1.II Timothy 2:15

2.James 1:21

B.We have blessings to be obtained. Studying the Bible:

1. Makes us happy (Psalm 1:2)
2. Brings us success (Joshua 1:8)
3. Shows us how to be saved (II Timothy 3:15)
4. Teaches us how to live (I Thessalonians 4:10)
5. Brings conversion to our soul (Psalm 19:7)
6. Gives joy to the heart (Psalm 19:8)
7. Keeps us from going astray (Matthew 22:29)
8. Gives us light and understanding (Psalm 119:104, 130,
Psalm 19:8, Proverbs 6:23)
9. Makes us wise (II Timothy 3:15, Psalm 19:7)
10. Builds us up (Acts 20:32)
11. Provides warning (Psalm 19:11)
12. Allows us to become slaves of righteousness
(Romans 6:17-18)
13. Makes us strong and able to overcome Satan (I John 2:14)
14. Keeps us from slipping (Hebrews 2:1)
15. Causes our trust to be put in God (Psalm 73:1, 7)
16. Shows us the false ways of Satan (Psalm 119:104)
17. Produces hope (Psalm 119:81)
18. Bestows upon us great reward (Psalm 19:11)
19. Cleanses our way (Psalm 119:9)
20. Keeps us from sin (Psalm 119:11)
21. Completely equips us for every good work
(II Timothy 3:16-17)
22. Gives us life (John 6:63)
23. Produces individual growth (I Peter 2:2)
24. Sets us free (John 8:32)
25. Sanctifies us (John 17:17, Ephesians 5:26)
26. Gives us an inheritance (Acts 20:32)
27. Makes us Disciples of Christ (John 8:31)
28. Enables us to believe (John 20:30-31, Romans 10:17)
29. Prolongs our earthly life (Proverbs 3:2)
30. Renews our mind (Colossians 3:10)
31. Results in transformation (Romans 12:2)
32. Keeps us from falling (II Peter 1:4-10)
33. Enables us to be effective and productive (II Peter 1:3)
34. It is through it we are born again (I Peter 1:23)
35. Gives us the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)
36. Lets us know the commandments of God
(I Corinthians 14:37)
37. Allows us to be good servants of Christ (I Timothy 4:6)
38. Saves our souls (James 1:21)
39. Gives us assurance of salvation (I John 5:13)
40. Makes possible eternal life (John 5:24)

III. THE APPROACH TO BIBLE STUDY

A.Proper attitude

1.Humility


a.Study with the attitude that says, "I can learn
something new. I have not yet arrived at a perfect
understanding of every Bible subject, passage or topic."

b.Philippians 3:12-14

c.James 1:21

2.Open-mindedness


a.Do not have your mind made up on a subject before studying it thoroughly in the Bible. Do not study simply to get evidence to support a preconceived opinion.

b.Study to learn and to gain new insight.


3.Eagerness


a.Acts 17:11

b.Listen with the speaker, not against him.

c.Psalm 1:1, 2, 119:97


4.With self-examination


a.II Corinthians 13:5

b.Apply the scriptures to yourself, correcting your own
faults. Ask, "What is God saying to me? How does this affect my life?"

B.Proper tools

1.Select and use a good translation of the scriptures.


a.The type of Bible you should use is one which has been translated by a committee of scholars out of the oldest existing Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. One-man translations and all paraphrased versions should be avoided.

b.Reliable versions would include the King James, the New King James, the American Standard, the New American Standard, and the New International version, but keep in mind that your allegiance should be to TRUTH and not to a translation. Some translations are more accurate than others.


1)The King James has been a favorite of many for many years. Its Shakespearean style of language makes its reading beautiful and is conducive to memorization. Scholars are pretty much agreed that the TEXTUS RECEPTUS Greek text is one of the most reliable Greek texts.

2)The American Standard Version is possibly the most accurate and reliable version today. Nevertheless, it retained much of the stiff language of the old King James and in places is even more difficult than the King James Version to read smoothly.

3)The New American Standard is written in modern
English. It retains much of the accuracy of its predecessor, the American Standard Version.

4)The New International Version is the newest and most popular of all translations in existence today. Its accuracy, however, is questionable in certain areas. It should be read as one might read the J.B. Phillips translation, with caution.


c.There are several versions to avoid, including: "The
Good News for Modern Man"(TEV), "The Living Bible"
(Reachout), "J.B. Phillips' Modern English
Translation", "The Amplified Version" and "The New
English Bible".


2.Select and use several of the following Bible study helps.


a.The concordance is the most important aid in studying the Bible besides the Bible itself. Three of the best concordances include the, "Cruden's Complete Concordance", "Young's Analytical Concordance", and "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance."

b.A good Bible dictionary also can be very helpful at times. Two of the best are "Smith's Bible Dictionary" and "Haley's Bible Handbook".

c.An English dictionary also will be needed from time to time.

d.Commentaries can be very helpful from time to time.


1)Types of commentaries include "The Living Word Adult Series" (Sweet Publishing Company), "Johnson's Notes" (also referred to as "The People's New Testament"), "The Gospel Advocate Series of Commentaries", and "The Firm Foundation Commentary Set" by Burton Coffman, "Barnes' Notes", and "Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary".

2)Follow the suggestions below for best use of
your commentary.


a)Remember that a commentary is just a commentary. Even the best of them present a man's opinions and comments about the Bible. The commentary is not authoritative.

b)Use more than one commentary. By using only one you may allow that man to shape your thoughts. Compare different commentaries, and make up your own mind.

c)Study the biblical text without a commentary first. Don't even look at a commentary until you have thoroughly studied the text for yourself. Read it over several times slowly, trying to grasp the over-all meaning of the larger passage, as well as the meaning of the individual verses. Then, after you have reached your own tentative conclusions about what the passage means, you might want to look at some commentaries for further enlightenment. Having studied the passage for yourself, you are in a better position to agree or disagree with the commentaries. Remember, we are commanded to study the Word, not what somebody else says about it.

d)After you have made use of a commentary, set it aside. Go back to your Bible and read the text again, reevaluating in your own mind
exactly what it is saying. When going to a Bible class takes with you the results of your own study of a passage. Don't just carry a commentary into class and read from it. Commentaries can be valuable aids to private study. Use them, but don't abuse them.


e.For the more serious student a good set of Bible encyclopedias can prove to be of great service.

f.Historical and geographical charts and maps are occasionally necessary.

g.A topical Bible will give the student all the verses under a particular topic and can be very helpful in saving time.

h.Additional books on various Bible subjects, such as books on doctrine, Christian evidences, and Christian living, should be secured.

i.Your own notepad is needed to make notes, compile facts, and make recommendations about changes in your life.

IV. THE PROCEDURE FOR BIBLE STUDY

A.Hear it.

1.The importance of hearing the Bible


a."He who has an ear, let him hear" is an often found expression in the book of Revelation
(Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, Ch. 3:6, 13, 22, Ch. 13:9).

b."He who has ears to hear, let him hear" was one of Jesus' favorite expressions (Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 43, Mark 4:9, 23, Luke 8:8, 14:35).

c.The necessity of hearing certainly is expressed in two of the greatest verses in the Bible.


I)James 1:22-25

2)Matthew 7:24-27


d.Romans 10:17


2.We must hear in the following ways:


a.Honestly applying the message to self

b.Taking notes on what is said for review at a later time

c.With a desire to change, to improve, to be better

B.Read it.

1.The Bible can be read rapidly. Rapid reading involves going through the Bible thoroughly, but quickly. Rapid reading is what should be done to lay the foundation for deeper study. It allows for an overview of the whole text before breaking it down into more detailed analysis.

2.Bonus reading should characterize the believer's study habits.


a.Bonus reading means studying the scriptures at times that otherwise would be wasted. Bonus reading can add a tremendous amount of knowledge to our minds and will improve our management of time.

b.Consider the following suggestions for bonus reading.


1)Read the Bible instead of the morning newspaper

2)Keep a Bible beside your bed and read when you cannot sleep

3)Carry a Bible with you in your pocket, purse, or briefcase, and read while waiting at doctor's office, etc.

4)Each day replace at least one hour of the time spent with the television, radio, or stereo (if you spend that much) with Bible study.


3.Revelation 1:3

C.Study it.

1.Acts 17:11, II Timothy 2:15

2.Types of study


a.Bibliographically


1)This type of study is done book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, phrase by phrase, word by word. It can be as shallow or as detailed as desired.

2)Make a preliminary survey of the book and answer the following questions:


a)What is the title of the book?

b)Who is the author?

c)What is the setting?

d)What is the date of authorship?

e)What is the purpose of the book?

f)Who are the recipients?

g)What style of literature is it?


3)Preparation of an outline of the material


a)An outline helps clarify the purpose and
subject matter of the book. Each book of the
bible was written in an organized, orderly fashion. For best results you should prepare an outline of the material.

b)Outlines can be formulated by three different sources. These sources include rapid reading, taking note of chapter and paragraph headings, and checking a commentary.

c)When studying, the section under discussion should be read in its entirety, then studied in deeper detail.


b.Topically


1)This type of study consists of studying a particular subject. The goal of this approach is to learn as much as possible on a specified topic.

2)Procedure


a)Select the subject.

b)Use a topical Bible, concordance, or marginal footnotes. Then select all the verses in the Bible on the subject.

c)Study each verse, making notes of information you wish to retain.

d)Organize your findings into an outline.


c.Biographically


1)This type of study is identical to a topical study with the only difference being that you are studying a person instead of a topic.

2)The procedure is also identical as above.

d.Historically


1)This is a study of a book or of a series of books in a specified time of history.

2)There are fifteen periods of Bible history, two testaments and three dispensations. This is an organized approach.


e. Devotionally


1)This is a study you conduct for your own enrichment. It is your quiet time study.

2)Devotional study may make use of any of any of the previous methods of study, including bibliographically, topically, biographically, or historically.

D.Meditate on it.

1.Psalm 1:1-2

2.Meditation on the scriptures should occur throughout the day. It is especially important to meditate on God's Word during prayer.

E.Memorize it.

1.Psalm 119:11, II Timothy 3:15

2.Scriptures should be committed to memory for instant recall.

3.Procedure for memorization


a.Set aside 15-30 minutes each day for memorizing. The best time for this is at night not long before you go to sleep. Memorizing the scripture has a soothing effect upon the nerves and calms the emotions.

b.A series of memory flash cards consisting of the passages you want to memorize should be made. On one side of the card put the verse and on the other side list the reference.

c.Read the passage aloud seven times on night one. On night two read it six times and quote it once. On night three read it five times and quote it twice. On night four read it four times and quote it three. On night five read it three times and quote it four times. On night six read it one time and quote it six times. And on night seven read it one time and quote it
six times.

d.Memorize 5-7 passages each week.

e.Continue to refresh your memory of previous verses each week as you memorize new verses.

F.Put it into practice.

1.James 1:22-25, Matthew 7:21-27

2.To fail to put the Word of God into practice is to go less
than halfway.

3.Share the lessons you learn with others throughout the day. This enables you to apply the things you study into your own life. It also is a wonderful way to witness to the lost.

V. CONCLUSION

A.Bible study is an essential aspect of the Christian's life. We must consider it a necessity to our continued salvation and organize our daily life in such a way that there is plenty of time for this good activity.

B.I Peter 2:2 (Memorize)