Personal Bible Study

   Regular church attendance is important but is not a substitute for personal Bible study. Everyone should be encouraged to read and study the Bible. A popular myth says that the Bible is only for Christians. The Bible provides guidance on every area of human existence and applying Bible teachings benefits both believers and unbelievers, the important difference is that for the unbeliever the Word of God is convicting and for the believer the Word of God is cleansing.

We certainly do need ministers, teachers, Christian fellowship, and Christian literature to help us, and there are difficulties in the Bible, but for the most part the Bible is self-explanatory and self-interpreting when one is familiar with its contents. Every Christian should be a Bible student regardless of whether he is a new convert or mature Christian, as this is important for spiritual growth and to avoid being deceived by heresies and especially important if you want to be effective trying to lead people out of darkness and into the truth. Neglecting the word of God naturally leads to seeking guidance and affirmation from other sources, including myths and heresies. Regular personal Bible study is important because of the impact this has on the mind and heart, the essential truths and principles, and the practical teachings on every area of life. (Psalm 119:130; Proverbs 2:3-20; 3:5-7; II Timothy 2:15-16; 3:16)

“Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” (Psalm 25:4-5) Do you neglect personal Bible study because you cannot find the time or because it seems tedious? Make Psalm 25:4-5 your sincere prayer.

It is important for Christians to be Bible students and that they apply, teach, and defend the teachings of God's Word. I may not need to know all about the source and composition of water if I am thirsty, but later if I wish to acquire water in a dry and thirsty land or provide others with good water to sustain their life and health some facts about water would be helpful, even necessary. While simple child-like faith is all that is required to be saved, what a believer should believe and be doing after being a believer for a while is another matter. (Matthew 4:4; James 1:21-22; I Peter 2:2-3; II Peter 3:18; etc.)

Reading through the Bible is not as major an undertaking as it may initially appear. For example, if you read four chapters of the Bible every day or read three chapters of the Old Testament and one chapter of the New Testament every day, you would read the whole Bible within a year. I also recommend that you read one chapter from the Book of Psalms and one chapter from the Book of Proverbs every day for at least a year; Psalms will help with prayer and worship and Proverbs teaches wisdom and reasons God’s standards are right. Reading through the Bible will help you make a habit of looking at individual Bible passages in relation to context and the whole Bible. Pray for understanding and as you read apply questions like these to each chapter: What did this account or passage convey to the first readers? What does this tell us about God and His truths and standards? What lessons can we learn from this that apply to us today? You will not always be able to answer each question, but they will make Bible reading more interesting. (The Holy Bible on CD or an Audio Bible is also a good investment and convenient to use while driving, doing housework, relaxing, etc.)

While Bible reading is a form of Bible study it is also important to study the Bible topically. A simple program of topical Bible study is to pray for guidance and use a Reference Bible (e.g., Thompson Chain Reference Bible, KJV), or a Topical Bible, and a Bible Dictionary, and it is also helpful to have a Bible Concordance (e.g., Strong’s Concordance) that gives the meaning of the words in the Hebrew and Greek texts. Always pray for understanding when you study. Avoid focusing on just a few pet topics while neglecting other topics as this can lead to being cranky or argumentative, and even a nuisance, about your favourite subjects while knowing nothing about other subjects that are equally important.

 The exact program of Bible study is not essential, what is important is regularity, and whether you study for several hours or half an hour per day the Word of God will have power in your life because of being in your mind regularly.

 

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