How to Study the Bible, Part 2

Review

Qualities of Good Bible Study

• Portable
• Easy to remember
• Transferable to others
• Easily teachable
• Doable

 How to Start Bible Study

• Master one book of the Bible
• Commit to reading that book repeatedly for a year

Two Simple Tools for Bible Study

• Read the Bible repeatedly
• Put these symbols in the margin * A ? E

 

• Star:     verses you want to remember or which are an “ah ha”
• A:         for Application: verses that apply to you
• ?:          for Questions
• E:           along verses which have evangelistic use

 

Report on Homework in Mark 4:1-20.

 ¹Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.  ² And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:  ³ “Listen! A sower went out to sow.  ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.  ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil;  ⁶ and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away.  ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.  ⁸ And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”  ⁹ And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  ¹⁰ And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.  ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; ¹² so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”  ¹³ And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?  ¹⁴ The sower sows the word.  ¹⁵ And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them.  ¹⁶ And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.  ¹⁸ And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  ²⁰ But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

 

• How many times did you read Mark and what are your observations?
• *    Tell about your stars
• A Tell about your As
• ? Ask your questions
• E Explain the ones you marked with an E

Two Important Principles of Bible Study

• Pay attention to what the Bible says about itself
• Read and understand the point of paragraphs

Principle one: Pay attention to what the Bible says about itself

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ITSELF IN MARK 10:1-20?

• Not all people receive the word in the same way
• Spreading the word has potential for substantial harvest
• The word has competition
  1. Path—some people just will not hear it
  2. Rocks—others accept and shortly reject
  3. Thorns—distractions
  4. Fertile—life changes
  5. Share without names about somebody you know who fits each category
• Good people (such as the 12) often cannot understand the parables and need help. Think of a person you know who might be in that category.
• What other points does this parable make about the Word/Bible?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT ITSELF WITH ITS THREE SOLDIERS?

 Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it; that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

 Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

 Revelation 22:18-19   ¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,  ¹⁹ and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

• What is the Bible saying about itself?
• How should you study the Bible in light of these soldiers?

 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ITSELF IN 2 Peter 1:16 – 2:1? 

 ¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.  ¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  ²⁰ First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.  ^2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

What does this passage say about the Bible?

• There are cleverly devised myths, but Bible not one of them
• Didn’t come out of impulse of man, but Holy Spirit
• The Bible is like a lamp in dark room
• There will be false prophets and those who teach error.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ITSELF IN 2 Timothy 3:16-17?

 ¹⁶ All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work 

• Inspired: God breathed; God guided
• Profitable: Not theoretical but practical, not read & set aside, but read & carry with you
• Doctrine: Source book for teaching of Christianity. 
  • Chemistry has periodic table
  • Biology has phyla
  • Psychology has parts of the mind
  • Christianity has Bible
• Reproof: Bible establishes what’s right, points to authentic
• Correction: Measure life by this book.  Guage for life.
• Training in righteousness. How-to live-in relationship with others

What it means

• Bible study should change our lives
• Bring us to repent
• Give focus to our congregation
• Bring about renewal

Principle Two: Read and understand the point of paragraphs

• Read the Bible with the same respect we use with books and newspapers—get the big picture
• Paragraphs are a unit of thought
• In many translations of the Bible each verse is a paragraph as if the whole point were in that one verse
• Identify a paragraph or a unit.
  • Look for changes in topics
  • Look for changes in characters
  • Look for notice that the book is moving to a new time or place or topic
  • Look for where the unit ends
  • Chapters and verses are not inspired so the paragraph may start or end in the middle of a verse or may flow from one chapter to another.
• Find the point of the paragraph

Practice:

The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775, marked the fiery start of the American Revolution.  British troops marched to seize colonial weapons stores, but thanks to a now-legendary midnight ride by Paul Revere and others, the colonists were waiting.  The first skirmishes erupted at Lexington Green, leaving colonists dead.  Despite initial setbacks, the colonists harassed the British on their retreat, inflicting heavy casualties and demonstrating the effectiveness of guerilla warfare. This unexpected defeat for the British and the outpouring of colonial support that followed transformed a simmering rebellion into a full-fledged war for independence.  Fast forward to October 19th, 1781, and the war’s turning point arrived at Yorktown, Virginia.  A combined French and American force surrounded a British army commanded by General Cornwallis.  After weeks of siege trenches and heavy bombardment, the British were trapped.  Cornwallis surrendered, effectively ending major fighting in the American Revolution.  The victory at Yorktown, achieved with crucial French aid, secured American independence and forced Britain to negotiate peace.

• That was written by Gemini AI
• How many units or paragraphs are here?
• Where is the division?
• What is the point of each paragraph

It takes 15 minutes to get from Forest Park, OK to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds by car. The distance is 10.8 miles via I-35 S and I-40 West.  The Oklahoma State Fairgrounds hosts nearly 200 events annually, including:  Equine and livestock events, Conventions,

Consumer trade shows, Sporting events, Concerts, Here are some specific things to do at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds:

Visit the Oklahoma Expo Hall A which has an agricultural education adventure showcasing Oklahoma’s rich agricultural industry.

Explore the Oklahoma Frontier Experience, an interactive discovery zone that takes you back in time through Wild West shows, demonstrations, and activities. Enjoy the fair classics: carnival rides, delicious fair food, and livestock exhibits. Be sure to check out the fair’s website (link to Oklahoma State Fair website) for a full list of events and activities during your visit.

• hat are the paragraphs in this AI?
• How did you know when a new topic came up?
• What is the point of the first paragraph?

Homework:

Read Mark again with three things in mind:

• Add to your *A?E
• Find a passage in Mark that tells us about what scripture says about itself
• Outline the unit of what the scripture says about itself
• Write a one sentence summary of the unit
• Identify which parts of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 are being used here.

Identify a unit

• Where does the unit start?
  • Look for changes in topics
  • Look for changes in characters
    Look for notices about moving to a new time or place
• Where does the unit end?
• Write a short sentence which summarizes the main point of the unit

Identify what qualities of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 are found in your unit.

 Put the paragraph you pick alongside 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and see what the Bible says about itself.

• Inspired: How does this unit reflect that the Bible is inspired: God breathed, God guided
• Profitable: What is profitable about this passage.  How is not theoretical but practical, not read & set aside, but read & carried w/ you
• Doctrine: What doctrine is taught here?  How is this a source for what to believe?
• Reproof: How might this passage be a reproof?  How does it establish what’s right?  How does it point to the authentic?
• Correction: In what way does this passage offer correction?  How does it provide a measure for life.
• How does this train people in righteousness? How does it help us live in relationship with others?

Summary: Read Mark

• Add to *A?E
• Find a unit in Mark that tells what the Bible says about itself and write a short sentence summary
• Show how your unit connects to 2 Tim. 3:16-17