Study
Steps
Why
Read The Bible?
The
Bible is a storehouse of divine truth which will repay reading
whether it be approached merely because of its literary value,
its ethical teaching, or its practical bearing on everyday life
(e.g. the Proverbs).
But
for those who are prepared to study the contents of this wonderful
volume with the object of learning what God desires of them, it
offers present and future blessings beyond the ability of man
to assess (Rev. 1:3), for "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love Him (1 Cor. 2:9).
This,
however requires study, that faith might be established and increased.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because
they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). With study there
will be developed a love for the Book, and for its Author whose
love will be revealed therein, and by this influence the Reader
will be led to radiate that same love to others. Therefore, this
divine Book is the greatest power for good in the hands of man
- if it be read with understanding.
Observation
It
is important to observe precisely what the bible passage is saying.
It is the basis of correct interpretation and application.
Interpretation
Interpretion
goes a step further from observation and helps you understand
what the passages really mean. You need to recognise that you
are coming to bible study with a set of beliefs and options. We
all need to let God's word speak for itself and make sure that
what we believe is what the bible says.
Application
It
doesn't matter how long we study the bible or how much knowledge
we aquire from it, if we don't apply what we learn.