Basic Rules For Understanding The

Bible ProperlyFocus Upon The Bible Is Very Important.

This in no way lessens what God has done for us through His grace.

Introduction

• For hundreds of years, people have struggled to understand the bible alike.

• Many things have prevented them from seeing the bible alike.

• Various factors can, and most often do, enter the process so that each man comes away with a different interpretation.

• Some of these factors are:

Factors To Consider

• Previous teaching efforts by others often leaves a residual effect so that each man comes to the study with preconceived ideas.

• We often refer to this as theological prejudice. • It comes from different sources.

Factors To Consider• One is family. • Families have traditionally taught their children

in their faith and subsequent generations continue on in this doctrine.

• How often I have heard, "Well, if such-and-such was good enough for my folks, then it's good enough for me."

• What they fail to realize is that if their folks were lost, so also are they.

• Ignorance of the law is no excuse (Acts 17:30).

Factors To Consider• Another is a close friend. • Young minds are easily bent or swayed by the

camaraderie of a close friend.• Some doctrines are tempting because they are

practiced by some of our closest friends. • Job had a severe problem with his three friends and

his wife. • She advised him to just "curse God and die." • His friends falsely told him that God had punished

him for some grievous sin. • All four were wrong.

Factors To Consider• A third form of prejudice comes from being overpowered

by a deceiving person. • Today's television "evangelists" preach and practice so

many diverse doctrines that a novice is soon overwhelmed by the ideology of each.

• The apostle Paul warned us that, "such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, KJV).

Factors To Consider• Biblical Ignorance is a fourth problem. • Many people are either too disinterested to study or

simply too lazy to devote the right kind of study to God's word.

• Many want to be "bible scholars" but are not willing to devote the time necessary to do the kind of job that God demands.

• Paul told young Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God." (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV)

Introduction

• Such a task is a demanding one and deserves full consideration of what God has said.

• Those who are interested in the bible often fail to understand it because they do not have a systematic approach to study.

• Several rules are necessary for each bible student to accept in order to arrive at the truth when studying God's word.

Introduction• This is not an arbitrary listing of man-made rules.• Instead, it is a collection of those conclusions

which have been drawn from God's word;• Conclusions that serve us as practical rules for

understanding the bible correctly.• Let’s get started:

Basic Rules For Understanding• The bible should be treated and studied like any

other book.• Whether one studies Chemistry, Zoology, Botany,

English or Mathematics, he must study the book to receive the information contained therein.

• It requires effort (2 Timothy 2:15-16).• And any good effort receives a reward.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One needs to recognize that the weakness in

understanding the bible lies at the feet of man.• It is not God’s fault if man fails to understand. • He must lay aside ALL preconceived ideas about

God's word. • Only after doing so can he insure a reasonable

understanding of what God's word reveals.

Basic Rules For Understanding• God does not inspire the interpretation, only the

revelation. • Some claim that God gives them a "word of

knowledge" about the bible. • Such teaching is contrary to God's word. • God inspired the writers with the knowledge to

write the bible and each writer put it down in his own style.

• Therefore, man must study it in order to receive the knowledge contained in it.

Conclusion of part one

• Our goal is to help everyone learn to properly understand the Bible.

• It can be done, because the Bible itself commands it.

• So many things can get in the way, and those things come from Satan.

• Next lesson we will continue with these rules.• Invitation.

Basic Rules For Understanding The

Bible ProperlyFocus Upon The Bible Is Very Important.

This in no way lessens what God has done for us through His grace.

Part Two

Basic Rules For Understanding• Divine wisdom has adopted the word-method of

revelation. • God chose to speak in terms that we can

understand. • We must remember that the "secret things"

belong to God (Deuteronomy 29:29) but what has been revealed is for us to learn.

• It simply requires study.

Basic Rules For Understanding• Common sense is a major requirement. • God has spoken so that we may understand but if

we place an unreasonable interpretation upon His revelation, we do it a severe injustice and will miss the mark.

• Paul told the Thessalonian brethren. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2Thessalonians 2:11, KJV).

• Forcing an interpretation is a sure way to miss the mark and misunderstand God's word.

Basic Rules For Understanding• We must accept the bible as the "inspired word"

of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). FAITH.• The word "inspire" simply means "God breathed." • It was the voice of God through the Holy Spirit

that moved the writers to record what they did.• And because it contains many sayings of mere

men (as in the rebuke of Job by his three friends), one must understand that the revelation is true but not every statement is the truth.

• Only the context will demonstrate the truth.

Basic Rules For Understanding• Spiritual purity is necessary in order to accept

what God has to say, especially about righteousness.

• One cannot live a like the world type of life and accept the truth. They do not agree.

• Only if he is willing to live for God can he accept the will of God.

• One's mind must be attuned to the will of God else he will compromise God's word and fail to understand the truth.

Basic Rules For Understanding• A good knowledge of contemporaneous history is

helpful. • Knowing about the customs of different nations,

knowing when and how long biblical nations existed and understanding their effect on those who would serve God in the bible will greatly help one to understand the bible correctly.

• Understanding biblical geography is also helpful.• A good set of biblical maps is also a good

investment in bible study.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One should never use the bible to prove any

preconceived doctrine.• Far too often, men have conceived certain

teachings in their minds but in an effort to "prove" their doctrine, they wrest the scriptures and do violence to the bible.

• Only after a careful study of the bible can one determine what IS the doctrine of God.

• The Bible proves itself, LET THE BIBLE SPEAK.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One should never view the bible as a book of

mysteries. • While the Bible speaks of mysteries, it is not. • Though there are certain books of the bible that

use a great deal of metaphorical language or "word pictures" to introduce prophecy, one should never believe that the bible is too difficult to understand.

• One should always expect to be able to understand the bible.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One should never read only favorite passages.• Doing so induces one to neglect the remainder. • The entire bible is important to us all. • One must love, respect and study ALL the word of

God in order to accept it properly.• Too much religious error occurs by not following

ALL of God’s word.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One should never study the bible with a personal agenda. • This is one of the main reasons for misunderstanding

God's word. • One must approach the bible from a systematic study,

not one of duty but of love. • Over the centuries, personal agenda has given way to

denominational teachings and the formation of many different sects. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

• It was what certain people wanted rather than what God has wanted that has been uppermost in destroying the "unity" of God's word (Ephesians 4:2-6).

Basic Rules For Understanding• One should never study God's word in an effort to make it

harmonize with scientific theory. This is nothing more than caving in to humanists views.

• Doing so destroys the omnipotence of God. • Only after we accept that God is the omnipotent Creator for

all that exists, can we fully understand the bible alike. • The bible is not a work of science even though science agrees

with the Bible. • It is the miraculous revelation of God. • It contains those words necessary for deliverance from sin,

how to live a righteous life before God (and man) and to insure our deliverance to Heaven after this life (1 Timothy 6:11).

Basic Rules For Understanding

• Context always regulates the central thought of any passage.

• It also determines the definition of a word. • Some words have a spiritual meaning while

other passages may use the same word in a literal or physical way.

• Only context can determine the definition of such a word.

Basic Rules For Understanding• Certain methods of proof are used by God's word. • Basically, they are: Statements of fact; Direct

Commands; Approved Apostolic Examples; Necessary Inference; and even the silence.

• These are the basic methods that good bible scholars recognize and use to determine what God wants us to do today.

• It is the same method of proof used by the early Christians.

Basic Rules For Understanding• One must understand that any law is dispensational. • That is to say, in each of the three dispensations of

man, God has given a set of rules for people to live by. • From Adam to Moses, man was under the law often

referred to as the patriarchal law. • From Moses until Pentecost, the Jewish people were

under the Law of Moses. • All others (Gentiles) remained under the patriarchal

law (Romans 2:14). • Today, ALL are under the "new covenant;" the law of

Christ (Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 9:11).

Conclusion

• All must realize that the only way to Heaven is that which is found in God's word.

• Without that valuable information, one cannot be saved nor can he look to a life of rejoicing in the presence of God throughout eternity (Ephesians 4:2-6; Hebrews 11:6).

• All must look to the Bible for Authority, and the truth on how to get to Heaven.