03.02 - Principles of Bible Study
B. Principles of Bible Study 1. The Accuracy Principle Be sure that all persons, places, objects, and events areaccurately identified, and all words accurately defined, before you interpret a passage of Scripture. You must be especially accurate in identifying persons and places in the Bible. There are ten different Simons, four men named John, three James’, six Marys, and several Herods! Some people have two names: Jacob is also called Israel, Levi is another name for Matthew, and Peter is called Simon and Cephas. The Sea of Galilee is also known as the Sea of Tiberias and the Sea of Gennesaret. The Accuracy Principle also tells you to define Bible words accurately. The King James Version of the Bible was translated from the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts in 1611. Since that time, many English words have changed their meanings. Take Hebrews 13:5 as an example: “Let your conversation be without covetousness...” That seems to teach that Christians must never talk about money, but the writer had something entirely different in mind. The word “conversation” means “speech” today, but back in 1611 it meant “behaviour.”This verse simply commands us to live without the love of money controlling our actions. Or, look at Php 4:6, “Be careful for nothing...” which seems to suggest we should be careless about everything! Of course, the word “careful” meant “full of care, anxious” back in the seventeenth century; so the verse implies, “Be anxious about nothing.”To help you understand these old english words you will eventually want to purchase an 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary and/or a Strong’s Concordance of Greek and Hebrew words.
2. The Background Principle: Be sure you understand the background and setting (con-text) of a passage before you interpret it. Always study a verse in the light of the entire chapter, and study the chapter inthe light of the entire book it is in. Ask yourself these ques-tions: a. What is the main theme of this chapter?
b. Who is speaking: God, man, Satan, angels?
c. Who is addressed: God, man, saints, sinners?
d. When was this spoken or written?
3. The Cross Referencing Principle: Be sure the Holy Spirit is your ultimate teacher and cross- reference all scriptures concerning a particular word, doctrine, topic, character, principle, etc. Compile all Scriptures about the subject and believe all the truth about that subject not just part. This type of study is called “comparing” in 1 Corinthians 2:13 and is the method the Holy Spirit honors with His illumination. Cross references in your Bible come in handy. They refer you to other scriptures that shed light on the same subject. For example, why did Jesus constrain (compel) His disciples to get into the boat and depart after He had fed the 5, 000? Matthew 14:22 does not tell us, but the cross reference refers us to John 6:15-21 and here we find the answer. Verse fifteen says that the crowd wanted to take Jesus by force and make Him a king! Jesus refused to be crowned by people who were only interested in full stomachs! Never study a verse or passage as an isolated piece of Scripture. Look at it in its setting and study all the passages related to it. That way you will find many of the problems solvedand the so-called “contradictions” answered. Use good sense in intepreting parables, too. Do not try to make everything in a parable mean something unless theBible warrants it. Look for the main lesson in a parable and the details will give you little trouble. Often the Bible explains the various symbols in a parable, such as “The Parable of the Sower” in Matthew 13:3-8 (explained in Matthew 13:19-23), or the “Vision of the Woman” in Revelation 17:1-18 (explained in Revelation 17:9, Revelation 17:12, Revelation 17:15, and Revelation 17:18).
4. The Dispensational Principle. The Bible is divided into at least twelve different ages. Wemust “rightly” divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).Some of the laws, rules, rituals, etc. that God expected people to live by in one dispensation (age) were changed in another. Someone who does not know this will think there are contradictions in the Bible. For example, some meats that were not allowed to be eaten in the Old Testament are now allowed in the New Testament. Here is a look at the twelve dispensations: a. Eternity Past b. The Creation - six days in duration in which Godcreated all things. c. Garden of Eden - Perfection, Adam and Eve, Very shortin duration. d. Age of Conscience - from expulsion from Garden of Eden till the flood of Noah. e. Age of Human Government - after the flood. Mangiven the responsibility of capital punishment. f. Age of the Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(twelve sons). g. Age of Law of God - through Moses and Nation of Israel. h. Apostolic age - Day of Pentecost until the completetionof the Bible, various gifts, signs, and wonders. i. Church Age - overlaps with apostolic age until therapture of the church in Revelation 4:1. The Apostolic age ends at the completion of the writing of the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
Some have suggested that the seven churches of Asia spoken of in Revelation chapter two and three represent the past two thousand plus years of church history in exposing the personality of the churches during these years. This seems to be more than coincidental:
• Church of Ephesus - 1st Century Church. Sound indoctrine and works but they left their first love(Revelation 2:1-7).
• Church of Smyrna - 100-376 AD. The persecuted church that was poor materially but really rich spiritually (Revelation 2:8-11).
• Church of Pergamos - Middle ages. Mixed with the world. The heretical Church (Revelation 2:12-17).
• Church of Thyatira - 1054-1305 AD. The Medieval Church. Idolatry. Attached to the world. Spiritual fornication (Revelation 2:18-29).
• Church of Sardis - 1305-1517 AD. The almost dead church. Apostasy (Revelation 3:1-6).
• Church of Philadelphia - Reformation to early 1900’s. The Church in Revival (Revelation 3:7-13). Some churches will continue in this spirit until Christ comes.
• Church of Laodecia -1940’s to present. Apostasy and Humanism. Ecumenical. Christ is on the outside (Revelation 3:14-22). j. The Tribulation - Time of Jacob’s (Israel) trouble, seven years long. k. Millenium - Christ’s Kingdom! 1000 years. l. Eternity - Heaven or Hell. Do not allow the difficult portions of the Bible to discourage or detain you. Live by what you clearly understand from God’s Word and trust Him to shed light on the obscure passages inHis good time. The test of successful Bible study is not simply how much you learn, but how much you live. The proof that Christ has taught you is not a big head, but a burning heart (Luke 24:32).Prepare your heart, yield to the Spirit, and apply these basic principles. The Bible will become a new book to you and you will become a stronger Christian!