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Key Elements in Bible Study

A light in a dark place; a map in an unknown territory; words of comfort in the midst of troubles or fear; instructions for a task never before attempted; or a delicious meal when famished: all of these are recognized as a blessing and all of these can describe, in a figurative sense, Bible study.

There are some key elements in effective Bible study.  One is recognizing that in the Bible God is talking to us.  When one remembers that this God is the One Who spoke the universe and all that is in it into existence, then one should approach the words with a different attitude.  Paul was thankful for the attitude of the Thessalonians who received the word of God “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).  God is infinite in wisdom and He is without sin so His word can be trusted. He knows what He is talking about. His word is to be believed and accepted and obeyed, not added to, subtracted from or voted upon.

In contrast to this would be recognizing another element in effective Bible study. Man is greatly limited in his knowledge and wisdom. Because of this, his word may be incomplete or wrong and because man yields to sin, his words may not be truthful. Sadly, there are those who not always want the truth. So great care must be taken that mans thoughts are not treated on a par with what God says. Man must allow scripture to interpret scripture rather than study scripture through “bias tinted glasses”.

To truly engage in Bible study means as the word “study” is defined, that being, to devote time and attention to acquiring knowledge.  This is more than mere reading.  This involves thinking about and meditating upon what is read.  A powerful point made by the Hebrews writer is that in times past God spoke in various ways and regardless of the way God expected man to listen.  Now God speaks through His exalted Son, so He concludes that “we ought to give the more earnest heed”, that is, pay closer attention.  (Hebrews 1-2:3) 

God expects those who come to His word to be open-minded, but not gullible.  The attitude of the Bereans was commended in that when they heard the preaching they examined what was said “daily, as to whether these things were so.”  (Acts 17:11)

Because in Bible study one is reading things that were “written for our learning”, (Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians 10:11) then another key element in Bible study would be to ask, “Why is God telling me this?” and “What lesson am I to learn from this?” and “What changes do I need to make to conform to God’s will?”  Focusing on personal application before thinking how it applies to others will make for more effective Bible study.

Though it is an exalted privilege to be “listening” to what God says in Bible study, when one is reading and studying, the most common rules of reading need to be followed.  Whether it is a novel, a newspaper, or the Bible, one should always note who is being spoken to and who is speaking.  For example, God’s command to build an ark of gopher wood (Genesis 6:14) is clear enough, but no one today is obligated to obey that command for the obvious reason that it was spoken to Noah.  One should pay close attention to the context of a passage.  Many a false teaching has come about as a result of failing to abide by the most basic rules of reading. 

When engaged in Bible study one should begin the study with prayer, praying for wisdom and understanding and that God’s word will be handled properly (2 Timothy 2:15).  Prayer should include a request that one will have a humble heart, and a willingness to submit to God.  When the Bible study has ended one should pray to God about the things that were just studied.   

Applying these elements will make one’s study of the Bible truly beneficial.  It will be time and effort well spent.