Did you know that God left us instructions on how to study the Bible? Let me show you:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
So, what does it mean to ‘Rightly divide the word of truth?’ Let’s look it up in the Strong’s Concordance:
orthotoméō, or-thot-om-eh’-o;
from a compound of G3717 and the base of G5114, to make a straight cut, i.e. (figuratively) to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message):—rightly divide.
How many times have you read the Bible and thought to yourself, “This makes no sense,” or “That contradicts what I read earlier.” For myself, the answer is countless times. I would often be left with more questions than answers, and eventually just give up because it was too complicated to understand.
Looking back, I never took the time to study the Bible correctly, the way our Heavenly Father instructs us to in 2 Timothy. Sure, I’d read a few verses, and even entire books, of the Bible here and there, but that is not the same as studying. In all honesty I was lazy about it. I didn’t put the time and effort into God’s Word the way I needed to, so I had only a very basic understanding of the Bible.
All of that changed when I began learning from a pastor who taught God’s Word chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse. He was well versed in the original languages of the Bible, and based his knowledge on the manuscripts. After studying with him for a short while, I was surprised to discover that many of the things I had always wondered about were in God’s Word all along!
Two of the most important things I discovered:
1) God’s word makes a lot more sense when taught and studied properly: chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse.
2) there is so much more to the Bible than just the message of salvation. I’m not saying that salvation is
unimportant, it’s critically important, but what about everything else that God wants us to know? We need to grow and mature in our knowledge of God’s Word (2 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 6:1).
You do not have to be a scholar or know the ancient languages to understand the Bible. In fact, it’s not difficult to do with just a few study tools to help you out.
God sees your effort. He knows your heart and that you are trying to get to know and understand Him better. Along the way we all make mistakes in our studies, and that’s okay. Nobody is going to get it 100% right, but Father knows we’re not perfect and he loves us anyway.
As long as you ask, God will help you to learn and understand what he wants you to at the time. So relax, love our Father, and enjoy the time you spend in His Word.
Here are a few things that I found helpful in studying and made a real difference in my knowledge of the Bible, as well as my relationship with Father. Maybe they will help you as well:
To study the Word takes effort and commitment. Find time to devote to God everyday. Hosea 6:6 says, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
God loves you and wants your mercy (i.e. love) in return. He wants you to know him. One way to show that you love God is to spend time with him, in his word. Can you imagine how happy it makes Father when he sees you taking time out of your day just for him? Sadly, not many people give our Heavenly Father a single thought anymore. That must hurt him deeply.
Pray and ask God for his Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding.
Always ask Father for His guidance. When you’re having a difficult time with something, just let it rest for awhile. If you’re seeking answers, have faith that God will give you the knowledge you need when the time is right. Stay patient and don’t lose hope.
Understand the context of what you’re reading. Who is talking, and to whom, what time period is being discussed, what is the subject and object, etc.
Have you ever just opened the Bible and randomly pointed to a verse? I used to do that hoping for a divine message from the Lord. Maybe I had an important decision to make and didn’t know what to do. Or I just needed help in my life and was looking for God’s direction.
The problem is, if you only read one verse it can easily be taken out of context and lead to confusion or misunderstanding. I’m not saying there’s no value in praying and then studying a random verse, or even using the finger-point method if you feel led to do so. God communicates with us in a variety of ways, but we always have to be careful when studying God’s Word to keep scripture in its broader context.
The Bible is full of parables, figurative language, literal expressions, idioms, and symbolism. One aspect of rightly dividing God’s Word is to study and understand these differences.
Think about our language today. We still use these forms of communication. For example, have you ever said ‘it’s raining cats and dogs outside?’ This is an idiom using figurative language to describe a heavy rainfall, not that it’s literally raining animals.
Use study tools to aid in your understanding of the Bible. The Strong’s Concordance is something you need to learn how to use. There are online versions you can access for free.
When you’re reading the Bible if something doesn’t make sense, for example, you find a contradiction from one verse to another, use your study tools and dig deeper. You can look up other verses related to the ones that are giving you trouble. Examine the original Hebrew or Greek words to see what the different definitions are: is it possible the translators used the wrong one? Consider how that verse fits in with the totality of God’s Word.
Let me show you a verse where I believe that the translators chose the wrong definition. This is the perfect example of why you need to use a Strong’s Concordance.
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
When you read that verse you should automatically see that something isn’t right. Why? Because God has told us in many other verses that we should love our family; honor our parents. Why, in this passage, would He require us to hate our family in order to follow Christ? He wouldn’t, of course. So, we need to work on this passage, particularly the word “hate.” Let’s look in the Strong’s to find out what the Greek word and definition of hate is:
from a primary μῖσος mîsos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less:—hate(-ful)
As shown, hate can certainly mean to detest, but it can also mean to love less. Which makes more sense to you? Which lines up with the rest of God’s Word? Which is not a contradiction with other verses you’ve read? Clearly, love less is the proper translation. Remember, there are no contradictions in the manuscripts, which were inspired by God. But they have been translated and transcribed by man into the Bibles that we have today, and no man is infallible.
Some people get really upset and take offense to saying there are errors in our present day Bibles, but it’s true. People make mistakes, so we have to take the time and effort to study and rightly divide God’s Word.
Find a pastor or teacher who teaches God’s Word chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse.
Let me ask you a question: why do you attend church, aside from fellowship with other Christians? Most people will answer ‘to learn God’s Word,’ but is that really what you’re being taught?
Many churches today barely even read or teach the Bible at all. A verse or two is read aloud, sometimes very much out of context, and the rest of the time is spent on other things. How can anybody learn God’s Word when it’s barely even being spoken? It would take more years than you’ll be alive to get through the Bible.
Are you in the right church? Only God can guide you in making that decision, because He may have a purpose for you being there. But there are pastors and teachers, on television and online, who teach the Bible chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse. They can help you study the Bible more thoroughly.
Even more important is to learn how to study for yourself and make sure you are being taught the truth.
A good pastor or teacher should not only teach you how to study on your own, but encourage you to do so. Why? Because throughout the Bible God warns us that there will be false teachers, and tells us that we need to be able to discern truth from lies so that we are not led astray. How do we do that? Check to ensure that what’s being taught aligns with God’s Word. If you’re told things that you cannot document in the Bible, then throw it out because it’s wrong.
Let go of any fear you may have about questioning what’s in the Bible or what your pastor or teacher tells you.
Asking questions is how you learn, and in no way means you’re lacking in faith or doubting God. In fact, it’s how we build faith and become closer to our Heavenly Father.
God instructs us to study his word. How can we do that if we’re afraid to question what’s been taught? We often hold our beliefs simply because we learned them as a child, because they’re what most people believe, or because we think it’s what the majority of churches teach.
None of that matters, though. Remember, in Revelations 2-3, God found no fault in only two of the seven churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia. So, just because something is a popular belief doesn’t mean it’s true. In fact, throughout history, how often has the popular belief turned out to be correct? Man’s word doesn’t matter if it doesn’t agree with God’s, and the first step to learning about God is to question what you read and what you’re told.
Topical studies, commentary, devotionals, etc. are a great addition to your regular Bible study.
All of these things can be fun and inspirational, helping you learn about God. Let them inspire you to delve deeper into the Bible, just don’t use them as a replacement for your own in-depth study. There is no replacement for that precious one-on-one time that you spend with our Heavenly Father in His Word, because it allows Him to work with you on a personal level. God loves us, and when we spend time in His Word, getting to know Him, we are showing Him love in return.
The ideas discussed in this post have significantly contributed to my own spiritual growth, but the one factor that made the biggest difference was God leading me to a pastor who was knowledgeable in the ancient manuscripts and languages of the Bible. This pastor always taught God’s Word chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse, instead of relying on his own personal interpretations. I’m sharing this because I truly believe it can be a blessing to you in the same way it was for me.
