The goal of Bible study is to meet God daily through the study of his Word. First I pray that the Lord will illuminate the Word of God to my mind and my heart and then I pray for understanding.
There are many ways to study the Bible and here are some suggestions.
1. Read through the entire Bible. This is highly recommended. At a discernment conference I attended we were told to read through the Bible and when we were done, start over again.
2. Read an entire book. Look through the book first noting the subjects. Take notes and write down any applications you may find that apply in your life. Commentaries are great. You may want to read this AFTER your initial reading. God may want to show to something and when we read commentaries first this may obscure what the Lord wants to show us personally.
3. Concentrate on a passage. This is great for understanding of scripture but you should see how this passage fits in with the rest of the book or chapter you are reading. Many poor interpretations come from taking a single verse and using it out of context diminishing its proper meaning.
What is the content and facts of this passage? Who? When? Where? Why? What is the truth that is being conveyed in this passage? Is it a warning, or are we being commanded to do something? Does God give a promise or an encouragement in this passage? What are the parallel passages?
The parallel passages are important because scripture interprets scripture.
What are the specifics in this passage that we can pray about?
4. The Attributes of God. Go through a part of the Bible and look for attributes that describes the nature of God. Here is a sampling:
Light
Shepherd
Reconciler
Voice
Holy
Wise
Judge
Eternal
Truth
Love
Joy
Creator
Comforter
Forgiver
It is through these attributes that we begin to understand the character of God.
Lets look at Psalms 119: 114-117. I was looking at verse 114 specifically but noticed the many attributes in this passage.
“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Away from me you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God! Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live.”
Refuge
Shield
Hope
Word
Sustainer
Law
Promise
Life
Just look at the fountain of information is this single passage. There is a wealth of attributes about God that you can consider and thank Him for.
5. Word Study. Perhaps you want to study faith, perseverance, hope or fear. Whatever it is you want to concentrate on, you might start by looking up the word in a Bible dictionary. Look in your concordance or invest in a topical Bible. There are great websites that allow you to pull up every verse that has the word “holy” in it. Compare all of the verses asking: Who? What? Where? When? How? What can I apply what I have learned to my own life?
The applications of Bible study to our life is where the meat is. What is it that you learned that you can apply to your daily life? What specific action can you take? If you decide you want to spend more time in study, you may want to be specific by setting aside a certain time each day from 7:00 – 7:30 to pray and read God’s Word. Taking specific action is helpful to accomplish this goal.
You may want to apply something you learned to your work, (honesty on a time card), co-workers, ( being kind to someone who dislikes you), or maybe in your personal life, ( waiting on God’s time not your own.) Well, you get the picture. We need to apply the truths we find God’s Word to our everyday lives.
I often sit on my sofa, pillow on lap, with my Bible resting on it. I have 3 translations all handy. KJV, NIV, and a NRSV. Of course there is the computer for on-line versions of the Bible, commentaries and Greek/Hebrew concordances. I use http://www.blueletterbible.org but there are many others.
Many times I am filled with awe and love that God’s precious word is right before me. I am sitting at the foot of my Lord clinging to His feet and worshiping Him and His Word. Last week before writing this I felt like Mary who sat at the feet of the Lord when Martha was busying herself with chores. This is what I sense with Bible in hand. Communion with the Lord. I run my hand over the onion-skin paper and enjoy the crinkle of the pages. Such a sweet sound.
It is here that I find God. It is here Jesus Christ, God’s son lives for me. It is here the Holy Spirit illuminates the words that convict, instruct and compel me to live only for Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.
If a follow someone’s dream…I may be following another. If I hear another voice….I may be led to the wrong conclusion. If I follow another persons vision….I follow illusion which quickly turns into disillusion. That is why God’s voice is the written word.
We must use the Word of God as a measuring rod against all of man’s wisdom, thought, and actions. If it doesn’t line up with scripture it must be discarded. The Bible is the great discerner. It is the Truth, and so it is rejected by most of the unbelieving world.
But to those who love the truth it contains joy, salvation and guidance for living for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Homiletics.
What is homiletics?
Homiletics is a study system often used by pastors to extract key information from a passage. This is done by analyzing the passage for key phrases and condensing it to determine its basic content. Once you have the key words or phrases try to summarize the entire passage into a single composed sentence.
Next write down lessons or truths that can be learned from the passage. It is amazing how many truths can be lifted from a single passage when you really begin to study and contemplate it. Pray before you start that God will open your heart and mind to receive his Word.
Once the key truths are realized then you can start to expand the passage back out with applications that you can use in your life. Think of situations where you can actually apply the truth. How can your behavior be changed to glorify God?
Here is an example using homiletics from Matthew.
First read Matthew 17: 1-13 —-The Transfiguration
Where is it? High on the mountain.
Who is it? God – Jesus – Peter – James – John – Moses – Elijah
Key words in each verse.
1. Jesus 3 disciples mountain
2. Jesus transfigured bright light
3. Moses Elijah Jesus talking
4. Peter build shelters?
5. Voice Son Love Pleased Listen
6. Disciples Terrified
7. Do not be afraid
8. Saw only Jesus
9. Don’t tell raised
10. Why Elijah first?
11. Elijah will restore
12. Elijah & Son suffer
13. Elijah/John the Baptist
The Sentence summarizing the passage.
Matthew records that Jesus is transformed showing the disciples His true glory.
The Lessons
1. Jesus is the light
2. Jesus will reveal himself to you.
3. Jesus knew the OT prophets.
4. Jesus is truly God.
5. God the Father made it clear his Son is Jesus.
6. We are to listen what Jesus says.
7. Even though we love God we are to also fear him.
8. Do not be afraid of what God reveals to you.
9. Do not be afraid to tell others about Jesus Christ.
10. Jesus would be rejected like John the Baptist.
Possible Applications – I Will’s
I will get to know Jesus by reading His Word, listening to sermons, or fellowship with others. I know that Jesus will reveal Himself to me as I follow Him.
I will be confident explaining to others that Jesus is truly the Son of God, since these word came from the Father Himself.
I will listen to what Jesus tells me.
I will boldly tell others about Jesus because I was told not to be afraid.
I will expect that the very presence of God would cause fear and trembling.
I will go into the valleys to serve as I descend from the spiritual highpoints.
I will ask God what truth He wants me to know so that I can share with others.
***********
I want to tell you that this was one of the homiletic lessons that I prepared last year for my students. Some see other truths that I did not see so I wanted you to know that this is only an example. The students are to do the above procedure on their own worksheet. At the end of the year there were students who could pick out the content words on their worksheet, write a sentence, find at least one lesson and application and more during discussion, in the 30 minutes we were allowed for this part of the evening. The age group I taught last year were 10-11 year olds. To watch what God has done in these children who seek the Lord is nothing short of amazing. It is totally a blessing and filling of the Holy Spirit.
**********
My personal summary of Matthew 17:1-13
The transfiguration revealed to the disciples the Glory of God and of Jesus Christ. It looked to the past and it looked to the future. Jesus left the glory of heaven to come to earth as man and then to return after His work on the cross to His resurrected glory. He now abides at the right hand of the Father till He returns and someday we will witness Jesus in all His glory just as the disciples saw Him that night.
The transfiguration gave the disciples a witness account of what he actually and truly looks like. What a gift this was for the disciples who at Pentecost would remember His glory so they would profess to the world as eyewitnesses, the significance of His majesty.
Peter had earlier proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and he did so without seeing anything like the splendor that had been later revealed to him, and John and James. But once they believed by faith they were given a spectacular view of His glory. He revealed Himself to His servants, and they saw His radiant face and garments, Moses and Elijah and heard the voice of God.
A cloud enveloped them and the voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
What a wonderful confirmation of who Jesus truly is. God Himself assured the disciples and us, that Jesus is truly the Son of God.
The disciples fell face down into the ground in terror. (What does this tell us today about those who say they communicate directly with God?) However, Jesus told them not to be afraid, and when they looked up Jesus was alone. How could they ever look at Jesus the same way again? What awe this must have created. And to see Moses and Elijah. What an unspeakable honor to see the Old Testament prophets. Oh, to hear what they spoke of. We are told very little in Luke about their conversation.
They asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first? Jesus explained that Elijah did come as John the Baptist to prepare the way for Him, but he was killed just as Jesus would also be killed.
They then went down from the mountain and back into the world. After this spiritual high point they were to move on and were immediately met by a needy person. What a lesson in itself right here, that after a glorious experience, one is expected to help another.
How many people are continually seeking spiritual mountaintops? Meeting after meeting, conferences, seminars, always seeking signs and wonders, desiring only the high points, never serving.
There are times when all I want to do is sit in my little room and think about God’s glory. But I know that this is not what I have been trained to do. I can only serve God by coming down off the mountaintop and into the valleys to serve. But one of things I take away from this passage is the commandment to listen and to obey Jesus. His commandments are laid out in the Word of God. When I have a spiritual highpoint in my life now I take it as an encouragement to go forth and serve God. It is not something to bask in like we see so much of today. We are not to be afraid to do what He asks of us. He showed His glory to the disciples so that they would go out and preach the Gospel.
We can apply what we have learned here by listening to God’s voice in the Bible. We can boldly go forth and tell others because God has revealed himself to us through his Word. Doing so will please God.
Luke adds that Jesus was praying after ascending the mountain. Jesus prayed at all the important steps in His life and this time was no exception. This is a reminder that when we are facing an important decision or step in our life, we need to go the Father in prayer.
Peter later wrote:
“We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain”
2 Peter 1:16-18
What an affirmation for the disciples who actually heard the voice of God and saw the Shekinah glory. What a confirmation to them that Jesus not only knew Moses and Elijah, but that He was fulfilling their teachings. What a glorious vision to recall as they went out after Pentecost knowing what Jesus truly looked like in all his glory as He sits at the right hand of the Father.
Bible study is your personal time spent with God. Pray first for understanding from the Holy Spirit and let the Spirit guide you into the Truth.
DiscernIt 
5 comments
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August 13, 2008 at 6:09 am
Lee
Kim,
This is an excellent article! Thanks for sharing.
August 15, 2008 at 8:04 am
paarsurrey
Hi
The truth about NTBible is that:
1. JesusYeshuaIssa did not leave the Word of God or anything in writing revealed on him from GodAllahYHWH in the form of stone tablets as was in the case of Moses.
2. Or anything written by JesusYeshuaIssa himself as a biography when he left from Galilee, after the incident of Crucifixion, alongwith his mother Mary in search of the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel, he died natural and peaceful death in Kashmir, India.
3. Jesus left nothing behind authenticated by him, in possession of the Church, as there was none in existence.
4. We do respect the NTGospels which have account of Jesus life, but it does not have much utility for a non-Catholic except that we may treat it as a book of history subject to scrutiny, internal as well as external, for each bit of event for finding truth in it on merit.
There are about 120+ writers who wrote a sort of history books about the time of Jesus, that could be logically accepted as a historical source and truth could be searched out of it like we do from other sources of history on merit of each bit of event unbiased. All these 120+ books must be treated at par but unfortunately some have been selected by the clergy and are known as NTBible while others have been discarded. This shows their bias.
The historians should come forward and sift the material for truth, if found, on equal footing from all of these 120+ books, with reason, rationality and valid arguments acceptable to the whole world, as these are claimed to be Universal by our Protestant/Catholic friends.
I respect your religion but I think I could form my own opinion freely. My Christian friends may remain steadfast on what they believe, no compulsion, and that is their own free will.
Thanks
I am an Ahmadi peaceful Muslim
August 15, 2008 at 9:22 am
Bud Press
Dear “parrsurrey”:
It is a fact that:
The Bible is God’s holy word to mankind (Hebrews 4:12-13):
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
From Genesis to Revelation, the 66 books of the Bible are God’s inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16):
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
God, the Creator of the universe, loves you (John 3:16-18):
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
You are a sinner in need of the Savior ( Romans 3:24-24):
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us (1 John 1:6-10).
You are now dead in sin (Romans 6:23):
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus Christ died for you on the cross (Romans 5:6-9):
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (John 14:6):
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
The gospel of Jesus Christ: words to be saved by (1 Corinthians 15:1-4):
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…
Salvation and eternal life cannot be obtained through world religions such as, Animism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism. Your salvation and eternal welfare rests in the Jesus Christ of the Bible:
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
You must be born again (John 3:6-7):
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
You are not a child of God until you have been born again (John 1:12-13):
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
If you die without being born again, your name will not appear in the Book of Life. You will spend eternity totally separated from God in hell (Revelation 20:11-15):
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
You can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10):
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
You can be saved and know it (1 John 5:13):
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
What must you do to be saved? (Romans 10:9-10):
…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
…WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED (Romans 10:13).
Jesus Christ suffered, died on the cross, and shed His precious blood for you. Right now, no matter who you are or what you have done, you can be saved. Jesus is fully capable and willing to soften even the hardest of hearts.
Humble yourself and realize you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness and salvation. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. Ask Him to come into your heart and save you.
He will save you, and never forsake you. He will give you peace in your heart. Your life will never be the same. You have God’s word on it:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:28).
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus said there would be many false prophets and false teachers who would come in His name and deceive many. If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, seek water baptism (while baptism itself isn’t a requirement for salvation, it is an outward profession of your inward faith), read and study your Bible, pray everyday, seek fellowship with likeminded believers, and depend on God’s word alone as your final authority. Never be afraid to ask questions. Hold on tight to God’s word, and never let it go–no matter what the cost.
Love in Christ,
Bud
August 15, 2008 at 12:47 pm
paarsurrey
Hi Bud Press!
Thanks for your remarks on my above comments. Sorry, I don’t agree with your following points mentioned by you.
1. “Jesus Christ died for you on the cross (Romans 5:6-9).”
2. “Salvation and eternal life cannot be obtained through world religions such as, Animism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormonism. Your salvation and eternal welfare rests in the Jesus Christ of the Bible.”
Firstly, Jesus never died a cursed death on the Cross, in my opinion; and secondly, there is no relationship between the sins one commits and the death of a third person for the sins of another person.
Maybe you like to read my following posts in this connection:
http://paarsurrey.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=163
http://paarsurrey.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=67
I love Jesus, Mary and Muhammad
Regards
August 15, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Bud Press
Hi “parrsurrey”:
Certainly, you have the freedom to express your own opinion. But consider what God’s word teaches about Jesus Christ and His dying on the cross:
“WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (1 Peter 2:22-24).
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Jesus Christ was and is the greatest example of love and compassion. And from love comes righteous judgment:
“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
“parrsurrey,” stop relying on your own understanding and false teachings. Re-read my above post and trust Jesus Christ to forgive and save you. He will; you have His promise.
In Christian love,
Bud