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How
to Study the Bible
June
16, 2002
Brother
Dale Custodio continued the lecture series on reading and studying
the Bible. He said that while the Bible speaks of eternal
truths, Christians today must understand that it was written two
thousand years ago in a different language and culture.
In
studying the Bible, four important steps were mentioned, namely:
1.
Read the Bible.
There is no substitute for reading the Bible.
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your
hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you
sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and
when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on
your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and
on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
2.
Interpret the Bible.
"They read from the Book of Law of God, making it clear and
giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being
read." (Nehemiah 8:8)
Gaps
to bridge when interpreting the Bible:
-
language
-
culture
-
geography
-
history
Principles
of Interpretation (Drawn from Bible experts' teachings)
-
Literal
Principle - Interpret the Bible in its literal, natural, and
normal sense.
-
Historical
Principle - What did it mean to the people whom it was originally
written for?
-
Grammatical
Principle - What is the main verb in the verse?
-
Synthesis
Principle - (Harmony of the Scripture) What do other verses say
about the topic?
-
Practical
Principle - What does it mean to us now?
3.
Meditate on the Bible.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of
mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his
law he meditates day and night." (Psalms 1:1-2)
4.
Teach the Bible.
I Timothy 4:13
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