How do you study the Bible?

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R

rrcn

Active member
#1
Oct 15, 2023
440
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#1
Since I posted the thread I will go first:

1) I have weekly study guides from church and after prayer I go through each day’s lesson carefully, today was about Naaman and his initial incomplete grasp of worshipping the true God as his only prior knowledge was the pagan religion of Syria. 2 Kings 5:1 -9.
2) After that I read a short inspirational devotional, the good thing about having a devotion is that there are a multitude of good Christian devotionals available and you can usually find one for your specific areas of interest.
3) If there is time (weekends) I watch a video from the mission field. Yesterday was a powerful story of young missionaries distributing Bibles to soldiers in Ukraine. One of the members of this team explained that soldiers on the battlefield are always receptive to receiving their own Bible. There was a short video showing the team’s preparation in the morning, a prayer followed by the first few lines of the hymn “Make me a servant”:
Make Me A Servant, Humble And Meek.
Lord, Let Me Lift Up Those Who Are Weak,
And May The Prayer Of My Heart Always Be:
Make Me A Servant, Make Me A Servant,
Make Me A Servant Today!
Having put on their spiritual armor they then donned their physical armour, each person’s blood type was clearly visible
and went about their day.
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#2
Apr 5, 2022
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#2
Similarly like you, i also do a weekly study with the church group. It's a small group, about 30 people. It is once a week on Friday, but now during the fall/winter season we also do Wednesday. The study is in-person and over Zoom as well.
So, we study one or two pages typically and discuss. In this fashion, the bible is read in a year typically. And the Priest does this every year.
 
J

John146

Senior Member
#5
Jan 13, 2016
17,109
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#5
rrcn said:
Since I posted the thread I will go first:

1) I have weekly study guides from church and after prayer I go through each day’s lesson carefully, today was about Naaman and his initial incomplete grasp of worshipping the true God as his only prior knowledge was the pagan religion of Syria. 2 Kings 5:1 -9.
2) After that I read a short inspirational devotional, the good thing about having a devotion is that there are a multitude of good Christian devotionals available and you can usually find one for your specific areas of interest.
3) If there is time (weekends) I watch a video from the mission field. Yesterday was a powerful story of young missionaries distributing Bibles to soldiers in Ukraine. One of the members of this team explained that soldiers on the battlefield are always receptive to receiving their own Bible. There was a short video showing the team’s preparation in the morning, a prayer followed by the first few lines of the hymn “Make me a servant”:
Make Me A Servant, Humble And Meek.
Lord, Let Me Lift Up Those Who Are Weak,
And May The Prayer Of My Heart Always Be:
Make Me A Servant, Make Me A Servant,
Make Me A Servant Today!
Having put on their spiritual armor they then donned their physical armour, each person’s blood type was clearly visible
and went about their day.
Click to expand...
Isaiah 28
9 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.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#6
Jun 30, 2015
25,404
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#6
John146 said:
Isaiah 28
9 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.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Click to expand...
Read the context! As this chapter is speaking of people who refused to listen to the prophets, it should not be used as any sort of instruction for people who love the Lord and are seeking to learn His word.
 
J

John146

Senior Member
#7
Jan 13, 2016
17,109
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#7
Dino246 said:
Read the context! As this chapter is speaking of people who refused to listen to the prophets, it should not be used as any sort of instruction for people who love the Lord and are seeking to learn His word.
Click to expand...
yes, because reading the word line by line is not a good practice...:rolleyes:

9 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.
 
Cameron143

Cameron143

Well-known member
#8
Mar 1, 2022
19,027
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#8
John146 said:
yes, because reading the word line by line is not a good practice...:rolleyes:

9 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.
Click to expand...
I find that too many people read between line by line.
 
Aaron56

Aaron56

Well-known member
#9
Jul 12, 2021
2,788
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#9
I’ve read and studied the scriptures since I was a boy. Now, being familiar with what is written, I’ll ask the Lord about a certain topic and wait on His leading. He’ll take me to the passages that connect to my inquiry, often challenging the way I understood them as a boy and young man.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#10
Jun 30, 2015
25,404
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#10
John146 said:
yes, because reading the word line by line is not a good practice...:rolleyes:

9 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.
Click to expand...
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

It's best not to argue context when you haven't ensured that it supports your assertion. ;)
 
J

John146

Senior Member
#11
Jan 13, 2016
17,109
3,686
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#11
Dino246 said:
Read the context! As this chapter is speaking of people who refused to listen to the prophets, it should not be used as any sort of instruction for people who love the Lord and are seeking to learn His word.
Click to expand...
That is the effects wine and strong drink have on a people.;)

7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#12
Jun 30, 2015
25,404
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#12
John146 said:
That is the effects wine and strong drink have on a people.;)

7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
Click to expand...
So do you concede that this chapter is not teaching people how to study the Bible? You can't have it both ways.
 
oyster67

oyster67

Senior Member
#13
May 24, 2014
11,887
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#13
How do you study the Bible?



Prepare for the weekly Sunday School lesson from Church Quarterlies and Discuss topics on CC.
Only other extrabiblical source at this time is my computerized searchable concordance/Bible.

Things to remember...
-Be open and prayerful. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit's guidance.
-Be aware of context. (No less than the chapter around any given verse.)
-Look at references to given topic from other places in scripture. Scripture never contradicts Scripture (though it will often contradict one's faulty understanding.)
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#14
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
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#14
rrcn said:
Since I posted the thread I will go first:
Click to expand...
There are many different ways to study Scripture, depending on the reason for the study. Topical study can be very profitable, especially if legitimate Bible study tools are also used to clarify words.

Sometimes just one verse or one word is all that can be focused on, whether in a group or not. When the study is for the purpose of presenting the Gospel or Bible truth, then it takes on a different aspect, since all (or many) relevant passages need to be presented. People need to hear the Word itself more than anything else (Heb 4:12,13).
 
maxwel

maxwel

Senior Member
#15
Apr 18, 2013
9,526
2,608
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#15
"How do you study the Bible?"

Mostly sitting up.
If I'm tired I might recline.


Hope this could help.

.
 
Simona1988

Simona1988

Active member
#16
Mar 15, 2021
197
139
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#16
I read two chapters of the New Testament every night and when I'm done, I start all over again. Yesterday I finished reading Acts. I always find new meanings. As for the Old Testament, I haven't read it entirely yet, I will start after reading an introductory course to the Old Testament (it's one of my New Year's resolutions).
 
Eli1

Eli1

Well-known member
#17
Apr 5, 2022
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#17
Simona1988 said:
I read two chapters of the New Testament every night and when I'm done, I start all over again. Yesterday I finished reading Acts. I always find new meanings. As for the Old Testament, I haven't read it entirely yet, I will start after reading an introductory course to the Old Testament (it's one of my New Year's resolutions).
Click to expand...
Very nice. Incidentally, this is what we are studying now. The book of Acts. The story of us in the Bible.
 
J

jessicalila2132

New member
#18
Dec 2, 2023
5
5
3
#18
When I first was drawn to scripture I was in line at CVS and picked up a daily devotional. I just opened to what I thought would be a random page and it was opened to the current date (July 21). I checked my phone and was amazed, and of course I bought that devotional. I ended up going in my Bible each day and reading based on my devotional passage. The funny thing is, when I would read I couldn't stop! I would read chapter after chapter and then sometimes finish the book the passage was in. This grew until I had a large variety of devotionals and I was spending complete days reading the Bible. I still read with all my free time. When this began I got rid of my TV and stopped all social media. The Holy Spirit had other plans for me and each day I pray that I can fulfill my service to the Lord. I will end by saying--there is no wrong way to read scripture when God is our guide.
 
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