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Synopsis from atstracts.org

Designed as a series for the new year. Through the Bible... has a gospel invitation used from our West Point Bible Presentations. Great gifts for anyone studying the Scriptures.

TRACT TEXT

The Bible is the record of a sovereign God at work in a world of mere mortals. Through history, poetry, biography, and prophecy God’s Word instructs and inspires, challenges and corrects. It helps us see God and ourselves in the proper light, and lets us in on the plan of the Almighty for humanity.

Still, many Christians approach the Bible without confidence, feeling that they cannot understand its great teachings on their own. If you have ever felt

that way, perhaps the following proven principles will help you begin your

own personal exploration of God’s wonderful Word!

 

 

Preparation for Study

Perspective

“All scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16,17

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Planning

Choose a short time each day or a longer period of time each week forstudy. Make an appointment with God and stick with it.

Select a place where you can keep your Bible, notebook, pencil, dictionary, and any other study material together. That way you won’t have to look for everything each time you study.

Develop a plan for what you are going to study. If you are new to Bible study I suggest that you try this method on a small book of the Bible. However, at some point in our growth, a Christian should take on the challenge of studying through the entire Bible. This method can be used to accomplish even a task that size.

 

Perseverance

Satan does not want you to study God’s Word and he will try to discourage and distract you. Even your own human nature will resist the discipline study takes, so you’ll need to seek God’s help in persevering from the start. Don’t give Satan the victory and don’t give in to sinful desires like laziness or lack of discipline. Even if you slack off for awhile, keep going and be

determined to start back. If you want to learn God’s Word, it’s going to take time and determination.

 

Prayer

Pray each time before you start to study, asking the Holy Spirit to open your understanding and to help you apply what you learn to your life. Pray for guidance to find answers to difficult passages.

 

Preliminary Plan

Select a passage of Scripture that’s manageable for the time you have—the method I’ll describe works best with one chapter or a portion of a chapter at a time. I’d suggest beginning with some of the smaller books of the Bible.

General hints that often help in Bible study (they will help you recall your study when you return to the passage later):

• Underline the main people in the

passage.

• Circle important places.

• Put a ? by words or phrases you don’t understand.

• Put a ! by verses that are new and exciting to you.

 

Now it’s time to get out your Bible and notebook and begin.

 

The Seven P’s of Bible Study

Often in Scripture, understanding people and places will help you better understand the passage itself.

 

Step 1—People

List each main character in the section you’ve selected—it could be a kind

of person (husband, shepherd, king) or a person mentioned by name.

Write a few lines about what the verses say about each character.

Look up any cross-references on the person to gain more insight.

Use a Bible dictionary and write down a few more facts about the person.

 

Step 2—Places

List the main places mentioned in the section.

Write down a few lines about what the verses say about them.

Look up any cross-references on each main place to gain more insight.

Check the Bible dictionary for more information about the place.

Locate the place on a Bible map or in a Bible atlas.

Obviously, people and places aren’t the focus of every passage you’ll study. In those cases, just skip steps 1 and 2 and move right into Step 3.

 

Step 3—Plot

In one or two sentences summarize what the section is all about. When you complete the study of an entire chapter and then an entire book of the Bible, it’s valuable—and a meaningful challenge!—to summarize each larger section.

 

Step 4—Play-by-Play

Divide the section you’re studying into a general outline, listing the main ideas, and key sub-points, but keep it simple.

After this, you may want to go back and refine your statement of the “plot.”

 

Step 5—Problems

Did certain words leave you unsure of their meanings? To gain more insight, look up cross-references on various words (in your Bible’s study notes or in references in the margins). Don’t always assume you know what a word means; look up the word in a Bible dictionary or even in a regular English dictionary.

Perhaps certain phrases or concepts in the text have you stumped. After you have done your best, consult a good Bible commentary to add to your understanding.

 

Step 6—Purpose

Ask yourself “Why did God write this?” and record your answers. Finding the pur-pose of a passage will help you get God’s perspective and it will prepare you for Step 7.

 

Step 7—Personal Application

Ask yourself these questions to make sure

you have given the Holy Spirit the opportunity to use the Bible to make a difference in your life each day:

• “How does the passage apply to me?”

• “Are there attitudes that I need to change as a result of my new understanding?”

• “Are there warnings that I need to heed?”

• “What principles did I find that I need to live by?”

•On the basis of what I have learned today, what do I need to begin or to add to my life? What do I need to change or stop doing?”

God is eager to reveal Himself to His children and to direct you through His Word. Those who accept the invitation to study God’s Word will find themselves agreeing with the psalmist: “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).

 

Tools for Bible Study

Bibles

A version you can read and understand.

A study Bible can also be a big help.

Reference Works

Halley’s Bible Handbook, Unger's Bible Handbook—Concise handbooks with helpful background information and book summaries.

Unger’s Bible Dictionary—Insights into culture, history, people and places of the Bible.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words—Look up the English word to find a discussion of the meaning of the word from the original Greek New Testament. Good for word studies; a time saver.

Zondervan Bible Dictionary—A good basic

dictionary.

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible—A valuable set of books, especially if you teach; comprehensive.

Concordances

Strong’s Exhaustive and Young’s Analytical Concordance—Provide basic study tools through a complete listing of Old and New Testament words.

Geography and Customs

Manners and Customs of Bible Times

Moody Bible Atlas

Commentaries

One volume:

Matthew Henry’s Commentary of the Bible Series:

Tyndale Commentary Series—Set of commentaries on individual books of the Bible; also books such as Warren Wiersbe’s Be commentaries.

 

Victoria Johnson