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You’ve probably noticed that the Bible does not read like an easy-reading novel. Sometimes, it can be confusing and difficult to understand and leaves you with more questions than answers. In this article we’re going to look into the nuts and bolts of good Bible study, and talk about some very helpful tools to make the process much easier and quicker. These tools have been tried and tested by good Christian leaders, Bible teachers, preachers, and scholars for centuries!
So first I would like to address the question…
I used to get frustrated when I ran into a perplexing text and wonder, “Why would God give me the Bible and then hedge up the way for me to understand it?” I found the answer in the parable of the buried treasure and the pearl of great price. As always, the Bible has the answer to its own questions.
Notice the key words “hid,” “seeking,” “found.” Did it catch your attention that in the parable, joy came when something that was previously hidden was found? There’s something exciting and joyful about finding something that was previously hidden.
Just like everyone else, you’ve probably lost things, whether it be a watch, keys, contacts, the options are endless. Before you lost it, you probably appreciated that item but overall felt pretty nonchalant about it. You may have thought, “Sure, I like this watch…” or “Yes, these are my car keys. No big deal.” But when you lose that same item and spend the next hour looking for it in every possible place in your house, something changes about the way you feel about that very same item. Your desire for it increases and you realize how much it really means to you. When you do find it, you may end up jumping up and down, shouting “Yes! Yes! I found it!” You might even cry! We take for granted what’s always there. Things that were once lost become very, very precious when found.
As sinful human beings, we take truth for granted. So God hides it that we might appreciate it like we should and that we can experience the joy that comes with finding His hidden treasures of truth.
Got Questions?In my experience, almost every good Bible study has started with a perplexing question. I think it would be safe to say that you have never earnestly looked into something that you felt you already knew. This is just human nature. If there are no begging questions or perplexing dilemmas, we usually don’t spend time looking something. Curiosity is the key to interest. We don’t seek for that which we think we already have.
Because of our sinful hearts, that which is abundant is no longer precious, and that which is easily gained is no longer valuable. If rubies and gems were scattered all over the ground and everyone had tons of them, they would no longer be expensive or sought after. We tend to not value that which is abundant and easily attained. So also if God put all His gems of truth on the surface of Scripture, we would lightly esteem them. The entire reason why God allows truth to be hidden behind Biblical perplexities is because if it were not mysterious, we would never look into it. Therefore, look at Scriptural perplexities as an invitation not a barrier.
The Bible says…
The act of searching, thinking and praying over something has a conditioning effect on our hearts. It causes us to begin to have a desire for that which we are seeking for and increases its value in our eyes. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”
Here are some of the most important and practical Bible study tools any Christian will ever use.
People can prove just about anything with just one verse or part of a verse. New ideas should match up to previously established ideas found in the Bible as the Bible is miraculously one cohesive whole. Sound doctrines are found consistently throughout the Bible and not just in one corner. This is what God means by “line upon line” and “precept upon precept.”
There are several easy ways to do this. First, if your Bible has it, you can use the reference margin which is usually located in the center column of the pages. This references other verses that are similar in topic to the verse you are reading.
Secondly, you can type a word or phrase pertaining to the question you have about the verse into a Bible software program. It will pull up all the other Bible verses that contain this word or phrase. Reading those other verses will give more light to the verse you don’t understand.
Let me give you an example. If I’m trying to understand what Christ meant when he said, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” Mark 16:6, I would type in the word “leaven” into my Bible software program to see what the rest of the Bible says about the topic of leaven. If you do this, you will find that in the Bible leaven is commonly used as a symbol for sin.
Context can make all the difference in the world. Carefully read the verses before and after the text in question, and they will give more clarity to it. Sometimes you will need to backup and read the entire chapter, or even look at the main point of the entire book. Try to understand who the writer speaking to. What is his main point? What does he say before and after that will help you know what they mean. You may also need to re-read the verse over and over until the meaning sinks in. I’ve re-read some difficult verses probably close to 20 times before the meaning dawned on me. And that is when you get your thrilling “ah-hah!” moment.
After reading this did you ever think to yourself, “Did Jesus really just talk to His mother that way?” It’s made many wonder why Jesus gave the commandment to honor your father and mother, and yet here He seems to be insulting His own. On the surface, Christ’s answer to His mother seems abrupt and even harsh. This apparent contradiction in Christ’s character is cleared up when one understands ancient oriental custom.
In the ancient east, to refer to a woman this way was not considered disrespectful. But rather, it was used toward persons to whom it was desired to show respect! If we talked to women this way today, it would convey the exact opposite. This is why understanding the cultural context can be such a helpful tool in Bible study. Later in this article, I’ll share tools that help Bible students understand the cultural context of Bible times.
Here is one of the best examples in Scripture of how understanding the actual definition of the words you’re reading in their original language can unlock an entirely new dimension to the meaning of a passage. Here’s a perfect example.
In these verses it appears that Christ is just asking Peter the same question three times in a row and that Peter is giving Him the same answer three times back. However, when one looks at the original language, you find a different story.
The Greek language actually has three different words for the word “love”:
In English, we have just the one word, love.
The first two times that Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, He uses the word “agape.” He’s asking Peter if he has the perfect, unconditional, Godly love for Him. He obviously didn’t since not long beforehand, Peter denied Jesus three times. Peter admits this by his response to Jesus by saying “Lord; thou knowest that I love [phileo] you.” Peter is saying, “Jesus, you know that I only have human, brotherly love for you, not the Godly, unconditional kind.”
The third and last time Christ asks Peter if he loves Him, He uses the word “phileo.” In so doing, Christ is questioning Peter if he even has brotherly love for Him. This is why Peter responds in such a downhearted manner, ‘Yes, I do have phileo love for you.’ So Christ responds to Peter that if he does, then feed His sheep. Peter had been instrumental in scattering the disciples when he fled from Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, and now Peter needed to keep them together by feeding them. This entire dialogue would be completely overlooked if no one ever looked into the original language.
The Bible says, “…in the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14.
The following is a list of excellent study aids, or “counselors,” that can help you in discovering more truth during Bible study.
Many great men of God have probably already asked the same Bible questions you have and have found the answers. And better yet, they wrote it down in what are called Bible commentaries. There are many good ones; just keep in mind as you read them that their place isn’t to tell you what to believe, but to shed more light upon what you’re already studying. Don’t set your mind aside as you’re reading them, and don’t use commentaries as your first go-to tool until you’ve put some of your own thought and prayer into the question at hand. Though commentaries can be a great tool, always compare what they say with the Bible, especially when it comes to their understanding of end-time doctrine.
These are called Lexicons. It’s a fancy word for a Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic dictionary. These go hand-in-hand with another great study tool called a Bible concordance. A concordance has every word used in the Bible in alphabetical order, and also many concordances will give a number for each word. This number corresponds to where you can find the word in the Bible lexicon. You can then look it up the Bible lexicon and find out the definition of the original word being used.
There are many programs that you can download on your computer that have become a one-stop shop study tool. They have commentaries, lexicons, concordance search engines, and many other tools not covered in this article. Here are a few of the very best: eSword, Logos, and Eloquent.
Many Bible commentaries actually have cultural study books built into them. They begin each book and new section with an overview of the culture and customs of the times. One book that specialize solely on this is “Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners And Customs” by Dr. Howard F. Vos.
There are several trustworthy scholars, pastors, and evangelists who have authored many good books on tackling difficult passages in the Bible. These can be found online or at a Christian book store. But, remember to always test what you read by the Bible to see if it matches up with the Word of God.
When it comes to the challenge of correctly decoding Bible prophecy, even with these great study tools many still feel like they’re floundering. It helps to see someone in action who knows how to apply these interpretation principles to Bible prophecy. That’s why I do what I do. I want to help people to learn how to study the Bible for themselves.
I am about to release an ebook called “Decoding Revelation” in which I show how to correctly interpret Bible prophecy. To be notified to receive your FREE copy just sign up for my prophecy newsletter.
Maybe you’ve already been using many of these study tools, maybe not. Whichever is the case, would you like to ask God to grow you in your ability to study the Bible?
God bless you, and if you have been blessed don’t forget to share what you’ve learned!
Gabriel Arruda
Speaker/Director
Revelation Revealed
