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8 Steps for Successful Bible Study

8 Steps for Successful Bible Study

I try to study the Bible but find it difficult to understand and confusing. Can you give any suggestions on how to study the Bible?  


Great question and here are 8 simple principles to understanding the Bible:

  1. We must start with a humble heart/mind recognizing our dependence upon God to reveal Himself to us and enlighten our ability to understand. We by our own imaginations, ingenuity, or abilities cannot “discover” God. But thankfully we don’t have to. God has revealed Himself to us and therefore it is our privilege to “find” Him when we search for Him with our entire heart (Jer 29:13).
    • The error here is having an arrogant heart believing we can with our own innate abilities “figure” out God and His purposes or study Him in a lab like a science project. We cannot, but we can learn and understand what He has revealed.
  2. We must exercise our reasoning ability (Isa 1:18, Romans 14:5, Heb 5:14) and evaluate the evidence God has provided.
    • The error here is in diminishing reason and suggesting we just take Scripture as it reads and not ask questions or think it through. Those who suggest we take it just as it reads do so because they hold to positions that are not reasonable and will fall apart if the student of the Word were to engage His God given reasoning abilities and think about the meaning of the text.
  3. We must determine what the scripture says, then after determining what it says we must ask, “what does it mean?” and “how does it apply to my life?”
    • The error here is closely linked to the “not reasoning” error and is such statements as “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” But the student can only be benefited by understanding the meaning of the Word of God, not by mere hearing it.
    • “Merely to hear or to read the word is not enough. He who desires to be profited by the Scriptures must meditate upon the truth that has been presented to him. By earnest attention and prayerful thought he must learn the meaning of the words of truth, and drink deep of the spirit of the holy oracles.” — Christ’s Object Lessons, pg. 59
  4. We must allow Scripture to define its own terminology.
    • The error here is in using human dictionaries to define Biblical terminology. This error is at the root of much of the false theology taught, including much of the penal models of atonement.

      Example – Revelation 14 in which the smoke of torment ascends “forever.” If scripture is used to define the meaning of “forever” rather than accepting the common dictionary definition we conclude that forever means as long as the person is alive. If however, we interpret the meaning of “forever” with human dictionaries we conclude this means for eternity of never ending time and conclude the wicked are tormented eternally.

      Whenever we fail to allow the Scripture to define its own terms we are vulnerable to error.

      Unfortunately, penal models don’t allow scripture to define words such as “wrath” “justice” “judgment” “vengeance” “anger” “death” and the like and instead insert human definitions to these terms. Our model seeks to define these terms based on God’s Word:

      Wrath – Romans 1:18-32 – “letting go” “abandoning” confirmed when Christ drank the cup of “wrath” and was “abandoned” by His Father at the Cross (Matt 27:46, Romans 4:25).

      Vengeance – The Penal Substitution Model (PSM) claims Romans 12:19 “vengeance is mine says the Lord” as evidence God leaves His methods of love and uses power to inflict harm. This idea uses human dictionary definitions for vengeance – but if we use Scripture to define vengeance we find something different:

      Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. Isaiah 1:24,25

      What is the vengeance of God? Turning enemies into friends – His vengeance is not on sinners but on sinfulness. He attacks and destroys sin! This is His vengeance which purges and cleanses the sinner! The greatest vengeance God can have on Satan is healing and restoring all those who trust Him!

      Justice – Bible definition is to do right in helping others, show compassion and mercy – no concept of punitive infliction of punishment, that is a human definition, which definition does PSM use? Here is the Biblical evidence:

      “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice (tsadaq) to the afflicted and needy” (Psalm 82:3 NKJV).

      Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil and learn to do right. See that justice mishpat) is done — help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows. (Isaiah 1:16,17 GNB)

      This is what the LORD says to the dynasty of David: ‘Give justice (mishpat) each morning to the people you judge! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors.’ (Jeremiah 21:12 NLT)

      ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Enough, O princes of Israel! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice (mispat) and righteousness (tsadaq), and stop dispossessing my people,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘You shall have honest scales….’ (Ezekiel 45:9,10 NKJV)

      The LORD is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The LORD is a God of justice (mishpat). (Isaiah 30:18 GW)

      “This is what the LORD of Armies says: Administer real justice (mishpat), be compassionate and kind to each other.” (Zechariah 7:9 GW)

      Death – We use the human definition and call cessation of biological life death – but Jesus, God in human form, called this “sleep” and Paul the apostle called this “sleep.” When God said, “in the day you eat you will surely die,” He was not speaking of “sleep.” He was speaking of eternal non-existence, when body and soul are destroyed (MT 10:28). If we allow the Bible to define its terms then we realize no one has yet “died” but all “sleep” waiting in the grave for their resurrection (either first or second).

      What does this mean? It means God has never killed anyone – put to sleep, yes, but killed no! Penal models utilize OT texts and God’s acts there as evidence of God “killing” and projects this as evidence He will, in justice, kill the wicked in the end. But such an idea exists only if we don’t allow Scripture to define itself:

      The wages of sin is death.  Romans 6:23
      Sin when full grown brings forth death.  James 1:15
      The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. Gal 6:8
      Sickness, suffering, and death are work of an antagonistic power. Satan is the destroyer; God is the restorer. — Ministry of Healing, pg. 113
      God destroys no one. The sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence. — Faith I Live By, pg. 58

      Read the Scriptures carefully, and you will find that Christ spent the largest part of His ministry in restoring the suffering and afflicted to health. Thus He threw back upon Satan the reproach of the evil which the enemy of all good had originated. Satan is the destroyer; Christ is the Restorer. — Medical Ministry, pg. 240
       

  5. We must identify God’s testable laws and require all interpretations to harmonize with these. These include the law of love, liberty, and worship as described in other blogs and my lectures and books.
    • The error occurs when we misconstrue God’s laws as imposed and when we hold to doctrines which violate God’s testable laws. Such as teaching God threatens or coerces with inflictions of pain and suffering and eternal punishment, rather than the Biblical position that sin brings its own punishment of death and God is working to save.
  6. We must harmonize the declarations of Scripture with the stories of Scripture
    • a. An error occurs when the declarations of scripture are not harmonized with the stories. Like using God’s thundering and threatening of rebellious Israel as evidence that God inflicts pain and suffering rather than harmonizing those words with the history of what God did, which was let them go, at their persistence, and the Babylonians destroyed them, not God.
  7. We must harmonize scripture and science
    • a. The error here occurs when Christians claim faith doesn’t require evidence and when scientists claim the Bible is a book of myths or allegories. God is the author of nature and His principles are revealed in nature. However, nature is infected with an antagonistic principle and cannot be rightly understood without the aid of God’s word. Science and scripture rightly understood always harmonize.
  8. We must require Jesus, God in human form, to be the lens through which God, His nature, character and all His actions are understood.
    • a. An here error occurs when we see the Old and New Testaments as separate or try to fit Jesus into the Old Testament symbolic system rather than seeing the Old Testament through the lens of what Jesus revealed and taught.

Try applying these simple principles and see if what was once mysterious doesn’t become clear and understandable.

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Testimony 61

I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 16

Your seminars are still inspiring and changing our lives and we continue to share the principles we have learned from you. Your ministry has changed our lives!

E.W.

 

Testimony 42

I am just writing to say that I have been so blessed by the teachings of Come And Reason Minitries recently. I watched last week’s bible study lesson on Youtube and am thankful that the error in the printed lesson guide you use was pointed out and this week’s study was of equal benefit, if not more so. My understanding of God’s nature has been very confused of late and I am so grateful for clarity in this matter. I have never really fully understood previously how a good God can cause bad things to happen and now I realise that He doesn’t, it’s a natural consequence of sin. May the almighty Father and His Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, continue to bless your ministry.

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Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

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H. S., Australia

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

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Testimony 13

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Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

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Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

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Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

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You did not just give me answers, you also taught me how to answer new questions that arise in my mind. Now I see things differently. I see God’s mercy, grace, and Love everywhere, in spite of all the chaos that we all have done as humans. I don’t fear death anymore. Accepting the Truth and Love about God is truly a genuine Freedom from all the confusions, sufferings, selfishness, pain, and death.

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