| Helpful hints for making Bible studying easier! |
| T. BAISDEN |
| church of Christ |
1. Pay attention to punctuation such as ( ) , . ? " : ; ,many times it gives you a better understanding of the verse you are reading. Highlight or circle all the question marks in the Bible, you will be suprised at how many there are. 2. To whom are the verse speaking to? an apostle, the Jewish people, sinner, Saints/Christians, Gentiles or everyone. Did they live under the Old Testament law or in the New testament time as we do today. 3. Whom is speaking? an person inspired by the Holy Spirit, or an uninspired person. You must remember that both are recorded in the Bible. An example is "The serpent "said" to Eve. Gen 3:4 4. Take your time, read slowly and pay attention to the small words . Just as the serpent did in the garden by adding one word to God's word, it changed mankind forever. Adam and Eve were told by God they shall not eat or touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil for if they did "thou shall surely die", but the serpent said "thou shall "NOT" surely die". Gen. 2:17, 3:3-4 5. You cannot read the Bible as you do a novel. Sentences in the Bible breaks in different places. 6. Think about what traditons of man that might be mentioned in the Bible, for the Jews followed many things their fathers did but was not given from God to do.(read # 3) 7.There are times even now when we allow tradition to effect what we think is written. . Example: What do you think of when you think of Christ birth and the verses that speak about the wise men. Right off most people think of three wise men and them coming from the Orient, but this is not true, it never tells us there were three wise men just three kinds of gifts. All we really know is there was more then one for it says wise men not man. Many could have brought the same kind of gifts, we will never know for sure. The Bible only tells us the wise men came from the east never the Orient maybe they did but they could have come from some where else. Does it make a different? A very BIG yes to that question for do we read it with and open mind or with a lot of ideas of what we think it says. 8. Pray to GOD for wisdom/understanding of his word. James 1:5-6 9. Make a time to read when things are quiet. 10. Listen to tapes with sermons or lessons on them and follow along with your Bible, never just take man word for it. Stop the tape if you have to read the verse given. See what the Bible has to say. II Tim. 2:15 11. You must study every day, pick a time and how long and stick with it. 12. Dicuss what you have learn with a spouse, friend, a brother or sister in Christ. Listen to what they say about the subject but remember the Bible has the last word. Rev. 22:14 13. Use Bible Dictionary, tracts, commentaries, church bulletins and Bible internet sites, etc. as a help aid. Use your Bible as a guide with them all. II Tim. 3:6 14. Was the commandment or promise or covenant that the Bible is speaking about, given to one person or certain people or all people. Example: Only Noah was commanded to build and ark. but the promise of the rainbow was given by GOD that he would never bring another earthly flood and that all earthly flesh would never be destory by a flood again. This was a token of his promise to all people and we can still see that promise of GOD today after every rain. Gen. 6:14,18, 9:12 15. Is the verse speaking figuratively or literally about something. 16. Take the Bible for what it is. GOD word 17. Pay attention to the "if" and the "because" in each verse. II Tim. 3:6 Remember understanding of the Bible which is God's word does not come all at once. You must continue to search God word for the answers to the life saving questions. Never give up, for through study, your faith will grow exceedly. |
| blockhouse bottom church of christ |