Lesson 1 How to Understand the Scriptures

Section #1 - THE SCRIPTURES

p 2 -- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 -- All Scripture ... is profitable ... that the man of God may be perfect.

Ephesians 2:19-20 -- The household of God ... built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ ... the corner stone.

Note - While there were prophets in New Testament times, we think primarily of the prophets as the human instruments in the writing of the Old Testament, and the apostles as the inspired penmen of the New Testament. Now to illustrate: Say we plan to build a square building, and place a foundation on the north and east sides only - one half a foundation! On what would the building rest? Nothing, but it would pivot on the edges of the two open ends. The household of God to rest firmly must have a full foundation - the Old and New Testaments meeting in the central corner stone - Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:27 -- Beginning at Moses and all the prophets ...

Note - Jesus Christ after His resurrection, when presenting the proofs of His divine Messiahship, directed the disciples to the Scriptures "beginning at Moses." Where then did He begin? At the very beginning of the Old Testament for Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.

2 Peter 1:20 -- Knowing this first ... no ... private interpretation.

Note - In the study of the Bible, it is not what I think, or what you think. No text of the Scripture is of a private interpretation. How then are we to arrive at a true meaning of a verse in the Bible? Let us illustrate: Suppose you wrote a book which became a "best seller." I, on the other hand, was a member of a literary club which wanted to have your book reviewed, and to know the purpose you had in writing the book. Who would be the best one to review the book for the literary club? Only one answer - you, the author! So only the Author of the Bible can correctly interpret the Book.

2 Peter 1:21 -- Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Section #2 -- METHODS USED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

I Corinthians 2:13 -- The Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Note - This method of Bible study could be called the "comparison" method. In this method one or more texts are used to enlarge the meaning of another text. Here is a Bible example of how this method works:

· Luke 21:5-7 -- Who are the "they" that ask Jesus the question?

· Matthew 24:3-4 -- The "they" were His disciples. But which ones?

· Mark 13:3-4 -- Peter. James, John, and Andrew ask the question.

p 3 -- Thus by comparing one text with another, the full details and meaning of one verse or a section of Scripture can be made clearer and more understandable.

Isaiah 28:9-10 -- Whom shall He make to understand doctrine? ... Line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little.

Note - The method by which we are to understand doctrine could be called the "addition" method. It has also been dubbed "the proof-text method." It is very similar to the method used to formulate scientific truth. All the related references on a given subject are gathered together, and then a conclusion is formulated. A Bible example of this method is found in Romans 3:9 -18. There Paul reiterates the doctrine - all are under sin - and then for further proof of this position, quotes from eight verses in six different chapters from three different books of the Old Testament. By using the margin in your Bible, you can find these Old Testament references.

2 Timothy 2:15 -- Study ... rightly dividing the word of truth.

Note - This method, which we find Jesus used, could be called the "divison" method. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2. By checking the verses in Isaiah, we note that Jesus stopped in the middle of the second verse, and closed the book. Then He declared - "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." If Jesus had read the rest of the verse, which speaks of the day of vengeance of God, He could not have made the statement. His first coming was to be a day of acceptance, not a day of wrath. Jesus was very careful to rightly divide the Scriptures. So we, too, must be.

Section 3 -- OUR ATTITUDE IN BIBLE STUDY

Note - We may master all the methods of Bible study perfectly, and not err in our application of the texts of Scripture, but this will do us very little good unless we receive a spiritual blessing from the study of the Bible. So the question is - How can these methods indicated in the Bible itself bring the blessing one needs individually from the study of the Holy Scriptures?

John 7:17 -- If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.

Note - The Bible becomes a living book, if we are willing to do that which it asks us to do. Only then can one really know the doctrine, because he or she will experience in the life its truthfulness. Up to that point the truths of the Bible will remain only a theory.

Psalm 119:18 -- Open Thou mine eyes.

Note - Only as we pray for the understanding that God alone can give, will we be successful in the study of the Bible. Our eyes must be open to see; and our hearts responsive to do.

p 4 -- Lesson #1 -- QUIZ SHEET

I. -- Select the correct answer and place the number of that answer in the brackets at the right of the page.

1. The middle book of the Bible is - (1) Job; (2) Proverbs; (3) Psalms. [___]

2. The New Testament is the last (1) one-third; (2) one-fourth; (3) one-half of the Bible. [___]

3. In studying the doctrines of the Bible, we must use (1) only the New Testament; (2) just the parts of the Bible which agree with the teachings of the church; (3) all the Scriptures. [___]

4. Christ in seeking to reveal Himself as the fulfillment of all that the prophets had written began with (1) Isaiah; (2) Moses; (3) Daniel. [___]

II. -- Indicate which of the following statements are True and which are False. If any part of the statement is false, mark it False.

1. If I am willing to do what the Bible says, then I will come to its truthfulness ... ... . . T F

2. The study of the Bible enables me to have a proud spirit, because I am able to win any argument about the Bible ... ... . . T F

3. If I really study the Bible, I will know all there is to know in a very short period of time ... ... ... . T F

4. As I ask God in prayer to open my eyes to understand the Bible, the Holy Spirit will come near to guide me into all truth ... ... . . T F

5. I will learn what the Bible teaches faster if I seek to prove something to someone else who doesn't believe the way I do ... ... . . T F

6. I must study the Bible with a teachable spirit ... ... . T F

(Webpage creator's note- the answers to the quizzes are at the bottom of this page- posted after the In-Depth Study material. In the original manuscript and on the site where this has been taken the answers are given at the end of entire study.)

CONCEPTS FOR IN DEPTH STUDY

p 5 -- Doctrine -- But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18 NKJV)

The Apostles believed that in giving the Gospel as commissioned, there was involved a "form of doctrine" which spelled deliverance from the bondage of sin. Paul admonished Timothy - " Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." (I Timothy 4:16) Doctrine based in the Word of God has power because it is truth. The truth makes one free. (John 8:32) It sanctifies. (John 17:17) Received into the mind, it is Jesus abiding in the life, the hope of glory. (John 14:6; Col. 1:27) The notion that doctrine need not be emphasized is a deception of the devil. "He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (II John 9) This is life eternal. (John 17:3)

Method of Interpretation -- How shall we interpret the Scriptures? Shall we consider them as a whole book, or as sixty-six separate books. If as a whole inspired by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21), then the interpretation which best fits this concept is what is known as the analogy of scripture, or what has been dubbed "the proof-text" method. It means simply gathering from all the Bible, related concepts, and based on this finding arrive at a conclusion called a doctrine. (Isaiah 28:9-10) This is what our spiritual forefathers did to arrive at truth. In doing this, they were but following the method of the Apostolic Church as they proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. This method they were taught by the resurrected Jesus. (Luke 24:27, 44) Concerning the belief and zeal of that early Church, we read:

To the first Christians, who were Jews, the Law and the Prophets were already sacred. Their national sacred writings were to them the oracles of God. Though they could no longer be regarded as containing the whole truth of God. The coming of the Messiah had revealed God with a completeness that could not be discovered in the Old Testament.

The word of the Lord was authoritative as even Moses and the prophets were not. Yet since all the hopes of the Old Testament seemed to these Jewish Christians to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, they more than ever were convinced that their national sacred books were divinely inspired. From this source they draw, if not the articles of their creed, at least proofs and supports of their doctrines. Christ died and arose again, according to the scriptures.All the writings of the Old Testament spoke of Christ to them. Legal enactments, prophetic utterance, simple historic record, and more emotional psalm, - all alike could be covered by the phrase, "the scripture says," all were treated as of one piece, and by diligent use of type and allegory single passages torn from any context could be used as proof-texts to commend or defend belief in Christ. (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 3, p. 499, col. 2; 1958. Edition)