In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The mind is renewed by applying it to those things that will transform it.
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil. 4:8)
Study is what brings us to think about these things; it is the key to transforming our minds. Many live in bondage to habits, fear, anxieties, and failures because they do not study God’s Word and apply it to their hearts and minds. (Foster) Jesus said “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Good feelings and getting high on Jesus will not set us free; we can only be set free when we know the truth.
Study is setting the mind and heart on the things of God’s Word – His love, character, provision, etc. This is what Paul is talking about when he says to set your focus on things true, honorable, and the other pure characteristics of God.
Study is about learning and applying all of what life has to show us- we can learn not only from God’s Word (which is our beginning point) but we must study nature, relationships, science, etc. When we analyze things of this world within the context of God’s Word, we learn to live the way He created us.
Why we need to study:
Two brothers were walking on their father’s extensive, wooded acreage whey they came upon a young tree heavy with fruit. Both enjoyed as much delicious fruit as they wanted. When they started back, one man gathered all the remaining fruit and took it home with him. His brother, however, took the tree itself and planted it on its own property. The tree flourished and regularly produced a bountiful crop so that the second brother often had fruit when the first had none.
The Bible is like the fruit-bearing tree in this story. Merely hearing the word of God is to be like the first brother. You may gather much fruit from the encounter and even bring home enough to feed on for a few days (weekly church services, small group meetings, retreats or conferences), but in the long run it doesn't compare with having your own tree. Through the discipline of studying we also find tools of memorization, interpretation and application which bountifully increase our harvest of fruit from the tree.
*To be a true disciple of Christ: The Bible teaches us that we cannot be disciples of Jesus Christ if we do not have a regular intake of the Word of God. On one occasion Jesus said to his followers “If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). As we look back through the history of the Christian church, we find that the common denominator of every great man and woman of God is that they know the scripture and spent consistent, regular time with the Lord in the Word.
*Paul gives us two reasons of why we should study God’s word in 2 Timothy 3:14-17: The first purpose is that we might come to know Jesus Christ and receive his salvation (v 15). We learn about redemption through the Word. The second purpose of Scripture is to help us grow spiritually so that we might be equipped for whatever God wants us to do (v17). The means to that growth are teaching (doctrine), rebuking, correcting and training (v.16). Teaching shows us the path on which we are to walk; rebuking shows us where we got off the path; correcting tell us how to get back to the path; and training in righteousness teaches us how to stay on that path. This means that the Bible is the comprehensive guidebook for living the Christian life.
Three Examples of study in the Bible:
1. Ezra in the Old Testament: Ezra 7:10- “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” There is an instructive significance to the sequence in this verse. Ezra (1) devoted himself (2) to the study (3) and observance of the Law of the Lord (4) to teaching of its decrees and laws in Israel. Before he taught the Word of God to the people of God, he practices what he learned. But Ezra's learning came from a study of Scriptures. Before he studied, however he first devoted himself to study. In other words, Ezra disciplined himself to study God's Word.
2. The Berean Jews in the New Testament: Acts 17:11. Missionaries Paul and Silas had barely escaped with their lives from Thessolonica after their successful evangelistic word had provoked the Jews there to jealousy. When they repeated the same course of action in Berea, the Jews there responded differently “11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” According to the next verse, the result was, “Many of the Jews believed.” The willingness to examine the Scriptures is commended here as one possessing noble character.
3. Paul in the New Testament: The heart to study the truth of God is portrayed in 2 Timothy 4:13. The Apostle Paul is in prison and writing his last chapter of his last New Testament letter. Anticipating the coming of his younger friend Timothy, he writes “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments”. The scrolls and parchments Paul requested almost certainly included copies to the Scriptures. In his cold and miserable confinement in prison, the godly apostle asked for two things; a cloak to wear so that his body could be warmed and God's Word to study so his mind and heart could be warmed. Paul had see heaven (2 Corinthians 12:1-6), and the resurrected Christ (Acts 9:5) and even had the gift for writing Holy Scripture (2 Peter 3:16); nevertheless, he continued to study God's word until he died. If Paul needed it, surely you and I need it and should discipline ourselves to study it.
5 Key principles to follow on how to study the Bible:
1. In Bible study you have to know how to ask the right kind of questions:
You will realize that you can bombard the text with a limitless number of questions. One benefit of studying the Bible is that you will begin developing a more inquisitive mind. You will discover exciting insights you’ve overlooked in the past. It will seem as if you have been given a new pair of eyes! Suddenly, every time you pick up the Bible to study, new truths will leap out of the text. There are many models you can use to implement this principle, such as SPECKA, the 5 W’s, etc.
2. In Bible study it involves you writing down what you have observed and discovered:
You have not really thought through a biblical text until you have put the thoughts gained from it into writing. You can do that with a pen and notebook, or you can just open up your laptop and start typing. You cannot study without writing something down. That is the difference between Bible reading and Bible study. In reading the Bible you simply read through a selected portion of Scripture, whereas in studying the Bible you take extensive notes.
3. In Bible Study you have to take God’s Word and study systematically.
A haphazard study of the Word of God is an insult to the sanctity of Scripture. It is a slap on the holiness of God, who gave us his Word. The “cafeteria style” or the “what-are-we-going-to-find-today” approach will not produce the results God wants us to live out. What we need is a systematic, regular plan of study, whether we go through a book study, a word study or a chapter study we need to do it in a systematic way. We also must NEVER take a passage out of context. When it comes to interpretation of the Bible, context is crucial. In fact, I would go as far as to say the most important principle of biblical interpretation is that the context determines meaning. When we ignore the context, we can twist the Scriptures and “prove” almost anything we want. Unfortunately what happens is that true Christianity is not lived out but instead we get things like the prosperity Gospel that are heresy to God. In considering the context of a passage you must look at it’s historical and literary context. You can do this by having a handy, reliable tool nearby-a Bible dictionary such as Strong’s or commentaries.
4. In Bible study you will never exhaust the riches in any one passage of Scripture:
The psalmist declared this fact in Ps.119:96. You can dig and dig in Scripture, but you will never, ever touch bottom. Solomon said it in Prov. 2:4-5- God’s silver is inexhaustible and the treasure is boundless. For this reason you can study the same passage over and over again, dig into it, leave it for three or four months- and when you come back to it, there is much more to find.
5. You MUST apply what you have learned in your Christian walk: Application is crucial to study. We do not want to settle for understanding alone; we want to apply the biblical principles to our daily living. The Bible was to given to change our character and bring it more into conformity with Jesus Christ. All of our efforts in Bible Study are valueless if in the end we do not change and become more like Jesus. (Foster) We must “not merely listen to the word” but we are to “do what is says” (James 1:22). When we apply God’s world in our lives, we will also become eager to carry out the great commission (Mat. 28:18-20) Some of the questions you have to be asking ourself in your Bible Study are: What attitude do I need to change as a result of this study? What do I need to start doing or stop doing? What thing do I need to believe or stop believing? What relationships do I need to work on? What ministry should I be having with others?
There are 4 steps to study
- Repetition- This step regularly channels the mind in a specific direction, thus ingraining habits of thought. Repetition can cause us to go in the way of destructive habits or constructive habits. Study something for 30 days or a year and apply it to your life, it will change your life. It will become a habit. Care for your body, quiet time early, etc.
- Concentration- This step centers the mind and focuses the attention on what is being studied. To gain concentration there are some things you’ll find helpful. Find a quiet place, give time to it, and be rested up. Remember it is a discipline; but when we do it learning is vastly increased. Don’t let yourself be distracted by paying attention to other things while you’re studying-put away your phone, log out of Facebook, ask someone to watch your kids. Concentrate only on our Lord.
- Comprehension- Jesus reminds us it is not just the truth but the knowledge and understanding of the truth that sets us free. (Jn.8:32) All of us have read or studied something over and over again and then, all of a sudden, we understand what it means. It opens up to us a whole new view. When this happens, our experience of understanding moves us to a new level of growth and freedom. It leads to insight and discernment; it gives us a true perception of reality.
- Reflection- Although comprehension defines what we are studying, reflection defines the significance of what we are studying. Reflection brings us to see things from God’s perspective. It helps us to understand our world and ourselves better. We need time to reflect on what we have learned and how it applies to life.
Preparation for Bible Study:
1. Schedule your Bible study time: Set aside a specific time to do Bible study each week. Decide how much time you want to spend on Bible study. Don’t overdo it, but don’t shortchange yourself either. If you don’t put study into your weekly schedule, you will never make time for it or it will be sporadic and shallow. You must intentionally make time for Bible study.
2. How often should you study the Bible?
The answer will vary from person to person, but an important fact to keep in mind is the distinction between your quiet time and your Bible study time. You should have a quiet time every day. It is usually a short devotional period (10-30 minutes) it which you read the Bible, meditate for a few minutes on what you read, and have a time of prayer.
The purpose of your quiet time is to have fellowship with Jesus Christ. You should not try to do an in-depth Bible Study during your quiet time. In fact, nothing will kill your quiet time like engaging in serious Bible study during a devotional period. Just enjoy the presence of God and fellowship with him.
While it is better to have a 10 minute quiet time every day rather than just a one-hour period once a week, the exact opposite is true of Bible study. You cannot study the Bible effectively in a piecemeal fashion. If is better to block out larger periods of time (One or an hour and a half) than to try to study a little bit every day. Then as you grow in your Bible Study skills, you can spend additional time with it.
You should study your Bible when you are at your best physically, emotionally and intellectually, and when you can be undistracted and unhurried. Since you are either a “day person” or a “night person” you should pick the time when you are most alert. I know I cannot function at night very well, but mornings are fine for me, when I get up I am ready to go. You should never try to study when you are tired or right after a large meal, you will only get frustrated and sleepy. Try to study when you are rested and wide awake. Remember we are not talking about just your quiet time or your devotional time every day, we are specifically talking about Bible study, because it is going to take work to do it.
3. Keep a notebook: As we had already talked about, you cannot study the Bible without writing down things that you have observed. I love journaling and find it really helps me to process what I am learning-takes notes as I go and even writing down my questions and prayers to God along the way.
4. Spend time in prayer before each study: First, ask the Lord to cleanse your life from all known sin and to fill you with the Holy Spirit, so that you will be in fellowship with him during the study. This is the advantage of studying the Bible as compared to studying a textbook- you have direct communication with the author himself. Second, pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you in your study. The best way to understand is to talk with its author. Memorize Psalms 119:18 and use it before each study – ” Ask God to open your eyes to His word.”
5. Get the right tools: A good solid version of the Bible. The NIV study bible or the ESV study bibles are good resources to have. A good solid commentary like any of the “MacArthur Commentaries’” are excellent. If you are going to be doing a book study you can get a good commentary on just one book. You can start out with a good study bible and go from there.
A few tools to begin Study
I want to list a few of the Bible Study tools my husband and I use. But I do want to emphasis you do NOT have to have all of these to have a good Bible study. But these are definitely helpful in your study. Always remember that you should read the text first and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you before you consult other materials! You do not want to miss out on how God first wants to speak to you about His Word on a deeply personal level.
1. A good Study Bible: Again this is most important thing that you will need. Find a good study Bible. When looking for one, make sure you get one that is large enough so that you are not straining your eyes while you read and more importantly find one with a good cross-reference and/or concordance. Personally, I would recommend the NIV Study Bible or the ESV Study Bible. For further reading I would also recommend the Apologetics Study Bible- the articles and the notes in that Bible are excellent.
2. An Exhaustive concordance: By far the most important tool you will need in Bible study other than your study Bible is a concordance that is geared to your primary Bible version. This tool has a Bible index of the words contained in that version. A number of bibles have a limited concordance in the back, which lists only a few of the major words and names. An “exhaustive” concordance lists every usage of every word in the bible and gives all the references where the word may be found. I would recommend the Strongest Strong’s NIV Exhaustive Concordance.
3. A Bible dictionary and/or Bible encyclopedia: A Bible dictionary explains many of the words, topics, customs, and traditions in the Bible as well as giving historical, geographical, cultural and archeological information. Background materials are also given for each book of the Bible and a short biography is presented for the major people of both Testaments. I would recommend the Expository Dictionary of Bible Words by Renn.
4. A Bible handbook: This tool is a combination of an encyclopedia and a commentary in a concise form. It is used for quick reference while reading through a particular book in the Bible. Instead of being arranged by topics alphabetically, handbooks are designed to follow the order of the books of the Bible-specifically used for background notes and running commentaries.
I would recommend the Halley’s Bible handbook or The Word Bible Handbook by Richards.
5. Commentaries: A commentary is a scholarly collection of explanatory notes and interpretations on the text of a particular book or section. Its purpose is to explain and interpret the meaning of the biblical message by analyzing the words used, background, introduction, grammar, and syntax, and relation of the particular book to the rest of the Bible. Used properly, commentaries can greatly increase your understanding of the Bible. Generally you should not refer to the commentary until after you have done your own study. Don’t let someone else rob you of the joy or discovering biblical insights on your own. I would recommend the Matthew Henry Commentary or the John MacArthur Commentary.
Other Helpful Study Tools:
-How to read the bible for all its Worth by Gordon Fee
-The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer or the more contemporary version of Costly Grace by Jon Walker
-Mere Christanity by C.S. Lewis
In closing, we must remember that application is crucial to study. We must come to study in a humble and teachable spirit. We do not gain knowledge and information so we can be seen as all knowing. Parading around our knowledge in front of others just makes us arrogant. The wisdom of God is found in study of His Word and the world around us. (Foster) We should be humbled that He would share this with us. Our goal in all Bible studies is to know Jesus Christ and to become like him in our attitudes, our thoughts, our speech, our actions and our values. When the word of God changes our lives and makes us more like Jesus, that's when we realize what the real purpose of life is, what true joy is, and what it means for God to change the world though us. The Great commission is fulfilled and souls are won when we become Christlike and do His will.
By Laurel Jeremiadoss
***If you are interested in studying the spiritual disciplines further, most of our teaching comes from Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, Spiritual Disciplines by Donald Whitney and E.M. Bounds’ Weapons of Prayer.
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