In this simple and practical message we learn the importance of Studying God's Word, a basic five-step model (an extension of the Inductive method) to study God's Word, how to get started and some readily available tools that you can use to study the Word. "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek (study) the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." So must we!
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
Complete Sermon Video:
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Series:Discovering God's Word
2 Timothy 3:16,17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God infused His life into the words of the Bible so that they are actually His.
2 Peter 1:20,21
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is unique, in that it was written by human authors guided by the Holy Spirit.
As God’s written revelation, the Bible reveals to us His character, plans and standards.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Bible interpretation is essential for applying the Bible properly. If we do not interpret the Bible properly we may end up applying the Bible wrongly and end up in trouble. We could be sincere, but sincerely wrong.
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
The Scriptures point us to the Lord and reveal Him to us.
Acts 17:10-12
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
In Christendom today there are so many "winds of doctrine" blowing tossing believers to and fro (Ephesians 4:14).
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
Nehemiah 8:1-8
8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
vs 8 Heb. paras = to make distinct or interpret.
Ezra was a "a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses," (Ezra 7:6)
Ezra 7:10,11
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek (= study) the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
11 "Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:"
All of us can be involved in studying, teaching and demonstrating God's Word.
2, Book Study : study of a particular book of the Bible, looking at it from its historical, cultural and theological setting
3, Word Study : study of a particular word e.g. Faith, Grace, Sin, Love, etc. where you look up all references that have that word and draw up a complete picture of what the Bible says
4, Topical Study : very similar to word study, but you look at all passages that deal with that particular topic (subject, theme) e.g. divine healing, family, etc. and draw up a complete picture of what the Bible says
5, Character Study : where we study the life of a person in the Bible, look at how he/she walked with God, how God worked in their lives, lessons we can learn, etc.
1, Observation : What does it say? Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. Understanding historical and cultural contexts are important.
2, Interpretation : What does it mean?
What was clear to the writer may not be immediately clear to the reader.
Interpreting Scripture requires dependence on the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the use of sound judgment and reason.
Martin Luther (1438-1546)
The Scriptures are to be retained in their simplest meaning ever possible, and to be understood in their grammatical and literal sense unless the context plainly forbids. Obscure passages are to be understood in light of clear passages. Scripture is its own interpreter. This is the true method of interpretation which puts Scripture alongside of Scripture in a right and proper way.
John Calvin (1509-1564)
It is the first business of an interpreter to let his author say what he does say, instead of attributing to him what we think he ought to say.
Next week we will learn about important guidelines on interpreting Scripture
3, Application : How does it apply to me?
What is the Lord speaking to me through His Word?
How do I apply this in my life?
(These three basic steps are commonly referred to as the "Inductive method" of Bible study)
To this we would add two more useful practices to "internalize" the Word, i.e. make the Word "abide in you", become a part of you.
4, Journaling : Write down your spontaneous thoughts on what you are discovering. Can write in a note book, a word document, or even a blog.
5, Reflection (Meditation) : Connect your real life experience with your discovery of God's Word. Relate the two.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
Luke 24:44,45
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luke 10:21-22 1 Corinthians 2:13-14
Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
The more we apply the more we learn what God wants us to learn from His Word.
We are then ready to impart this to others
Matthew 5:19
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Which version?
While you are free to use what you feel most comfortable reading, bear in mind these important differences:
Next week we will learn about important guidelines on interpreting Scripture, understand the difference between "illumination" and "personal revelation"
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God infused His life into the words of the Bible so that they are actually His.
2 Peter 1:20,21
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is unique, in that it was written by human authors guided by the Holy Spirit.
As God’s written revelation, the Bible reveals to us His character, plans and standards.
Why Study The Word?
1, To rightly divide the Word
2 Timothy 2:15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Bible interpretation is essential for applying the Bible properly. If we do not interpret the Bible properly we may end up applying the Bible wrongly and end up in trouble. We could be sincere, but sincerely wrong.
2, To Know our Lord for who He really is
John 5:39You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
The Scriptures point us to the Lord and reveal Him to us.
3, To validate what we are being taught
The example of the Berean ChristiansActs 17:10-12
10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
In Christendom today there are so many "winds of doctrine" blowing tossing believers to and fro (Ephesians 4:14).
4, To help others understand, receive and apply God's Word
Acts 8:27-3130 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
Nehemiah 8:1-8
8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
vs 8 Heb. paras = to make distinct or interpret.
Ezra was a "a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses," (Ezra 7:6)
Ezra 7:10,11
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek (= study) the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
11 "Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of His statutes to Israel:"
All of us can be involved in studying, teaching and demonstrating God's Word.
Different Ways To Study The Word
1, Passage Study (chapter, chapters) : where you study a chapter(s) or a passage and try to understand that portion of Scripture2, Book Study : study of a particular book of the Bible, looking at it from its historical, cultural and theological setting
3, Word Study : study of a particular word e.g. Faith, Grace, Sin, Love, etc. where you look up all references that have that word and draw up a complete picture of what the Bible says
4, Topical Study : very similar to word study, but you look at all passages that deal with that particular topic (subject, theme) e.g. divine healing, family, etc. and draw up a complete picture of what the Bible says
5, Character Study : where we study the life of a person in the Bible, look at how he/she walked with God, how God worked in their lives, lessons we can learn, etc.
Five Basic Steps
There are five simple steps we can use when we study God's Word : Observation, Interpretation, Application, Journaling, Reflection1, Observation : What does it say? Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. Understanding historical and cultural contexts are important.
2, Interpretation : What does it mean?
What was clear to the writer may not be immediately clear to the reader.
Interpreting Scripture requires dependence on the illumination of the Holy Spirit and the use of sound judgment and reason.
Martin Luther (1438-1546)
The Scriptures are to be retained in their simplest meaning ever possible, and to be understood in their grammatical and literal sense unless the context plainly forbids. Obscure passages are to be understood in light of clear passages. Scripture is its own interpreter. This is the true method of interpretation which puts Scripture alongside of Scripture in a right and proper way.
John Calvin (1509-1564)
It is the first business of an interpreter to let his author say what he does say, instead of attributing to him what we think he ought to say.
Next week we will learn about important guidelines on interpreting Scripture
3, Application : How does it apply to me?
What is the Lord speaking to me through His Word?
How do I apply this in my life?
(These three basic steps are commonly referred to as the "Inductive method" of Bible study)
To this we would add two more useful practices to "internalize" the Word, i.e. make the Word "abide in you", become a part of you.
4, Journaling : Write down your spontaneous thoughts on what you are discovering. Can write in a note book, a word document, or even a blog.
5, Reflection (Meditation) : Connect your real life experience with your discovery of God's Word. Relate the two.
Getting Started
1, Ask for God’s Guidance
Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.Isaiah 66:2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
Luke 24:44,45
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luke 10:21-22 1 Corinthians 2:13-14
2, Read and Re-read
3, Mark Your Bible
underline, circle key words or phrases4, Use the five basic steps : Observation, Interpretation, Application, Journaling, Reflection
5, Consider all Scriptures on the Subject
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
6, Use Bible Tools for Interpretation
Tools to help study the word- Use a good Study Bible. [We recommend the "Spirit-Filled Life Study Bible, Jack W. Hayford, editor]
- e-sword.net , a freely available software, helps you to quickly search for words, phrases. Includes Strong's concordance.
- Strong's Concordance : gives you meaning of Hebrew and Greek words (e-sword.net comes built in with the Strong's Concordance)
- Vine's Dictionary : helps you understand the usage of specific words (e-sword.net has the Vine's Dictionary add-on that you can buy)
- Commentaries (history, culture) : several of these are freely available along with e-sword.net
- Parallel Bible : read the same verse in different versions. Several free and purchased versions are available as add-on in e-sword.net
7, Obey God's Word
All revelation is to empower us to obedienceThe more we apply the more we learn what God wants us to learn from His Word.
We are then ready to impart this to others
Matthew 5:19
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Which version?
While you are free to use what you feel most comfortable reading, bear in mind these important differences:
|
Literal Editions |
Meaning-to-meaning versions |
Paraphrased Bibles |
|
to establish sound doctrine the first choice of versions should be a more-literal edition. These are more direct translations of the original language. New King James Version, New American Standard Bible |
These can be valuable, as secondary sources, to put the Scriptures into more-understandable wording. New International Version, Revised English Bible, Good News Bible, Jerusalem Bible. |
Paraphrased versions can be described as an interpretive translation. Caution is necessary in working with this text, because the authors exercised poetic license to transform some basic terms according to their own ideas. The Living Bible, Message Bible |
Next week we will learn about important guidelines on interpreting Scripture, understand the difference between "illumination" and "personal revelation"
All Peoples Church in Bangalore is a Spirit-filled, Word-based, Bible-believing Christian fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ desiring more of His presence and supernatural power bringing transformation, healing, miracles, and deliverance. We preach the full Gospel, equip believers to live out our new life in Christ, welcome the Charismatic and Pentecostal expressions in the assembly of God and serve in strengthening unity across all Christian churches. All free resources, sermons, daily devotionals, and free Christian books are provided for the strengthening of all believers in the Body of Christ. For further equipping, please visit APC Bible College.
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