How to read and study your Bible

Most problems in interpreting Bible passages arise from neglecting a passage’s context. The guiding principle of sound interpretation is to take a passage literally. Not maintaining this discipline, interpreting Scripture becomes made up, man’s idea, a fantasy, and the passage can can be made to mean almost anything. The result of not maintaining a literal (within the context) interpretation is wrong doctrine being taught in our churches today. God didn’t give us the Bible to have to have a modern day p.h.d. to understand it. As Charles Spurgeon said “God gave us the Bible so that every plow boy in England could understand it”.

Another important principle to sound Bible interpretation is to read Scripture “in-time”. In other words, we have to read and study the Bible as a progressive revelation. Not getting ahead of God’s revelation. We can’t assume that God had revealed everything that we know today, with a complete cannon of scripture, to everyone writing scripture. It’s obvious that God only revealed what He wanted the writer to record at that particular time during that particular dispensation.

God’s plan of redemption for mankind wasn’t revealed all at once to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, or any of the other old testament prophets. Neither was Peter and the other eleven disciples given the full counsel of God. Look at all the revelations given to the apostle Paul and to the apostle John after Jesus had ascended back to heaven.

The Lord revealed to each of the aforementioned exactly what He wanted them to know at their particular time in Biblical history. A hermeneutical method (way of interpreting scripture) that does not approach Scripture as a dispensational and progressive revelation leads to erroneous interpretations and wrong doctrine.

To be a good student of the Bible one must always maintain a strict distinction or separation between the following:

Heaven and earth

Jew and gentile

Law and grace

Israel and the church (body of Christ)

Prophesy and mystery

If one doesn’t maintain these separations he or she will never be able to understand the Bible to their full potential as God intended. We must always maintain a literal, grammatical and historical hermeneutic. There has been way too much of man’s theology governing Scripture when it is God’s Word alone that reigns over theology.

Seven questions to ask yourself when reading and studying the Bible

1. Who's writing? (God of course, but through what man) Identify the author of the book and passage.

2. Who is the author writing too?

Who is the audience? Yes, all Scripture is for us but not all Scripture is directed to us for our salvation and doctrine. No intelligent Bible student would say that all scripture is written specifically to the church today in the age of grace. (2 Timothy 3:16)

3. When was the Book or Passage written?

This is necessary to identify the time and historical context.

4. What were the circumstances when it was written?

What was going on at the time?

5. What was going on before and after it was written?

What happened just before and just after in the particular Passage you’re reading?

6. What is the historical context of the verse?

Where does the Bible verse fit in Biblical history. (Use the answers from this list of questions to identify the “historical context”.)

7. Are there other passages that the author has written to help expand on the verse your reading?

These should help you determine if a passage of scripture was written directly to you or for your spiritual growth. Always remember that God’s will is for everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)