“Bible Study”
Jarrod M. Jacobs
The need for daily and faithful Bible study cannot be questioned. All need to spend time studying and learning the will of God. This is stated in II Timothy 2:15 when the apostle Paul writes, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Paul further encouraged Timothy in the study of God’s word as he wrote, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine...Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (I Tim. 4:13, 15). The need for systematic, regular Bible study cannot be denied. It is a necessity that those calling themselves children of God spend time in God’s word so that their souls might “feed” upon spiritual food (I Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:13-14; etc.).
“Word-Association” Bible Study
However, those dedicated to regular Bible study can make mistakes. One mistake I see people making is what I call a “word-association” study. In other words, folks choose a particular passage or chapter to study, and their study method is to find a word or phrase in their text that reminds them of other passages that use this same word. They then formulate a lesson or doctrine based on passages that use words similar to those found in the original passage they read.
For example, a person reads John 3:16. (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish; but have everlasting life.”) From this passage, he focuses on the word “gave.” Thinking about how God gave His only begotten Son, he then formulates his study around the idea of giving and how Christians must give of their means in a loving and sacrificial way.
Is teaching that man needs to give monetarily to God a sin? By no means! Yet, in connecting God’s giving of Christ and our giving of money, this person has completely ignored the context and thrust of Christ’s words to Nicodemus! It is true that Christians need to give of their means (I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:7; etc.), but John 3:16 is not the passage that proves it! John 3:16 has a context, and it demands our respect!
When people make such mistakes in their studies, the result is not just a lack of understanding but a potential for confusion and misinterpretation. While this person may not espouse a “false” doctrine, the end result is that such study is “slip-shod” at best and opens us up to the possibility of espousing false doctrines because we failed to respect the context of Scripture. It is no wonder people are confused about the Bible! No wonder some believe we can make the Bible “say anything we want.” Yes, when we are practicing “word association” or similar things in our study, we can make the Bible teach almost anything. However, when folks decide to quit playing and learn what the passage means, then the passage will only mean one thing — the truth — not “anything we want”!
Proper Bible Study
Proper Bible study begins and ends with a profound respect for the context of the passage. We need to read and reread a section of Scripture, whether it is a paragraph, the entire chapter, or even the book, to truly appreciate what is being said in context. For example, reading a passage that uses the word “faith” is not a license to assume that every other passage that mentions “faith” means the same thing every time. We must study so we know whether the word “faith” is being used in connection with the word of God, i.e., one body of doctrine, or “the” faith (Eph. 4:5; Jude 3; Acts 14:22; Rom. 1:5; etc.) or if it is used in connection with one’s personal faith (Deut. 32:20; Matt. 6:30, 8:10; Jas. 2:17-26; Rev. 2:19; Rom. 10:17; etc.)! As was stated above, we must respect the context of Scripture!
Commentaries can be helpful tools in our study. Bible dictionaries and lexicons are good Bible study tools as well, but please remember that these are the works of men and that we take those men’s thoughts with a “grain of salt.” The works of men can be tainted with the author’s biases. Just because some man wrote a commentary does not mean he is an inspired writer like those of the Bible (II Pet. 1:20-21)!
In truth, the Bible is its own best commentary and dictionary! Use the Bible to define its words and explain the more difficult passages with easier passages whenever possible. Such practice demands even more time and effort as we “plow deep” and get to the true meaning of a particular verse or section of Scripture. The rewards for such diligence and dedication will make the effort worthwhile. (I Cor. 15:58)
To help illustrate what we are discussing, take, for example, the “types” and “antitypes” in the Bible. (ex: I Pet. 3:20-21; John 3:14). Anytime we have a “type” and “antitype” in the Bible, God is sure to point it out to us! We are not left to guess whether or not we have found them. Furthermore, the Bible makes it plain when a prophecy has been fulfilled (ex: Acts 2:16; Jn. 19:23-24, 35-36; Matt. 2:14-23; etc.).
We also see that God defines certain words for us. Take, for example, the word “baptism.” When men speak of baptism, they speak of sprinkling water, pouring water, and sometimes immersion in water. Yet, God defined this word by saying folks were “buried” in water when baptized (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3-4). Sometimes, such phrases as “going down into” or “coming up” are used to help us picture just what it means to be baptized (Matt. 3:16-17; Acts 8:35-38). Proper Bible study helps us to determine the truth on baptism and every other Bible subject. God did not give us a book that is so complicated that we cannot understand it. In fact, we are told we can understand God’s word (Eph. 3:4, 5:17)! We can do this if we do it correctly and handle God’s word accurately (II Tim. 2:15).
Conclusion
How are your Bible study habits? Do you study God’s word daily? If not, make the change today and determine to know more by the end of this month (and the end of this year) than you knew at the beginning (II Pet. 3:18).