Bible Study Principles for 2020
2 Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Romans 15:4: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
As we begin 2020, I wanted to share some simple Bible study principles to help keep us moving forward in our personal walk in Christ. Remember, the underlying principle for all Bible study is: All the Bible was not written to me, but all the Bible was written for me. Also, as we study, we are to compare and contrast scriptures to help us have a balanced perspective of biblical truth. Things different are not alike; things different are not the same.
Two Major Divisions:
Old Testament – 39 books (For our learning)
History – 17 Books: Genesis – Esther
Poetry – 5 Books: Job – Song of Solomon
Prophecy – 17 Books: Isaiah – Malachi
New Testament – 27 Books
History – 5 Books: Matthew – Acts
Matthew – John transition from Old Testament to New Testament through the life of Christ, all culminating in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the Great Commission, ushering in the Dispensation of the grace of God.
Acts records the history of the New Testament Church in the 1st Century, transitioning from a strictly Jewish church in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7) to a Gentile church (Acts 8-28) spreading the gospel across the Roman world.
Doctrine – 13 Books: Romans – Philemon
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote these letters to instruct all New Testament churches concerning the message and the mission during this mystery / secret dispensation we operate in known as the Dispensation of the grace of God.
Prophecy – 9 Books: Hebrews – Revelation
The New Testament transitions back to a Jewish perspective in the final 9 books, written for Jewish believers under great persecution in the 1st Century, but prophetically to Jewish believers in the tribulation. The rule of double fulfilment is critical in these books – it applied then, and it will apply in the future.
There are many crossover scriptures in these books that apply to the church today, where the writers (Peter, James, John, Jude) agree with Paul’s teaching in his letters. 2 Timothy 2:15 is the critical filter when studying these books.
Where there is agreement, there is direct application. Where there is disagreement or contrast, we exercise the PTDA (Personal Treasure Devotional or inspirational Application). Comparing scripture with scripture and contrasting things that disagree is important to sound doctrine today.
Rightly dividing the word is critical when navigating through scriptures difficult to understand. There are a few simple, tested rules of Bible study that will help keep you from “running aground” when you are studying this incredible book.
The Rules of Bible Study
Rule # 1: Before you ask what a verse means, determine the CONTEXT. 2 Pe. 3:15-16
A text without context is pretext! We are to compare spiritual things with spiritual.
Rule # 2: The Bible was written to three groups of people: Jews, Gentiles, and the Church. 1 Corinthians 10:32
Rule # 3: The Bible has proper divisions, and you must put those divisions in their right places. This is discussed above, but the dispensations within the divisions are below.
The Eight Dispensations
1. Age of Innocence — Genesis 2-3
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Failure: Disobeyed and ate the fruit / Judgment: No tree of life and removal from the garden
2. Age of Conscience — Genesis 4-7
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Do good and do not do evil, or love what is good and hate what is evil.
Failure: Did evil continually / Judgment: Global flood
3. Age of Human Government — Genesis 9-11
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Believe and obey God. Government has power of life and death.
Failure: Disobedience revealed through pride in self / Judgment: Confusion of tongues and dispersion
4. Age of Promise — Genesis 12 – 50
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Believe God’s promise of a blessed nation. (Genesis 12:1)
Failure: Left the promise land & went to Egypt / Judgment: 400 years of bondage
5. Age of Law — Exodus – Matthew 27
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Obey God and keep His commandments. Exod 19:5; Ecc 12:13
Failure: Man could not keep the commandments / Judgment: God sent His Son to be sacrificed for all of humanity and pay the sin debt that man could not pay.
6. Age of Grace (Church Age / Dispensation of the grace of God – Ephesians 3:2-13) –
Matthew 28 – Revelation 3
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Confess Jesus as Lord and believe in His resurrection. (Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-13; Eph 2:8-9)
Failure: Great Commission goes unfulfilled / Judgment: Church is taken to the Judgment Seat of Christ in preparation for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rom 14:7-12; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:50-58; 2 Cor 5:1-10; 1 John 3:1-3)
7. **Age of the Tribulation and world rule of the Antichrist — Revelation 4-19 (Many OT prophecies are fulfilled) Many believe that the Tribulation is the transition period to the Kingdom Age. I have no issue with this view.**
Salvation Gospel in this dispensation: Repent and turn to Messiah Jesus and renounce the Man of Sin. The gospel of the kingdom that John and Jesus preached in Matthew 3:1-2 & 4:17, 26
Failure: The world hardens its collective heart toward God / Judgment: God’s wrath is poured out culminating in the 2nd Advent – physical return of Christ. 2 Thess 2:3-12
8. Age of the Millennial Reign of Christ and beyond. Revelation 19:11 – 22; Isaiah 9:6-7
Rule #4: All scripture has three applications: Historical (STHA – Simple Treasure Historic Application), Doctrinal (DTDA – Deep Treasure Doctrinal Application), and Inspirational or Devotional (PTDA – Personal Treasure Devotional Application).
2 Timothy 3:16
Rule #5: God has chosen the exact words and events He wants to use, and has recorded them for a specific reason. The Bible is a picture book. 1 Cor. 10:1-12
Ensamples: old English word that means a mold, a pattern, or a picture.
Types: A foreshadowing, or picture, or illustration of another event, place, or person. Historic stories that teach us doctrine or inspiration. Galatians 4:22-31
Example: Joseph was a type of Christ. Lot was a type of carnal Christian, as was Samson. Egypt is a type of the World. King Saul is a type of antichrist.
Pictures: Moses wrote of Jesus using pictures. John 5:45-47
Genesis 22:1-14 – Abraham offering Isaac is a picture of God offering Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. Exodus 12 – Israel leaving Egypt by the blood of the lamb is a picture of what happens to Christians, leaving the old life behind and entering the journey into Christlikeness. Numbers 22:1-9 pictures what Christ was going to do in John 3:14-16.
Rule #6: God has three distinct plans revealed in His Word: His plan for the universe, His plan for the earth, and His plan for my life. Romans 1:20
All three of these plans have to do with eternity future. What God accomplishes in my life now, through being conformed to Christ in daily sanctification, will determine what my role in the eternal kingdom will be, starting with ruling and reigning with Christ in the Millennium.
Rule #7: The invisible things of God can be clearly seen by studying the things God made.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rule #8: The Bible is of no private interpretation. All interpretations must be done by comparing scripture with scripture. Romans 3:4; 2 Peter 1:16-21
Rule #9: The individual words in the Bible are the key to the Bible. Proverbs 30:5
Rule #10: Always give the Bible the benefit of the doubt. 2 Peter 1:19-21
I. Questioning the authority of the Bible will always get you cut off from the truth.
Luke 23:8-9; Mark 15:1-5
They were questioning the Lord’s authority, so He answered them not!
II. If we question the authority of the Word of God, He will not answer us out of His Word!
Rule #11: Never forget the consistency of the Bible. Hebrews 13:8
Rule #12: Remember the “Law of first mention.”
Pay attention when a word, a doctrine, or anything is found for the first time!
Three main books to pay close attention to:
Genesis: The book of beginnings. Every major doctrine in the Bible is laid out in the first 12 chapters.
Job: The oldest book in the Bible chronologically, written almost 400 years before Moses wrote Genesis. It holds many truths on the creation, thus many historical firsts.
Matthew: The first book of the New Testament will also hold many firsts.
Rule #13: Always take the Bible literally until it is impossible for you to take it literally. Do not try to figure out what any passage means until you know what it says.
The Bible says what it means and means what it says.
I. Figuratively: Representing by means of a figure or likeness, not to be taken literally.
A. Matthew 26:26-28
B. Mark 6:52
C. Matthew 8:22
II. Symbolically: Serving as something representing something else.
Whenever symbolism is used, the Holy Spirit is very careful to exactly define the symbols in the Word of God.
- Daniel 2:31-45 (The dream is defined in verves 36-45.)
- Matthew 13:24-30 – The parable of the Tares is defined in verses 37-44.
III. Literally: Following the words as closely as possible. True to fact…
Remember: Always take the Bible literally, except where it is clear that you cannot.
- Genesis 15:7 – the Promised Land was a real physical place.
- All the miracles Jesus did in the Gospels.
- Christ’s 2nd Coming – Revelation 19:11; Joel 2:1-12; Zech 12:9-14, 14:1-11;
Matt. 24:29-51; Rev. 6:12-17, 14:14-20
Rule #14: Always to be ready to change whatever you have been taught or you have believed when it goes contrary to the Bible. Never make the Bible line up with what you believe. Always line yourself up to what the Bible says.
Psalm 118:8; Phil. 2:5; 1 Cor. 2:16; Isaiah 55:8-11; James 1:5; Romans 12:1-2
Rule #15: Numbers are a major key in the Bible. Rev. 13:18
The universe and everything in it is patterned after the only perfect being in existence, the Godhead. It breaks down into the clearest, most consistent number system imaginable. Even the lost world is bound by this number system when you look through the eyes of God’s Word.
Be careful not to get caught up in the worship of numbers and trying to make scripture say things it does not say by using numbers to prove a point.
One: Oneness or togetherness – First mention — Genesis 1:9 (Deals with UNITY.)
Two: Stands for division. Amos 3:3; first mention – Genesis 1:16
Three: Represents the Triune God.
Four: Represents the Earth. Four winds – Jer. 49:36; Ezek. 37:9; Daniel 7:2, 8:8; Mark 13:47
Four corners – Isaiah 11:2; Ezek. 7:2; Rev. 7:1
Four directions – North, South, East, West
Five: Represents Death. Genesis 5:5 – Adam dies; Acts 5:5 – Ananias & Sapphira die.
Pride, Death, Grave, Devil, Satan, Judas, Beast all have 5 letters. David picked up 5 smooth stones!
Six: Represents man in the Bible. God created man on the sixth day. In Gensis 6, God judged man in the 600th year of Noah’s life. Rev. 13:8 – number of the Beast is 666.
Seven: The number of perfection or completeness. This is the most profound & important of all the Bible numbers. First mention – Genesis 2:1-2. God’s wrath will be poured out on this earth and completed in 7 years. The number seven is used in 33 separate verses in Revelation. There are seven notes in the music scale. The eighth note starts a new beginning.
Eight: The number of new beginnings. First mention – Genesis 5:4. Eight people got into the Ark. 1 Peter 3:19-20 David was the eighth son of Jesse – a new king and a new beginning of the most prosperous time for Israel.
Nine: The number for fruit bearing. Galatians 5:22-23 – nine manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit.
Ten: The number for the Gentiles. Noah was the 10th from Adam, and is called the Father of the Gentiles. In Revelation 17, there are 10 kings of the 10 Gentile nations. Genesis 10 reveals the first Gentile kingdom. John 10 reveals the “sheep from another fold” – the Gentiles. Acts 10 the door of salvation is opened to the Gentiles. Romans 10 is the missionary call and message to the Gentiles.
Twelve: The number for Israel. Genesis 12 – the first Hebrew is called out – Abram. Jacob had 12 sons – the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 19:28 – 12 apostles sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Rev, 21:12 – 12 gates in the New Jerusalem.
Thirteen: The number of Rebellion. First mention – Genesis 14:4. Nimrod, a type of antichrist, is the 13th from Adam. “Dragon” appears 13 times in Book of Revelation.
Forty: The number of Trial and testing (or God’s judgment). First mention – Genesis 7:4 – the Flood. Israel was in bondage to a gentile nation for 400 years (40 x 10). Exodus 24:18 – Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days. Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Eli and Samuel judged Israel 40 years. Saul,
David, and Solomon each ruled Israel for 40 years. Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan for 40 days.