Bible Study Methods

BibleThought.org

Bible Study Methods

... see also Authority

This is a particulary important page to us because its goal is to provide you with biblical methods for obtaining truth from the bible itself.

There are two articles that are particularly useful for teaching others: (1) Bible Study Questions, and (2) Bible Study Questions Guide. You might want to review these first.

Unlike most other topics which attempt to tell you what the bible says on a given subject, the articles here are intended to equip you with the abilities to determine bible truth for yourself.

There are a large number of articles. Rather than approaching them in random, we recommend that you read them in the following order:

Milk and Meat - provides the basic reasoning process for "proving all things." Note: this listing is an attempt to begin with the milk and move to the meat. Also, the "Study the Bible for Yourself" article provides confidence that you can understand the bible for yourself.
Bible Complexity - is the bible too complicated to understand? If you believe that it is, you will never understand it.
Bible Principles - how God expects us to reason from his word to applications in our lives and in the church.
Context - Context - Context - the critical role that context plays in our understanding the meaning and application of a passage.
Command, Example and Necessary Inference - the scriptural way for resolving doctrinal differences, and the way that we establish authority from the scriptures.
Examples that Establish Biblical Authority - not all do, but some definitely do. This is an elaboration on Command, Example and Necessary Inference.
Necessary Inference to Establish Biblical Authority - what is a NECESSARY inference? How do we KNOW that we are to arrive at biblical authority in this way? This is an elaboration on Command, Example and Necessary Inference.
Generic and Specific Authority - does the bible have to spell out every detail of a command? If so, the world would not be able to hold the volumes. Go into any law library and look around at man's attempt.
Rightfully Dividing: Old and New Testaments - what part of God's law are we under today and where does the bible state this?
Linking Together the Periods of Bible History - getting the big picture as to how the bible fits together.
Language of Ashdod - can we understand the bible if we use biblical words in non-biblical ways?
The Whole Truth - what is wrong with just basing your faith on a single verse? Why are there so many controversies where each side seems to cite scriptures that say opposite things? This article deals with the correct way to approach a biblical topic.
Difficult Passages - answers the question: why are there difficult passages in the bible?
Not ... But ... - this is a common biblical construct that throws a lot of people for a loop and has created a lot of false doctrines and questions in people's minds, but it is not difficult to understand when we survey its use throughout the New Testament.
Translations - it is a matter of faith that God has and will continue to preserve his word (Mt. 5:18; 24:35); you can find the truth in any sound scholarly translation.