How to Study the Bible (2 Tim 2:15)
1. Interpretation
Rule of Thumb: Always take a passage literally, unless it
cannot possibly be taken literally.
Examples:
- Rev
20:1-6 “a thousand years” (literal)
- John 6:53 eating and drinking the
blood of Jesus Christ (figurative)
- Gen 15:18 land grant to Abraham’s
seed from river of Egypt to Euphrates
(literal)
- John
15:5 “I am the vine” (figurative)
- A hell
where fire is not quenched, weeping and gnashing of teeth (literal)
- Dan 7
“like” a bear, lion, leopard or Isa 40:31 “as
eagles” (figurative)
2. Context (A
text without a context is a pretext!) (see 1 Cor 2:13)
Rule of Thumb: Always read the verse before and after, and
find out who’s speaking and to whom.
Examples:
- Acts 2:38 (v. 5, 10, 14, 22, 36
tells you these are Jews that are responsible for killing the Messiah)
- Matt
24:13 “endure unto the end” (v. 21 tells you that this is talking about
the Great Tribulation)
- Matt
5:5 “inherit the earth” (no Christians present, directed to Jews looking
for a literal earthly kingdom)
3. Application
Rule of Thumb: Every scripture has at least three
applications: Doctrinal, Historical, Inspirational.
Example:
- John
3:16
- Doctrinal:
God sent his Son because he loved us and if anyone will believe in him
they’ll have life eternally, instead of going to hell.
- Historical:
Jesus teaching to a Pharisee named Nicodemus at night in Jerusalem around
2000 years ago, about why God sent him.
- Inspirational:
Real love involves giving, and the greatest expression of love ever given
us was God giving his Son.
- Rev 12:11
- Doctrinal:
These are tribulation saints that literally overcome the Devil by
Christ’s blood and their testimony and are martyred for it.
- Historical:
This is John hearing an announcement in heaven as he sees the Tribulation
take place from the third heaven back in A.D. 96 while in exile on the
isle of Patmos.
- Inspirationally:
The only way we can have victory over Satan is by the blood of the lamb,
and the word of our testimony.
4. First Mention
Principle
Rule of Thumb: Often times the first time a thing is
mentioned in Scripture will give you a sense of the word each time it shows up
in the rest of the Bible.
Example:
- In Gen
1:20 the first time “life” shows up it’s associated with “water” and
you’ll need to know that when you come to John 3:5
- In Gen
1:29 the word “meat”
is used for the first time and it’s before mankind was permitted to eat
the flesh of animals, and you need to know that when you come to Leviticus
2 and John 6:55
- In Gen
2:24 you find out that leaving one’s Father is associated with getting a
bride, and you’ll need to know that when you come to Matt 27:46
- In Gen
5:4 the word “repented” shows up for the first time and it has to do with
being grieved in one’s heart and taking action because of that grief
5. Dividing the Word (2
Tim 2:15)
Rule of Thumb: God intentionally divides and separates
things and when he does so he doesn’t want them mixed or confused. Things that
are different are not equal.
Example:
- Law
vs. Grace
- Prophecy
vs. Mystery
- Jew
vs. Gentile
- Kingdom
vs. the Church
- Rapture
vs. Revelation
- Kingdom of Heaven
vs. Kingdom
of God
- Different
Dispensations
6. Dual References
Rule of Thumb: Be careful not to limit a scripture to a
single meaning, because much of scripture can have more that one reference or
fulfillment.
Example:
- Hos 11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him,
and called my son out of Egypt,”
that referred back to the Exodus and forward to Christ. (Matt 2:15)
- Zech 12:10 “they shall look upon me
whom they’ve pierced,” looked forward to the cross (John 19:37), but also to the Second
Coming (Rev 1:7)
7. Numerology
Rule of Thumb: Numbers have special significance in
scripture that can be helpful in understanding scripture.
Examples:
- One:
Unity
- Two:
Division
- Three:
Trinity
- Four:
Earth
- Five:
Death (and sometimes grace)
- Six:
Man
- Seven:
Perfection/Completion
- Eight:
New Beginnings
- Nine:
Fruitfulness
- Ten:
Gentile number
- Twelve:
Israel/Governmental
Perfection
- Thirteen:
Rebellion
- Forty:
Testing
8. Types and
Foreshadows
Rule of Thumb: Look for pictures of New Testament truths in
Old Testament characters and objects as well as in nature as indicated in
scripture; these will enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the Bible.
Examples:
- Of
Jesus Christ: Adam, Abel, Melchizadek, Isaac,
Judah, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon, Josiah, Asa, Mordecai, Jonah; Noah’s Ark, the Passover lamb,
the offering of Leviticus, a stone (Dan 2), the Ark of the Covenant
- Of
the Church: Eve, Rebekah, Zipporah,
Solomon’s Bride, Enoch
- Of
the Rapture: Enoch, Israel going up into Jericho
- Of
the Word of God: light, food, mirror, sword
- Of
the nation of Israel:
Sarah, Jacob, and Gomer
- Of
Tribulation Saints: Noah, Job, Lot, 3
Hebrew Children, Jerimiah
- Of
Antichrist: Cain Nimrod, Pharoah,Balak, Sisera, Saul, Absalom, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzer, Haman, Herod, Judas
- Of
the Second Advent: Conquests of Caanan,
Transfiguration, Ascension
A Few Practical Hints
for Personal Bible Study
- Get
a good KJV Bible (Study Bible, Large Print, Good Binding, Wide Margin)
- Read
for pleasure. (Familiarize yourself with the language, with the books and
their location, get a reading plan)
- Mark
your Bible. (It’s okay to write in your Bible!)
- Pray
before you study. (Ask for wisdom, for God to show you something)
- Thank
God for everything you learn.
- Apply
what you learn.
- Start
a personal library. (Concordance, Dictionary, Commentary, Dispensational
Truth, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge)
- Ask
lots of questions, and share what you learn.