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The Rich Rewards of Bible Study

1 Corinthians 2:16 states, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (ASV) The great value of Bible study is in the fact that it opens up to us the very mind and heart of God. The study of the scriptures is not just the study of a book but the study of God's revealed Word. Bible study allows us to know the purpose and plan of God.

Technology has done much to make Bible study easier and faster. Tedious searches that would have taken hours or even been impossible in the past can now be performed in seconds. The primary technological tool that I use in my Bible study is the Libronix digital library. I find it extremely useful for searching out topics and tracing words and concepts through the whole of scripture. I also have found it to be very helpful and economical in the study of original languages. By simply double-clicking a word in the Hebrew or Greek, I can quickly get to my favorite lexicon entry for that word. From there, I can link to the other lexicons and language tools in my library. It is also very easy to do a quick search through the New Testament for a particular word to see how it is used in other contexts. However, what may be the most useful Bible study tool in the Libronix system (as well as some other Bible programs) is the ability to simply scroll over a list of verses in a resource like the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and see the text of verses in a pop-up gloss and/or click a link to go directly to a verse in my favorite version. In the past, I spent a lot of Bible study time leafing through the Bible to look up verses that were listed in a print resource and only a fraction of them were actually useful. I can now browse through those same cross-references, electronically, in a couple of minutes.

Bible study has been greatly enhanced and facilitated by the use of technology. However, technology can never replace the illumination of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Word of God. My Bible study time involves time in the original language of the scriptures and time studying the background and context of a passage of scripture. However, it always begins and proceeds with prayer for God's direction and understanding. The Bible is the Word of God and the mind of Christ, but we need the Holy Spirit to enable us to comprehend and apply the meaning of the sacred text so that it becomes more than intellectual knowledge - so that we may, indeed, have the mind of Christ in us.

Submitted by Michael Shingler