“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15
Many readers of the Word of God quickly encounter Timothy’s admonition on studying the Bible. Some faithfully read the Word of God every day. Many do not, and even fewer study the truths God has preserved within the pages of His Word.
Not only does it take extra time to study the Bible, but many do not know how to start. I learned a long time ago that a short reading of just a few verses each day will have less impact on one’s life than a Scriptural diet of several chapters. Actually taking the time to delve in and study the Word of God will be a far more life-directing, life-changing, God-leading influence than even reading several pages.
Then the question arises, how do you study the Bible? How does one set their mind or thoughts upon a Bible subject or book and get the most out of it? The answer varies from one person to another, since each of our brains and learning methods are different. Here are a few study methods that may help you get more out of the Word of God, so that you will learn more, that its content will help you with your life’s decisions, and that you will have a better relationship with the Lord:
- Be saved! The Word of God is for the people of God and will not mean much to a person that is not saved! It will point an unbeliever to God’s truths so he can become a born-again (John 3:3) child of God and give him more understanding about God, but the Book’s wisdom is clearer and more precious to a child of God.
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” I Cor. 2:14 - Pray and ask God to help you understand His Word before you even begin! It’s His Book; you need His help to understand it!
- Consistently read the Bible. Schedule and make it a priority to expose yourself to God’s Word every day!
- Use the King James Bible. ALL the other English versions, including the New King James Bible, alter what God’s Word says. One cannot build a spiritual life that is close to God, if the foundation, God’s Word, is corrupt and not true to what God originally had preserved!
- Do not just read to fill a quota of verses or chapters. Read at your own speed to get something out of it. There have been times that I have spent most of my devotional time on one verse. There have been times that I have read several pages.
- If you do not understand a word, stop and look it up in a dictionary. You will be surprised to find that you do not know all the meanings of words as well as you thought you did. Most do not need to know the Greek or Hebrew languages to get more out of their English Bible; they just need to understand the English language better! I always recommend the Webster’s 1828 reprinted Dictionary (available at many Christian book stores), as it was designed to help people better understand their Bible.
- If you find you have read several verses and do not remember what you read, read them again. The goal should be to get a blessing from the reading of God’s Word.
- One method to slow one’s reading down and get more from the reading, is to make notes on what you have just read. A notebook or a wide-margin Bible can be used for this.
- Since we are in the New Testament church-age, a believer should first have an understanding of Jesus, the early church, and the teachings for this time. First read and study the New Testament. With its understanding, when the Old Testament is read, one will get a fuller, clearer picture of what God did then and how it pictures what would happen later.
- While reading a verse, read other verses that teach the same principle. Some study Bibles have references in the margin. Follow those references, and read those verses. Often you will get a fuller picture of what God is trying to show you through different passages.
- When reading a verse, understand the context first. Understand who the verse was addressed to, why, and when, to better understand the verse. So many pluck a verse and apply it to whatever they want to apply it to, forgetting what situation, time, or people it was originally speaking of.
- Read other Bible books that cover the same topic. For example, if you are studying The Revelation, it would be good to understand Old Testament prophecies in Ezekiel and Daniel. If trying to learn more about Jesus’ life it is important to read other aspects of His life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
- Although, not to be trusted as one can trust the Word of God, a Bible dictionary, such as Unger’s Bible Dictioanary, can give some insight into a subject, place, or person you are reading about. Be especially cautious of books from authors or publishers that condone other Bible translations or come from denominations, or institutions, that teach differently than what the Bible teaches.
- Look up, using a concordance (a book that has words listed and where they are used throughout the Bible), a word or name you want to learn more about. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is the most popular. Some Bible computer programs are very useful for this purpose.
- The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself! Although many books on a subject or book you are studying can be helpful; they can also be wrong! I have far more commentaries on my bookshelves that I cannot trust what the author says than I have books that have been proven reliable to what the Word of God says. All authors are only men and all do make mistakes! God’s Word, however, is from God and has His influential inspiration preserved and is trustworthy!
- Do not compare with other versions and translations of the Bible! They usually originate from sources that were not accurate in their conception, change doctrines that support the translator’s beliefs, or change facts and doctrines. Comparing them with the real Bible (KJV) will only raise doubts and breed confusion!
These are just a few of the many ways to study God’s Word. No matter what technique is used, the main goal is to get as much out of every precious word God has kept for us to glean. Are you diligently reading and studying God’s Word?
“With God’s help, we can get out of the Bible what we invest in it.”
Bro Bill,
My pastor gave me the nicest gift for Christmas… a first edition Moody called “How to Study the Bible”. Printed in 1897. It reads much like your devotion. One thing I do that I am going to stop is “reading for volume” I never get anything from it. I have done it by calendar, by devotion book, whatever. The goal of all of these is to read the Bible through in a year, an honorable goal, but to what end if you cannot take time to digest and study.
I have resolved that this year I will slow down and study.
Anywhere you suggest starting?
Bro. Bill, have you ever heard of John Phillips? He has some good commentaries on the Bible. His commentaries is what my Bible College uses to teach from. Phillips is deceased now, but he did use the KJV in all his commentaries.
I can’t find it now, but I believe I have a commentary from him. I do not recall anything about his doctrine.
By the way, when I say that Wayne Grudem is a little liberal in some of his teachings, he’s mostly dead on until it comes to the millennium – he believes the church will go through at least half of the tribulation before it’s taken out (Mid-trib rapture). I don’t agree with that! I believe God is going to rapture the church out of this world before the tribulation begins!
I never heard of Gruden.
Without a question, the Bible clearly states the rapture will happen before the Great Tribulation.
I will say this .. doing these lessons encourages one to look things up , to verify and study it .
Amen.. always look it up … especially in the Bible … one can’t trust man, we all make mistakes … if more people would verify what is said from the pulpit, and hold their preacher to following the Bible, most liberal churches would be empty by the end of the month!
“Be cautious of books from authors or publishers that condone other Bible translations” – I totally agree, but I have a very hard time finding books that quote from the KJV only! Even some of the “older” books and commentaries from scholars of yesteryear that I have are not KJV but RSV or other versions!
It seems to me that the KJV has fallen to the wayside over the years and it’s troubling to me!
I agree. I am a book magnet. I am constantly building my library for over 35 years. (By the way anyone that has old Bible study books, I would certainly appreciate them, if I don’t already have them) But, I can count on one hand (maybe borrowing a couple fingers on the other hand) that I totally trust. Some, that I always thought were straight as an arrow shocked me when I read them cover to cover. I was horrified in the doctrine taught by Larkin that I always trusted for Revelation and prophecy. John R. Rice shocked me when I discovered one couldn’t get through too many pages before he was taking pot shots at the KJV. Someone recently gave me J. Vernon McGee “Thru the Bible” set, and he too shocked me with some of the things he said. The only inspired book in English is the KJV, ALL others are not “God breathed” and have to be carefully discerned.
I like John Rice and Vernon McGee too- but yes, I don’t always agree with some of the things they say either! Really with anybody, you just have to use the gift of discernment unless you know beyond a shadow of doubt their liberal!
I like studying Wayne Grudem’s theology books, however, he’s a little liberal in some of his teachings, but he’s good.
The most important thing I have learned, thanks to the pastor of the church I started attending after I was saved, is to have a daily time of devotions with the Lord. Read your Bible and pray every day is the best advice anyone can give or receive! The world wears us down so much, sometimes in ways that we are unaware of at first, that if we don’t have time set aside for God and His Word every day we will soon stray from Him. I agree with David’s comment too. As important as individual study is, we need to be in a church where God’s Word is taught and believers can encourage each other as we serve God together! Heb. 10:23-25 says it all!
Amen, brother.
I have found in my own life and later from observation that the biggest impediment to studying the Word of God is doing it. People simply will not do it.
No one can expect to be a successful Christian without reading the Bible and praying at least daily.
I did not pick up the discipline (habit) until a few years ago. I was encouraged by a Bible reading calendar our Church distributes and many people follow. I will say that while it is a start, I cannot say that following that program is studying. It tends to drive you to volume and not quality….but it is a start! I do know that it propelled my relationship with the Lord to a new level. You cannot help but step up when you are filling yourself with the scriptures.
Following on yesterdays devotion…. it is also important to be around other Christians that study their Bible daily or more. They will challenge you to step up. If you are in a church where people aren’t in the Word of God themselves that might be a sign it is time to move on.
Another good motivator for studying the scripture is having a daily devotion that includes some input from reliable people by way of devotion books or a website like this one. It will challenge you to check out what people and the author say, thereby causing you to spend more time in the Word.
Bro Brinkworth, I appreciate you being prayed up and read up and sacrificing some time each day to put quality material like this out for people to feast on. I consider this site to be very reliable. I feel like you have prayed and studied what you write and have the mind of God. What a great ministry! No telling how many people you are preaching to with your electronic pulpit.
People…if you are not getting teaching like this where you go to church..please find one where you do. Don’t spend another worship service at a club thinking you might change it someday. You owe it to yourself and your family and you owe it to the Lord to fully understand and live what a Christian should be. If you were where you ought to be, you would see the urgency of each service for you and your family. I would fear spending any more time in a place where I could not grow as a Christian. To do that, you are going to need to be in the right church. There probably is one in your community, but if not…drive, move, do whatever is necessary to get there.