Lecture Notes: Studying the Bible Effectively

Key Principles

1. Quoting and Principles

   • Importance of not twisting Biblical texts to fit personal agendas.
   • Exegesis (extracting meaning from scripture) vs. Isagesis (imposing personal meaning on scripture).
   • Referencing 2 Timothy on studying the Bible accurately.

2. Methods of Bible Study

   • Avoid random method of 'letting the spirit lead' by opening the Bible arbitrarily.
   • Highlighting the ineffectiveness of shallow Bible reading versus thorough study.
   • Encouraging personal study over relying solely on Sunday services or other people.

Personal Journey

• Began reading the Bible at 16 years old; preferred the King James Version (KJV).
• Warned against some translations like NIV, suggesting they may be less accurate.
• Importance of understanding that all translations involve some level of commentary.

Steps to Effective Bible Study

1. Reading

   • Read the Bible to become familiar with its content, characters, and books.
   • Recognize it as a library of 66 books with interconnected messages written over 4,000 years.

2. Bible Chronology

   • Bible not written in chronological order; recommend the Reese Chronological Bible for this purpose.

3. Memorization

   • Memorize Bible verses categorically for easy reference in various life contexts (e.g., verses on prayer, success).
   • Examples provided: Jeremiah 33:3, Joshua 1:8.

4. In-depth Study/Word Studies

   • Traditional method: Using Strong's Concordance (time-consuming, manual process).
   • Modern method: Bible software/apps for efficient study and word lookup (e.g., Strong's KJV app).
   • Example provided: Ephesians 5:16 and its profound meaning revealed through word study.

Tools and Resources

• Bible Software: Demonstrated how to use an app for faster word studies.
• Using commentaries: Mentioned importance of references like the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge for in-depth study.

Application and Examples

1. Study Routine

   • Start studying a book from back to front to grasp the entire context.
   • Secondary tools: Encyclopedias on biblical characters; commentaries by scholars.

2. Life Application

   • Example: Book of James (understanding trials and temptations).
   • Importance of counting trials as joy (James 1:2-3) and understanding God's sovereign role in life challenges.

3. Advanced Understanding

   • Broader concepts like patterns, promises, principles, and how they help in predicting outcomes and behaviors.
   • Use patterns to anticipate life events (e.g., disruption always follows intention).

Summary and Encouragement

• Encouraged ongoing, long-term commitment to studying the Bible comprehensively.
• Mentioned the transformative impact of aligning life with biblical principles.
• Videos for further learning:
  • God's original design for wealth
  • Why evil people are rich
  • Why rich man cannot enter into heaven

Additional Notes

• Planned future content: Methodologies for memorizing scriptures, Hebrew studies.
• Key study tools to acquire: Reese Chronological Bible, Complete Jewish Bible