By Russ Atmore
The Bible is God’s
Word. The Scriptures teach that the Bible is inspired of God (2 Timothy
3:16). It is God-breathed. It is the authoritative Word of God. It needs
no subtraction nor addition because it is God’s perfect, final written
revelation. Paul tells Timothy that the Bible is profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness.
Christians are so often
daunted by the very thought of Bible study, because others seem so far
advanced, and therefore, it’s just impossible to catch up.
Studying the Bible is not a competition. We are not competing with each
other to see who knows more. Knowledge of the Bible derived through the
proper attitude and spirit means growth and progress. It is available to
each believer no matter your spiritual maturity or your physical age.
There are many advantages to
starting at a young age, and so young Christians should start early.
Develop your reading habits, your study habits and your personal habits.
Channel everything into the cause of knowing Jesus. This will demand
that you give up certain things. It will make demands upon your time. It
will mean sacrifice on your part. Remember, that spending time in the
Bible is spending time with God. In days gone by, when Christians had no
television or other entertainments to contend with, they read their
Bibles. They meditated on the Word of God (Psalm 119: 14-16). It was
their life. The Lord Jesus learnt the Scriptures. He used them to defeat
Satan (Matthew 4: 4,7,10). Jesus constantly referred to the Scriptures.
Spiritual maturity and growth comes only from spending time with God in
His Word.
Here are some hints to help
you in your Bible Study.
1. Start with prayer (Psalm
119:18; John 16:13-15).
2. Keep a notebook where you
can record your thoughts – be free in your writing.
3. Start with a short book,
like Philippians. Read the book through in one sitting. Make no notes at
first. Get a feel for the book. Ask yourself questions – who, what,
where, when, why. Read the book again. Spend about 15 minutes to start
with. Let time develop as you study and pray.
4. Start at the first
chapter. Take a few verses at a time. Pray over them. Meditate on the
words. Look at the verbs. Look at the prepositions. Is there a promise
for me in this verse. What is God saying. Is there something I must
obey.
5. Purchase a Bible
Concordance to help you find other references that relate to the same
things that you are studying. A good Study Bible is an advantage here
also.
6. Ask the Lord to help you
understand the passage.
7. Memorize one verse of
Scripture a week. Constant review places these verses into your long
term memory. They are a great help in temptation. Remember that you do
not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God (Matthew 4:4).
8. Share what you have
learned in your Bible Study with someone else. This might lead to
questions being asked that you have not thought of. Always strive to
learn more about God.
9. Try to be disciplined.
Set aside the same time every day. Build the routine. It takes time to
break old habits and start new ones.
Over time you will find that your
knowledge will increase and that you become more familiar with the
Bible. This will give you confidence. Once you have mastered these basic
steps in Bible study it will then be time to learn some new methods.
These can be word studies, biographical studies, topical studies,
doctrinal studies and so on. Remember, there is no rush. Time is what
you must use. God has given each of us a mind and heart. Apply them to
the Word of God.
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