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How & Why to Read the Bible

The Bible is the written record of God's revelation to men. It is one book, and yet is a compilation of 66 books written over a period of almost 2000 years. The diversity of its contributors ranges from a king to a shepherd, from a doctor to a choirmaster, from a former tax collector to a former fisherman. Yet this diversity contributes to a central unity of purpose: the reconciliation of man to his Creator and God.

The Bible is altogether true and reliable, not ,just partially trustworthy. As the Bible's history, poetry, proverbs, and personal letters have been read throughout time, they have evoked widely varying responses. Some believed the Bible, and some burned it. Some went to great lengths to preserve every stroke of every letter it contained, and some gained satisfaction in shredding its pages. Some scoffed at it, some ignored it, and some died for it. But still today it remains the most published, the most quoted, the most translated, and the most influential book in the history of mankind.

Because the Bible is God's inspired word, it requires our careful and diligent study. Because God has given His word to us in the Bible, He seeks our heartfelt response.

THE GOSPEL

GOD'S DESIRE

"[God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 (also 1 Timothy 2:4)

MAN’S CONDITION

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (also Psalm 143:2b, Ecclesiastes. 7:20)

GOD'S PROVISION

"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"[Christ] Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree [cross]." 1 Peter 2:24

MAN’S RESPONSIBILITY

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him." John 3:36

GOD'S PROMISE

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

Principles of Bible Interpretation

1. Know what the words mean.

Dictionaries are invaluable, both English and Greek / Hebrew prepared especially for those who are unfamiliar with biblical languages. Truth is embodied in words; if you don’t understand the words, the truth may be foggy

2. Be aware of figures of speech.

Figures of speech are meant to communicate some concept with an ear-catching, imaginative comparison. Trees clapping their hands (Isaiah 55:12) communicates extreme joy, not leafy emotion. Look for the intention behind the figure.

3. Interpret in context.

"Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me" (John 14:2 1). This might sound like a reference back to the Old Testament law and the 10 Commandments, except that it refers to Christ’s new command to love one another as He loved us (see 13:34, 15:12,17; also 1 John 3:23). Look before and after the verse in question for interpretive clues.

4. Explore cultural customs for added insight.

Jesus' "It is finished " (John 19:30) meant more than the end of crucifixion - that phrase was written across tax receipts to indicate that full payment had been received. Look on the RESOURCE panel for Bible customs books.

5. Interpret the difficult in light of the obvious.

Truth builds on truth, not contradicts it. Although Mark 16:16 might seem to require water baptism for salvation, passages like Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, and 1 Corinthians 1: 10- 17 establish the clear standard of salvation by faith alone, and so challenge us to dig deeper in our understanding of Mark's verse.

6. Interpret experience in the light of Scripture, not vice versa.

"It must be true because I have experienced it" does not take into consideration that Satan is a master counterfeiter (2 Corinthians 11: 13-15), and his deceptions include experiences. Scripture, rightly interpreted, is true primarily because God says it is true.

7. Remember that the Bible is a progressive record of God's truth.

God's nature cannot change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8), but He may modify the way His plan is carried out (Jonah 3:9- 10). What was binding at one time might be set aside by God at another (compare Leviticus 11 and Mark 7:19).

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CENTRAL PASSAGES
COMMON TOPICS

GOD

• Eternal: Psalm 93:2

• Omniscient: Psalm 139:1-6; Hebrews 4:13

• Omnipresent: Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:24

• Immutable: Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8

• Trinity: Matthew 3:16-17; Isaiah 48:12-13,16

CHRIST

• Eternal: John 1: 1-2; 8:58

• Virgin born: Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1: 18-25

• True God: Colossians 2:9; John 5:18; 10:32-33

• Sinless: 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15

• Substitutionary death: 1 Peter 3:18

• Resurrection: John 20; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

• Ascension & exaltation: Acts 1:9-11; Ephesians 1: 18-23

• Intercession for believers: see Promises section

HOLY SPIRIT

• True God: 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Acts 5:3-4

• Indwelling the believer: Romans 8:9-11; John 14:16-17

• Intercession for believers: Romans 8:26-27

• Guidance for believers: Galatians 5:16-18

• Convicting the ungodly: John 16:7-11

SATAN

• His fall: Ezekiel 28:11-19

• His deceptiveness: 2 Corinthians 11: 14

• His war against believers: 1 Peter 5:8-9, Ephesians 6:10-18

• His fate: Revelation 20: 10

THE BELIEVER

• Saved by God's grace: Ephesians 2:8-9

• Forgiven: Acts 10:43; Ephesians 4:32

• Reconciled to God: 2 Corinthians 5:14,15,18-21

• A new creation in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17

• Reborn: 1 Peter 1:23

• Adopted: Galatians 4:4-7

• An heir: Romans 8:16-17

• Christ's ambassador: 2 Corinthians 5:20

• A witness to others: Matthew 28:19-20 Resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15

• Purpose: Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Ephesians 2:10

THE CHURCH

• The body of Christ: I Corinthians 12:12-27

• A unique entity: Ephesians 3:4-6

• Spiritual gifts among members: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:11-13; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4: 10,11

THE BIBLE

• Inspired by God: 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

• Without error: John 10:35

• As a weapon against the devil: Ephesians 6:11,17

• Authoritative: Psalm 119:89

THE FUTURE

• Coming worldwide tribulation: Matthew 24:15-26

• Christ's return: Matthew 24-27-31; Revelation 19:11-21

• Judgment of unbelievers: Revelation 20:11-15

• Evaluation of believers: Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5: 10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

• Eternal reign of Christ: Revelation 21:3-8, 22:1-5

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RESOURCES

GENERAL

• Bible Study Resource Guide. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.

COMMENTARIES

• 1 Volume: The New Bible Commentary: Revised. Eerdmans, 1970.

• 2 Volumes: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Victor Books, 1983.

• Multi-Volume: Tyndale Series: Old Testament. InterVarsity Press, 1969. New Testament. Eerdmans, 1980.

CONCORDANCES

• KJV: Analytical Concordance to the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982 ed.

• NASB: Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Holman Bible Publishers, 1981.

• NIV: NIV Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Zondervan, 1989.

LANGUAGE AIDS

• O.T: Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980.

• N.T: Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Revell, 1956.

BIBLE STUDY

• A Layman's Guide to Interpreting the Bible. Zondervan, 1978 ed.

• Independent Bible Study. Moody Press, 1963.

BIBLE DICTIONARY

• The New Bible Dictionary, Second Edition. J.D. Douglas, organizing edition. Tyndale House Publishers, 1982.

BIBLE CUSTOMS

• Today's Handbook of Bible Times and Customs.

• William L. Coleman. Bethany House Publishers, 1984.

• Nelson Handbook Series: The World of the New Testament and Daily Life in Bible Times. J. I. Packer, M.C. Tenney, W. White, Jr. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982.

BIBLE GEOGRAPHY

• Baker Bible Atlas. C. F Pfeiffer. Baker Book House, revised edition., 1973.

• New Bible Atlas. J.J. Bimson and J. R Kane, editions. Tyndale House Publishers, 1985.

• God's presence with you: Matthew 28:20; John 14:23; Hebrews 13:5,6.

• God's forgiveness: 1 John 1:9; Acts 10:43; Psalm 103:1-14; Ephesians 1:7,8.

• Power for living a godly life: 2 Peter 1:2-4.

• Eternal life in Christ: John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-13; 1 John 2:25.

• Victory over death: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Hebrews 2:14-15.

• A resurrection to eternal life: 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.

• An eternal home with God: John 14:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:6-9.

• Christ's intercession for believers: Hebrews 7:23-25; 1 John 2: 1.

• The Holy Spirit's presence within believers: Galatians 3:14; Romans 8:9.

• The Holy Spirit's ministry to believers: John 14:26, 16:12-15; Romans 8:26-27.

• Peace of mind: Philippians 4:4-7; John 14:27,16:33; Isaiah 26:3.

• Endurance in temptation and trial: 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 1:6,7; James 1:2-18.

• God's encouragement in our discouragement: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Psalm 103:13; Isaiah 41:10.

• Victory in overcoming spiritual opposition: 1 Peter 5:8-10; Romans 8:37-39.

• God's control in our lives: Romans 8:28.

• God's power in human weakness: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

• God's supply for our need: Philippians 4.119; Psalm 37:25; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:31-32.

• The return of Christ for His own: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

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REMEMBERING WHAT YOU KNOW

Here’s help for "hiding God's Word in your heart";

MEMORIZE TOPICALLY

Pick five verses on forgiveness, copy each verse onto a small card that you can carry with you, and memorize them together. The common topic will aid recall.

MEMORIZE WITH A FRIEND

Responsibility to a friend motivates memorization. And someone can check your accuracy

MEMORIZE REGULARLY

Set aside at least two times during the day to sit down and go over your verses. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

MEMORIZE VERBALLY

Read each verse aloud (off your small, handy card) and then try to repeat it aloud. Break the verse into parts instead of trying to remember the whole all at once.

MEMORIZE MEDITATIVELY

Think about your verses during the day. Memorize them, then apply them!

MEMORIZE AND REVIEW

Set aside once a week when you can review all the verses for that week and all the previous weeks at one sitting.

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DEALING WITH SIN

When you sin:

» RECOGNIZE IT. Don’t excuse it or forget it. When your actions don’t match God’s expectations, stop and » CONFESS IT. Confession is one step beyond recognition in that you now agree with God that the action or attitude was wrong. If possible it’s a good idea to verbalize your confession to God (1 John 1:9) » ACCEPT FORGIVENESS FOR IT. God is ready to forgive you (Psalm 86:5). This forgiveness doesn’t imply a lapse of salvation, but rather it refers to mending a breach of fellowship between you and your heavenly Father. » FORSAKE IT. Decide ahead of time what you will do when confronted with a temptation to your weakness (Romans 13:14). That may mean purposely avoiding tempting situations or asking someone to make you accountable for your actions. But just as you choose to sin, ask God for the Holy Spirit’s aid to choose to avoid sin. "Direct my footsteps according to Your word: let no sin rule over me" (Psalm 119:133).

The Why & How Bible Reading guide

Here's a reading schedule that helps you capitalize on the variety of biblical literary material, preventing a major reason for Bible reading "burn-out" - getting "bogged down" in one part of Scripture. You'll complete the Bible in a year by reading three chapters a day and five on Sunday. Simply move from left to right on each line until every book on that line has been read, then drop down to the next line. The monthly readings are only generalities. Some books may overlap two months. Regardless, as long as 99 chapters per month is your goal you’ll discover firsthand that "The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7)

Courtesy of: American Tract Society
P O Box 462008
Garland, Texas 75046

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For more information on this subject contact Pastor Scott or Pastor Molly, Asbury United Methodist Church at 407-644-5222 or e-mail them at aumc@asburyumc.com.

Revised: February 16, 2008