How
to Study the Word of God
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and
a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
1. We must believe that the whole
Bible is the inspired word of God, and we must be willing to
abide by it's teachings, even if they go contrary to our own
personal ideas and practices.
"All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man
of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work." 2 Timothy 3:16,17.
"Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Matthew 4:4.
2. We must be humble and
teachable. However great and extensive our knowledge and
educational achievements, we must come humbly to the word of
God, not seeking to study it from a secular standpoint as a
scientific or philosophical work, and with a dependence upon
human intellect. Trusting in intellectual pride and humanistic
opinion will prevent us from being able to understand the deep
spiritual truths of the Bible. God requires us to come humbly
and with a teachable attitude, sincerely and prayerfully seeking
to understand His word.
Jesus said, "I thank You, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from
the wise and prudent and have revealed them unto babes."
Matthew 11:25.
3. We must compare scripture with
scripture, letting the Bible explain itself. It is common to
find individuals and groups of people who build a whole theology
upon one single statement of the Bible. This can be very
dangerous and misleading, depending upon the method of
interpretation employed in their Biblical research. The only
correct and safe way of securing an understanding of a
particular truth is to study everything that the Bible has to
say about that specific topic.
"Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to
understand doctrine?… For precept must be upon precept, precept
upon precept; line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and
there a little." Isaiah 28:9,10.
We must study broadly, permitting the Bible to define its own
terms. This will preserve us from the practice of some, in
taking an isolated passage and twisting it to fit or "prove"
their own ideas. We should always approach the Bible with an
open and honest attitude, willing to lay aside any established
beliefs and practices, whenever we find them to be without
scriptural foundation.
4. We should ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we study
the Bible. Though written by men, the Bible has been
supernaturally inspired. We therefore need the Holy Spirit, the
author of all scripture, to guide and instruct us as we study.
Prayer for divine instruction and enlightenment should always
precede a study of God's word. Without heaven's assistance to
render our minds spiritually receptive, it is not possible to
properly interpret and appreciate the truths of the Bible, which
are often "hidden beneath the surface" and readily missed by the
casual, superficial approach.
"(For) no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of
God…The Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of
the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1
Corinthians 2:7-14.
5. We must truly want to know the truth before we can
know the truth. Our motives for studying the Bible must always
be honorable and acceptable to God if we would receive
instruction and guidance from the Holy Spirit. If it is our
determined purpose to research the Bible in order to find an
argument against the truth, God will leave us to our own
devices. For example, some people use a few scriptural verses to
supposedly prove that God's law was abolished when Jesus Christ
died upon the cross. A proper method of research will clearly
demonstrate that such is not the case, and the verses used to
substantiate this idea are found to be unsupportive when placed
in their proper context.
Only those who are willing to love and accept the truth when it
is made plain, and do not seek to construct arguments against
it, will be preserved from the dangers of self deception. God
will not force us to believe anything against our will. However,
His word clearly describes what will happen to those who still
choose to believe, contrary to what He has plainly said:
"Because they received not the
love of the truth, that they might be saved…God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2
Thessalonians 2: 10,11.
6. Bible study must become a priority in life. Jesus
likened the kingdom of heaven to
"A merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought
it." Matthew 13:45,46. We
must earnestly search for truth, recognizing that it is worth
more than anything else in life. This quest must be made
priority, especially when other things seek to crowd out the
time that should be allocated to Bible study.
God's promise to us is that, "You
will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your
heart." Jeremiah 29:13.
Our desire, our relish and our love for the Bible will
strengthen and deepen as we discipline ourselves to study it
every day.
7. We must live up to all the light we have before God
will teach us more. As truth is opened to our understanding, we
should determine by God's grace to walk in its light. God has
set before us an upward pathway and it is His will that we
should walk in His footsteps. As our Savior therefore leads us
further along the pathway of advanced truth, we must determine
to follow if we would keep in step with Him and remain His
disciple. Also, living according to the truth that we already
have qualifies us to receive more light and truth from God.
"If you abide in My Word, you are
my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free." John 8:31,32.
Source: Bible Universe