Hello Friends!
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our with our series titled “How to Study the Bible” for our
Christian walk with our Lord Jesus Christ…
How to
Study the Bible (Part 2)
Reading
the Bible ~ The New Testament
Last week we considered the Old Testament
and our approach to reading its content. As for our approach to reading the New
Testament, it is here where we should invest the majority of our study time…
The New Testament
The Apostle Paul says to the church in
Colosse:
…of
which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given
to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which
has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to
His saints – Colossians 1:25-26
That “mystery” is the New Testament revelation of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ! Paul also describes himself as an apostle of that “mystery” from “other ages” revealed
by the “Spirit” of God:
how
that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written
already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to
the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles
and prophets – Ephesians
3:3-5
The New Testament was the major thrust of
Paul’s ministry. He constantly utilized the Old Testament – “as it
is written” – to illustrate, elucidate and support
the New Testament!
The New Testament embodies and engulfs all
that was in the Old Testament. It also summarizes the content of the Old
Testament and leads us into the fullness
of God's revelation to mankind. Therefore, we must invest more time studying the New Testament because it explains the Old Testament. Also, the
New Testament was written in Greek – a particularly complex language that
emphasizes abstract concepts and subtle meanings. Therefore, studying the New
Testament demands greater diligence.
So, where does one begin? The following thoughts may be of some assistance…
The little book of 1 John is a good place to start. To begin with, simply read all
five chapters. It will take you only twenty to thirty minutes. Do the same
thing the next day and the next… After one month, you'll have a tremendous
comprehension of 1 John! Once you have finished reading this
excellent epistle, go on to a large book in the New Testament. Since you've
already become familiar with the Apostle John's writing style, the Gospel
of John is a good choice! Here is a helpful
approach you may want to consider:
Divide the twenty-one chapters of the Gospel
of John into three
sections:
Read the first seven for thirty days
Read the second seven for thirty days
Read the third seven for thirty days
At the end of those ninety days you will
also have mastered the content of John's Gospel!
After finishing the Gospel
of John, you might want to go back to reading a
short book such as the epistle to the Philippians. Then perhaps consider the Gospel
of Matthew. Then move on to the epistle to the Colossians. Then maybe to the book of Acts... And so on… By alternating your reading like this for
thirty days at a time, you will complete the entire New Testament in two to
three years. If you're going to read the New Testament anyway, you might as
well read it so you can remember it!
Scripture will stick with you for life if you keep up this practice of
refreshing your mind with the text…
By reading the Bible repetitiously, you will find that your total comprehension increases dramatically. That's because
the Bible explains the Bible! God didn't write it to trip us up.
He wants us to understand His
Word!
Yet invariably you'll hear people say silly
things like: "Whatever you do, don't
read the book of Revelation; it's so confusing." However, the first
chapter of Revelation promises its readers:
Blessed is he who reads and
those who hear the words of this prophecy – Revelation 1:3
Obviously, God intends for us to “read” this excellent book of the “End Times” events too!
However, you'll never fully understand the book of Revelation unless you also have a good “working knowledge” of the
Old Testament books of Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel. It all
begins to come together when you read the Word of God in its entirety… Herein lies
the life-long and life-changing challenge in our study of God’s Word…
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued
investigation of How to Study the Bible…
May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect
love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah
and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><