Bible Study – Start Studying -2 (Resources)
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Bible Study – Start Studying -2 (Resources)
Sermon by Thomas Thornhill Jr
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COMMUNICATING WITH GOD (39)
Start Studying Your Bible (2)
Resources to Help
As we bring our study of Bible study to its conclusion, today we want to continue with practical suggestions to help you get the most out of your time studying the Bible. We have covered much ground leading up to this. Last week, we addressed deciding what to study. We noted 4 different ways to study – 1) textual, 2) topical, 3) workbooks (which enhance the 2 previous), and 4) worship and congregational Bible classes as they relate to study. Today, we continue by examining the specific ways to engage in a Bible study. Since I did not complete this study last week, I will expand these points today by including resources that will help accommodate studying both textual and topical.
- Get started.
- As with Bible reading, set aside a time and find a quiet place. Remove distractions.
- Recall, that Jesus, while busy, found time to pray – Mark 1:35 – before daylight Jesus went out to pray. He also found time to teach His disciples.
- Get something that you can take notes with (paper/computer/etc.). Also various resources that can help you study.
- Verse by verse study or textual
- Begin with prayer – 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, James 1:5, etc.
- WRITE down a title for your study.
- Begin by reading the Bible text – as we have noted this is a crucial part of the Bible study process. The more familiar you are with a text (especially a book), the better prepared you will be when you delve into a study of the text. Always start by reading the text AND context. IF you are going to study a book of the Bible, begin by reading the entire book, possibly 2-3 times (take your time if it is a longer book and requires several days). If it is a shorter letter, try to read it all in 1 sitting.
NOTE: A helpful tool as you read the Bible is to listen to the Bible as you read. When you use multiple senses for a task, it is more likely to be retained (or a greater percentage retained). Most major translations have an audio version. The cost is typically minimal (or free). - Pause and ask what you are trying to learn from what you have read. ASK the questions related to your study. Philippians 4:8 – meditate on these things.
- Research the background. Find out some primary information about the book and text you are studying. The backgrounds questions. Knowing who wrote the book, to whom and why becomes helpful throughout your study. Also the background of a particular event can give you better appreciation.
- You can typically find short overviews of various books of the Bible in several places.
- Most commentaries will begin with an introduction to the book. Some study Bibles begin with a brief introduction.
- Also helpful are books about the history, archaeology and geography of the Bible lands. There are books dealing with “manners and customs” of the Bible as well. This becomes particularly helpful when you are studying events in the historical books – e.g., the gospels, Acts, the 17 books of OT history (Genesis – Esther). For example: A study of Roman crucifixion drives home what the original readers of the gospels would have understood by the simple phrase – “then they crucified Him” (Matthew 27:35).
- Bible atlas – this will have maps of Bible lands during the various periods of Bible history. There may also be maps that document various travels and events recorded in scripture (e.g., the wilderness wanderings of Israel; the conquest of Canaan; Paul’s various missionary journeys). Of note, many Bible atlases are also geographical encyclopedias giving you information about the various places that are mentioned.
- Summarize the text in a sentence or two. Write this down. WRITE IT IN PENCIL! As you study, you might change your mind. Also, based on your reading the book several times, put together a general outline (not specific).
- Start studying – find resources that will help you determine the meaning. There are several types of resources that can help you study.
- NOTE: I would like to explain some of the resources that are available. Recall 2 Timothy 3:16-17. I want to remind you that the ONLY text that is inspired is the Bible itself. There are many valuable resources that can help you as you study, but understand they are NOT inspired. While some try to be as accurate as possible, they are still works of men. They are useful, but ONLY as they are true to the actual text. You should spend substantial time in the text of the Bible itself. That is why I recommend that FIRST you read the text until you are familiar with what it says. That is going to be your foundation upon which you build your study.
- NOTE: We are blessed with an abundance of resources. This is because of what the Bible is. What other book do you know of that has entire bookstores and websites devoted to its study?
- Compare translations – I personally believe this is one of the best tools to begin with. But start with reputable translations that seek to present the “word for word” equivalent (they try to match the words of the original text into English in an understandable way). There are also “thought for thought” translations that put greater emphasis on the overall meaning of a text than finding an equivalent for every word. These can be useful as secondary sources AFTER you determine the wording found in the original texts. (The challenge with a “thought for thought” translation is that it will always reflect the authors interpretations). There are also “balanced” translations which seek to combine the 2 types mentions (NOTE: Almost every translation has some form of balance, but the “word for word” translations are typically more conservative and accurate).
- Center column references – many Bibles have a reference section (either center column or side column). These typically provide some direct information related to the text. In the front of your Bible, you will typically find an explanation of various terms.
- Word study resources – whether you are studying textually or topically, you WILL need to study the original meaning of Biblical words.
- Bible dictionary – gives the definition (and sometimes etymology and other information) of words as they were used in the original languages. This is helpful because not every English word converts smoothly from the original language. There are English words that are based on several original language words (for example: love is found ~280 times in the NKJV NT. But it is based on 2 different Greek words with different meanings – agape – in Christian love and describes affection toward God; phileo describes affection toward a friend.)
- Original languages – lexicon. This is a dictionary based on the original languages. It is alphabetical based upon the original language. It then gives you the English usages and definitions of the original language words. Thayer’s Greek English Lexicon is the classic work for the NT in this field. NOTE: You do not need to know the original languages. There are resources that can help you identify which Greek word is being used in a particular verse. An example is E.W. Bullinger’s, Critical lexicon and concordance of the New Testament. He gives you the English word (keyed to the KJV), the various Greek words translated with the English word, and then lists the various texts in contextual order, and identifies by number, which Greek word is used.
- Concordance – a concordance is a reference work that lists usages of a certain word found in our Bible. Strong’s is an “exhaustive concordance” meaning it lists every every time. There are English concordances KEYED to specific translations, and there are original language concordances (called lexicons). NOTE: Strong’s concordance is so named as it was supervised by Dr. James Strong. It was published in 1890 and keyed to the KJV. What makes Strong’s extra helpful is that he also developed a numbering system for the Hebrew and Greek words behind the various English words in our Bibles. The numbers were based alphabetically of the original languages. This numbering system has become somewhat universal and is referenced by various works. Also with each number in Strong’s is a short definition of the word. Note: Many Bibles have a concise concordance in back. KNOW that this concordance is incomplete.
There is also The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge which is an extended concordance keyed to the text of scripture. Every phrase in a verse is given appropriate cross-references to other texts. - Commentaries – a commentary is a man’s, or group of men, interpretation of the text of scripture. This can be helpful for understanding a text of scripture. There are many different types of commentaries that focus on different levels of Bible knowledge and different purposes.
- Exegetical – these are basic commentaries that seek to explain the meaning of the text.
- Concise – these are shorter commentaries that will give you an overview of a passage of scripture.
- Application – these emphasize how we can apply the text to our lives.
- Analytical commentaries that analyze a text, These are typically more technical and require original language knowledge.
- NOTE: Because this is a work of man, use caution, and consider only using commentaries from reputable sources (especially faithful brethren). Personally, I recommend that if you consult a commentary, that you consult several. Then use your reasoning skills and previous knowledge to reach the intended message of the text. AND, also remember that it is NOT inspired.
- Some recommend that you only use commentaries as a last resort. (Which is why it is further down in this list of resources). Another suggestion is to consult more than one commentary.
- IF you question the use of commentaries, just know that every time a preacher stands us and presents a lesson, it is HIS commentary of that subject. If a preacher can be accurate, so can a commentary – IF it is true to God’s word.
- IF you highlight your Bible, possibly take some brief notes.
- Underline key verses (I do this in pencil also).
- A few years back (2019), I presented some lessons about effective Bible reading. There it was suggested we follow a PATH. With each chapter you read ask the following:
- Praise – is there anything in this chapter (or text) that praises God?
- Admonition – is the text telling me something I need to improve.
- Trust – what does the text teach to build trust (faith) in God
- Hope – what in the text gives me hope, encourages me to keep going?
- Consider purchasing a Bible that has wide margins for notes. You can write some of the observations from your studies in your Bible.
- Be patient. Genuine study takes time. There is enough in God’s word to keep you going for a lifetime. Recall Paul’s admonition to Timothy – 1 Timothy 4:13, 15. 1 Peter 2:1-2 speaks of how we as babes desire the pure (sincere) milk of the word to grow thereby. Hebrew 5:12-14 speaks of babes and the mature. You will start with the “milk of the word”.
- Topical studies
- What is the topic you want to study and why? For beginners, start with a study of the steps of salvation (cf. 1 Peter 3:15), or maybe, What does it mean to be a Christian? If you need help, ask someone.
- Possibly, look for a workbook by a faithful Christian (IF you need help with this, ask).
- Secure a notebook and give your study a title (date it if you want).
- Begin each study with prayer. Psalm 25:4, Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. While a psalm, this is written as a request to God, thus it is a prayer. 5x in the psalms, we have the expression, “teach (or show) me Your ways.” (Inc. Psalm 119:26 & 33).
- Find passages of scripture related to your subject. If a subject has multiple points, create subcategories and place the appropriate scriptures in those. Workbooks can help you with this. Study the texts IN THEIR CONTEXT!
- Be prepared to look up words, both in English and the original languages (OT – Hebrew, NT – Greek, select passages – Aramaic).
- See the previous note on concordances and dictionaries. It is particularly important with topics as you want to understand the topics in their original meaning.
- Topical Bibles – this is a reference work that will give you various verses based on a given topic. The benefit of this resource is that it might include verses that do not use a specific word but is still related to the topic at hand. The 2 most prominent are Nave’s Topical Bible and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook
- Other books include Bible theme dictionaries and Where to Find It In the Bible.
- Write down what you have learned and file it in such a way that you know where it is.
- Again, be patient.
- Final thoughts on external resources
- As noted external resources are very helpful in your studies. Here are some more general resources and observations as we conclude our lesson.
- Books by faithful Christians – this can be helpful if you are studying the presented subject. But remember that these books are commentaries by fallible men and women. Just because someone professes to be a Christian does not mean they are teaching truth. Some have written books with an agenda in mind.
- Study Bibles – most are NOT recommended for novices. These are Bibles that are filled with notes. While some are more general (Thompson Chain Reference), others focus on specific areas addressed in scripture – e.g., women’s study Bible, leadership Bible, AP Defending the Faith Study Bible, Zondervan’s Cultural Background Study Bible, etc. (NOTE: These external resources are the works of men and often present doctrinal errors – especially in articles, proceed with caution).
- Discuss your study with others, especially if you have questions. If there is a particular study you want to focus on, start (or join) a study group that will focus on that subject.
- Bible software and internet sources. In our modern age, there is a large collection of these resources available online. There are free Bible software programs, Bible reading apps, Bible versions, audio Bibles, sermons and studies by gospel preachers, both in audio and video form, etc. These put just about everything you need at your fingertips, if you use a computer. And many of them are available for free. Many of the mentioned resources in this lesson predate current copyright laws and are considered public domain. Other resources are available because of the generosity of individuals and organizations that simply want you to have access to God’s word. (E.g., we have a website with 1000’s of sermons). They are free to use (and I recommend that you consider our website as a first source for ideas on a given topic or text. If it is there, it will be helpful. AND this includes our archived site which goes back about 15 years).
- NOTE: Remember that ALL external writings are written by men. They can be helpful, but only so far as they stay true to God’s word. Recall again Acts 17:11 – God still wants you to “trust but verify.”
And thus, we conclude our theme, “Communicating with God”. It is my hope that in this study we have seen that God WANTS us to communicate with Him. He has “opened the line” and is available to all who come to Him on His terms. What a privilege it is for us to be able to go to God in prayer knowing that He is there, listening and able to answer as is best. And equally, what a blessing knowing that He has revealed to us His will in such a way that we can devote time to listening to Him through His word and thereby ensure our place with Him for all eternity, along with others of like precious faith. I commend this study to you with the hope that if we do these things properly they will draw us closer to God and to one another as His people.
But such will only be the case IF we are a part of His family. What about you? Are you faithfully part of His family? If not, let us help you. Can you think of a better way to begin a new year? Think about it!