How to Approach Bible Study
I think it’s safe to say that most Christians, especially those of us who grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist faith, believe that bible study is important. Unfortunately, what is said is not always what is practiced.
I have found that despite the zeal and passion for the Bible…many professing Christians do not study the Scriptures. I don’t intend to shame if that describes you, I just want to point out that reality. I’m sure that many people would love to study the bible, but they don’t know how.
The word “study” may elicit mixed feelings. Some people love to study, others…not so much. We all have, however, studied a subject in some shape or form. It takes the right mindset, time, intentionality and the right tools to effectively study. Bible study is no different. However, in addition to and foremost before mindset, time, intentionality and the right tools is prayer.
Prayer
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote that all scripture is “God breathed,” or “inspired by God.”¹ Although it was written by men, it was inspired by God, and thus, no ordinary book. There is a spiritual element to it. And because there is a spiritual element to the bible, we need the aid of the Holy Spirit.
In his first letter to the believers of Corinth, Paul wrote that man in his natural state cannot receive or accept the truths from God unless he has the Holy Spirit.² In other words, spiritual things are spiritually discerned/understood.
And before we even read Scripture, we have to pray that God gives us His Spirit so that we can receive what the Spirit-inspired Scripture has to tell us.
Mindset
Mindset is defined as an established set of attitudes, disposition or mood. What is our attitude when we approach Scripture? Is it something that we have to read because we’re obligated to? What do we get out of it? Jesus had a conversation with the Pharisees in John 5:19 where He points out that they studied the Scriptures because their goal was eternal life. But they missed the point of Scripture — it’s not just about eternal life — it’s about Jesus, the author of life and the architect of our salvation.
Scripture wasn’t given to us so that we can find amazing facts. It wasn’t given to us so that we can just marvel at prophecy. It was given so that we can see the story of Jesus and His pursuit of the people He loves and our response to that pursuit.
We approach Scripture with the mindset that we’re going to encounter Jesus.
Time & Intentionality
Because Scripture is about a Person, just like any relationship, it requires time and intentionality. R.C. Sproul, an American theologian stated that, “we fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.”
“We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.” ~ R.C. Sproul
When I was in high school taking algebra, we were given textbooks with the answers in the back of the book. I admit that while I did try to work out the algebraic equations to the best of my ability, there were times when I would just go to the back of the book to get the answers. While I did get the right answers, I often did not know how those answers were found.
Seventh-day Adventists pride themselves for having the truth. By “truth” they mean that the teachings or doctrines of the SDA church are more biblical than others. More often than not, most SDAs don’t know how we got to these truths. They usually resort to their pastors, Ellen G. White or Google for the answers.
That’s lazy.
To truly know “the truth” we have to understand that it’s not about a certain set of doctrines, but a Person. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is “…the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life…” If the Truth is a Person, and to truly know a person requires time and intentionality, then we need to apply that to bible study.
Bible study should lead us to an ever deepening love for Christ. But that takes time and intentionality.
Right Tools
In order for anything to be built, you need the right tools. A nail would require a hammer and a screw would require a screwdriver. In order to have a deep, meaningful bible study, you need the right tools.
Here are some tools that has helped me study scripture:
- Study Bible (I recommend the Andrews Study Bible but any study bible will do)
- Concordance
- Bible Dictionary
- Bible Encyclopedia
- www.biblehub.com
In another post we’ll learn how to use these tools to study Scripture! For the time being, take the time and apply these principles to your bible studies. It’s my prayer that your time in God’s Word will be both captivating and enriching!
¹ 2 Timothy 3:16–17
² 1 Corinthians 2:14
