How To Study The Bible

There are lots of books on how to study the Bible. There are lots of different techniques. To some degree, how we study the Bible must be adjusted for our own personality, knowledge, ability, resources, purpose, and so on.

There are lots of books on how to study the Bible. There are lots of different techniques. To some degree, how we study the Bible must be adjusted for our own personality, knowledge, ability, resources, purpose, and so on. When I was first saved in 1978, studying the Bible meant reading and reading and reading and then reading some more. Now, 39 years later – 39 years today, in fact – studying the Bible means looking at and translating original languages, reading commentaries and academic works, researching history and geography and customs, reading what godly men have written over the life of the church. Studying the Bible means everything along that spectrum, and it can look very different from person to person, and, truthfully, from passage to passage.

When I was first saved in 1978, studying the Bible meant reading and reading and reading and then reading some more. Now, 39 years later – 39 years today, in fact – studying the Bible means looking at and translating original languages, reading commentaries and academic works, researching history and geography and customs, reading what godly men have written over the life of the church.

Studying the Bible means everything along that spectrum, and it can look very different from person to person, and, truthfully, from passage to passage.

But at the very same time, studying the Bible comes down to a few, easily understood goals.

First, we must understand what the biblical text says, in exactly the same way that we understand anything that we read.

This is the opening sentence of an article in the Norfolk Daily News this past week: Investigators for the Nebraska state fire marshal have been unable to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a building in downtown Osmond. We understand what this means, don’t we? Of course we do. In fact, it’s so well written that there isn’t any way to simplify it any further. The text of Scripture also speaks:

A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40:6–8 ESV

A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

It is poetic, certainly, but there isn’t any mystery to this statement. The length of human life is to God what the length of the life of grass and flowers are to us. Just as grass withers and flowers fade, human lives end. But, the Word of God will stand forever. It will never end. It will never fade. By the way, this is exactly why we revere the Word of God as we do, and take the study of it as seriously as we do. It is eternal. In fact, God’s Word is more eternal than we are.

The first aim of Bible study is to understand what the text says.

The second is to appropriate the text, to receive it and make that known my own. The purpose of understanding Scripture is not the same as understanding a news article. We can find a news article interesting without it making the slightest difference in our lives. Osmond, Nebraska is not too far away, but the fire that took place there probably doesn’t affect anyone here this morning. But the Word of God, since it is God’s Word, does affect us and have meaning for us.

So once we have an understanding of what says, we need to personally take hold of its truth and believe it. It’s not just ALL flesh that is grass, but MY flesh that is like grass. MY life seems so long, so complicated, so involved, so diverse, but as far as God is concerned, I sprang up in a brief moment, and as soon as I reached full size I began to fade and wither. God, on the other hand, is eternal, and therefore His Word is eternal and unfading. It is as true today as it was when it was first given. It is as powerful today as it was when it was first given. It is as relevant today as it was when it was first given.

First, we need to understand what the Bible says. Second, we must fully and humbly receive that truth.

And third, we must believe and act on what the Bible says.

It’s not enough to simply understand the eternal power and nature of the Scripture. Neither is it enough to receive that truth, to say, “Yes, I agree that the Bible is God’s Word and is eternal.” I must truly believe that it is eternal, and live according to that belief. That’s why James insists,

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Those who only hear the Word of God deceive themselves into thinking that it has made a difference in them. They mistake echoes of thunder, mere noise, with the sounds of actual progress and change. Behind every single fallen Christian leader, behind every scandal and sin in the church, is the belief that hearing is sufficient on its own, that acknowledging the truth is all that matters, and that faith and action can exist apart from one another.

So thinking about , come to this as a faith-settled application.

First of all, because God’s Word is eternal, and eternally true, and because I am so obviously not, my life needs to be built upon His Word, and not upon my ideas or experiences, nor those of my culture and world.

This has tremendous significance for life today.

Seeking Prophecies

For instance, there are people who frantically pursue prophecies who, at the same time, reject much of what God has said in His Word. They are turning away from what is absolutely and unquestionably God’s Word and therefore God’s will, and instead chasing some so-called “word from God” that affirms and comforts them. They are, as Jesus said, building their houses on sand, not on solid rock.

Visits to Heaven

Or think about the “I died and went to heaven and came back to sell merchandise” books that have become a trend in the last couple of decades. Those books deny the Word of God, which says that heaven is not for us to know; just on that basis, we know that anyone who makes that claim is lying. Not to mention the fact that the books tend to differ from one another, and, present heaven as a place where sinners would be very happy to be, and, present heaven as a home for people, and, present heaven as an idealistic earthly existence.

Sinful Self-Transformation

Or, think about the changes in modern culture regarding sex and sexuality, marriage, homosexuality, so-called “gender identity,” and so on. Every single one of those changes is in direct opposition to the Word of God; every single one is an act of rebellion against God Himself.

Why are these ideas and teachings flourishing in our time? Because people have rejected the truthfulness and sufficiency of the Word of God. In fact, the very same spirit is behind each one: God must speak to me as I desire Him to; heaven must be what I want it to be; I am my own God, and I will make myself into whatever I want.

Our world is constantly pulling us away from the Scriptures. Some do it through spiritual promises or heavenly visions; others do it by proudly contradicting the Scriptures. Regardless of the reason or the method, we must remain faithful to what God has revealed in the Bible.

Second, I see in that however long I live on the earth, my earthly life is nothing but a few passing moments in the whole of creation.

As the old hymn says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passin’ through.” Just a-passin’ is right; although a few people in each generation become so memorable that 100 or 500 years later they are remembered, the vast majority of us are gone, as a much newer and less spiritual song put it, like dust in the wind. Few are remembered, even by their own descendants.

How then should I live?

Some live for things.

Jesus says,

Matthew 6:19–20 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Many live for experiences.

Again, Jesus told about those who let the pleasures of life become an obstacle to the Word,

Luke 8:5 ESV

“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

luke 8:5

Luke 8:7 ESV

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

So, how should I live this brief life that I have? I should live it in light of the fact that while my life is here is very brief, God is eternal, and there is eternal life and joy waiting for me. If this world were all there is, it might make sense to live all you can while you can. But since there is heaven to come, and since

Luke 8:14 ESV

And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

, , “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it . . . And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

I should live this brief, earthly life in light of the eternal, heavenly life to come.

So, how should I live this brief life that I have? I should live it in light of the fact that while my life is here is very brief, God is eternal, and there is eternal life and joy waiting for me. If this world were all there is, it might make sense to live all you can while you can. But since there is heaven to come, and since “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (), I should live THIS brief earthly life in light of the eternal, heavenly life to come.

“eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (), I should live THIS brief earthly life in light of the eternal, heavenly life to come.

Romans 8:5–6 ESV

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Let’s be practical – what do I want, death, or life and peace? I want life and peace. So, I must set my mind on the things of the Spirit, which are not momentary experiences, but the work of the Spirit of God to transform me through His Word.

Here are some closing thoughts.

First, studying the Bible is not hard, in one sense.

It means understanding the text, receiving the text as the Word of God, and believing and acting on what we learn; that’s pretty much it. But at the same time, because the Bible is God’s Word, not merely a human book, we can dig deep in most places and never hit bedrock. The shortest verse in the Bible is , “Jesus wept.” That’s very, very simple. And yet if you begin to dig into who Jesus is, and what it means that He wept at Lazarus’ tomb, I guarantee that you will study and ponder and meditate a long time and still have a long way to go.

Second, studying the Bible doesn’t require a degree or hundreds of books. The Word of God is clear, because God is the greatest communicator ever known. From the first day that I knew Jesus Christ as Lord, He has taught me from His Word. At the same time, experience and skill matters. The more you do something the better you get at it. The more you know of the Bible, the more you will see how the Scriptures connect to one another. The more you understand the history and customs of the biblical period, the faster you will understand cultural references. You don’t have to be a culinary school trained chef to cook a meal, but the more you practice and study, the better you will get at it.

By the way, there is a free version of the software that I use, Logos Bible Software.

Third, we have the help of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit had a unique role in giving it to us. Peter tells us that we have the Scriptures became “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” tells us that not only does the Holy Spirit know the mind of God better than any human being, He helps us to understand the Word of God:

1 Corinthians 2:12–13 ESV

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

I want to urge you to take time each week to study, according to your ability and resources. You will lose nothing, and you will gain much.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but [words] which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Notice that Paul tells us WHY we have received the Holy Spirit: that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. Helping us to understand the Word is a primary ministry of the Holy Spirit, and not a side-job.

How To Study The Bible

Understanding

Appropriation

Belief & Action

Studying the Bible is not hard

Studying the Bible doesn’t require a degree

Logos

The Holy Spirit is a faithful teacher