How to study the Bible

How to study the Bible

Bible study can sometimes seem confusing. There are also times you will not be able to make sense of what you are reading. Do not worry because you are not alone.

Jesus was with the apostles for a long time but they did not understand everything Jesus taught them until after He hung on the cross and the Holy Spirit came upon them. God gives you understanding of different things at different times depending on your growth in the faith and when you are truly ready to understand what He wants you to learn. Teachers are here for that reason, not so much to teach you but to guide your growth and understanding in the word of God. The first step in understanding is knowing how to study the Bible. I hope I can help you with that. I am far from a perfect person and in the past I have been far from God but I feel I have been called to help others to understand. Remember God may not call the qualified but he qualifies those He calls.

One thing I need to mention is to check for yourself any teaching you receive concerning the Bible. A word omitted, a sentence skewed or read incorrectly, or misunderstanding what the subject of a verse is can completely change the meaning God intended. Challenge anything that does not sound right, even teachings or church traditions handed down for generations because the serpent twisted God’s word from the very beginning and he hasn’t stopped since.

Let’s get started. When you begin reading try to understand the subject matter of the chapter and verse. The subject could go back to a previous chapter and without knowing the subject you are lost before you start.

Every writer of the Bible has a different style and technique of telling their stories and prophecies. Once you get to know the style of a writer it is easier to understand their meaning and follow the line of thought. Remember also that all the Biblical writers used those things common to their lives to explain things they saw. As an example: When someone says to you “that guy is flying down the road” you never assume that he is actually off the ground, only moving fast. We use the term “flying” these days because we know it is the fastest way for man to travel. Man did not travel that way in Biblical times. Cowboys speak of “too many irons in the fire” indicating the attempt of getting too many things accomplished too fast and not succeeding very well in any of them. If there are too many branding irons in the fire at one time none of them can be heated correctly. One reference in the Bible that may help you understand this more fully is:

Malachi 3:
3 “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness”.

To understand this reference a person needs to understand what a silversmith does to purify silver. Here is what happens when a silversmith works silver:

The silversmith holds a piece of silver over a fire and lets it heat up.

In refining silver, one needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The silversmith has to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver is being refined. Not only does he have to sit there holding the silver but he also has to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it is the fire. If the silver is left a moment too long in the flames it will be destroyed.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is fully refined? When he sees his image in it. What does this mean to you? God puts us through whatever it may take to purify us until we are more like Him. The Levities (sons of Levi) were the Israelite priests chosen by God. In order to perform their work they had to be purified before entering the Holy of Holies. There was a ceremony they went through to purify themselves. They could not appear before God without being purified. We are no different today except that we have the blood of Christ that purifies us. Today we are refined by the blood of Christ so the sacrifices and rituals are no longer needed. What is needed and required is giving your life to Christ with the faith and belief that He is your savior. God formed man in His image but man became corrupted. The impurities of Satan infected us all.

We go through life with all its happiness, sadness, trials, disappointments, and accomplishments and at each step we should learn and grow. If we grow closer to God then God starts to see His image in us. God will allow us to remain “in the fire” indefinitely because it is up to us when we are removed from the fire, in other words when we make a choice between following Satan or being “refined” by the blood of Christ. If we refuse to learn and refuse to grow in God that is our choice but God will keep trying until we are either in His image or finally “burned up” in the fire. There is a limited time to make a choice. If you do not have the knowledge and understanding about your choice how can you make a decision?

Remember, if your life always seems to be in the fire perhaps God is trying to help you learn or turn your path in the correct direction. God sent His only begotten Son to die so that none should perish but all could have everlasting life.

There is much more that this simple verse says and means but this is a start. I used this example because this one verse is so descriptive of God’s grace, love, patience, and desire for all peoples to accept Him, how He teaches us, and how He offers us everlasting life. At the same time it allows for those that do not desire His love to make their own way. You can hold on to your corruption or be changed into a pure state, these are your choices.

I know that there are those that still cannot comprehend what this verse says and that is as it should be. When it is your time to understand then God will educate you unless you are one of those that refuse to understand.

One last comment: God is not the author of confusion; He is the author of peace, love, and understanding.

May God bless everyone with understanding, in the sweet name of Christ Jesus I pray.