HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE?

1. God Desires for Us to know His Word

• I would not that ye should be ignorant brethren (Paul uses this expression seven times; e.g. Rom. 1:13)
• There is no premium on being ignorant of the Bible
• Ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous 

iii.     Wolves prey on the ignorance of sheep.

1. II Cor. 2:11– Our ignorance gives Satan an advantage over us.

• The Bible was given toreveal not conceal truth, not to conceal it. The whole point of revelation is that we might KNOW the things that are given to us through this means. (I Cor. 2:13)
• I Corinthians 14:20 – “Brethren, be not children inunderstanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in  understanding be men.

2. The Bible can beknown.

• Deut. 29:29 – “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
• I John 5:13 – These things were written by John so that his readers might know.

3. The Bible is easily misunderstood

• Examples: “My father is greater than I.”  (John 14:28)

• “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.” (Heb.6:4-5)

 iii. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”  (Mark 16:16)

•  “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)
• There are countless interpretations of the Bible… from the orthodox, to the questionable, to the downright bizarre.
• Eph. 4:14 –Children are easily deceived and are led into a false understanding of the Word. Therefore, be no more children, tossed to and fro and deceived. Grow up… learn the Word!
• Since the Bible is easily misunderstood, and since God WANTS us to know what He said, theremust be a way to understand the revelation God has given.
• The Bible is easily misunderstood, but careful, diligent study using the literal method of interpretation is God’s means to accomplish that end.

4. Our Adversary theDevil

• Matt. 4:5-6 – Satan seeks totwist the Word.

• Rev.12:9 – the devil seeks todeceive the whole world.

• II Cor. 11:3-4 – Satan seeks tocorrupt minds from the simplicity that is in Christ. The simplest way to understand the Bible is to take it for what it actually says.  
• II Cor.11:13-15 – Satan has his own “ministers” who seek to corrupt minds too… who appear as angels of light.

5. The Influence of theWorld

• Our culture exerts pressure on the interpreter to interpret the Bible in light of the world’s cultural norms, rather than interpreting the Bible on the basis of what it actually says.

• Examples:

•  The Spirit of the age says that the gay lifestyle is acceptable. Hence, the Bible is interpreted in light of that world view.

•  The spirit of the age says that men and women share equal roles in the home. Wives are not to submit to their husbands. Thus, the roles of the men and women in the Bible are interpreted in light of that view.

                                     iii.   The spirit of the age is addicted to science – even some which is what Paul calls “science falsely so called.” The world exerts pressure on the believer to interpret the Bible in light of what modern science says (Example: creation; miracles; etc.)

•  The spirit of the age says that children should not be spanked. That is a cultural taboo today. Hence, Bible passages are interpreted through that lens… and the interpretation is distorted.

•  The spirit of the age is driven by materialism. Hence, we see the Bible being interpreted in that light: the gospel of health and wealth. (He became poor that we might become rich; forgive us our debts; etc.)

• The spirit of the age (worldly thinking) determines what they think the Bible should mean. Bible interpretation is forced through their lens… through their slanted prism. This distorts what the Bible actually says.

• “Culture” is used very often as anexcuse NOT to take God’s Word for what it says. (Paul wrote what he did about women because that’s what his culture taught him… etc.)

• Believers are influenced by the “thinking of men”, what Paul calls the wisdom of men.

• This is a spiritual obstacle to be overcome. It is a hindrance to Bible interpretation.

• Rom.12:1-2 – be not conformed to this world… but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Minds are renewed by the Word of God.
•  World = age = the spirit of the age

•  Before our minds can be renewed, we must first be yielded to God – as a living sacrifice. (vs.1)

 iii.    Transformed = a total change from the inside out. (Present; pass; imp.) = keep on being transformed. God does the transforming.

• He does it by renewing the way we THINK.

•  Thus, Paul states that our mind (our thinking) is shaped either by the world (external conformity) OR by God and His Word (internal transformation).

•  What we have been filling our minds with will greatly affect our ability to know and understand the Bible.

6. Peer Pressure from a Christian denomination, church, or group

• Denominations and “fellowships” put pressure upon those pastors in their denomination to “stick to the party line.”

• Many of these groups put out “resolutions” at their conventions each year on various topics… from doctrines, to politics, to standards, etc. And all in the group are expected to defend those resolutions.

• The problem is that those resolutions were not in place when the man joined in the first place… and he may not entirely agree… but it pressured to hold the party line or to be rejected from the group. That is not healthy.

• To a lesser degree, individual churches can also exert pressure to conform to their views as well. (Bible version; hats; pet doctrines; homeschooling; etc.)

• Interpretation of the Bible ought to be based upon what the text says, NOT on what an individual or a group SAYS that it says.

• I John 4:1 – We are not to believe every spirit (Bible teacher).

• Acts 17:11 – Each believer is accountable for what he believes. We are to search the Scriptures to see if it is so.

7. The Natural Inclination of the Flesh

• Pride: Can affect interpretation.
•  The flesh is proud. Personal pride can have an effect on interpretation

•  The flesh has a hard time believing what the Bible says about the flesh: no good thing; incurably sick;
  etc. Human pride slants our understanding of such passages.

 iii.   (I’ve always believed “X”. I’ll never change my views. After all, Pastor SO and So taught it! That’s what my denomination believes! It would be too embarrassing for me to admit now that I was wrong all these years!”)

•  Only Neanderthals believe in a six day creation!  What would my colleagues think of me? Days must really mean millions of years!

• Unbeliefcan affect our interpretation. 
• Sometimes what the Bible says is hard to believe.
• Rapture, resurrection, miracles,

                                 
iii.     Liberalism has been hammering away against taking the Word for what it says. We are influenced by that unbelief… and sometimes take that baggage with us as we study.

•  If you start off with the premise that supernatural events are impossible… then you will miss the point of the Christian faith entirely.

• Selfishness can affect our interpretation
• The crucified life does not come easy to the flesh because we love self.
• Thus, there is always the desire in us to take the easy route.

                                 
iii.   The flesh would love to believe that the Bible doesn’t REALLY mean what it says when we are commanded to give as Jesus gave to us; to love our enemies; to be a living sacrifice; forgive someone 490 times in a row!

• There is a tendency to filter what the Bible says through the filter of what is comfortable for self. The flesh BLINDS us to the truth. It separates us from God, and we NEED Him to illuminate Scripture for us. The inability of an unsaved man to understand spiritual things is related to the blindness (hardness) of his heart… not the lack of intellect. (Eph.4:18)
• We “need to know” how to study the Bible because we have everything working against us from understanding it: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

8.  The danger of Biblical ignorance

• Matthew 22:29 – Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures

• Hosea 4:1 – God had an argument with the Jews because they were lacking the knowledge of God in the land.

• Hosea 4:6 – God’s people were destroyed because of a lack of knowledge of God and His Word. All these issues combine to form a powerful mandate for the believer to know the Word and to know HOW to study the Word.

A.   God’s Role

1.   Illumination

a.   This is the work of the Holy Spirit in which He enlightens those who are saved and in a right relationship to Him that they might know and understand the Scriptures.

b.   Do not confuse illumination with revelation or inspiration.

c.    “In reference to the Bible, revelation relates to its content or material, inspiration to the method of recording that material, and illumination to the meaning of the record.” (Charles Ryrie)

d.   Illumination is God’s work of opening the spiritual eyes of our understanding that we might know the deep things of God found within His Word. (Eph.1:18) This was Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.

e.   Hence the prayer in Psalm 119:16 – “Open my eyes that I might behold wondrous things from thy Law.”

f.     Psalm 119:125 – “Give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies.”

g.   Col. 1:9 – this prayer is that they might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual understanding. God fills us with that knowledge as we study His word.

h.   Through this Spiritual knowledge, we come to know more than doctrine. We come to know Christ… and commune with Him.

i.      I Pet.2:5 – Every Christian is a believer-priest. God teaches and illuminates each one of us individually. Illumination is the birth right of every believer.

j.     Luke 24:32 – God opens to us the Scriptures. This is the source of such great JOY in the Christian life. 

     2.   Teaching

a.   I Cor.2:12 – we have been given the Spirit that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.

b.   I Cor.2:14 – without the Spirit we CANNOT know the things of the Spirit. We can learn the facts, but we cannot KNOW spiritual truth and see its true significance. It is FOOLISH to the natural man.

c.    John 14:26 – the Holy Spirit is a Teacher.

 i.     This of course is a promise only to the apostles, but it does state that the Spirit is a Teacher.

ii.     John 16:13 – He promised to guide into all truth

d.   I John 2:20 – an unction from the Spirit and ye know all things

e.   I John 2:27 – the Spirit teaches you all things  

     3.   Opening the Understanding

a.   Luke 24:45 – Then He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures.

b.   Acts 16:14 – God opened Lydia’s’ heart

c.    However, God does not open our understanding in a miraculous manner. We are not brought into a trance. He does not supernaturally “download” Bible knowledge into our heads. This is where human responsibility comes into play.

 B.   Man’s Role

     1.   Prayer

a.   Psalm 119:18 – The psalmist asked God to open his eyes. This was a prayer for illumination.

b.   Someone once said, “The man who speaks to men for God must begin by speaking to God for man.”

c.    Alfred Gibbs wrote, “Theology must be accomplished by kneeology.”

d.   Eph. 1:17-18 – Pray that God would give you the spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him and that He would open the eyes of your understanding.

e.   James 1:5 – Those who need wisdom from God’s Word in facing trials are told to pray and God will respond.

f.     Ps.25:4 – Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.  (This is a prayer)

     2.   Diligent study –

a.   But prayer is no substitute for study!

b.   Illumination is no substitute for study.

c.    There IS no substitute for studying.

a.   II Tim. 2:15 – Study to show thyself approved.

b.   There is no shortcut in studying the Word. It takes much TIME, but it is time well invested.

c.    Prov.2:1-6 – Seek for wisdom (in the Word) as men seek after gold.

d.   “Much study is a weariness of the flesh.” (Ecc. 2:12b)

e.   I Tim. 5:17 speaks of elders who “labour in the word and doctrine.”   (It is labor: labor, fatigue, worn out, weary, faint)

f.     It is hard work to study and prepare a Bible lesson, and it requires sacrifice on the part of the teacher. (Cf. I Sam. 24:24 – we cannot offer something to God that did not cost us.)

g.   Heb. 5:11-14 – Diligence is required lest we decline in understanding.

h.   “The enemy will encourage you to do anything but carry out the systematic, Spirit-taught study of the Bible. He will give religious experiences, feelings and pious thoughts—all apart from God’s Word. Do not be deceived. The Scriptures are our only sustenance—there are no substitutes.” –J.B.

      3.   Perseverance: Continual studying, seeking and digging

a.   II Tim.3:14-17– Continue the things thou has learned.

b.   I Tim.4:16 – continue in doctrine.

c.    Acts 6:4 – The apostles gave themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. 

d.   Prov. 2:1-5 – Diligent effort and labor is rewarded with wisdom from God.

e.   Matt. 7:7 – Keep on knocking and keep on seeking and you will keep on finding.

f.     John 8:31 – True disciples continue in the Word. They keep on learning and digging.

g.   A disciple is a student of the Word.

      4.   Reading

a.   Rev.1:3 – Blessed is he that readeth.

b.   Eph. 3:3-4– “When ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.”

c.    Rom.15:4 – “These things were written for our learning.”

d.   I John 5:13 – “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life…”

e.   I Tim. 4:13 – give attendance to reading

f.     It might seem quite obvious, but if we are not reading the Word on our own, we will not understand the Word.

g.   The better you know the Bible as a whole, (which comes from reading) the better equipped you are to interpret any portion thereof. It gives you wisdom and discernment. You avoid making “rookie” mistakes in interpretation.

h.   If you are going to study a book of the Bible, read it over and over again. If it is an epistle – read it every day while you study it. If it is a larger book, read a portion of it each day. Let it sink in.

i.      Don’t rely on hearing messages at church only.

j.     Read the Word on your own. As you do, the messages at church will be more meaningful and helpful.

k.    If you don’t read, much of what you hear will go over your head.

l.      Improve your reading skills. If you don’t know what a word means, use a dictionary. Take a Basic English course if necessary to brush up on your reading skills.

m.  Neh. 8:5-6 – When you read the Bible, do so with reverence. It is not like any other book. Reading the Bible should evoke worship. 

5.   Meditation

a.   Josh.1:8 – Meditate in God’s Word night and day.

b.   Psalm 119:97-99

i.     Verse 97 – The psalmist meditated in the Word because he loved the Word.

ii.     Verses 98-99 – The psalmist meditated on the Word because through the Word he was made wiser.

c.    II Tim. 2:7 – Understanding comes by considering. As we consider, God gives us understanding.

 i.     Consider: to think upon, heed, ponder, reflect upon; present active imperative

 ii.     Give: to give to another; to bestow;   aorist optative  (a prayer)

 iii.     AS we meditate on His Word, God gives understanding. It is God’s reward for those who seek and hunger.

d.   But do not use meditation as a substitute for study. Meditation is most valuable AFTER you study!

e.   Meditation on the WRONG interpretation of a verse is not all that helpful.

6.   Bible Teachers

a.   Ephesians 4:11 – God appointed pastors and teachers in the Body to teach His Word.

b.   Teachers are a part of God’s plan for learning His Word.

c.    The Spirit’s work as a Teacher and Illuminator does not mean that human teachers are not necessary.

d.   Some have proudly declared, “I have the Holy Spirit as my teacher. I don’t need church. I don’t need the ministry of a human teacher. I have the Holy Spirit!”

e.   Nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Spirit inspired Eph. 4:11 which tells us of the importance of human teachers.

f.     Pastors and Bible teachers are gifts from God to you for your learning and spiritual growth.

g.   I Cor.12:28 – God hath set  teachers in the church.

h.   Nehemiah 8:8 – Bible teachers are to give the sense of a passage and cause men to understand the reading.

i.      Be faithful in attending Sunday School, church services, Bible studies, etc.  (Heb.10:24-25)

j.     Neh. 8:8 – A Bible teacher should enable you to understand what the Bible means. That is God’s purpose for teachers.

k.    Through written literature, we have access to Bible teachers from ages past too! There is a vast reservoir of good Bible teaching to be found in Christian literature. But there is a danger is that too. Be careful what you read. Find out if it is worth reading. 

7.   Maintain a right heart attitude.

a.   I Cor. 3:1-2 – Carnality hindered the Corinthians from understanding the meat of the Word.

b.   Isaiah 59:2 – Sin separates us from God, without whom we cannot learn. Sin keeps us in the dark and hinders us from being enlightened.

c.    Chafer noted that God made understanding His Word “dependent upon a state of heart which is not only yielded to God, but is ever ready to be conformed to the Word He has spoken.”

d.   Spiritual understanding is as much an activity of the heart as it is of the head.

e.   Both head and heart need to be engaged in the process of learning. 

8.   Use good tools

a.   Bible dictionaries (Vines; Zodhiates; Word Study of the NT & OT)

b.   Bible encyclopedias (Ungers; ISBE)

c.    Concordance

d.   Englishman’s Concordance

e.   Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

f.     Naves Topical Bible

g.   Greek and Hebrew word study books

h.   Commentaries

i.      Bible software

j.     Internet websites: (The following web sites have much good information, but we cannot endorse everything on these sites. Read with discernment.)

 i.     salembible.org

 ii.     middletownbiblechurch.org

 iii.     stempublishing.com

 iv.     preceptaustin.org

 v.     bible.org

vi.     Biblical Discernment Ministries

vii.     Cobblestone Road Ministries 

9.   Don’t be afraid of using technology in the study of God’s Word.

a.   A teacher or pastor can use Bible software either to (1) study God’s Word more effectively and efficiently or (2) as a means of avoiding Bible study by copying someone else’s studies. 

b.   The fault lies with the character of the person, not the “tool”.  It all depends upon what you DO with the tool.

c.    We have wonderful tools today for studying. There is no excuse NOT to study and learn 

Literal, Grammatical, Historical

Everyone uses “a” method of Bible study and interpretation, whether conscious or not. Some use what has been called the magic finger method. Others use the devotional approach, and make application before they are sure of what the verse actually means. Yet others are content to let others tell them what the Bible means… missing out on the joy of discovering truths in the Word for themselves. Unfortunately some others have given up on Bible study altogether, having concluded that it is just too complicated. There are better ways to approach the subject of Bible study.

The best method of interpreting the Bible is to understand this Book as you would any other piece of literature or human speech.

Dr. Henry Morris : “”The best interpretation of a historical record is no interpretation but simply letting the divine Author of the record say what He says and assuming He says what He means.” (The Revelation Record)

Walter Kaiser on the basis of human communication: “The general rules for interpreting oral or written speech are not learned, invented, or discovered by men; rather they are part and parcel of our nature as individuals made in the image of God. This art has been in use ever since God gave the gift of communication and speech itself. The person spoken to is always the interpreter and the person speaking is always the author.”

Presuppositions of the literal method of Bible interpretation:

1. That the Word of God is true and does not  contradict itself
2. Since God is the Author behind the human authors, the Scriptures are true.
3. Even if what the Bible says contradicts what we have previously assumed to be true. It does contradict science false so called; psychology; anthropology; even geology. Don’t ever say, “The Bible couldn’t mean what it says, for everybody knows the earth is billions of years old… or everybody knows that men are born with a blank slate…”
4. Let God be true and every man a liar.\That God expects men to understand His Word
5. God have given us all the equipment we need to understand His Word: minds; hearts; the Holy Spirit; illumination; etc.
6. That God’s Word is to be understood according to the regular laws governing human communication
7. That the Bible says what it means and means what it says
8. Don’t make Bible interpretation more difficult than it is.
9. Just take God’s Word at face value.
10. That our goal is to understand what the author meant when he wrote it, not what we think it means to us or how it makes us feel.

 Literal  Definitions

1. The word literal is defined by Webster as: “The natural or usual construction and implication of a writing or expression; following the ordinary and apparent sense of words; not allegorical or metaphorical.”  (Webster’s New Dictionary)
2.      This is the way we communicate in ever day speech.
3.      We ALL employ this method of interpretation in speech, in reading literature, in legal contracts, and in other forms of communication.

                              iii.     Imagine if you bought a new car and the seller used the “spiritual” method of interpreting the contract? ($600.00 per month for five years doesn’t literally mean for five literal years. It means an undetermined length of time… and $600.00 means a large sum of money… which is to be determined by the interpreter.)

1. “To interpret means to explain the original sense of a speaker or writer. To interpret literally means to explain the original sense of the speaker or writer according to the normal, customary, and proper usages of words and language. Literal interpretation of the Bible simply means explaining the original sense of the Bible according to the normal and customary usages of its language.” [1]
2. “The literal method of interpretation is that method that gives to each word the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage, whether employed in writing, speaking or thinking.”[2]
3. As stated in our definition, the literal method assigns to every word and phrase the same meaning it would have in its normal usage, whether employed in speaking, writing, or thinking.
4. To understand the literal meaning of a word in the Bible, use a dictionary.
5. Keep in mind that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament in Greek.
6. Use a good Bible dictionary to discover the meaning of the word in the original language.
7. The very words of Scripture were the exact words chosen by God to convey a specific meaning to the readers (I Cor.2:13). The words were God-breathed. (II Tim.3:16)
8. Over time, words often change meaning.
9.      Examples in the KJV:

• I Thess. 4:15 – prevent = precede
• I Cor. 13:1 – charity = love
• Gal. 1:13 – conversation = conduct
• Matt. 3:4 – meat = food

1.      Examples of ancient Greek terms:

• Eph. 1:13 – earnest – ἀρραβών – Earnest money, a pledge, something which stands for part of the price and paid beforehand to confirm the transaction.) 
• In modern Greek this term is the word for wedding band.
• What matters is what meaning the author attached to it; what it meant in his day, not what it means today.

1. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the literal meaning of the term in its original language, and its literal meaning in the day in which it was written.
2. The Evidence for a literal method [3]
3. The literal meaning is the normal approach in all languages.
4. All secondary meanings of documents, parables, types, allegories, and symbols, depend for their very existence on the previous literal meaning of the terms.
5. The greater part of the Bible makes adequate sense when interpreted literally.
6. The literal approach does not blindly rule out figures of speech, symbols, allegories, and types.
7. This method provides the only sane and safe check on the imagination of men.
8. This method is the only one consonant with the nature of inspiration. (The very words of Scripture were inspired.)
9. Old Testament prophecies which have been fulfilled have been fulfilled literally.
10.  Psalm 22; Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2
11. It should be noted that there are a handful of prophecies in the New Testament that “appear” to have a non-literal fulfillment, though that is debated. It may be that the authors had a different meaning for “fulfill.”

4. The advantages of the literal method [4]
5. It grounds interpretation in fact. (objective data; word meanings; etc.)
6. It exercises a control over interpretation
7. It has had the greatest success in opening up the Word of God
8. It delivers us from human reasoning and mysticism

1.  Grammatical
2. We employ the literal, grammatical, historical method.
3. This means that grammar must be analyzed in the interpretation.
4. Grammar plays an important role in interpreting the text of Scripture.

2. The study of grammar includes:
3. lexicology (meaning of words)
4.      It is necessary to look up the word in a good lexicon in the original language, not just in our English Bible.
5.      Rom. 5:11 – atonement = reconciliation (atonement = at-one-ment)

iii.     I John 2:2 – world = kosmos (orderly system; not elect!)

1.      John 14:1 – “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” (Mansions means dwelling places – not a large estate with white pillars out front!)
2. morphology (form of words)
3.      I John 2:2 – “He is the propitiation for our sins.”  Is = estin, the present tense form of eimi, to be. He continually is the propitiation for our sins.
4.      Gal.3:16 – Paul’s whole argument is based upon whether the form of the word seed is singular or plural.

                                           iii.     In the Greek NT, an adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in number, case, and person.

1.      Eph.2:8-9 – What does “touto” (that) refer to? Does it refer to faith as the gift of God? However, faith is feminine and touto is neuter. Hence, it must refer to either a neuter noun OR to the subject in general – namely salvation.
2.      There are good Bible commentaries and grammars that can help you with that – even if you are not a Greek scholar.
3.      It is necessary to follow the rules of grammar in interpreting a passage.
4. parts of speech (function of words)
5.      Rom. 4:25 – consider the meaning of the preposition “for”  (It can mean “because of” [He died for our sins] or “in order to” [I went to the store for a loaf of bread])
6.  syntax (relationship of words)
7.      This is a complicated study of the relationships between words, phrases, sentences… the structure of language etc.
8.      Language has rules. The Bible was written in a language that has rules.

iii.     Sentences have structure – subject, verb, direct object,  indirect object; adverbial phrases, adjectival phrases, etc.

1.      A healthy dose of common sense is a must in considering the relationship of words and phrases to each other.
2.      To properly interpret the Bible, the rules of grammar and syntax must be followed.

3. Rules of grammar must be followed by the interpreter.
4. Number: singular or plural?
5. Conjugation of verbs: is determinate in interpreting many passages. (Past, present, future?)
6. Knowing rules of grammar is extremely helpful in ruling in or out certain interpretations. (Ex: Titus 2:13 – God and our Savior – Granville Sharp Rule)
7. A grammatical diagram is often helpful in interpreting a passage.
8. Pay attention to prepositions.
9.      They identify relationships of the nouns to other words in the sentence. (Was he in, on, outside, or under?)
10. Pay attention to important connectors:
11.      That… so that… in order that (purpose; reason)
12. Gal. 5:17 – “so that ye cannot do the things that ye will” is connected to the fact that the Spirit and the flesh are contrary one to the other. (result)
13.      And/or

iii.     But – Romans 12:2 – don’t be conformed BUT be ye transformed.

1.      Therefore/wherefore –
2. Rom.2:1 – In light of what he said in chapter one about the depravity of the pagans…
3. II Cor. 5:17 – because we do not know Christ after the flesh but as a Risen Savior… Therefore, all things are new to us as new creatures.
4. Pay attention to words that indicate time:
5.      Verb tenses
6.      Before, after, when, during, while, then, etc.
7. Consider the sentence structure:
8.      What is the subject of the verb?
9.      Does the verb express action or state of being?

iii.     Does the verb express action that is past, present, or future? Is it an imperative?

1.      What action does the subject do?
2.      What or who is the object of the verb?
3.      What are the modifiers? (of the nouns, verbs, clauses, etc.)
4. Whether you have memorized the rules of grammar or not, you USE them every time you open your mouth.

1. Historical
2. We employ the literal, grammatical, historical method.
3. Christianity is based on history
4.      It stems from the history of the Old Testament
5.      It is based upon the historicity of Jesus Christ…

 iii.     It requires us to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection as historical facts

1.      Much of the Bible is a book of history
2.      The Bible can only be understood in the context of history

1. By historical interpretation we mean that a passage is to be interpreted in light of its historical setting and context.
2.      Consider the historical setting of the author
3. For example, the Old Testament prophets are unintelligible apart from the knowing something of the history.
4.      Consider the historical setting of the readers
5. The book of Hebrews
6. The (very Jewish) gospel of Matthew
7. One problem we face in interpreting the Bible is that it was written thousands of years ago in a culture that is foreign to ours.
8.      If we lived in Bible times, the language, culture, and customs would come naturally to us.
9.      But since we do not, we have to incorporate the study of language, culture, customs, and history into our study of the Bible.

 iii.     We want to discover what the author/speaker meant by the words and expressions he used in the Bible in the day they were written/spoken.

1. For many years scholars thought that the Greek of the New Testament was a special form of Greek used only in the Bible. (A holy language)  It was later discovered that it was actually the Greek of the common man, and thus was called Koine Greek (common Greek).
2. We want to discover the ordinary meaning of what is written… what the author meant and what he expected his readers to understand.

2. To properly interpret the Bible, it is helpful (if not necessary in some cases) to be familiar with the history, the culture, the geography, and the customs of the day.
3. If you are reading a portion of Scripture, it is important to know what TIME period it covers. Is it the church age? Is it during the Law? Is it before the Law? Is it before or after the cross?
4. Ask yourself the following questions: Who said it? To whom was it said? When was it said? What were the circumstances?
5. If you are reading about Joshua in the Bible know WHICH Joshua!
6. Chronology is important. History unfolds in time.
7. Reading New Testament truth back into the Old Testament is not the proper way to understand the Old Testament.

3. Look at “Manners and Customs of Bible Lands.”
4. Matt. 9:17 – bottles were not glass, but made of skins of animals. Thinking in terms of a modern glass bottle would make this passage unintelligible.
5. Consider the term “wine.” It is necessary to know the customs of the Jews. They always mixed their wine with between 3-10 parts water. Unmixed wine was called “strong drink” and was forbidden. They did not have hard liquor in those days. The distillation process was a Middle Age invention.
6. Prov.19:13; 27:15– a contentious woman is likened to a leaky roof (the roofs were sod and continued to drip for days after the storm was over)
7. The parable of the ten virgins is understood when the marriage customs are known.
8. Ruth 4:8 – so he drew off his shoe
9. Prov.20:14 – we cannot understand this proverb if we are thinking of the way we purchase products today. Solomon is speaking about haggling for prices as was the custom of his day in the open markets. (more like yard sales – not a modern mall)
10. The goal is to discover what the author meant when he wrote it, not what folks in the 21^st century think it means to them!
11. It is the job of the interpreter to discover what the author actually said, NOT what we think he would have said if he lived in the 21^st century.
12. This is the same problem we are facing in our country today in interpreting the constitution.
13. Joseph Story, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and the leading constitutional scholar of the nineteenth century, in a book entitled Commentaries on the Constitution (1833), he called for interpreting the constitution according to the intent of its authors as revealed in the plain meaning of their language. He noted, “The first and fundamental rule in the interpretation of all instruments is to construe them according to the sense of the terms, and the intention of the parties.
14. Thomas Jefferson similarly observed, “The Constitution on which our Union rests, shall be administered by me according to the safe and honest meaning contemplated by the plain understanding of the people of the United States, at the time of its adoption.
15. They predicted that in future generations men would be tempted to interpret the constitution in a sense other than what it actually said… reading in to it…
16. The goal in interpreting either the constitution or the Bible is to determine the author’s objective meaning, and resist the temptation to add the interpreter’s subjective views.
17. In the context of United States constitutional interpretation, originalism states that the Constitution has a fixed and knowable meaning which is established at the time of passage or ratification.
18. One theory, original intent, is the view that interpretation of a written constitution is (or should be) consistent with what was meant by those who drafted and ratified it.
19. These are issues those who deal with written documents consider all the time (lawyers).
20. It is interesting to note that two of the most prominent and influential dispensational writers (Darby and Scofield) had legal backgrounds.
21. Both were lawyers before entering the ministry.
22. Their legal backgrounds allowed them to see more clearly than earlier interpreters the nature of a contract or covenant as expressed in Scripture.
23. It gave them a healthy understanding of language and the hermeneutics of law… contracts… etc.
24. A major ingredient of Dispensationalism is a proper understanding of the unconditional nature of the Abrahamic Covenant.
25. Sir Robert Anderson wrote a brilliant commentary on Daniel 9 (The Coming Prince). He too was trained as a lawyer. He understood language for precisely what it said – and ended up unfolding one of the most spectacular prophecies in the Bible, by employing the literal method of interpretation! He served as chief of the criminal investigative department of the Scotland Yard.  
26. Three helpful hints in interpreting speech:

• Seek the ordinary meaning of the language
• Identify the literary style
• Seek the author’s intended meaning

Cooper’s Golden Rule of Interpretation: “When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.”

[1] Tan, Paul Lee, Literal Interpretation of the Bible, p. 15

[2] Pentecost, Things to Come, p. 9

[3] Pentecost, Things to Come, p.10

[4] Ibid.

A. Context

1. Consider the Context

a. Three catchy slogans:

a. Be a slave to the context.

b. The three rules of interpretation: context, context, context

c. A text without its context is but a pretext.

b. Consider the greater historical and cultural context

i. Put the passage in the historical context: what century?

ii. Put the passage in the proper cultural context: what country?

c. The context of the paragraph

1. What is the theme of the paragraph?

2. How does this verse fit into that theme?

3. Gal. 5:4 – “falling from grace.” Does it mean the loss of salvation? What is the context?

4. Matt. “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” What is the context?

5. Jas. 4:9 – “Let your laughter be turned to mourning…”

6. Matt. 7:1 – judge not that ye be not judged…

b. The context of the book

1. What is/are the purpose(s) of the book?

a. John 20:31 – that ye might believe

b. I John 5:13 – that ye might believe

c. Ecc.1:3 – The book must be interpreted in light of the oft-repeated phrase: “under the sun.” Otherwise, the book is extremely pessimistic and depressing! (1:2,5-11)

2. The book of Romans is a treatise on the theme of righteousness. It is not likely that you could accurately interpret an isolated verse from that book without being familiar with the context of the book as a whole.

3. I John 3:9 – taken by itself it might seem to teach that believers do not sin. But consider the context of the rest of the book. (Cf. 1:8-10)

4. To determine the context or the theme of a book may require reading and re-reading the book – preferably in one sitting.

5. Read and observe what you read. Observing the context is especially important if you are doing a word study. The tendency is to ignore context… but it is deadly.

6. Martin Luther said, “I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf.”

c. The context of the Bible as a whole

i. The analogy of Scripture… Compare the passage to the rest of Scripture. Scripture never contradicts itself.

ii. However, false doctrines, like false witnesses, agree not among themselves.

iii. Does this interpretation contradict other portions of Scripture?

2. The folly of taking passages out of context:

a. Matt.24:13 – the context is the Tribulation; salvation speaks of being delivered from destruction.

b. James 2:24 – all by itself it contradicts Paul and teaches salvation by works.

c. II Cor. 8:9 – to support the gospel of wealth (also “forgive us our debts”)

d. I Pet.3:3 – some have used this passage to teach that women should not braid their hair or wear gold. But be careful here – if that is the case, then Peter is also forbidding them to wear clothes!

e. I John 2:27 – Some have taken this verse by itself and have concluded that they could understand the whole Bible on their own without assistance from anyone, ignoring the revelation elsewhere that gifted individuals are given to the Body of Christ to teach others.

f. Ezekiel 37:15-17 – The Mormons state that this passage teaches that the two sticks represent the Book of Mormon and the Bible. BUT – read the context! It is explained in the context to mean the regathering of the House of Israel. (vs.22)

B. Analogy of Scripture

1. Analogy of Scripture states that no portion of Scripture contradicts another portion of Scripture when rightly divided and that one portion of Scripture will often explain another portion.

a. Since the Holy Spirit is the divine Author of the Bible, all sixty-six books will be complementary and self-consistent.

b. There are what we call “apparent” contradictions in the Bible from the human perspective. There are passages that SEEM to contradict one another.

c. However, the fault lies in us, not in Scripture. The failure is on our part to SEE or understand the harmony that does exist.

d. It is certain that Scripture nowhere contradicts Scripture; rather, one passage explains another. This sound principle of interpreting Scripture by Scripture is sometimes called the analogy of Scripture or the analogy of faith.

2. Where do you find the Scriptures to compare to the passage you are studying?

a. Cross references in the margin of your Bible

b. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (available for free online)

3. Obscure passages should always be interpreted in light of clear ones.

a. For example, Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I.” This statement could be taken in a couple of different ways. But the correct interpretation is the one that harmonizes with the rest of Scripture, rightly divided.

C. Exegesis

1. 1. Exegesis: The analysis of a text.

• · “Meaning” (of the Scriptural passage) is not our subjective thoughts read into the text but God’s objective truth read out of the text. (Dr. Howard Hendricks)

2. Don’t force a passage to fit your lesson

• • I Tim. 1:5 – Don’t use this passage if you are teaching on the value of the 10 commandments. The word commandment here refers to the command (charge) in vs.3. (same term)
  • There are lots of Bible verses that we might be tempted to use in a study… because the WORDING seems to fit so well into what we are trying to say.
  • This is called by some “hijacking” a text. This can be done naively or intentionally.

3. Don’t force a passage to fit your theology

1. 1. I John 2:2 – Christ died for the sin of the whole world (Calvinism’s twist)

   2. II Pet.2:20 – someone who believes you can lose your salvation might use this verse to prove his point. But if you follow the word “they” backward – it refers to the wells without water – the unsaved false teachers… not believers.

   3. Isa. 53:5c – “By His stripes we are healed.” The charismatics love to use this verse because the wording seems to support their theology. But healed from what? The context is SIN – not pneumonia or physical blindness

4. Don’t force a passage to fit your practice

1. 1. “Cardinal Newman defends the Roman Catholic concept of the “nun” from the case of Anna in the Temple” (Luke 2:36-38).
   2. Charismatics use passages such as (Ex.23:25) to support the notion that God will protect us from sickness if we obey.
   3. The Roman church has for years tried to keep the Bible away from its people. They used II Pet. 1:21 as their proof text: the Bible was not intended for “private interpretation.” They conclude, “leave the interpretation to us.”
   4. Some charismatic groups engage in a practice of financial scams. They tell people that if they give to their ministry, that God will give them even more money in return. (Prov.3:9-10; Mal. 3:10)

5. Don’t force a passage to fit your convictions.

1. 1. Jer. 10:2-4 – most tracts I have read on the Christmas issue use this passage to promote their convictions against the use of a Christmas tree. But this verse is not talking about any such thing!

   2. Deut. 6:7 – I have often seen this passage used to promote the home school movement… because it mentions teaching in the home. (But Moses is not talking about algebra and biology).

   3. I Pet.3:3 – I visited a Pilgrim Church one time where the women could not cut their hair or braid it. They were not allowed to wear any gold jewelry either. (I noticed that they did allow them to wear apparel – clothing!

• Don’t look for a passage that SEEMS to support what you are trying to say… or what you want it to say.
• ·Don’t impose your preconceived ideas on any Bible verse. Let the verse say what it says.
• ·Exegesis is extracting from a verse what is actually found IN the verse.

D. Some Important Distinctions

1. Keep Israel and the Church distinct

a. God has a plan for the nation Israel.

i. Israel is God’s earthly people.

ii. It includes the Law and His unconditional covenants which WILL be fulfilled literally one day.

iii. While Israel is under God’s chastisement today, God is not finished with that nation.

b. God has a plan for the church.

i. The church is God’s heavenly people.

ii. God’s plan for the church is revealed nowhere in the OT but is revealed in the NT epistles.

iii. When this age comes to an end, God will once again deal with the nation Israel.

2. Keep Law and Grace Distinct

a. The Law was given to Israel and Israel alone.

b. The gentile nations and the church are NOT under the Law.

c. The church is “under grace” as a rule of life (Romans 6:14). The Law does not save, nor does the Law sanctify.

d. This truth does not set well with many believers.

1. Keep Position and Condition Distinct
2. Keep Salvation and Rewards Distinct
3. Keep Salvation and Discipleship Distinct
4. Keep the two comings of Christ Distinct

a. Second Coming

i. In power and great glory – every eye shall see Him

ii. At the end of the Tribulation

iii. He descends to the earth

iv. He comes to deliver Israel

b. The Rapture

i. Invisible to the world

ii. Just before the Tribulation

iii. He descends to the clouds

iv. He comes to deliver the church

5. Keep The Gospel of Grace and the Gospel of the Kingdom Distinct

a. Matt.10:5-7 – the Lord sent His disciples to Israel exclusively to preach the gospel of the Kingdom.

b. Matt.28:19-20 – Sent to all nations

c. Acts 20:24 – The gospel of the grace of God

6. Keep the Various Judgments Distinct

a. Bema seat

b. Great White Throne

c. Israel and the Nations

7. Keep the Various Peoples of the World Distinct (I Cor. 10:32)

a. The Jew

b. The Gentiles

c. The Church

E. Consider Dispensational distinctions

1. Dispensation defined: A dispensation is a distinguishable economy in the outworking of God’s purpose.
2. There are seven distinguishable dispensations in the Scriptures.
3. Three in particular will greatly affect Bible interpretation: Law, Grace, and Kingdom. These three are mentioned in Ephesians 3.
4. A handy way to remember these three ages is as follows:

i. Mt. Sinai – the Law begins

ii. Mt. Calvary = the age of grace begins

iii. Mt. of Olives – The Second Coming – the Kingdom begins

5. Most of the content of the Bible pertains to these three dispensations.

F. Realize that there are “gaps” in Scripture

1. Isa.61:1-2 cf. Luke 4:19
2. Isa. 9:6 – a gap between the “Son given” and the “kingdom being upon His shoulders.” The Jews had no way to know there was a gap, but looking back, we can see it.
3. Daniel 9:24-27 – a gap between the 69th and 70th week is the time in which the church exists.

G. Progress of revelation

1. “Progressive revelation is the recognition that God’s message to man was not given in one single act, but was unfolded in a long series of successive acts and through the minds and hands of many men of varying backgrounds.”
2. Acts 17:30 – In ages past God winked at the ignorance of Gentiles, but now God commands them to repent. They are MORE accountable today because of the progress of revelation.
3. John 1:17 – The Law came by Moses, but grace by Jesus Christ.
4. Heb.1:1-2 – God who at sundry times… spake…

i. God did not reveal Himself or His plan all at once.

ii. God has maintained a continuity of revelation to mankind through the centuries.

iii. The former revelations were incomplete. Original revelations were fully true and fully reliable, but incomplete.

Introduction:

1. Yogi Berra once said, “You can see a lot just by looking.”

2. This might go without saying, but it probably deserves to be said: As you read, carefully observe what you are reading.

3. It is possible to read without thinking… without observing.

4. To interpret the Bible properly there is probably nothing more essential that a careful observation of the text as we read.

5. As you read, ask God to “open your eyes” to the truths in His Word. They are there to BE observed. (Psalm 119:18)

6. This will require a slow reading…

7. As you read carefully pay attention to the details.

8. For me it requires reading and re-reading the same sentence many times sometimes.

9. Stop and THINK about who is trying to communicate to you through this Book!

10. It means that we are to read the Word with a HUNGER to know Christ in a deeper way through His Word. It is a revelation of Him.

11. As we read we behold the glory of the Lord in the mirror of His Word (II Cor. 3:18). The glory of God is worthy of our attention.

Things to Be Looking For:

1. The meaning of words:

a. Do you know the meaning of the English word in your translation?

b. Do you also know the meaning of the Greek word underlying that English word?

c. Don’t be lazy… look it up. Do not assume you know.

2. Terms of conclusion (to a thought or an argument):

a. Therefore

b. So

c. So then…

d. Because

e. For this cause…

f. Finally…

3. Terms of contrast:

a. But

b. However

c. Nevertheless

d. Yet

e. Though

4. Terms of time:

a. As soon as

b. At that time

c. Later

d. Now

e. Soon

f. Until

g. When

h. Morning, day

i. Evening, night

j. A feast day

5. Terms of chronology

a. After

b. Afterwards

c. First

d. Second

e. Lastly

f. After this

g. Then

h. Finally

6. Terms of description:

a. Adjectives

b. Adverbs

7. Terms that connect: (other words, phrases, thoughts, concepts, etc.)

a. And

b. But

c. With

8. Terms that are instrumental: (or means)

a. With

b. By

c. By means of

9. Terms (or concepts) that appear repeatedly:

a. Note the number seven in the book of Revelation (54 times!)

b. Note the words justice; just; (22 times) righteous; righteousness (44 times) in the book of Romans

c. Note the word “believe” in the gospel of John (83 times)

d. Note the word “law” in Galatians (32 times)

e. Note the word “holy” in Leviticus (92 times)

f. Can you think of other repeated words or phrases in a particular book of the Bible?

10. Terms that speak of reason or purpose:

a. That; so that; in order that

i. This is often the translation of a VERY common Greek word that introduces purposes clauses: hina

ii. Gal.3:14 – there are two purpose clauses in this verse (both are hina)

b. For

c. For this cause

11. Terms of condition:

a. If

b. Since

12. Promises

13. Contrasts

14. Comparisons

15. Commands

16. Warnings

a. Lo!

b. Beware!

c. Behold!

d. Woe!

17. Natural outlines in the text

a. A common outline in the Pauline epistles (first doctrine, then practice; or first position, then condition)

b. Look for a main theme and subdivisions of that theme

c. Don’t force the text to fit your outline. (That’s backwards!)

Charts and Outlines Help Us to Observe

1. Dispensational charts

2. Eschatology charts

3. Chronology charts

4. Diagrams of passages

5. Parallel passages

6. Doctrinal charts

a. Salvation and rewards

b. Salvation and discipleship

c. Position and condition

d. Israel and the church

e. First and Second Coming of Christ

f. Christ’s deity and humanity

7. Make your own charts

INVESTIGATING WORDS

Doing a Word Study

1. Determine which word you want to study.

2. If it is a New Testament word, determine the Greek word from which it was translated. (Use a Strong’s Concordance)

3. Determine the meaning(s) of that Greek word. (Consult a Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the NT; or Zodhiates Complete Word Study Dictionary)

4. Look up all the occurrences of that Greek word in the New Testament. (Use an Englishman’s Concordance)

5. Study each occurrence in its context. (You may also want to consult commentaries at this point)

6. Observe:

a. Determine which meaning the word has in that particular context. (If there are multiple meanings for one word)

b. Consider every word in the verse; consider each phrase; note the subjects; verbs; modifiers; etc.

c. What is the main point of the passage?

d. What did the author mean when he wrote it?

e. What is the purpose of the passage?

f. Ask yourself the key questions: Who? What? When? Where? Under what circumstances? How? Why?

g. Determine what important truth about the concept is revealed in each context.

7. Determine which meaning the word has in that particular context. (Some words have multiple meanings – but this is not always the case.)

8. Determine what important truths about the word/concept are revealed in each context.

9. Compare cross references to discover other related truths. (Consult a Treasury of Scripture Knowledge; Vines Topical Bible)

10. Record your findings on a list or chart.

11. Look up other Greek words which may be translated by the same English word and look up other synonyms for the term.

a. Repeat steps #1-8,10 for each synonym, recording findings from each different Greek word separately.

12. Organize your findings into outline form.

13. Make personal application.

a. Are there any commands in the passage? Any promises?

b. Are there any evil to avoid?

c. Is there a good work I should begin to do?

d. Is there truth in this passage in which I should trust?

e. What can I learn about myself?

f. What can I learn about God?