Hi friends,

I got this from the Village Lighthouse website and want to give it to a new believer who does not know the Bible.

Is there anything that I should add / remove?

I asked the person to have a one week Bible study with me. We would both go over the same study guide at home and then discuss together the following day. I thought this would be a good starting point.

Many thanks

Ren


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How to Understand the Bible

Introduction: Some people think that the Bible is so difficult to understand that they are afraid even to try. Others wonder why, if the Bible really can be understood, there are so many different churches, all claiming to believe the Bible and yet teaching different things. God has told us how to understand the Bible. If we will just follow the method He has outlined, we can know exactly what it means. We can know truth! We can have eternal life! In this lesson we will learn how God tells us to study the Bible.

1. What claim does the Bible make about itself? 2 Tim. 3:16 –17 [Note: Faith in the Bible as the inspired Word of God is developed by studying it. In these lessons we will witness how the Bible accurately reveals future events, and we will experience how it meets the needs of every human being. The Further-study verse is 2 Peter 1:20, 21]

2. Why were God's people in ancient times destroyed? Hosea 4:6 [Isa. 5:13]

3. What portion of God's Word is needed for real spiritual life? Matt. 4:4 [Deut. 8:3]

4. What did Jesus say was the basic theme of the Scriptures? John 5:39 [Note: The only part of the Bible written at this time was the Old Testament. Luke 24:44]

5. What did Jesus call those who do not believe all that the Bible says? Luke 24:25 [Matt. 22:29]

6. Why did Paul commend the Bereans? Acts 17:10, 11 [2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Chron. 20:20]

Thus, as we have just seen, if we are going to understand the Bible we must recognize that all of it is important and none of it is to be neglected. If we will study the whole Bible exactly as God tells us to, we will find the truth. Even children and those who are poorly educated can understand it. God gives us six rules for studying the Bible correctly. Let us look at these six principles.

7. What is one condition that God sets forth for understanding the Bible? Matt. 11:25 [Ans: We must be humble and teachable. 1 Cor. 1:21, 26-31]

8. What is a second condition that God gives for understanding the Bible? Isa. 28:9, 10 [Ans: We must let the Bible interpret itself by comparing Scripture with Scripture. We should study everything the Bible says on a subject to make sure we are not misinterpreting a given passage. 1 Cor. 2:13; Luke 24:27, 44]

9. What is a third condition for understanding the Bible? 1 Cor. 2:7, 10-14 [Ans: We must ask that the Holy Spirit guide us. John 16:13]

10. What is a fourth condition God sets forth for understanding the Bible? 2 Thess. 2:9-12 [Ans: We must really want to know truth. Some people are looking for excuses not to believe the truth. If they look ha2 enough, God will let them be deceived, but they will still be lost! Heb. 4:12; Rom. 1:28]

11. What is a fifth condition God gives for understanding the Bible? Jer. 29:13 [Ans: We must really search for truth. Even if we have all the true principles for studying the Bible, if we do not spend sufficient time studying, we still will not find God's truth for today. Matt. 13:45, 46; Isa. 44:3; Matt. 5:6]

12. What is a sixth condition for understanding the Bible? John 8:31, 32 [Ans: We must follow what we already know to be truth. Why should God reveal more truth to us if we are not following what He has already revealed to us? John 7:17; Matt. 13:12; 7:24-27]

Commitment: Is it your desire to let Jesus teach you truth through His Word? Will you endeavor to study His Word every day in the way God has told us to study it?

I would want to discuss more of what the purpose of the Scriptures is. I would taylor a study of the Scripture around that theme.

Bro.Ren I agree with Bro.Tom: "Why?" is the most needful question of the hour. Folks from christian cultures need to know why the Word is what it is, not mere assertions of what it is.

I wouldn't say there's a right or wrong answer to your question, but if it were I, I would ask the questions like these:
1)Why is the purpose of the Scriptures?
2)Why are they necessary?

My understanding of the answers to these questions is that the Scriptures are given to reveal the truth about God, who has been accused by a devious adversary of being unkind, untrustworthy, harsh, unforgiving and selfish. How can God defend Himself against these accusations? He can't just say, "I'm God. I'm trustworthy." as this would be a groundless claim. He must provide evidence as to what His true character is. This He has done in the Scriptures. It is a record guided by the Holy Spirit of how God has been perceived to act throughout human history, which revelation reached its apex in Jesus Christ, who revealed God so perfectly He could say, "When you've seen Me, you've seen the Father."

Thanks Tom,

Actually my intention was to create a second study guide that would look at the character of God, as well as show that the Jesus of the New Testement is the same god of the Old Testement.

For lack of a better phrase...I did'nt want to give them too much at once.

--Ren

I think you're being wise about not giving too much too soon, but I like bringing up the character of God as soon as possible as it is a very positive approach, and everything else that is studied can easily be related to that theme. Also it provides a reason for the existence of Scripture which makes *all* of Scripture important (as opposed to the view, for example, that Scripture is primarily useful insofar as it helps define doctrine).