Studying the scriptures is a vital part in the growth of a Christian that seeks God and yearns to know the Triune God. As easy as it may sound, Bible study is hardly an easy task especially when one is just taking the first steps as a new born babe in Christ. If you find yourself as one who has no clue where to start and how to do it, then this blog post is for you and I hope it will be a blessing. In this article, I will list out 10 Bible study tips that I incorporate in my personal Bible study sessions, so let’s go!
1. The Holy Spirit
Since we are speaking of studying the Holy Scriptures that was written down by authors inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is imperative that we also first acknowledge and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in understanding His Word.
But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26 KJV
Jesus says to His Disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them and we also remember that the same Holy Spirit is working in us today. The same Holy Spirit is softening our hearts to know and understand our God. Therefore, always remember that Bible study is not a process of just attaining knowledge, rather a time that we are spending with the eternal God, the creator of the universe, the potter that shapes and molds us like clay to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Though this list is not in any order of importance but I will stress that the reliance and dependance in the Holy Spirit is the most important advice I can give that beat everything else in the list.
2. Get a Reference Bible
If you have no idea what type of Bible to get, I highly recommend to get a reference Bible. Not a study Bible, but a Reference Bible. Study Bibles can be helpful but there is just so many study Bibles out there and there is a potential that you will be led by the study Bible author’s biases but if you still insist on one, then maybe the ESV study Bible which has some good reviews. However, my advice would be to get a reference Bible where each page has references which will be of help to you especially in making those initial connections throughout scripture and help smoothen your Bible study experience. If you are not getting a hardcopy, then an alternative would be to use one of the readily available free online bible study tools such as biblegateway.com or blueletterbible.org and turn on the cross-reference option that will help you to see all the cross references in the passages which be really helpful.
3. Bible Translations
Speaking of Bibles, we will obviously need to discuss on the translation, especially when you don’t have knowledge in Greek and Hebrew, like me! However, picking a translation can be a daunting task and for a very good reason; how accurate are the translations and did they capture the original text given by God? These are real questions that I had whenever I wanted to purchase a Bible. My advice would be to use a range of Bible translations that would help you to understand passages that are tougher and by reading multiple translations it will be easier (not always though) to capture the meaning of the passage. Obviously, you wouldn’t need to get all those translations as a hardcopy, especially when we have the wealth of resources online. If you are thinking to get a hardcopy Bible, I would recommend either the KJV, NKJV, NASB95, ESV or MEV and if you like yours with the Deuterocanon, then get a translation that includes them like the KJVA or even the Catholic and Orthodox Bible versions (however I have yet to use them but probably will in the near future).
4. Context
When it comes to understanding any given passage in the Bible, it’s important that we interpret and understand those passages according to the immediate context of the passage. There can be times that we can be carried away in making those connections in the scriptures and completely miss the point of the immediate context; I can’t stress this enough, that is DANGEROUS! Misinterpreting scripture is one issue, but the possibility of you teaching that to others is another issue that we will need to avoid. Therefore, keep in mind of the immediate context and do keep in mind of point no.1; The Holy Spirit, He will guide you and teach you, so ask The Holy Spirit to save you from error and that He leads you to all truth.
5. OT and NT comparison
Continuing from the last point, Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) comparison is an important tool in your Bible Study. When equipped with a reference Bible, naturally you will be led to study the Bible in light of the mysteries of the OT and the revelation of the NT. This method will enrich your Bible study and you will be able to see how the Bible as a whole is a revelation from the Triune God to men throughout centuries of history.
6. The Type of Literature and Audience
While understanding the context of a passage, it is also essential to keep in mind of the immediate audience and type of literature. For instance, one would not look at the gospels the same way as the psalms. Though all these books are inter-related in many ways, the historical context and type of literature makes them unique by themselves as well, and recognizing them would help in not misrepresenting the text. Taking note of the immediate audience of the book will help in seeing the scriptures through the lens of the reader and that will help us to have a deeper appreciation for the text and not misuse them through our own presuppositions.
7. Commentaries
Normally I would not encourage one to use commentaries for obvious reasons, most or maybe all commentaries are biased just like the study Bibles and you would probably be fed with their own man-made doctrines rather than doctrines that unanimously accepted by the church. However, it is still a good option to read them when you have trouble understanding a passage or to find confirmation on your thought about any given passage. Therefore, if you are about to use commentaries, use multiple commentaries to have a balanced view and remember that commentaries are not inspired and could contain error, so again point no.1, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. On a positive note, reading commentaries will also be an indication if your interpretation of a passage is sound or not; as a rule, if you find no commentaries agreeing with you, then keep searching and asking the Lord to guide you. It will be naive of us to think that we came up with something that the last 2000 years of teachers ignored.
8. Early Church Father Writings
Speaking about 2000 years of church history and commentaries, do check out the early church father writings as well, where there is wealth of knowledge on the doctrines that the early church understood and accepted as part of their journey as a Christian. https://www.newadvent.org and https://www.ccel.org are a good place to start as free resources available to you as long as you have internet connection and a computer. This is something that only recently I incorporated in my Bible study and all I have to say is that we are blessed with the amount of our early church father writings that are still preserved, that gives us a lens as to how the early church proclaimed their faith.
9. Write Your Thoughts, Journal
As you are studying the scriptures, there are going to be so many thoughts and questions that will run in your mind; my advice, write them all down. Keep a note book (either a software or a physical notebook would do) and write down all your thoughts on the passage you are studying, questions that came up and this will help you to keep reviewing your thoughts and find answers. There are going to be times that you will find it hard to get answers, don’t worry, keep persevering and in time God will continue molding you and leading you to all truth.
10. Discipleship
All of the tips so far have been things that you can do by yourself with a Bible and computer, but this advice would be one that you would need another person involved and by that, I mean someone who is more matured than you in the scriptures like your church pastor, elder, deacons or Bible teacher from your local church (of cause this also depends on the Church you attend, so I am going to assume that you are attending a solid Trinitarian Church). and wives from your husbands. Most people rarely highlight this, so I included this in my list because God who has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us can also move elders and leaders in the local church to guide you in your journey and equip you through the scriptures.
Before I end, I know all of these can be overwhelming if you are just starting out, but trust me, this is one of the best decisions you have made. The scriptures are the revelation of our God and if we love Him, it only makes sense that we want to know Him and love Him with all our Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength.
Hope this helped,
Till next time, God Bless,
Keep Exploring the Bible!