“Now the Bereans were of a more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” — Acts 17:11
One of the most important things a person can do is study the Bible regularly. An awareness of Scripture can be a tremendous comfort, a source of strength, a means of sharing and a host of other things to the practicing Christian.
Toward that end, allow me to offer a few suggestions and a guideline for effective Bible study.
Context Is Always Important
We can use the Bible to prove just about anything we want to prove. There is almost always a verse or two that supports our position. But to have a true understanding of what the Bible is saying, the context is vital.
The context can consist of the surrounding verses or other passages relating to the subject at hand. Context keeps us from jumping to conclusions about something and gives us a broader picture of what the Bible is really saying.
Never Read Between the Lines
Reading between the lines or reading into the Bible what I want it to say is really the other side of the keep in context coin. Sometimes, we want the Bible to say something to justify what we want to do or say, or to verify our actions and words. The Bible is “. . . useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), but only if the let the Bible speak to us honestly and openly.
Some Good Rules to Follow
When we study the Bible, I have found that these few guidelines—rules—help keep things in context and help keep me from reading into it that which is not there.
- Who’s doing the talking?
As we study the Bible, we should determine who the messenger is. Whoever is doing the talking will help us as we begin our study. Let’s suppose we’re studying the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. Jesus is the speaker, and we know that He is going to use this as a teaching moment.
- Who’s the audience?
If Jesus is speaking, is He talking to His disciples, to the Pharisees, to a general crowd, or to a specific individual? Determining this will help us gain insight into how Jesus addresses the audience. If it’s Paul in one of his letters, we need to know the history of that church or person, to see how he’s addressing them and why. In the context of the Seron on the Mount, the address is to the general audience as a whole, but the disciples in particular.
- What’s the Central Truth of the passage?
In other words, if we had to condense the passage into one main idea, what would it be? For instance, the Sermon on the Mount can be summarized as a Central Truth of: Jesus is showing what it means to have a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees.
- Is there one particular thing God has really impressed upon me in this study?
- How should I apply this passage to my life today?
- What is a key verse to memorize from this study?
These questions take the passage from a general study into a personal study and force us to realize that God is speaking to us directly through the passage, and that God has expectations for us to put into practice today based upon the passage. Memorizing a key verse will allow you to bring the study to mind as you need it.
Conclusion
Personal Bible study is crucial to Christian growth and understanding. We need to have context and awareness of the overall message of the Bible. We must let it challenge us and change us, recognizing that the Written Word is an extension of the Living Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. A good study guide will always be a benefit to the one who wants to be well-versed in chapter and verse.