Tools to maturity – Study God’s Word
The Bible
We need to know the Bible! Why? Can we just not memorize the most important verses and follow the style of Christianity we learned in our college group, church denomination or Sunday school and live a good Christian life? Unfortunately, while these organizations may be primarily based on scripture parts of their doctrine often is derived on a tradition or system rather than the faith and freedom produced from the knowledge of scripture. It is like settling for crackers when you could be enjoying steak or making your highest sport goal to play little league baseball instead of the major leagues!
Let’s examine what the Bible says.
- The Bible is an authoritative source as it comes from God through the Holy Spirit by way of the apostles (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Peter 3:16).
- We are told to know and understand God’s word (Ephesians 1:15). There are several reasons for this:
- It is a command (Colossians 1:9).
- We cannot bear fruit or know what to do to serve God without first knowing and understanding the Bible (Colossians 1:9-10). Accordingly, to function as a Christian, like anything in life, we need to follow the manual.
- When we know the manual and its instructions, then the process bears much fruit in our lives. We have better wellbeing from a confident relationship with God. Teleios research has shown that those who have more biblical knowledge have better wellbeing and less guilt than those who don’t! (1)
- It takes a little work and time, but the benefits are huge. We can have joy in:
- Bearing fruit in our lives such as joy and peace (Galatians 5:22).
- Seeing God work through us in others’ lives (Colossians 1:10).
- Proving the truth His word (Romans 12:1-2).
- Knowing Him better (Colossians 1:10).
- Loving others in a more accurate and useful fashion (Philippians 1:9; 1 John 5:1-3).
- Accurate quick assessments in what is good and bad in situations and with people (Hebrews 5:14), thus keeping ourselves from entering many of life’s difficult situations.
- Not having to rely on emotions, this helps life become more stable and predictable (Hebrews 5:9-14). The Bible does not state that we have a religion based in emotions and actually warns against it (Ephesians 4:12-16; James 1:5-8).
How then do we effectively study scripture?
There are plenty of Bible study resources on Amazon.com or online that might be effective. Make sure they are Bible based. In addition, someone in your church may be able to help you. You can start effective Bible study with these basic steps:
- Download a web-based Bible study tool such as e-Sword. It’s free and has multiple exciting resources to help understand scripture (www.e-sword.net).
- Start with a power-packed epistle such as Ephesians or Colossians that will give you essential information about Christ and our Christian life in a concise manner.
- Slow down! Take your time and follow these four basic inductive study steps:
- Observation – Ask questions about the verse.
- Interpretation – Use resources on e-Sword to answer your questions.
- Application – How should the first specifically change your life?
- Integration – What are other verses that support your interpretation so you can confidently build what you know about the topic discussed in the verse (e.g., salvation, the Spirit, etc.)?
Several helpful Bible study method books are available such as The New Joy of Discovery in Bible Study (Amazon link). These inductive methods are most helpful and will bring amazing insights out of scripture to benefit your life.
Join us next time as we continue our discussion of the tools to maturity.
William C. Stewart, MD
Disclaimer – This podcast is provided as information only and is intended for listeners 18 and older. No podcast content should be taken as advice or recommendation for any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the speaker and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by Teleios. The podcast is subject to change at any time without notice. Although the podcaster endeavors to ensure current and accurate content, it may contain errors and is not presented as current, accurate, complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. The podcaster does not accept any liability for the podcast or any other information (or the use of such information) provided. The speaker does not hold a seminary degree, but is self-trained in the scriptures. Specific questions should be directed to experts in the field of theology.
