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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER TWO

HOW TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD

II TIMOTHY 2:15

We have observed that a great percentage of those, who would study God's Word, do not know how. Many think Bible study consists of merely reading a few passages or consulting commentaries. Though these things are often beneficial, they do not constitute good Bible study. Though the points set forth here by no means compose the last word in Bible study, we do feel they will prove helpful to the earnest student of God's Word.

I. One should have proper motives for studying God's Word:

A. We should study "to show" ourselves "approved unto God":

1. Our studying should not be done just because we want to answer a Campbellite, Catholic, Jehovah Witness, or someone else on some Bible point. (Study may enable you to do that, but that should not be the motivation to study.)

2. Nor should a desire to be "smarter than someone else"- a "religious smart alect", motivate us to study. In I Cor. 4:6, 18-19 Paul condemns those who are "puffed up". Seldom do you find folks more repulsive than folks puffed up and so proud of how much they know about the Bible.

3. Our love for our Lord should move us to study God's Word so that we may be APPROVED UNTO HIM:

a. Paul said, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" II Cor. 5:14.

b. He also said, when love moves us to do what we do, (and study would certainly be included), we will not be proud and boastful, for "charity ... is not puffed up," I Cor. 13:4.

B. We should study that we may be "a workman that needeth not to be ashamed:"

1 . The Bible teaches us to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints," Jude 3; but a great many of God's workmen scarcely know what "the faith which was once delivered" is, let alone how to contend for it. That is really a shame, when you consider that many of these have been in Bible churches and had the Bible from which they could have learned, available to them for years.

2. Shouldn't a workman be ashamed before God, when after ample time to equip himself, he still can't even tell his own friend or child how to be saved from the penalty of sin? Or what constitutes scriptural baptism? Or the difference between justification and sanctification?

3. Through study a man can avoid the shame before God, which he must bear, when rebuked as in Heb 5:11-12-13, "Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the Word of Righteousness; for he is a babe."

C . We should also study that we might "rightly" divide "the Word of Truth":

1. Whole denominations are built on scriptures wrongly divided."

2. Such practices as wresting scriptures from their context, using them in a sense never intended, applying texts, directed to believers, to alien sinners, etc. build false concepts and propagate error and heresy.

3. There is a perfect harmony in the Scriptures; and honest study of the whole perspectives of God's Word will enable a student to rightly divide the Scriptures:

a. As we have the Holy Word of God which compares spiritual things with spiritual" (I Cor. 2:13); we should consider all these comparisons, which necessitates our searching the scripture to learn what all the various passages say on any given subject. As Paul said, "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" (II Tim. 2:7); but we cannot expect proper understanding until we "consider" all (not just an isolated segment) of what the Scriptures say on the subject.

b. It is stated this way in Isa. 28:9-10, "Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom shall He make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts; For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."

c. Since God's Word is not so arranged that all that is said upon one subject is said in the same chapter, or even the same book; it becomes necessary to consider chapter and verse with other chapters and verses, often covering hundreds of places, all establishing a given truth.

d. From these three points given in II Tim. 2:15, one can see the three basic motives, which should motivate us to study God's Word.

II. One should develop good study habits:

A. If possible, you should have a certain time to study:

1. The Bereans of Acts 17:11 searched the Word "daily." We need spiritual food every day, just as much as we need physical food.

2. A Bible student will find great profit in setting aside a definite period for Bible study every day, rather than just doing it at random, whenever the urge or time may present itself.

3. Like any other study, it is more profitable, if done when you are rested and alert.

4. And, you cannot "cram" or learn it all at one time. Solomon said, "much study is a weariness of the flesh," Eccl. 12:12. A reasonable amount every day does far more good than a "crash course" of several days, followed by no study on a definite basis.

B. It is also profitable to have a definite place to study:

1. A private place, if possible, where you have proper lighting, quietness, a desk and surroundings of a comfortable nature is desirable.

2. It is also good to have a place where you can keep paper, pins, reference materials, etc.

C. During study be scholarly and systematic:

1. Decide upon a particular subject:

a. Don't just skim along grasping whatever may pass by; apply yourself to specifics, nail down a subject and dig out those truths.

b. Don't select too broad a range of subject material. You can't learn it all at one time. As you grasp one truth, you can move to another; and slowly but surely your scriptural knowledge will increase so that you'll be able to tackle larger and larger portions.

c. Learn to stick with the subject:

(1) Take one at a time.
(2) Don't switch from subject to subject and learn little about none.
(3) All scriptural knowledge is good; but organized material is more profitable.

2. Use pencil and paper, and make notes:

a. Notes are word pictures, and it is said that one picture equals many words.

b. It has been proven that most people retain and learn much more by making notes as they study.

c. If it was good for you when you first studied it, it will also be good for you when you later consider your notes.

3. Ask yourself questions about the subject:

a. Who is doing the talking? To whom is he speaking? About what is he speaking? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Why did it happen? How did it happen? etc.

b. If you can answer the questions "who", "what", when", "why", "where", and "how"; your Bible knowledge of the passage or subject will be helped.

4. Search the Scriptures:

a. Remember to compare book, chapter, and verse, with book, chapter, and verse. No book is a better commentary on the Bible than the Bible itself, Isa. 28:9-10.

b. A good, unabridged concordance is probably the best reference book there is in Bible study, next to the Bible.

c. Other helps such as Bible dictionaries, commentaries, word studies, subject studies, etc. are helpful.

5. Once Bible material is dug out, organize it under definite headings.

6. Review your findings from time to time.

III. Good Bible study requires meditation:

A. Meditation is reflection upon, consideration of, or intent observance of that which has been previously considered:

1. Of course, as the definition shows, it would be impossible to meditate upon that which has not been previously considered. So, meditation starts with the consideration of some point.

2. As Joshua 1:8 exhorts, the truth of God's Word should be so stamped in our minds that we can recall it for reflection or meditation.

B. Meditation is a time for looking at the scripture from as many different angles as possible:

1. Ask the who, what, when, why, where, and how questions.

2. Is it a command to obey? Something for which to praise God? An example to follow? A promise to claim?

3. Are there any conditions attached?

4. Emphasize different words in the verse or text as in Ps. 23:1.

a. The Lord.

b. The Lord Is.

C. The Lord is my.

d. The Lord is my shepherd.

C. Apply the truth to your own life:

1. How does the truth effect you? And why? And what are you going to do about it?

2. Pinpoint your shortcomings to the truth, and determine to grow in grace.

 

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"