Bible Study Tips
While some might question whether the Bible is relevant to today, I maintain that it is. I have experienced the power of God’s Word in my life. Specifically, the principle of renewing the mind made all the difference in my eating disorder recovery.
How do you apply the Bible to your life?
I have a sad confession. I always figured the whole point of reading the Bible was me.
I thought it was about my life, learning how to live better, do the right things, stuff like that. So my first big revelation about the Bible was that it’s, well, God’s revelation of Himself. The Bible Is About God.
Imagine that. It’s not all about me.
Have you ever thought about the original audience for the writers of the Bible?
My answer a couple of years ago would have been, “Who cares?”
Turns out that I need to care if I really want to make sense of Scripture.
I’ve mentioned before a writing team I joined at church and a book we studied together: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. One important understanding from that study was that interpreting scripture is a three-step process.
Do you ever think about the chapter and verse divisions of the Bible?
It’s pretty obvious that the Bible’s chapters and verses weren’t part of the original manuscripts. We’re so accustomed to them that we take them for granted.
It’s not a big issue–except when it is.
The books of the Bible are stories, letters, and poetry. The original writers didn’t divide their work into the chapters and individual verses of modern Bibles.
The current system of chapter divisions was adopted during the 13th century. The Geneva Bible of the 16th century included the verse divisions still used today. If you’re interested, a quick Google search will give you as much detail as you can handle.
Have you ever thought about the individuals who actually translate Scripture?
One thing’s for sure: they’re a lot smarter than I am.
Scholars dedicate large chunks of their lives to studying ancient languages. They dissect and fuss over difficult manuscripts. They tirelessly search for the proper words to convey the true meaning of God’s word.
This is easily the longest article I’ve ever written. Check out the next few sentences and you’ll see why.
A while back someone asked me to define my “life verse.”
I suppose if I HAD to choose a single passage I’d pick Romans 8:28.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Why do you read the Bible?
I suppose answers vary with individual needs and life’s seasons. At different moments we seek knowledge, inspiration, encouragement, comfort, and guidance.
When I thought through this idea (I actually do that occasionally) I wondered if there was a single, best, right answer. Since The Bible Is About God I was going to offer something profound like “…acquiring a better, more intimate knowledge of God” (thanks Clark).
It’s always comforting to have a nice, tidy answer to such a complex question, even if it’s far too simplistic.
Think You Don’t Have Time to Read the Entire Bible in a year? Think again!
I was a bit daunted at the thought of reading the entire Bible together with my CIR friends and family this year. How will I ever find the time? Well, it takes about 20 minutes per day. You can also listen to the Bible in your car, while doing housework or chores.
Audio Bible prices are VERY reasonable. These are entire Bibles:
The NKJV Word of Promise: Complete Audio Bible On MP3 CD-ROMs
Christians in Recovery highly recommends this!
by Eric Rauch
Since the Bible claims to be the only inspired Word of God, it has become the focus of many attacks. The critics of the Bible have tried to discredit it by chipping away at its authority and credibility.
The Bible is not without its difficulties. After all, some of its older books were written 3,000 years ago in a radically different culture than our own. There are cultural barriers to overcome as well as contextual issues to consider when delving into the Bible. Nevertheless, there are those who sit in judgment of God’s Word.
