Introduction

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

There is no book in the world that has so many friends and so many enemies as the Bible. There is no book that is so widely sold and in the homes of so many people as the Bible. There is no book understood so little as the Bible. There is no book that is quoted so much and misquoted so much as the Bible.

There is no book in which there is so much interest and yet so little interest as the Bible. One of the main reasons for misunderstanding, misquotation and lack of interest is that the average person does not know how to study the Bible.

I. The Proper Approach to the Study of the Bible

A. The Person Must be Honest

           1. Come to it neither for it or against it

           2. The reader must be unprejudiced

               a. There is great value of being prejudiced in its favor

               b. If the prejudice causes the mind to be closed to its teaching, it is not good

            3. Must allow the Book to deliver its own message

            4. A study of the Bible means a person must be openminded

            5. If the Bible is given the opportunity, it will win its own victories

            6. Set aside your prejudices in its favor, your prejudice against it, and your prejudices                             against the prejudice of those who  believe it or do not believe it

 B. The Person Must be Reverent

         1. Our knowledge of the Bible and of God is limited

               a. The Bible professes to tell us of Him

               b. We need to listen reverently to what it has to say

         2. The best men of the centuries have had great devotion for the Bible, therefore no one of                  a few years has a right to trample underfoot these convictions

         3. This is God's revelation to man, therefore it demands our profoundest thought

               a. It is the "still small voice" that speaks to men today

               b. God may reveal Himself to us through nature and universal laws

               c. He only speaks to us through the Bible

         4. The Word gives us light into the eternities

               a. Man wants to know from where he came and where he is going

               b. All knowledge outside the Bible cannot give the answer

         5. Life is short and lived but once

               a. A person cannot afford to make a mistake about the journey's end

               b. God and Christ have been over the road

               c. They through the Book of books are able to guide us

         6. So we must study the Word of truth reverently, humbly, and devotionally

               a. Seek to be benefited spiritually

               b. A person seeking for truth will not be disappointed

C. The Person Must be Diligent

           1. He must be zealous in his work

           2. He must give his best time and attention to the work

           3. He must study the Bible when the mind is the freshest

           4. He must remember the Bible is a personal message to him

                 a. Take the Word seriously

                 b. Treat the Word seriously

D. The Person Must Study the Bible Systematically and Regularly

           1. The Bible should be read daily

           2. Begin at the first of a book and read it through to the end

           3. Start with the New Testament, the Gospels

           4. Form the habit of regular daily reading

           5. Have a certain time each day to study

           6. Haphazard reading is not study

           7. Understand some part of the Bible each day so that the life will be filled with Biblical                            truth

E. The Person Must Respond to the Teachings of the Bible

          1. The Bible makes its appeal to the conscience and will

          2. Obey its first teaching and a person will understand its second

          3. Study the Bible with the attitude "If it speaks to me, I will obey"

          4. The Bible is an interesting and enjoyable Book

          5. Start the study with a prayer for guidance and understanding

          6. Rich rewards are obtained through intellectual and devotional study

II. Rules for Study of the Bible

A. Read the Bible With the Mind Open to its Truths

          1. This is an essential rule to observe

          2. The Bereans were noble because they had open minds and open Bibles (Acts 17:10-11)

          3. The reader must have the right attitude of mind

          4. The student must accept all of the Bible, not just the part that agrees with him

B. Determine the Following When Reading any Scripture

          1. Who is speaking?

          2.  To whom are they speaking?

          3.  In what time period are they speaking?

          4.  For what reason are they speaking?

                a.  Always remember these questions when studying the Bible 

                b. There are Scriptures where God speaks, where man speaks and where Satan speaks

                      1) It is important to know WHO is speaking

                      2) The writers were inspired but at times recorded uninspired sayings

                c. God may be speaking to the saint, the sinner, or to past or future generations

                d. The statement in Scripture may be inspired or uninspired

                e. It may be for the Jewish nation or the Gentile

                 f.  It may be a commandment to be obeyed or a principle of life

                g. There are Scriptures for specific times and conditions

C. Discriminate Between the Testaments

          1. There is an Old Testament and a New Testament

                a. If the Old was sufficient for God's revelation there is no place for the New

                b. The fact that there is a New shows that the Old was not enough

          2. The word 'Testament' means 'will' or 'covenant'

                a. The New Testament is the new will, covenant or contract

          3. The Old Testament was for the Jewish nation and age

          4. The New Testament is for today's world and the Christian Gospel age

          5. We are living under the age of the Gospel, not the Old Testament law

          6. The Old Testament is Bible, from God and has many great lessons

                a. The Old Testament contains the history from Creation and prepares for the coming                            of the New Testament

                b. The Old Testament is the New concealed, a school master to bring us to Christ

          7. The New Testament tells us about Christ

                a. It only tells us how to become a Christian

                b. It tells us how to live the Christian life

          8. The Old was written with the New in mind

          9. The New Testament is the completion of God's revelation, God's plan

         10. The New Testament takes the place of and supersedes the Old Testament

D. Allow Scripture to Explain Scripture

           1. This is the doctrinal rule

                a. Take all the verses in the Bible on a subject

                b. Get the meaning of all the verses

                c. Organize them logically, in order, and you will have the Scriptural teaching

           2. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves

                a. It is dangerous and meaningless to take a verse out of its setting

                b. No Scripture is for private interpretation (II Peter 1:20-21)

                c. Great truths of the Bible can be interpreted only after all Scriptures have been                                         examined on the subject

           3. All passages of Scripture are perfectly clear and distinct when rightly understood

           4. Hard passages can be explained in the light of easy ones

           5. Concerning the subject 'What Must I Do to be Saved?'

                 a. One is told to 'believe', another 'repent and be baptized', another 'arise and be                                         baptized'

                 b. Each one was told to take the next step that he needed

           6. Things were not put into the Bible to confuse people

                 a. The more a person uses his Bible the more he will understand God's Will

           7. Know the background of the Scripture

                a. The geographical, social and economic

                b. The verses before and after the passage

                c. Learn the general teachings of the Bible, the book, the author

           8. It is impossible to misunderstand Scripture if a person will allow Scripture to explain                          Scripture

E. Read a Book Through at a Setting

           1. If a person has a certain time each day, he will easily read the shorter books at one                             setting

          2. It is easier to get the purpose and message of the book

          3. The person should pay little attention to the chapter and verse division

          4. Read the book several times until you understand its purpose

                a. Read closely and listen to what it is saying

                b. Live in the atmosphere of the book

          5. It may take more than one setting for the larger books

                a. Do not neglect them

                b. Read as much as time permits, then read some more when you have the time

III. The Natural Divisions of the Bible

A. The Old Testament

             1. It's purpose is to lead to the coming of Christ

             2. The Messianic thread of hope runs through the entire Old Testament

             3. The Prophetic hope of the coming Messiah can be read through the Old Testament and                     lead one to find the Messiah of promise

B. The Gospels

             1. Their purpose is to lead a person to believe that Jesus is the Christ

             2. The Gospels reveal Christ to us

             3. The four books in this division are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and may be                                             considered as biographies of the life of Christ

             4. The first Gospel, Matthew, begins with the birth of Christ 

             5. There is enough evidence in these four accounts to convince a person that Jesus is the                     promised Messiah of the Old Testament

             6.  Matthew makes his appeal that Jesus is the Christ and makes extensive use of Old                             Testament prophecy to confirm his claim

             7.  Mark, the shortest of the Gospels, begins with the ministry of John as Jesus comes                               from Nazareth in Galilee to be immersed in the Jordon River

             8.  Luke, who also wrote the book of Acts, addresses his treatise to his friend, Theophilus,                        'so that he might know the exact truth about the things he had been taught                                               [Luke 1:1-4]

             9.  John in his Gospel gives sufficient proof that Jesus is the Christ and states that more                         proof could have been given if that had been necessary [John 20:30-31]

C. The Acts of the Apostles 

              1. The book of Acts tells a person how to become a Christian 

             2. This book appears in the Bible in the logical order

             3. When a person believes that Jesus is the Christ, he will want to become a follower of                          Christ

             4. This book tells the reader exactly how to become a Christian

             5.  Acts gives specific examples of the different steps of salvation

             6. It is the only book in the Bible that tells a person how to become a Christian 

                  a) Acts 2 - The first gospel sermon answering the question, 'Brethren, what shall we                                  do?'

                  b) Acts 8 - The message proclaimed to those of Samaria as well as one from Ethiopia

                  c) Acts 9, 22, & 26 - The three accounts detailing the conversion of Saul, who later                                        would be known as the Apostle Paul

                  d) Acts 16 - The gospel is received by Lydia and her household as well as a jailor from                              Philippi along with his household

D. The Letters or Epistles

             1. This grouping contains the New Testament books from Romans through Jude

             2. These writings teach a person how to live the Christian life

             3. If one becomes a Christian, as the early believers did in Acts, then he will want to know                    how to live faithfully for Christ

             4. These books provide sufficient instruction for Godly living

             5. The Epistles can be summarized by II Peter 1:1-11

E. The Revelation to John

             1. The purpose of this book is to encourage the Christian to be faithful to Christ unto death

             2. There are times when the Christian way is hard, dark and discouraging

             3. There is rest for the weary, joy for the sorrowing, peace for the persecuted and a                                     reward for the faithful at the end of life

             4. The Christian must endeavor to be true to God at all times until time ends

             5. The Christian will have aches, pains, heartaches and troubles, but he should take                                 courage in the fact that God is with him and will never leave or forsake him

             6. The Christian who remains faithful unto death has an eternal home with God reserved                     not only for him but for all who are overcomers to the very end

IV. Classification of the Bible's Subject Matter

A. Facts to be Believed

            1. The Bible is full of facts, spiritual, historical, practical

            2. The Bible introduces the reader to the fact that God is

            3. The Bible traces Israel of the Old Testament as a nation led and blessed of God and the                     Church of the New Testament led and blessed as God's chosen

            4. The Bible in the Old Testament declares that Christ is coming, in the New Testament                          that He has come and is coming again

            5. The Bible in the New Testament reveals that the Gospel preached and obeyed brings                         eternal life

B. Commands to be Obeyed

            1. God does not ask man to do something he cannot do

            2. God does not make commands that are to be ignored

            3. God's commands are to direct men morally and spiritually

            4. The Old Testament commands were exacting

                  a) The Israelites were to gather manna each day, and enough for two days on the sixth                           day [Exodus 16:13-30]

                  b) No one was to touch the ark of the covenant - Uzzah died  [II Samuel 6:6-7]

            5. God's commands in the New Testament have not changed

C. Promises to be Received

            1. They are to be received by those who have obeyed God's commands

            2. When man meets the condition, God keeps His promise

            3. When man meets the conditions of salvation, his sins are forgiven

                  a) 'He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has                                               disbelieved shall be condemned' [Mark 16:16]

                  b) "And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of                                       Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the                                     Holy Spirit'"  [Acts 2:38]

            4. When a man dies as a Christian, he goes to be with God

                   a) 'In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the                              righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all                                    who have loved His appearing'  [II Timothy 4:8]

D. Warnings to be Heeded

             1. The Lord is a God of love

                  a) Because of God's love, He has warnings or danger signs along the journey

                  b) God wants us to stay out of trouble

                  c) God wants to protect us

                  d) God is not willing that any perish [II Peter 3:9]

             2. God gave us His Law, the testimony of the prophets, the life and teaching of Jesus                                Christ, the sum total of the Old and New Testaments to guide the way to heaven

                  a) The Scripture tells us how to live right

                  b) The Bible leads us to the truth so that no one need be lost 

V. Regular Divisions of the Bible

A. Old Testament Comprised of 39 Books

           1. 5 books of Law - Genesis through Deuteronomy

                 a) These trace God's dealings with the first man Adam to the death of Moses

                 b) They also reveal God as the Creator of all

           2. 12 books of History - Joshua through Esther

                  a) These account the history of God's work with Israel, God's chosen people under the                               Old Testament

                 b) They also show the preparing of the world for Christ's coming

           3. 5 books of Devotion/Poetry - Job through Song of Solomon

                 a) These include the songs and wise sayings of Israel

                 b) They also were the Hebrew books of worship and devotion

           4. 5 books of Major Prophets - Isaiah through Daniel

                 a) The prophets were distinct and fearless messengers for their day

                 b) They also contain hundreds of prophecies in regard to the coming of Christ and the                            new kingdom that would be established under the New Testament

           5. 12 books of Minor Prophets - Hosea through Malachi

                 a) These books are usually shorter then the major prophets

                 b) They also contain prophecies in regard to the coming of Christ and the establishing                            of the new kingdom under His reign

B. New Testament Comprised of 27 Books 

             1. 4 books of Biography also known as the Gospels - Matthew through John

                 a) These prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah

                 b) They prove that Jesus is the Son of God

             2. 1 book of History - Acts

                 a) This book shows what people did in order to become a Christian

                 b) It also records the growth and development of the early church

             3. 14 special Letters/Epistles - Romans through Hebrews

                 a) These show how to handle problems in the church

                 b) They reveal how to handle problems in the individual life

                 c) They teach how one may grow and mature as a Christian

             4. 7 general Letters/Epistles - James through Jude

                 a) These, like the special letters, also teach how to deal with various problems and                                    trials in life

                 b) They, like the special letters, serve as reminders that we are to live according to the                            example of Jesus Christ [I Peter 2:21] 

             5. 1 book of Prophecy - Revelation

                 a) John addresses the 7 churches of Asia that existed in his day

                 b) The Christians addressed in this letter were reminded that no matter the test or trial,                          God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him

                 c) The overall theme of Revelation is 'be faithful unto death' and the crown of life is                                     assured [Revelation 2:10]

Conclusion

The Bible is God's inspired Revelation to man. It is the process by which select persons were enabled through writing to carry special information about the one true God to their fellowman.

The men used to write the Bible were firstly, men that believed God and secondly were obedient to God. They wrote in the Spirit and the love of God. They were empowered to speak.

God inspired the thought and the principle while the chosen men wrote it in their style.