarches.

- Jen Wilkin 2014 "Women of the Word,"" pg, 53

Christ is the center of scripture

It’s His-story. The Old Testament foretells the way for Christ to come in the New Testament.


John 5:39,46

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me… For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

  • Where would you look to find out more about historical context?
  • Literary context is the easiest to tackle without outside assistance. Are you wishing you paid more attention in high-school english class?
Method

Bible Study Method

Unhelpful habits of spending time in the word

"Woman of the Word" by Jen Wilkin Chapter 2 pg.36-42

1. Pray in

2. Read

3. Highlight

4. Apply

5. Pray out
Tools

A good study Bible

ESV Study Bible
Commonly referred to as "Seminary in a book" this features 20,000 study notes, 240 full-color maps and illustrations, charts, timelines, and introductions—more than 2 million words of Bible text, insightful explanation, teaching, and reference material.



MacArthur Study Bible
Nearly 25,000 study notes are featured below the full-length ESV Bible text, and are based on MacArthur’s verse-by-verse approach to the Bible.



HCSB Study Bible
Apx. 15,000 study notes-is designed so that every clarifying resource is there on the same page spread as the biblical text to which it refers. You'll never again forget what you were looking for, because the pertinent note, map, chart, word study, or illustration is already there.



  • Do you own a good study Bible? How has it helped you?
  • Have you ever thought about people groups that only have a basic translation and no study materials? Aren't we so blessed?
  • A good study Bible is one of the most important tools for helping people grow in the things of God.
    - R.C. Sproul

A good Commentary

A commentary is not God’s word and should only be used as a supplement, not a replacement. Unless reading a book introduction, only read commentary after you’ve finished reading for yourself. God’s word is inspired but commentaries are not. They are the opinion of scholars and you’ll find they often disagree. So it’s a good idea to use more than one commentary and compare. Commentaries are typically focused on a single book, but here are a few easy to read commentaries of the entire Bible.



Moody Bible Commentary
Imagine having a team of 30 Moody Bible Institute professors helping you study the Bible. Now you can with this in-depth, user-friendly, one-volume commentary.



The Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Marshalling the knowledge of fifty-two top biblical scholars, it brings tremendous insight to your Bible studies. Covering the Old and New Testaments in separate volumes, this commentary features: Verse-by-verse exposition of the entire Bible, 250 in-text charts, maps, tables, and pictures.



The MacArthur Bible Commentary
This commentary treats every passage of the OT and NT phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies as sidebars throughout.



Bible Reading Plans

Why is it important to have a Bible reading plan?

  • The Bible is one large metanarrative. A plan forces you to read all of Scripture.
  • They help us grow in our understanding of who God is. We need to read the whole counsel of his word, not just our favorite parts or books that are easy to read and understand. We need to know all His words, ways, and attributes!
  • Plans help us grow in Bible literacy and understanding
  • They force you to be intentional. Consistent time in God's Word doesn't just happen apart from intentionality and discipline.

Some Examples of Plans

Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Your Bible is not in order of time, but is sorted by genre! ​Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically. Available on the Bible App

52 Week Bible Reading Plan
Read through the Bible in a year, with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels. Available as a PDF

The Legacy Reading Plan
This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month, and set number of Proverbs and Psalms to read each week. Available as a PDF

5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
Created by the Navigators, read through the New Testament in a year reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you’re new to a daily discipline of Bible reading. Available on the Bible App

Robert Murray M'Cheyne One-Year Reading Plan
This plan takes you through the Bible in a year with four different readings a day. You read through the NT and Psalms twice, and the rest of the OT once. Available on the Bible App

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
Created by the Navigators, there are four daily readings, but only 25 days each month — which leaves some margin for missing here and there when life gets busy. Available on the Bible App

Get Started


Ligonier Reading Plans
Ligonier offers what is probably the best and most thorough round-up of reading plans.

ESV Bible Plans
The ESV website offers 12 different plans that are available in a variety of formats like audio.

The Bible App Plans
You can choose a variety of plans from partial or whole Bible reading. It’s easily accessible on your phone and if you ever miss a day you can move the days up with one button.

Read Scripture
Read the Bible in one year with this Bible Project plan. It includes video intros to each book you read!

  • Have you read the Bible cover to cover? If not, why not start today?
  • If most people would trade their TV time for Bible reading, they’d finish the entire Bible in four weeks or less.
    - John Piper

Great books on how to read the Bible

"How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth" by Gordon Fee
Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your twenty-first-century life.



"Women of the Word" by Jen Wilkin
We all know it’s important to study God’s Word. But sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. What’s more, a lack of time, emotionally driven approaches, and past frustrations can erode our resolve to keep growing in our knowledge of Scripture.



"40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible" by Robert Plummer
New Testament Professor Dr. Robert L. Plummer tackles the major questions that persons ask about reading and understanding the Bible.



"Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes" by Randy Richards
Drawing on their own cross cultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.



Free Online Tools

Bible Gateway


Bible Gateway is really a magnificent tool. We feel entitled to have access to almost every Bible translation available, but with most other services, you need to pay for each one. Bible Gateway gives you free translations, commentaries, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and even lets you view translations in parallel next to each other! All of this is free, but they do have access to even more commentaries for a small monthly subscription.

BibleGateway.com

The Bible Project


The Bible Project is a nonprofit animation studio that produces truly amazing videos to help explain theology. They are very useful and impactful videos!

The Bible Project

Blue Letter Bible


Dip your toes into the original language with the Blue Letter Bible website and app. Use this app to look at the original words being translated, how they are defined, hear how they sound, and see where they are used throughout the Bible. This can really help when studying a passage down to the smallest element, word.

BlueLetterBible.org

Got Questions


This website is a non profit ministry that seeks to answer your questions about the Bible. So far they’ve answered over 6,200 questions! Questions are answered by staff and pastors with further recommend reading and popular questions are even available in audio! This is a really great resource.

GotQuestions.org

Street Lights


Jam out to this free hip-hop audio Bible designed to reach inner-city children who are challenged with reading.

StreetLightsBible.com

She Reads Truth


A community of women looking to grow in God's word. They produce beautiful printed Bible resources and have a great app. Also check out He Reads Truth and Kids Read Truth!

SheReadsTruth.com
HeReadsTruth.com
KidsReadTruth.com

Memorization

Verses App



Learn using memory games and reminders to achieve your memorization habits and goals! A high quality iOS app to help you out.

Memorize Me



Very similar to the Verses app, you can learn using memory games and reminders. This user-friendly app is for Android.



  • Do you have a habit of memorization? If not, what things are stopping you today?
  • The Bible in the memory is better than the Bible in the book case.
    - C. H. Spurgeon
  • Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.
    - Dallas Willard
  • I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified. -Chuck Swindoll