Study God's Word
EVERY DAY
Frequently Asked Questions Pertaining to Bible Study
Why should I study the Bible?

God created man for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11), but He is only pleased when His children love Him and follow Him (Psalms 147:11, Psalms 5:4, Ezekiel 33:11).  How then do we love Him and follow Him?  How are we to know what actions constitute loving and following Him?  The answer is in the Bible.  By studying the Bible every day, we can learn how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to our Father, in order to receive His blessings.  We show our Father that we are taking an interest in His service, in pleasing Him.  However, understanding the Bible is only the first step.  In addition to merely hearing, we must also do God's commandments in order to receive His blessings (Luke 11:28, Luke 8:21, James 1:21-25, Revelation 22:14, I John 3:21-24, Psalms 5:12).  As Christ taught, a person who heareth and doeth His sayings is founded on the rock, and cannot be broken (Luke 6:47-49).  Do you want God's blessings?  Would you like to be founded upon the rock?  The answer begins in His Word.

 
 
How should I study the Bible?

There are two critical phases to any study of the Bible.  The first is to comprehend the text, and the second is to interpret and understand it on a deeper level (i.e., understanding parables).  These two phases can only be accomplished by reading God's Word book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse.  Scanning or speed-reading the Bible will not allow one to comprehend and meditate on what is being said.  Read a verse, make sure you understand what is being said, think about the implications of what is written, and then go on to the next.  Make no mistake, this is a timely process, but reading the Bible in this manner is designed to be thorough, not timely.

Phase 1 -- Comprehending the text:
It is critical for readers of translated versions of the Bible (versions printed in a language other than the original Hebrew, Chaldee, or Greek) to note that a great deal of accuracy and meaning is lost when converting the original manuscripts to another language.  The translators of the original 1611 King James Version (KJV) of the Bible wrote a foreword to the reader, warning them that certain words in the original manuscripts are impossible to accurately translate into English.  A reader of the KJV, as well as any other translation of the Bible, should always be aware of potential mistranslations from the original Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek manuscripts.  An excellent way for English readers to combat this threat is through the use of a Strong's Concordance.  A Strong's Concordance is a utility that allows you to look up any word in the KJV, and read about the original Hebrew, Chaldee, or Greek word used when translated.  A copy can be obtained at a local bookstore.  To illustrate the necessity for such a concordance, consider Luke 14:26 (Jesus speaking):

A KJV reader would be gravely mis-taught if he took this verse at face value in English.  The word "hate" in the preceding verse has been mistranslated.  After we look up the word "hate" used in this verse in a Strong's concordance, the message becomes clear.  The word (pronounced mis-eh'-o in the Greek tongue), has a meaning "to love less", and thus the verse should read as follows: The message is to love your family, but to love your Heavenly Father more.  You should never put your family before God.  In Matthew the equivalent verse is arranged differently (Matthew 10:37), but in Luke, this message would have been impossible to attain without the use of a Strong's Concordance.
 

Phase 2 -- Understanding the text
After one can comprehend what is being said in the original manuscripts, one must go about understanding what is being said.  There is a great difference between comprehending and understanding.  Take into consideration Matthew 27:46 (or Mark 15:34):

This verse is a good translation from the Greek, and thus it is easily comprehended.  It is easy to comprehend that Jesus is crying out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"  However, to understand this verse, you must be familiar with Psalms 22, for it is that Psalm which Jesus is quoting from.  The 22nd Psalm is an accurate prophecy of the crucifixion, and Jesus is quoting the Psalm to show its fulfillment.  If one were to read this verse without being familiar with Psalms 22, they would not be seeing the entire picture.  Another example where one might need help in understanding is in Christ's parables, such as the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:18).  A new student in God's Word might have difficulty at first in discerning such parables.  How, then, can one gain such understanding?  Where can a person go to find the deeper truths of God's Word?

Alas, we come to the purpose of church.  Find a church where you are able to ask Bible questions and receive Bible answers.  Many churches base their teachings around an individual's point of view, covering very little of the Bible, if any.  If you aren't currently attending a church that actively teaches the Bible, or you cannot find a local church that teaches God's Word, there are other options.  A great place to start is at The Shepherd's Chapel, in which a gifted pastor by the name of Arnold Murray does an excellent job of teaching God's Word book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, the way it is best taught.

You can also e-mail me, Gladsoul, and I will gladly attempt to answer a Bible question to the best of my ability.  I have no authority to do this, but I do have many tools of study that might help, along with some experience in the Bible, and that alone is a powerful thing.

In addition, you can obtain a copy of The Companion Bible, which is helpful in pointing out verses and concepts that relate to a passage in question.  The Companion Bible also contains informative appendices about various Biblical topics (such as when Jesus the Christ was actually born, phenomena involving Biblical numerics, etc).  A copy can be obtained at a Christian bookstore, or through The Shepherd's Chapel.

Windows users can take advantage of a program called PC Bible Study for Windows, by Biblesoft, which consists of many utilities that will assist your studies, including a Strong's Concordance.

 
How often should I study the Bible?

Persistence is the key to studying the Bible.  It's best to study as often as you can (i.e., everyday).  If you study only on occasion (i.e., once a week or so), don't expect to finish the Bible anytime soon.  It takes dilligent work, day by day, reading chapter by chapter, verse by verse, for a thorough understanding of the Bible.  Don't feel like you have to read a chapter a day -- if you overdo it, you will lose motivation.  Take a few verses in, pause to meditate on what has been said, and then take another few verses in, etc.  If you do this everyday, before you know it, you'll be ready to read the Bible a second and third time!

 
Is the Bible really written by God?

Psalms 22 was written about 1,000 years before Jesus Christ's crucifixion, and is one of the most incredibly-detailed prophesies regarding Christ's crucifixion.  MAN cannot do that, only GOD!  David may have written the Psalm, but God was the author.  God uses THE HOLY SPIRIT to speak through people.

 
Should I study the Old Testament?
Is the Old Testament done away with in Christ?

Of course you should study the Old Testament!  Some preacher-teachers have falsely claimed that the Old Testament is done away with in Christ, and this is absolutely absurd.  Let Christ Himself speak on the subject:

There are, of course, certain rituals from the Old Testament that are done away with in Christ, such as blood sacrifice (Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice for one and all times), but don't ever let anybody tell you that the Old Testament is done away with in Christ!