How Do You Think We Should Study Scripture?

How do you think we should approach the study of Scriptures?

There are many different methods out there today. There are those who believe it is important to use commentaries. Others believe it is vital that every church have 'expository' preaching and go verse by verse through the bible. But what is the purpose of the entire bible? And how should we approach it?

I am in total agreement that context is very important, and whatever truth we proclaim must come out of context. However I feel we mishandle Scripture and treat it like a rule book or a manual. Is that really why the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures?

My thoughts is this...

John 5:39-40 'You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to ME that you might have life.'

Jesus told us how Scriptures should be used - they are testifying of a Person, Himself. We should not study them to look for methods or principles for living. We should not try to find 'life' by looking into the book. The book is an arrow pointing us to the Life, Jesus Christ. Our life is not in a book but a Person who is living and active. Yes I believe Scriptures are inspired by God and have use for teaching and rebuke, but the overall purpose of it accordin to Jesus is to testify of Himself.

Where is the proclaiming of Jesus Christ? Not rules. Not methods. Not a manual. But a testimony of the Christ who indwells us. A discovery of His eternal purpose.

I believe we need to return to the book in a fresh way.

Also, one more thing to consider...

When the Holy Spirit touched men to write the Scriptures, there were no verses or chapters in these books. They were read as an entire book. Even in the early church, the Scriptures were seen as an unfolding story pointing to the Messiah. While there are occasions where they quote specific passages (Peter at Pentecost, Paul in the synagogues, etc.), I believe the passages were coming out of their knowledge of the unfolding history that pointed to their Lord.

As an author once said "Our verses that we use should bow down to the bigger picture and story".

Agree very much with both of you..

Context is very important as context actually reveals Jesus more.
No no one can study the scriptures like one studies a physics book.

When reading the scripture, one should always be reflecting the message back to oneself( primarily) then the church (secondly). Otherwise it often becomes some kind of a rule book or intellectual structuring that satisfies ones thirst for puffed up knowledge.
For example if Abraham sacrifices Isaac we should question, "why does God want Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?"
Then, "Would I sacrifice my Isaac? Is it already sacrificed before him in my heart?"

If Jesus says "you are the light of the world."
Then the meditator should ask, "Am I carrying out this mission as the light of the world as Jesus told me? Am I holding the gospel up everywhere I go up on that hill?"

I like intelectually organizing the good news, but I feel that the more I do so, the more distant I become from the real Jesus, and the gospel is somehow intertwined with my voice that says "I'm right" using the bible. However the more we meditate on the word with the attitude of search me oh God and know my heart.. The more holy spirit teaches us about sin righteousness, and judgement.. And the more Jesus lives in us..

Mattie wrote:
How do you think we should approach the study of Scriptures?

(deleted)

I believe we need to return to the book in a fresh way.

What do you want out of the Scriptures? People usually get out of it exactly what they are looking for. Some study it line by line, letter by letter to argue with people over it and they find exactly what they are looking for. Others read it to find life for their souls and they find what they exactly what they are looking for! Isn't that amazing?!

Atheists read these Scriptures so they know our arguments, they read it and they aren't saved! What does that tell you? LOL We get out of it exactly what we go looking for.

*** But you are right about one thing... [i]we need to return to the book in a fresh way.[/i] Amen!!

To Waltern,
Never thought of it they way that you described it. It does make sense though.
From the context of "eat my flesh and drink my blook or you will have no part of me." This scripture seems to point to the cross and how we need to be crucified with Jesus on the cross. On the cross is where Jesus's flesh was ripped and his blood poured out. We are to eat it, meaning participate with the death of Jesus and make the cross (through the Holy Spirit) the center of our life.
As Paul says in Romans 6
"Don't you know that when you were babptized with Jesus you were baptized with him in death?"
"If we have died with Him, we will also live with Him"
I agree with Waltern that eating the word is important. Along with it, participating with the cross with Jesus by dying with Him in faith is also one of the most important aspects of this verse.
"Unless a kernel of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it will bear no fruit."
Are the believers here dead with Jesus on the cross? THen we can be sure that we will also live with Him in life.

Thank you for this post Walter & Thank you to the person who started this thread,

Each night as I say my prayers, I pray the Lord's Prayer and meditate on each phrase. When I ask for my 'daily bread' I remember Jesus is the Bread of Life.

Your explanation of Drinking His Blood was very illuminating. It also was the first time I understood that there is no need to put a 'The' in front of His name when speaking of Him. His name is Holy Spirit. It is so simple, I don't know why I never understood before.

Great posts & excellent thread.

Kindest regards,
White Stone

I've been struggling with this same question lately. I agree with all of you that it's different for different people and different for us at different times.

Zac Poonen says to take it slow. We're not trying to get a guiness record.. when the Holy Spirit gives you a red light, stop. meditate on it. Think hard and pray about it, ask God for revelation and insight.

I believe it was Witness Lee (or one of the preachers in Asia during Watchman Nee's time) that said he went through the bible many times in a short period while he was in the hospital and that was his theology training.

Robert Thompson said when reading scripture we're like cattle in a field.. we graze through it. It's like walking down the street and passing a shoe repair shop every day.. we never noticed it until our shoe breaks and then BAM! there it is when we need it.

Whatever our method at least we can all agree that God says in His word to meditate on it and dwell in it daily, to write it on our hearts. It's a personal letter from the Lord to us.

Life giving words in this thread.

This scripture seems to point to the cross and how we need to be crucified with Jesus on the cross. On the cross is where Jesus's flesh was ripped and his blood poured out. We are to eat it, meaning participate with the death of Jesus and make the cross (through the Holy Spirit) the center of our life.

after 4 years of being a believer, this idea of being dead with Christ on the cross still seems like a MYSTERY to me. How do we know we have died with him? And how do you do it?

after 4 years of being a believer, this idea of being dead with Christ on the cross still seems like a MYSTERY to me. How do we know we have died with him? And how do you do it?

"Ye are dead", and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Do you know this? And if so, can you then reckon it, void of feelings or amazing experiences?

and now your part is to simply "reckon" this truth.

hehehe simple enough brother, thanks :-D

hehehe simple enough brother, thanks

Every time you open the Bible, you are faced with a choice: to gather knowledge or to gather life; to grasp letter of the law or to grasp the [i]Spirit[/i] behind the letter. In a nutshell, to acquire knowledge of the law, or the knowledge of grace.

To learn the law you just need a studious minsdet, a good memory and a stack of flashcards; but to learn of grace and eat of the tree of life, you don't need any Bible memory cards...but you do need to contend with a flaming sword guarding the way. Learn to put yourself under that sword in all that you do, learn to let it fall upon your flesh, learn to seek it out and cherish it as you read the Word of God - the sword of the Spirit - and when that precious sword falls upon you as your approach the tree, you will begin to see the divine truth that "...sin shall no longer have dominion over you, for you are no longer under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14).

PaulWest wrote:

after 4 years of being a believer, this idea of being dead with Christ on the cross still seems like a MYSTERY to me. How do we know we have died with him? And how do you do it?

We know we have died with Him because the Word of God affirms this. We know this as fact, but we must also consent by faith to see it worked out in our life. The death has already taken place; your old man was in Christ when He was slain by God, and now your part is to simply "reckon" this truth.

"Ye are dead", and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Do you know this? And if so, can you then reckon it, void of feelings or amazing experiences?

Amen brother~
A very good explanation indeed. Agree with you on how to read the Bible, or rather how to put your self under the sword of the spirit. So true how in my life I have two options of acquiring knowledge by the Bible and letting Jesus live inside me through the Bible.

To elaborate a bit. Many christians actually go about their lives trying to crucify themselves. If a christian is earnest and truthful enough before the Lord, he will learn that it is not the outwardly "sin fruits" that is the problem, but his own heart. He cannot escape the wisper of his heart praising himself and desiring to raise onself. No matter how hard he tries, his heart desires the praise of men. He then relizes that he needs to die to the self and that this is the essense of christianity. He then tries to die to the self. But then, no matter how he tries to die to the self, the self will just not die..
And finally he sees the truth. As romans 6 and galatians 2:20 points out. We are not to try to die to ourselves.. When Jesus died on the cross, I was dead with Him. When Jesus was raised from the dead, I have ressurected with Him. This is baptism. Before, this was all theology and something to be reckoned by the brain. But, now having been totally devestated.. having seen that all the efforts to die and live a righteous life actually failed. having seen that these efforts, although good in intention spured out of the thought that "if I try to be good I can be good.." He dies with Jesus. It is a historically true event, yet requires a faith for the Holy Spirit to make it true inside each believer. He now sees that a christian never lives with his own power. Paul said "I struggle with all His energy." Every action that he takes it is by faith that I have died and Jesus is living in me. Every diper that I have to clean, it is not me, but Jesus living in me.
OF course, this can only take place when the christian has really seen that no matter how hard he may try to be good, that in the end will not make him good. NO, he is a sinner from the core. He may get rid of the fruits of sin, but that will not change his heart. If he becomes devestated.. If he becomes so devestated that his soul becomes dead.. and can only call out to God for help instead of doing all those other spiritual activities that he once thought were so helpful.. The Holy Spirit will come. And no matter how he feels afterward on the matter of being crucified... It is not feelings that we trust.. We do not live by feelings, but we live by faith. So he lives a glories christian life where Jesus is acting in me.
Where is the credit to man during this santification? None, only that he had given himself by faith to the established truth what Jesus did on calvary.
"For I have been crucified, and it is no longer that I LIVE but CHRIST THAT LIVES IN ME."
So this is kind of the framework but it has to become real to you by the Holy Spirit and by the bliever being totally devestated at his own "SIN" state.
I'm a young believer myself and it has been only a year since God made this crucify concept real to me. Before it seemed some thing that spiritually "wow!" people talked about, but they too really didn't explain it. HOwever, knowing this and acting it in real life so that the gospel of Jesus is living in me by faith every moment is a challenging task.