In a previous post, we talked about the Top 3 Reasons to Study the Bible. Today, we will learn some questions to ask to get our studying started.
Questions to Answer
How do we do that? First, by asking God to give us understanding of his word. The scriptures say that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. He can’t lie because he is the truth. All we have to do is ask.
Second, study the Bible from front to back. Begin by asking a series of questions.
When studying a passage we should know who is speaking and to whom is the speaker talking to.
- Who is the audience?
- It’s not enough to say the audience is Jew, Greek or Gentile. What do these terms mean in their biblical sense?
- Do you know who is classified as a Jew?
- Who are the children of Israel?
- Where do we as Christians fit into all of this?
Background Information
- What is the background history?
- What is going on at the time that made this conversation warranted?
- What was the society like?
Translation Questions
- What do the original Greek and Hebrew say?
- Do you know? Or are you guessing?
- Are you taking a translation word for it?
- How many versions have you look at?
- Do they all say the same thing or is one of them saying something a little different? If so, how come?
This bring us back to what the original language says? There are many lexicons that can help without knowing how to read these languages. I urge you to find a few and compare.
Finally, while trying to find the answers to the above questions can be an exhaustive task, remember the world was built in six days. My point is that everything wasn’t done in one day. It takes time to study God’s word and get a proper understanding. So be patient with yourself.
A Personal Note
Sometimes, God will just give you the answer and show you later why it was correct. He has done this for me many times. For example, I asked him a lot of questions one week. I didn’t know where to find the answers. Then I attended a church service with visiting speaker. If was as if his whole sermon was just for me. He answered all of my questions.
Let me know what you are studying and how it is going.
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