Introduction
This
is an introductory page for any who wish to think about Studying
the Bible. It leads on to other pages that suggest specific methods
of study.
Who
is this page for? Anyone interested enough to come here with a
view to Studying the Bible. But please be warned - what
is on this and the linked pages are only tools. The Bible will only
start coming alive when you actually use the tools.
Why
Read the Bible?
Several
reasons can be suggested:
1.
It is inspired and given by God.
This is a basic Christian belief, and if it is true then it is certainly
worth your time and energy to look into it.
2.
It tells about God.
It is testimony given over at least a two thousand year period, of the
dealings of God with mankind. Again, if this is true then it is worth
your effort to study it and find out what it is saying.
3.
It tells about Mankind.
It contains probably THE most acurate description of the state of mankind
that you will find anywhere. If we want to know who we are, why we're
like we are, and what hope there is for us, then we need to read this
book!
An
alternative approach to answer the question, might be as follows:
4.
It FEEDS me.
Sometimes it is excellent, sometimes it seems ordinary, but whenever
you come with an open heart to God, you'll find the Bible feeds your
spirit.
5.
It GUIDES me.
Not always, but frequently, if I come with an open heart to God through
the Bible, I find guidance and direction for my life.
6.
It TEACHES me.
Whenever I come with an open heart it informs me and increases my knowledge
and understanding, changes my outlook on life, challenges and correct
me.
How
do I come with an Open Heart?
We said above that if we come with an open heart, we'll
find it does various things for us. What does that mean?
It means, first of all, that you approach the Bible with a desire to
learn. If you come just to criticise, you will get nothing.
If you come genuinely seeking, you will suddenly find answers.
Second,
it means that you come seeking God, and if you're going to do that,
you will be wise to pray first and ask Him to help you understand what
you read.
Third,
it means that you will take time and resolve not to rush, but
go through it carefully.
"Critical"
or "Questioning"?
We
said above that if you come critically you will get nothing, but that
doesn't mean you don't come questioning.
When
you come 'questioning' you ask yourself questions of the text to find
out what it is really saying, and you'll see that various ways of study
we'll suggest involve you asking questions.
If,
on the other hand, you come with a critical attitude to start with,
that means you are simply coming to find fault.
An
enquiring or investigating mind comes openly and says, "I don't
understand that. What does it mean?"
A
critical heart says, "This is stupid, I don't understand this!"
and gives up in a bad attitude, not realising that that says more about
them than it does about the Bible.
What
Version of the Bible to Use
There
are many versions of the Bible. There are translations
and paraphrases.
A
translation seeks to convey
as accurately as possible the meaning of the original language (the
Bible was written mainly in Hebrew and Greek).
A
paraphrase simply seeks
to convey the general sense rather than specific direct translation
of individual words or sentences.
Perhaps
the most commonly used translation
today is the "New International Version", although there are
a variety of other English versions available.
Perhaps
the most best known of the paraphrases
are "The Living Bible" and "The Message".
For
easy reading to catch the general sense, use a paraphrase.
For detailed study to consider as nearly as possible what was being
said, use a translation.
The
Depth of Approach
When
you open your Bible there are a variety of ways you can go about finding
out what is there:
1.
Reading
This is simply going non-stop through a passage, chapter, or book, to
catch the overall sense of what is there. The danger of silent
reading is that your mind can wander and when you get to the end of
the passage, you wonder what you have read!
To
counter this try reading out loud. This has the added advantage
that you have to pay particular attention to punctuation etc. to really
catch the meaning, and as you hear yourself saying the words, you will
find you understand more what is there on the page.
2.
Studying
This is going through the passage, chapter or book, carefully noting
exactly what you are reading and what it is saying. This is slower but
usually far more satisfying, as the passage starts to come alive to
you as you begin to understand the implications of what is infront of
you.
3.
Meditating
This is slowly taking a small passage and chewing it over in your mind
to see the implications of it, and letting it even more fully expand
your spiritual understanding.
4.
Memorising
This sounds like old fashioned school, but the usefulness of memorising
Scripture is that you can then pull it out of your memory whenever you
want, and apply it to situations before you, when you may not have a
Bible at hand. As you memorise Scripture you realise that it also
increases your understanding of it.
Further
resources for you
To
take you further on now, go back to the "Bible
Study for Beginners" Contents Page and work your way through
the pages listed there.
Sunday Services
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