Sunday Sermons
How to Study the Bible
How to Study the Bible
First Things First
Do not be intimidated by those who claim that the Bible cannot be correctly interpreted. The very fact that many people do not like what the Bible teaches proves that even its enemies can understand what it is teaching (Matthew 21:45 “they understood that He was speaking about them”; Matthew 27:63; 2 Peter 3:3-4 “Mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’”). God actually commands us to understand His will (Ephesians 5:17),and the Holy Spirit affirms that when we read what inspired men wrote, we can understand God’s truth exactly like they understood it (Ephesians 3:4 “And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ”). Notice that Paul said, “my insight”. When we read the Bible we can have the exact same insight into God’s truths as someone to whom God spoke directly by inspiration. Added to this, if God did speak, then it would be reasonable to expect God to speak in such a way that all men could understand, for God wants all men saved (2 Peter 3:9).
Too many different Interpretations?
Yes, the world is filled with many religious bodies each claiming to have the one true view of the Bible. One should not be discouraged by such, for the existence of conflicting denominations does not undermine the credibility of the Bible, rather, it endorses the Bible’s credibility. The Bible actually predicted such a confusing situation, in which professed believers would pervert and twist what the Bible teaches (2 Peter 3:16 “which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures”), and then end up believing and teaching things that the Bible does not authorize (1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; Matthew 7:22).
Immoral Religious Leaders?
Neither should we be discouraged by the presence of professed “Christian” leaders who are hypocritical and immoral. Again, the credibility of the Scriptures is only endorsed by their presence, for once again the Bible predicts their arrival (2 Peter 2:1-2 “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned”; 2:3 “and in their greed they will exploit you”; 2:14 “having eyes full of adultery; 2:14 “enticing unstable souls”; 2:18 “they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality”).
Only for the Elite?
Do not be intimidated by those who claim that the Bible can only be understood by professionals or some elite class of religious experts. Many of the Christians in the first century were slaves and they understood what God expected of them (1 Corinthians 7:19,22). In contrast to the idea that truth can only be discovered by the highly educated, the Bible makes the point that often the people who are wise and powerful in the eyes of the world reject Gods truth (1 Corinthians 1:26-27), and the people who see and obey what God has revealed are just plain and ordinary people who are humble (James 4:6). Jesus noted, “I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes” (Luke 10:21).
The Importance of Honesty
I saw an article just recently in which a man tried to undermine the credibility of the apostles by stating that they were ignorant men, therefore must have been gullible and superstitious. The Bible admits that the apostles were not highly educated men and in that sense ignorant and unlearned (Acts 4:13), yet what is more important than human wisdom is an honest heart that is willing to accept God’s revelation. A love for the truth is vital to accepting what the Bible teaches and properly applying it. Jesus noted, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17); “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37); “These are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15).
The Bible actually warns against being gullible (Matthew 10:16 “be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves”; Mark 4:24 “Take care what you listen to”; 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world”). The Bible also makes a clear distinction between what it teaches and “myth” (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Skeptical?
The Bible commands us to investigate everything carefully (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22), and to believe based on the evidence(John 5:36) or the facts and not only emotion (Proverbs 28:26). Note the attitude of the Bereans, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). God commends careful investigation and an attitude that is simply trying to discover the truth rather than one that is trying to dismiss or prove what one already wants to believe. There is nothing wrong with wanting “proof”, but watch your attitude and make sure you are willing to believe if such proof is presented. There is nothing wrong with being cautious, but it is another thing to love skepticism to the point that one is already pre-determined to reject any supernatural revelation from God, because one has already decided that God has never spoken or that God could not preserve such a revelation in print. If there is a God then one must keep open the option that God could have spoken and the Bible could be that revelation. If there is a God then it would be logical and reasonable for that God to be able to preserve the Bible from error (1 Peter 1:23-25), seeing that God equally preserves this creation.
Your Eternal Destiny is in the Balance
The Bible plainly teaches that we will be judged by what the Bible teaches (John 12:48). Jesus will only save those who obey Him, which necessarily includes obeying what He taught (Hebrews 5:9; Matthew 7:21-27). God punished people in the Old Testament for not obeying Him; including punishing His own rebellious people, and God will do the same under the New Testament (Hebrews 2:1-3). In addition, the Bible condemns any departure from its teachings (2 John 9). Therefore, if our salvation is linked with obeying God’s truth (which it is 2 Thessalonians 1:8; Romans 2:8), and seeing that God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), we must infer that we all can understand God’s truth. Anyone who tries to convince you that it is impossible to understand the Bible is in the same breath saying that it is impossible to be saved.
Effort is Demanded
As in the study of any subject, the Bible is only understood when people apply themselves (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 119:97-105). We should make it very clear that the purpose of Bible study is not to: 1. Prove what you already want to believe. 2. Come up with new truths or invent your own theology. 3. Trying to look for errors or contradictions so you do not have to change your ways. 4. Looking for loopholes so you do not have to obey Jesus. 5. Discover truth by how you feel about something. The purposes of Bible study are to understand God, what God expects of us and obey Him promptly, so we can have a close and loving relationship with Him.
Helpful Hints
Seeing that God is the author of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), and He is a God of truth (Titus 1:2), we must conclude that the Bible never contradicts itself. Supposed contradictions are nothing more than evidence of poor or incomplete study.
Use simple passages to interpret more difficult passages (Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 15:29; Psalm 51:5; Ezekiel 18:20).
Seeing the same God who authored the Bible is the same God who created the universe, the Bible and actual scientific truths will never contract one another. Therefore, when the Bible speaks of the “four corners of the earth”, it is using the same figurative language we use today, it is not claiming that the earth is flat (see Isaiah 40:22).
Continue to read if you are puzzled by a passage, and allow the Bible to interpret itself. Was Jonah really and literally swallowed by a great fish? How did Jesus interpret this episode? (Matthew 12:40).
Consider the context: Who is speaking? Who is receiving this letter? When was it written? For example, the context of Matthew 24:1-34 makes it clear that Jesus is not talking about signs to look for in reference to His Second Coming (24:34). The context of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:3 reveals that Jesus is not talking about “the rapture”, that is a secret, silent coming for Christians only.
Seeing that the Bible is the Word of God, each word is important! (2 Timothy 3:16) This includes the definition of each word (baptism means immersion), and its tense, and whether it is singular or plural (Matthew 22:32; Galatians 3:16). Remember that the Old Testament and the New Testament are two distinct covenants and that the Law of Moses was removed at the cross(Colossians 2:14-16).
The truths in the Bible have not evolved. The New Testament is a superior covenant, not because truth is evolving, but because God planned it that way (Hebrews 8:6). The New Testament views the Old Testament as the Word of God (Romans 7:12; Matthew 5:17-18). When Jesus was asked about divorce, Jesus went all the way back to Genesis to answer that question (Matthew 19:3-9). Start in the gospels and then read on through the book of Acts and then into the epistles. Read the Bible through so you can get a good overall idea of the story in the Bible and this also will answer many of your initial questions. Keep a notebook handy to jot down any questions you might have.
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
