22 Feb 2013 by Tony Dibble-
The Bible says that we should live by every word that comes from the mouth of GOD; not most words but every word (Deut 8:3). It is important that the Christian read the Bible daily and reading plans for this are available over a one year period. Many of theses plans are also available on the net. However, in studying the Bible it is also useful that we begin with passages which deal with the main aspects of our faith, moving on to the remaining books/passages after this. The starting sections for study could be:
- Genesis 1-3: the creation and the fall of man
- Genesis 12-13: the call to Abraham
- Job 38-42: Providence
- Psalm 22: a prophesy about Christ
- Isaiah 53: another prophecy about Christ
- Isaiah 14:12-15 & Ezekiel 28:11-16: the origins of evil
- Matt 1:18-25 & 2: the birth of Christ
- Matt 5-7: the sermon on the mount about the born again life
- Matt 24 & Mark 13: the end times
- Matt 26:17-29: the last supper
- John 14-17: Christ’s final teaching & prayer
- Matt 26:30-75 & 27; Luke 22 & 23: the death of Christ
- Luke 24: the Resurrection
- Acts 1-5: the early church
- Romans 5-8: the new life in the Holy Spirit
- Revelation 2 & 3: warnings to the churches
- Revelation 20-22: the New Jerusalem
We could study these passages on our own going through each verse, seeking the meaning of each word or phrase. A note book of our results should be kept. Some Bibles would have cross reference to other parts of the word of GOD and this would help us build a link to other parts of scripture. With the help of a simple translation or paraphrased Bible, if needed, such as “The Living Bible”, “Contemporary English Version, “Good News for Modern Man” or the J B Phillips translation of the New Testament and his translations of some old Testament books, we could manage on our own.
A Bible Commentary may also be useful and quite a few are available without charge on the net. The language should not turn us away as once we are accustomed to a commentator’s use of the language, it would be a fairly simple exercise to go through it. Generally, the Concise Edition of Matthew Henry’s Commentary would be adequate. This is really a simple commentary despite its length. A number of good Bible Commentaries are at:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/
In addition to key passages, the study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism with scripture verses as proofs, would also be useful. This is a series of 107 questions with answers which are backed up by Bible verses to establish the correctness of the answers as a whole. Again, it is important that we go through every verse and write it down so that it becomes familiar to us. On average, if we manage one question over two days, it would not be unrealistic. One link to this is:
Following this, we could for doctrine use Louis Berkoff’s “A Summary of Christian Doctrine”. This is a short simple handbook of 30 chapters covering the substance of Christian beliefs and includes the major Christian views plus identification of heresies. It is important that the verses quoted be read up. A chapter could take, say over two weeks as the main thing is to look up the verses he supplies.
The link is as follows:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/berkhof/summary
Daily Bible quiet-time could involve the use of devotionals by Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon, A W Tozer, Andrew Murray, Samuel Bagster and David Martyn Lloyd Jones. Most of these are available on the net without charge.
As with all Bible study efforts we should pray when we engage in them. There are many approaches and books on studying the Bible and the above is just one involving a simple and self-involved method. The sources above have stood the test of time and they are crisp, sound and not watered down.
Note: Tony Dibble worships at Endeavour Christian Gathering in Mullaloo Perth, Australia for about 7 years. Prior to this, he was at Church of Our Holy Saviour, Labuan, East Malaysia. When he is in Kuala Lumpur, he now worships at Faith Oasis Fellowship Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Dear Viewers in Christ, if you find this article edifying to you, please share with your friends or loved ones by using the social media plugs (Share, Email to this article). The Lord will surely bless you as you bless others. May the Lord’s peace and love be with you. Amen.
References for pictures:
http://theheartofpastormatt.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/walk-through-the-bible2.jpg
http://www.exploringgod.com/wp-content/uploads/bible-translations1-228×294.jpg
http://gospelbondservant.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/oswald-chambers3.jpg
http://stuffthatsrelevant.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/spurgeon.jpg
http://www.revival.co.za/page-photo-data/AW-Tozer.jpg
http://livingwalk.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/andrew-murray.jpg
http://bibleanswerswithrevfletcher.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/lloyd-jones-copia1.jpg
http://www.studio82a.com/images/andrew_murray.jpg
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