Bible Study How-to
(Gleaned from RC Sproul and other sources.)

Mark Twain wryly observed: Most people are bothered by those passages in scriptures which they cannot understand. But for me, I always notice that the passages in scripture which trouble me the most are those that I do understand.

While the Bible is not like any other book, read it as you do other important books, according to what it really says—not according to your own desires and prejudices. The basic message is plain—but there is meat that keeps students studying, and some passages keep scholars burning the oil! Or, as John Owen noted: In the divine Scriptures, there are shallows and there are deeps; shallows where the lamb may wade, and deeps where the elephant may swim.

The Bible is its own interpreter—therefore read the narratives in the context of the particular passage and the overall message. Therefore:

1. Interpret (another word is “read”) it literally—as it was written—and like any other book.

• “I exhort and entreat you all, disregard what this man and that man thinks about such things, and inquire from the Holy Scriptures all these things.” (Chrysostom)
• “The Holy and Inspired Scriptures are sufficient of themselves for the preaching of the Truth.”(Athanasius, Contra Gentiles, I:1)

2. Literal interpretation—reading the Bible as it was written—a noun is a noun, a verb is a verb.

3. All forms are to be interpreted as one interprets them in other literature. Poetry is read as poetry; parables as parable, and history accounts as history. (How To Bible Study Guide)

4. Not all Scripture is to us, but all Scripture is for us. “Wonderful is the depth of thy words, whose surface is before us, gently leading on the little ones: and yet a wonderful deepness, O my God, a wonderful deepness. It is awe to look into it; even an awfulness of honour, and a trembling of love.”(Augustine (345-430), Confessions)

5. Obscure parts of the Bible are to be interpreted by the clearer parts.

6 The implicit is to interpreted in light of the explicit—and the laws of logic govern.

The best principle of Biblical interpretation—using Scripture to understand Scripture. Therefore, reading from a Bible with cross-references is handy. Also select a Bible with a simple concordance in the back. But if you don’t have such a Bible, pick up the one you have, and ask God to guide your understanding, and please may you hear his voice! “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah. 66:2 )

Also see:
Acts 15:15-16
Ephesians 4:11-16
2 Peter 1:16-21
2 Peter 3:14-18

From How to Read the Bible, John Wycliffe’s advice— 200 years before the Reformation—is still relevant:

“It shall greatly helpe ye to understande Scripture, if thou mark not only what is spoken or wrytten, but of whom, and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth.”

A modern preacher, John Piper also urges us to ask questions of the text in his book, Brothers, We are NOT Professionals. “It must bother us that James and Paul don’t seem to fit together. Only when we are troubled and bothered do we think hard . . . We must form the habit of being systematically disturbed by things that at first glance don’t make sense. Or to put it different way, we must relentlessly query the text.”

Study Bibles have a great deal of background material and cross references, and even limited concordances, so Christians—those who are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit are without excuse! Bible authors are quite straightforward; we can understand even the prophets, assuming we have a good translation in our native tongue. Look for answers to the following the following simple journalistic questions as we start reading. Then, expect His answers, and enjoy!

Who is writing?
Why is he writing?
What is he saying?
For whom is the person writing, and when was the material written?

Next, analyzing difficult passages by remembering the acronym S P A C E P E T S (Courtesy of the Navigators) As you encounter difficult passages, stop and consider the following questions, and ask them!

S - Is there Sin to confess in my life?
P - Is there a Promise to claim?
A - Is there an Atittude to change?
C - Is there a Commandment to obey?
E - Is there an Example to follow?
P - Is there a Prayer to pray?
E - Is there an Error to avoid?
T - Is there a Truth to believe and apply to my life?
S - Is there Something to praise God for?

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