How to Study God’s Word by Tim Parkinson
The Bible is the foundation of the Christian faith. Arguably, the most read book in history, the Bible, having been written over centuries by various people in different languages, contains the the story of God’s relationship with man.
People have spent their whole lives in pursuit of trying to understand it. People have died for translating its words into different languages. People, to this day, are imprisoned for transporting it into places where it’s been banned.
What’s your relationship with the Bible? Does it occupy any of your time, if so, how often do you read it? It is said that a person’s closeness to God can be seen in how often they spend time in His word.
Can someone be personally changed by reading a book? How about increasing one’s understanding or wisdom on a subject? Of course, they can and do. That’s what books are for, why they’re written, why they’re read. Someone once said that our lives are changed only by the people we meet and the books we read.
The Bible is a life changing book, it contains the words of everlasting life.
The modern philosopher, Jordan Peterson said, “The Bible isn’t just a book, it’s a library.”
It’s also been said that you never really understand a book, until the Author explains it to you.
With that in mind, let’s study the Word of God, the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Message.
Pro 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Pro 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
Pro 4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
Pro 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Pro 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Pro 4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Pro 4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Pro 4:9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
Pro 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
CONCEPT:
The command is to be obeyed & has reward
We can only expect a full reward, if we totally obey the command.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Bible Study Tools – Then and Now
Formerly: (for me 35 years ago)
Bibles in various translations (in a nice, leather case)
Notebook
Highlighters or colored pencils
Bookmarks
Concordance & other study helps
Currently:
IPad
Wi-Fi connection (optional)
Bible app (optional)
My Method for Bible Study
- Have a time set aside to read God’s word and guard it. Count this time as time you hear from God personally (This is the same for prayer)
Q: How much time for Bible study?
A: Enough time to fulfill your responsibilities to your God, your family, your health, etc with the goal of having a balanced life. Studying God’s word does not absolve you from attending church, taking care of business/ work and family time.
Balance is the active word. We are triune beings, so we must balance our attention (or time) to our spirits, souls and bodies.
Too much overtime anything can lead to an unbalanced life. If you have to work overtime, your family, spiritual life, or physical health can suffer. You must decide who or what is in charge of your life, then realize that God has given you the ultimate responsibility for making godly decisions.
- Find a place and time without nearby distractions and don’t give it up easily.
- Optional: Begin by talking to God or saying a prayer, to let Him know that your heart’s desire is for Him to speak life & revelation into your spirit, soul and body through His word. Then thank Him for doing it.
This intimate time helps to separate you from your worries and cares of this life and focus on God.
I notate everything I want to remember on the iPad, for future reading and consideration. On digital devices, you can easily edit, amend, revise, recall and print much more efficiently than with paper and pencil (no need to erase, cross out or rewrite).
Getting Started
A good way to start studying God’s word is to begin with a scripture or passage that you are already familiar with.
Remember, we are seeking to be taught by God’s Spirit from God’s word, so our previous knowledge or interpretation of the scriptures can interfere with what God might be wanting to teach us today.
Our Bible study is for our benefit and personal growth, so we must be teachable.
Understanding context is helpful. Studying part of a scripture or the meaning of a word can be done, but might limit your understanding of the full biblical doctrine. Let first look at some “connected scriptures” or topics.
Let’s begin with John 3:16 & 17.
For fun, let’s read it fast as possible, and see if there’s anything gained.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Let’s take our time when studying the Word.
- After reading what Jesus was saying here, let’s try to understand the 5 Ws – Who, What, When, Where, and Why, if at all possible.
This is not critical with every Bible study, but might help you to relate personally with what you learn. There’s a peace that comes as you understand that God is trying to teach you something, and that you don’t need to try to figure things out on your own.
5Ws – Understanding the context
The 5 Ws of John 3:16-17
Who(1)- Jesus talking to Nicodemus
What(2)- Jesus answering questions (revealing Himself) to a religious person (leader)
When(3)- at night NI (not important)
Where(4)- wherever Jesus was staying at that time NI
Why(5)- This Jewish leader wanted to understand Jesus’ words & actions (such as how He did miracles), so he went to the source to learn.
Context is King
Prior to this passage, Jesus had told just Him:
- He must be born again
- He needed spiritual understanding (being a Jewish ruler)
- He needed to believe
The Text- studying phrase by phrase
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world,
God’s relationship with the world- He loves His creation.
that he gave his only begotten Son,
God’s response was to freely give of Himself
that whosoever believeth in him
God’s invitation is to everyone
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- There are only two paths that we can choose from. Believe or not to believe. Perish or eternal life. Believing is an action of our will, it’s our choice and not predetermined.
A word from Psalms
selâh
seh’-law
From H5541; suspension (of music), that is, pause: – Selah.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son
God gave and sent His Son (part of Himself)
into the world to condemn the world;
God doesn’t hate mankind (that separates itself from Him)
but that the world through him might be saved.
There IS a way to remove our sins through His sent Son, and be reconciled to God our Father and Creator.
- Selah
Now, hopefully, you have some new information, that can & will change your life, if you didn’t have it previously.
Congratulations, you have just studied God’s word, the Bible.
This is good news – the gospel – everyone will listen to good news.
- If you’ve notated your thoughts, reread what you’ve written. Change the wording, if it seems unclear. Make it easier to understand. Later tell someone what you’ve learned.
It’s easier to repeat what someone has taught you, than for you to find the words on the spot, to explain something.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
If you have any current problems in your life, (where you need wisdom from God’s word to solve them) you might consider studying those topics first. It’s even easier to study God’s word, when you don’t have unresolved problems.
BUT, we can go still deeper.
The next step is breaking the phrases down into words.
First, you should ask yourself this,
- Should I get involved with word studies (Hebrew & Greek) or do I have other foundational scriptures I need to understand and apply more fully?
Do you already have understanding on what the Bible teaches on these subjects?
Repentance
Salvation
Forgiveness
Baptism
Sowing and Reaping
Spiritual Gifts
The local Church
Prophecy
The Rapture
The Tribulation
These are all good topics for study
For word studies, we use a Concordance.
That’s a future topic…
Bonus
Tim’s formula for a fulfilled life:
Daily, I’ll try to:
- Learn something new
- Finish something
- Do something for someone else
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