All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – (NASB95)
I grew up in an average home with good parents but I didn’t really have a relationship with the Lord. In my teenage years, I got involved with drugs and alcohol and started living a very sinful life. In 1994 someone shared the gospel with me and invited me to church. I was more than willing to go and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I began reading the Bible on a regular basis, sharing the gospel, putting away sinful behavior and growing in obedience to God’s word. In 2018 I met a dear brother named Mika Kaltoft who encouraged me in many ways. We were meeting every week and went through many different books on Christian living, everything from spiritual disciplines to hermeneutics. He started me off with Logos, taught me different ways to study the Bible and how to write outlines. I started having major growth in my walk and found victory over some sins that I struggled with. I also have developed a newfound love for studying the Bible, sharing the gospel, and building up the body of Christ. (Matthew 28:19)
Through experience, I know what an impact diligent study of the Bible has on us and I would like to encourage you with what I have learned. It is important to read the word of God but it is much more beneficial for us when we really study it. This can range from simply slowing down and rereading the scriptures to doing an in-depth study. We want to have the word of God richly dwell within us so we can encourage others and live it out in our daily lives. (Colossians 3:16, 1:10)
Study Bibles and commentaries are a great start to enhance your study. But if possible, I would recommend getting a program called Logos Bible Software and building your library from there. It is an amazing program that contains all your study tools in one place and works in an efficient manner. With it, you will be able to take your study to a whole new level.
As you are reading through the Bible and you come across things you don’t understand try looking at other translations, study Bibles, and commentaries. You will be amazed at how much more clarity you will have if you do this on a regular basis. It is also a good idea to write things down when you study as it will help you to have a more fruitful time in the Word and you will retain more of what you learn.
One thing that is very important in accurately interpreting the Bible is context. It is very easy to look at a scripture and misinterpret it based on our own understanding. This is why we need to look at the surrounding verses to get the gist of what it is talking about.
There are many different ways to study the Bible. Just to mention a few, I want to start with inductive study. In an inductive study, you are drawing out from the scriptures and there are three main steps, 1) observation (what it says), 2) interpretation (what it means), and 3) application (how we can apply it to our lives). A great way to get started with an inductive study is by taking a passage that piques your interest and writing it out in an outline form. Break it down into small sections and then write observations, interpretations, and applications for the different sections.
There is also a deductive study where you have a doctrine you want to study and then you find scriptures that relate to that topic. Be careful with this method as there is a real danger of misinterpreting the true meaning of the text as you make it fit or confirm your doctrinal ideas. A third option is a topical study where you really examine and learn what the whole Bible says about a certain topic. Sometimes this is called a systematic study. One final method to mention is a biographical study where you can get a good grasp on the character and life of a person from the Bible. There are really helpful tools in Logos to help you with these types of studies.
When we increase our Bible intake in these ways it transforms our life, giving us a strong understanding of the scriptures and strength to walk in obedience. It can also help us to be more joyful and have a better attitude when we face life’s difficulties. If you want to grow in your walk and relationship with the Lord one of the main disciplines is to be diligent in your study of the Bible.