Essential Principles for Effective Bible Study and Understanding From The Inspired Word Itself

Overview

The Bible is the most unique and comprehensive book humanity owns. Its content is the revelation of the only true God through His Divine Son and the other inspired messengers.

The Word of God is the supreme and all-sufficient guide for the whole human family.

To find out how to study the Bible there’s no better way than consulting the Bible itself. Every diligent Scripture student will come sooner or later to this conclusion.

This guide gives you some principles to strongly consider in your Bible study. They are derived from the Scripture.

They will lead your effort and speed up the process of gaining true knowledge and understanding of God and yourself. Everything He said relates to you personally.

God desires to bring you back to Him. Moreover, to reinstate you to the glorious life and endless opportunities humankind had at the time of creation.

But He will never ever coerce you. He offers everything out of His love to you. So, to reap the benefits of this relationship, you must choose it.

The ultimate goal is to love God and His Son Jesus as they love you. And thus prepare to live with them for eternity.

Here is a beautiful example from the Old Testament Book Of Proverbs . It summarizes perfectly the blessings that follow the diligent student of the God’s Word.

My child, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1 through 6.

The Scripture references in this guide are not exhaustive list, but rather leading and informative.

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Guide’s goals

Seeking to empower you to:

Gain deep knowledge and understanding of the Bible.
Choose the truth of God’s love and His desire to save you for eternity.
Learn through its specific and effective principles accurately and faster.
Strengthen and grow in the faith as feeding on God’s Word and through the aid of His Spirit.
Become transformed in Christ likeness by living out the truths discovered.

Guide’s objectives

Giving you practical steps to:

Take God’s Word just as it reads, and have reverence for it by prayer and humility.
Identify the Bible as the voice of God speaking to your soul.
Recognize the will of God concerning you in all the circumstances you are to be placed in.
Employ Scripture searches and references for confirming phrases, imagery, figures and parables.
Prepare your heart and mind to receive the wisdom of His messages, to learn and retain more knowledge and understanding.
Reflecting deeply on the meaning of your study and how to apply it in your life.
Develop a routine that works for you, knowing that consistency is the key.
Choose a particular study method that fits your personal preferences.

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Effective Bible study principles

Loving the Truth

The truth originates in God. It is eternal and unchangeable as God Himself. It is His revelation to fallen humanity and given out of His love to everyone.

When motivated by love, your study of the Word of God will be endorsed by Him. Thus the Holy Spirit will be your Teacher.

You’ll be enlightened to know the only true God and His Divine Son Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

The preaching and teaching of God’s Word is one of the means that God has ordained for diffusing the light of truth.

So, ones you learn it, you can’t contained. Conversely, you’ll eagerly desire to share it.

For example:

To this end was I (Jesus) born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hearse my voice. John 18:37.

And Christ’s followers reflect His light trough their character and conduct.

Exercising unwavering faith in God and His Word

The faith is motivated and works by the same love. If it is not there, you will give up your study too early. Alternatively, you might end up with the wrong conclusions.

Your faith is tried right from the beginning of the Bible. Do you believe that God had created you, your planet, vegetation and animals?

He explicitly stated that in the Old Testament Book Of Genesis.

For instance:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him. Male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26, 27.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is rewarding them that diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6.

If so, you will be happy to find many more references later on. They describe Him as the Creator of heaven and earth.

But, if you don’t believe in one or more of the inspired main messages of God, your Bible study will not be fruitful. You will miss out on the benefits He has stored for you.

Searching the Scriptures

Christians are not requested to believe without evidence. Therefore Jesus has enjoined upon all to search the Scriptures.

The newly faithful should exert their mental and reasoning powers. Those who know the truth should do the same to search out the truth as Jesus has revealed.

This verse will give you an idea:

Search the scriptures. For in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39.

He is the author and the central figure of Scriptures. Moreover, He is the author and finisher of your faith, Hebrews 12:2, through His grace.

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Accepting the Holy Writ as all inspired

Today as the time of old, God’s Word is set aside for human theories and speculations. Many do not accept the whole Bible as the inspired word.

They pick and choose and thus they set up their judgment as superior to the Word. Additionally, the Scripture which they do teach rests upon their own authority.

But the apostle says:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for:

Doctrine
Reproof
Correction
Instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16.

Embracing prophecies

They are very unique Bible features. Some of the amazing prophecies, as you can imagine, are the first and second coming of Christ.

His first advent is history now. It happened as predicted by the prophets, moved by the Holy Spirit.

They were plain and gave clear predictions of His life, righteous character, and work. Thus the evidence was sufficient to prove that Jesus was all He claimed to be:

The Son of God.
The Messiah of whom Moses and the prophets had written.

Here is the striking example of Jesus’ phrase found in The New Testament Book Of Look:

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27.

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Praying for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit

When you study the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit speaks to your mind and impresses truth upon your heart.

For example:

Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6.
However when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth. And He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. John 16:13, 14.

It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, that Christ’s followers abide in Him. So, it is of vital importance to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Setting a proper mindset to study

You must put away skepticism, doubts and all exaltation of your own ideas. Additionally, you must humble your heart by repentance.

And with the contrition of soul to ask in prayer for true enlightenment.

Furthermore, you must be diligent and thoughtful, and with a teachable spirit. Then you’ll be meek and lowly of heart as Jesus was.

And you will follow the will of the Father as He has done, as revealed in the Bible.

For instance:

Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5.

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Letting the Bible interpret itself

The Bible is its own interpreter. It is all inspired. It doesn’t rely on human invention or discoveries. They only confirmed it.

Bible authors expressed the inspiration given in their own words. They strictly convey God’s message and never contradict each other.

Jesus based His teaching on what we know today as the Old Testament. He backed up His statements by “It is written”, “You have heard” and so on.

For example:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 5:27
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4.

Conclusion on Bible study principles

This guide explains the specific principles of Bible study. They are taught by the Bible itself – the revelation of God given to humankind.

Its goal is to lead you to the true knowledge, understanding and experience of God. Additionally, to form your personal relationship to Him and others.

So, the Bible is to be: