How To Study the Bible

The Bible is long, diverse, old, complex, and often confusing. If you want to study it with good results you have to get a few things straight. First, the Bible, from beginning to end, is about the Lord Jesus Christ. I realize that takes a bit of explaining, but seriously, learn to read the Bible backwards. The name Jesus Christ doesn't occur at all in the first part - the Hebrew scriptures, sometimes called the Old Testament. He's there, but more subtly. In the second part, the writings that first appeared in the Greek language of the Mediteranean world of that time, we see Jesus the Christ more clearly.

The first four books show him in a sort of biographical form. But even there, its fascinating to see the huge portion the writers dedicate to the last week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion! Acts tells the fascinating story of the early church. The epistles are letters, and there are a lot of them. They were written by early pastors and traveling missionaries to help early congregations get established. Some of the content is on the character and nature of Jesus. Some is ethical teaching. Some addresses the needs of the community that is becoming interracial.

These people had to all learn that, although in early stages God chose a certain group of people called "Hebrews" (see Genesis 12:1-3) and later called "Jews", he then began calling all peoples to Himself! The "Gentiles" had to learn how to fit in, and the Jews had to learn to fit them in (Romans 9 & 11). It wasn't easy going then, and it still isn't.

Before mentioning the last book of the Bible, keep in mind that to have fruitful study, you must use maps, timelines, and see pictures of things. Otherwise you're just reading and glossing over things. You must take time and ponder the locations of happenings, and their relation to each other in time. A great example of pictures and diagrams is the Old Testament tabernacle. Find some pictures of that in a good Bible Dictionary or Study Bible. This kind of study will help you reap great rewards of understanding.

Once again, read the Bible "backwards", first getting acquainted both with the person Jesus Christ, as revealed in the "gospels" (the first four books of the New Testament). Then get acquainted with his work, which is to say, learn the importance of His incarnation, His pre-existence, His preaching and teaching, his healing and dealing with the devil. But in particular become acquainted with the "work" he performed in deliberately going to the cross. In doing that He was, as John the Baptist said, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.".

There is world-shaking power in the atoning blood of Jesus. If you have no peace, you'll find it there. And then there is the thrill of his resurrection, the authority he received as He ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit whom He sent for His followers to carry out His Word.

If you get lost in how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, you might as well go read the comic books or listen to a politician. There's a time for those things, but if you're going to study the Bible, really get a hold of it, and look for your life to be changed. Its a day to day thing that continues to be fresh, and there is nothing that compares to it.

Now, for the book of Revelation, I have no time for those who make excuses saying its too difficult to understand. Read it, underline parts you do understand, make references in the margin with other passages that have the same theme, and you find yourself getting drawn in. Life is a battle, Christ is the warrior and victor of the whole thing, the battle has been won at the cross, and those who persist in faith, despite the odds, will win with Christ. He will never let you go. Those are the great themes of Revelation.

If you read with a rationalist mind, thinking that the power of your cleverness will win the day for you, forget it. I Corinthians 1:18 and the passage that follows shows the folly of this. Certainly we must use our reasoning powers. But the Bible is all about helping us have a living faith and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Read and study it with a humble, yet energetic mind. You will be blessed.