14) Tips for Studying the Bible
It's not always easy to understand the Bible. However, we must invest time to learn about the Creator of the universe and His will for our lives. Most of us read books all the time. Is the Bible really that different? Shouldn't faith-filled, intelligent people be able to read the Bible for themselves?
Many people's lives change dramatically the first time they read the Bible and as they experience His Word as a personal love letter to them. In His grace, God meets people where they are to draw them close to Him. However, there are many aspects of the Bible that people find hard to understand. The Bible rarely progresses from one chapter to the next or one book to the next in an obvious sequence. Its ancient historical setting is difficult to understand in today's culture. Unfamiliar words or concepts can be confusing. The fact that the Bible's original language is not English muddies our understanding even more.
Below are some tips to keep in mind while studying the Bible:
1) Pray
Since the Bible is divinely inspired, we need divine guidance to fully understand it. Each time you begin your studies, prayerfully ask the Father for a soft and open heart that is sensitive to His voice so that you may be conformed to His likeness and bear fruit for His Kingdom. This requires a willingness to let go of any desire to obtain knowledge just for the sake of knowledge. Ask Him to help you discover the Messiah in ways you've never seen Him before. Ask for His help to let go of any biases or preconceived ideas you may have.
"Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law (Torah)." (Psalm 119:18, ESV Bible)
Prayer can help us better understand God's intended meaning and discover how to apply His words to our lives. Paul understood well the connection between prayer and our need for a Spirit-led illumination of God's Word:
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:9-10, ESV Bible)
2) Know You Have Biases
There are issues with us. We all approach the Scriptures--consciously or unconsciously-with "lenses" that we have acquired over time. Our religious upbringing, the Bible studies we've participated in, and overall life experiences influence how we read the Bible. This is the "worldview" that we discussed in another post. While we can't remove these lenses altogether, we must become aware of them to pursue the original meaning of the passages we're reading.
3) Observe the Text
Before we attempt to interpret a text, we must read it repeatedly to be sure we have not missed any important details. A common mistake in scriptural interpretation is reading too quickly. In our haste, we can easily miss a passage's important information. We need to cultivate the fine art of careful observation. We can improve our observational skills by asking questions about the text. By asking who, what, where, when, why, and how about everything we read, we uncover realities about the text (and its context) that might have escaped us.
Who is this passage about?
What was happening in this passage?
Where did this passage take place?
When were these events happening?
Why did these events come about?
How did the people/God deal with the situation?
4) Compare the Text in Multiple Translations
When reading our English Bibles, we often forget that our Bibles are translations and that every translation has a translator (or a team of translators who bring their own biases or "lenses" to the work. Every translation is someone's interpretation. No translation is perfect. There is a saying that the translator is a traitor, meaning that you can translate literally and take the flavor of the original, which will do a disservice to the target language. Or you can translate to the target language but lose the beauty of the original.
While we believe that the Bible in its original manuscripts- is inerrant, it's important to remember that no translation is error-free. Of course, this should never paralyze our faith in the Scriptures; however, we should be alert for instances of the translator's bias.
For example, in the New American Standard Bible translation, Colossians 2:17 says the biblical festivals are a "mere shadow of what is to come." Using italics in the NASB indicates that the translators have inserted words not present in the original text. In this case, they inserted "mere" as a descriptor, implying that the "shadow" is unimportant. In fact, the adjective mere is not present in any of the existing Greek manuscripts of Colossians. While the translators may be right (obviously, it is questionable in this case), arriving at that conclusion is the responsibility of the interpreter (that's you), not the translator.
Comparing multiple English translations of the Bible is an excellent way to recognize places where there might be questionable renderings of the original Hebrew or Greek text.
5) Look up Words in the Original Language
Some Bible words, thoughts, or concepts are nearly impossible to translate into English. For example, the Hebrew word sometimes translated as "offering" or "sacrifice" is the word korban, which is derived from a verb that means "to draw close." Hence, in a general way, an offering can be understood to be something that helps us draw close to God. However, if another Hebrew word is used in a specific text, we ought to pay close attention to whether that word was chosen for a particular reason. If you do not know Hebrew or Greek, many resources are available. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary is one of the most well-known.
6) Interpret the Text
After you have observed the text, you now need to interpret the text. This is where you give the text meaning and, hopefully, understand it in its original meaning as the author intended. Interpretation of a text is the hermeneutics we have mentioned in another post.
One way to attempt to interpret a passage is to try to write out the text in your own words. In as few words as possible, what do you think the author intended for the audience to understand?
We can say that a passage "means" something only if we have thoroughly determined through careful observation and understanding of the context's original, God-intended meaning. Here are some things to keep in mind as you interpret the text:
a) Determine the Type of Literature
God has chosen a variety of literary forms to convey truth to us. The Bible contains historical narratives, apocalyptic imagery, legal material, poetry, parables, and other types of writings or genres, sometimes within the same book or passage. We need to be aware of which kind of literature we are studying to understand the truth being communicated to us. For example, how we interpret the portion about "trees of the field clapping their hands" (Isaiah 55:12) will differ from how we would interpret the Ten Commandments. Psalms and Proverbs, for example, will be studied differently than the Apostle John's Revelation.
b) Use Scripture to Interpret Scripture
We believe that the Bible cannot contradict itself. Because all Scripture is God-breathed, we know that if we encounter a verse or passage that seems to contradict another verse or passage, we need to hold it with an open hand. In most cases, as we continue to study, we will encounter additional passages that shed light on the apparent contradiction and help to reconcile it. For this reason, the best resource for interpreting Scripture is other Scripture passages.
We find an example of the need for this in Galatians 5:6 and 1 Corinthians 7:19. Let us consider the Galatians passage first.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6, ESV Bible)
If one reads only this passage, it would seem to lead us to the conclusion that Paul was recognizing the command to circumcise in the Torah as having been overturned by our identity in Messiah. Compare Galatians 5:6 to 1 Corinthians 7:19:
For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:19, ESV Bible)
This seems to put us between a rock and a hard place. Paul asserts that neither circumcision nor the lack of it means anything. On the other hand, in the Corinthians passage, he finishes his thought by emphasizing that what matters is keeping God's commandments. Therefore, Paul must be referring to something other than the Torah's command to circumcise male children on the eighth day when he uses the word circumcision. We will look at this example more in “establishing context.”
Another thing that can be helpful is to work from the beginning. What does that mean? When a concept or idea in the Bible might be confusing, always begin by working from the beginning. This means you start by looking backward to earlier in the story instead of first looking forward. For example, when Jesus talks about righteousness and we want to understand what that means, we shouldn't start by looking forward to Paul's letters but rather look backward to the law and the prophets.
c) Establish Context
How can we put this idea of reading the Bible in context into practice? When reading a book of the Bible, figure out who it is written to. Read the introduction to the letter or the book. Many times, there's a recipient listed. It may also give you context to the timing of the writing or the location of the contents within the writing. This is an excellent start to answering the questions of who, what, when, where, and why?
The Bible was written in a historical, cultural, social, religious, and geographical environment far from ours. It is difficult to understand the Bible properly unless we are familiar with these factors.
For example, our understanding of the covenant made at Sinai can be significantly enhanced if we realize its format is similar to other late-Bronze Age treaties and covenants. This kind of covenant (a Suzerain-Vassal Covenant) was made between a great king and a vassal king or feudal lord and his domain. In it, the Suzerain (a great king or sovereign) offered protection and peace in exchange for loyalty (love) from the feudal lord or under-king. A covenant document would contain the following parts: identification of the great king (Exodus 20:2a), a summary of what he has done for the vassal (Exodus 20:2), the stipulations of loyalty (Exodus 20:3-17), curses for disloyalty, and blessings for faithfulness (Leviticus 26), and the witnesses to this covenant (Deuteronomy 30:19; 31:28).
Understanding the context may be the most critical rule for interpreting biblical literature. There are several kinds of contexts. Context may refer to the literary genre of the passage under consideration. Is it poetry? Perhaps it is a historical narrative. Or maybe it's instructional in nature.
Let us not forget the immediate context. This is the material that immediately precedes or follows the section we are studying. Where does this verse fit in the flow of the author's idea? Is this verse part of a parenthetical analogy the author uses to support his primary point? If so, how far back do you need to go to find the main idea that our verse supports? It may be in the previous chapter, or it may be in the verse immediately preceding. In other words, what does the passage you're trying to interpret connect to? And how does it relate? Is it used for emphasis or further explanation? Does it make a new point or wrap up a previous point? Was the point primary or secondary?
Particularly in biblical literature, never forget the historical context. A word that means one thing today may have meant something entirely different in the past. If you read the King James Version, you must be careful. You need to know how a term was used in biblical times and how the English term was understood in 1611.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13 KJV)
Paul certainly didn't mean that men should cease or give up their efforts. But that is what the word quit means today. The King James dictionary defines quit as "blameless or innocent." This definition fits well within the context of the passage. However, we could not accurately understand this passage outside of the historical context of the word quit.
This brings us back to our earlier example of circumcision. How was the term circumcision used in the first century? A survey of Jewish literature from the Second Temple Period reveals that "circumcision" was a shorthand way of referring to the rabbinic prescription for proselyte conversion: how Gentile God-fearers could "officially" convert to Judaism. In fact, Paul reveals his use of the term in Ephesians 2:11:
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands (Ephesians 2:11, ESV Bible)
Historical context, how they spoke, thought, and practices they were accustomed to, is critical for proper interpretation.
Sometimes, we can't tell from the text what a passage's context is, so extra-biblical sources can help illuminate the context. Keep in mind, however, that these extra-biblical aids are the opinions of men. And their conclusions must be tested against the weight of Scripture.
Finally, as you determine context, remember that chapter and verse divisions are man-made. As are titles for sections in the Bible. Do not let these divisions or section headings confuse or rule your understanding of a passage.
Students who ignore the historical, geographical, cultural, and religious backgrounds risk misinterpreting the Bible and may never fully appreciate the depth of revelation within the Scriptures.
d) Pay Attention to Pronouns
Please pay attention to the pronouns, the words like we, I, you, us. For example, don't just assume that the "we" in one of Paul's letters is an all-inclusive statement for every single disciple of Jesus for all time. A great example illustrating the use of pronouns is in Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 1, Paul says that God has "blessed us in Messiah with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places" and that "he chose us in him before the foundation of the world." Who is "we"? Who is "us"?
Many readers assume that the first person common plural forms refer to all Christians as if Paul is speaking generally about what God has done for every disciple of Jesus. However, a few verses later, it becomes evident that Paul is differentiating himself and those included with him in this designation from the Ephesian disciples, whom he refers to in the second-person pronoun as "you." Thus, it becomes evident that Paul is distinguishing between two different groups, the "we" group and the "you" group. This distinction is essential to understand if you properly understand the letter. In fact, without seeing this distinction, you will think everything applies to all disciples of Jesus, when in fact, Paul is distinguishing between Jewish believers and Gentile believers.
7) Be Aware of Progressive Revelation
Progressive revelation is the gradual and deliberate process in which God disclosed His truth as the canon of Scripture unfolded. Even though the message of the Bible is the same from Genesis to Revelation, certain doctrines that began in the Old Testament are expanded upon in the New Testament.
In addition, biblical events that occur at a particular point in time should not assume knowledge of events that will happen in the future.
They need to make sense at that time. For example, when Paul proclaims,
"All Scripture is inspired by God," it would be anachronistic to assume that he understood there would someday be a "New Testament" added to the Hebrew Scriptures of the time (and that it would include many of his letters). Therefore, when we read the New Testament, we must remember that when they speak of God's commands or refer to teachings about Jesus from the Scriptures, they have the Old Testament in mind.
8) Understand the Bible “Normally” not “Literally”
Even though all of Scripture is divinely inspired, it was not all intended to be taken literally. Language uses idioms and other figures of speech that, if taken literally, could seriously undermine a passage's meaning. For example, in John 6:53, Jesus spoke of drinking His blood. Since the Bible clearly forbids ingesting blood, we can be confident that His words did not imply that we should literally drink His blood. Similarly, in Jeremiah 5:21, we read about people who have ears but do not hear.
That's why we are to understand the Bible "normally," that is, as the text would have been understood by the original listeners (this is also known as the "grammatical-historical" sense). The Bible's original hearers did not take these words literally, but as they were typically used in conversation. We would do well to do the same.
In many cases, the literal meaning will be the same as the normal meaning. We should avoid the temptation to allegorize or spiritualize what is written. While figurative expressions abound in poetry, we should, for the most part, take the text at face value. For example, if the text says, "I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and you are My people Israel and I am taking you to the land of the Canaanites," the passage is talking about a literal God, telling a literal group of people called "Israel" that He is taking to a literal piece of real estate, which in that day was called the land of Canaan.
Even poetic figures of speech and prophetic symbols can refer to specific people, things, and ideas. For instance, the beasts of Daniel's prophecies should be understood as literal kingdoms, though not literal beasts.
9) Apply Scripture
After we carefully observe the facts and begin to understand the original intent of the passage, we should ask, "What does this passage mean to me?" This is the essence of the application stage.
The application should be the last step in the study of a passage. Why? Because when we attempt to apply Scripture to our lives, it is easy to unintentionally mishandle the original meaning. As an example, let's read 2 Chronicles 7:11-16:
Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.'
From our example, we can conclude that God listens to His people, desires to forgive and heal, and wants us to approach Him in humility. The application process would then include brainstorming how those truths about God affect or apply to our lives.
The results of the application process ought to be specific and action-oriented. A vague application is about as good as a dull knife--you have to saw awfully hard and long to cut something. Try to state your application with a verb or action at its core to ensure the end result of your study is living out and walking in God's Word.