How & Whyto Read & Study

the Bible5 April 2014

How the Bible Is Organized

• Historical BooksGenesis through Esther

• Poetic BooksJob through Song of Songs

• Prophetic BooksIsaiah through Malachi

Old TestamentOld Testament New TestamentNew Testament Historical Historical

BooksBooksMatthew through ActsMatthew through Acts

Epistles/Epistles/LettersLetters

Romans through JudeRomans through Jude

Prophetic BookProphetic BookRevelationRevelation

Ancient Time to ~400 BC Ancient Time to ~400 BC ~0 AD to ~100 AD~0 AD to ~100 AD

Examples of People in the Bible Who Studied the Bible Jeremiah 15:16

When your words came I ate them, for they were my joy and my heart’s delight.

Ezra 7:10Now Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Examples of People in the Bible Who Studied the Bible

Mt. 4:4Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Acts 17:11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for the received the message with great and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true

Navigator Hand Illustration

Apply James 1:22

Reasons to Read the Bible1. The world's best selling book

2. Biblical faith is based on a historical event

3. Jesus was a real person

4. Believing in the Bible message changes livesPeople have been rescued from: drugs, depression, shop-lifting, heart condition, low self-esteem, a life of violence, a lesbian lifestyle, the effects of abuse...

Reasons to Read the Bible

5. Filled with real people and real places

6. Jesus has dramatically affected history

7. Brilliant people believe it to be true - George Frederic Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Haydn, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Johannes Kepler, Louis Pasteur, C. S. Lewis

8. Fulfils our deepest needsLove, truth, know God, overcome fear of death, find forgiveness, find peace, find freedom, find joy, find security

Reasons to Read the Bible9. The world's most widely distributed book

The whole Bible has been translated into 405 different languages and the New Testament into 1034 languages.

10.Packed with the most exciting eventsThese include human emotion (love, joy, peace, exhilaration, pain and disappointment), miracles like people rising from the dead, people receiving their sight and walking on water, suspense, battles and the supernatural (God and demons).

Reasons to Read the Bible11.What the Bible says makes sense

There must be a Creator, there is good and evil, we have trouble doing what is right, there will be a judgment for what we have done, we need forgiveness

12.Many people have died for their faith

13.Has survived the most sustained attack

14.The Bible is historically reliableFrom the book "In Six Days (why 50 scientists choose to believe in

creation)" edited by John F Ashton PhD, New Holland Publishers, 1999. http://www.changinglivesonline.org/why-read-the-bible.html

Bible Reading Priorities(for First Time Readers)

1. 4 Gospels2. Rest of New Testament3. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes4. Genesis (the beginning of many thinhgs)5. Exodus – Esther6. Job, Song of Solomon7. Major prophets8. Minor prophets9. Book of Enoch (maybe not Bible canon,

but quoted by Jesus and the apostles; worth reading to understand Genesis.)

Which version of the Bible?

Use an English translation based on the Greek majority text

KJV – truer to the original text

NKJV – easier to read

Beware of modern version based on the corrupted Nestle / Westcott-Hort / Alexandrian / Greek text, e.g., NIV, RSV, NASB, The Message, Jerusalem Bible, etc.

Other languages – OK, but may be poor translation and usually based on corrupted text

Bible Reading Plan

1189 chapters in the Bible

365 days per year3 year plan: 1.09 chapters / day

2 year plan: 1.63 chapters / day

1 year plan: 3.26 chapters / day

6 month plan: 6.5 chapters / day

4 month plan: 9.78 chapters / day

3 month plan: 13.06 chapters / day

How To Study the Bible

Historical book study

Prophetic book study

Wisdom / poetic book study

Parable study

Epistle study

Topical study, e.g., angels & demons

Character study, e.g., Paul

Word study, love

Inductive Bible Study

Observations What the text says

Interpretation What the text means

Application What do I do with it in my life?

Observations

Who?

What?

Why?

Where?

When?

How?

Comparison

Contrast

Cause & Effect

Word repetition

Key verse(s)

Interpretation Listen for the truth; ask God for guidance

Do some research to try to understand the context and the historic situation

Let Scripture interpret Scripture, i.e., use cross references

Recognize literal and figurative language

Read the text literally unless the context demands otherwise

Don’t rely too much on commentaries

Study Tools

The Bible itself! (Best tool)

Concordance / Dictionary

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Bible maps

Internet search

Ask your pastor / church leaders

Application

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. – James 1:22

Listen to the Holy Spirit speak directly

Is there a sin I need to repent of?

Is there a character area, bad habit that I need to change or stop?

Is there a positive example I can follow?

Is there a forgotten task I need to do?

Is there a person I need to talk to?

Study Tools

The Bible itself! (Best tool)

Concordance / Dictionary

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Bible maps

Internet search

Ask your pastor / church leaders

Old Testament PowerPoint intros:http://www.somehelpful.info/OT/

Scripture Memory Tips Choose a verse to memorize that speaks to

something in your life right now.

Write it down and carry it or put it by your bed.

Say it out loud.

Pray with it.

Review, review, review

Father’s Love Letter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJvqmhGs1Y8

Q&A

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall

stand for ever. – Isaiah 40:8