How Do I Study the Bible? - part 1

Someone sent me this question after watching one of my video blogs.  I will not be able to answer it in one blog but will take a couple of them to answer it.

One area we need to begin with is to determine, what is out goal in Bible Study.  Our goal in Bible study should be to determine what message the author was conveying to his original audience.  This keeps me from saying things like, “Well this passage means _______________ to me.”  The meaning does not change from one person to another.  Then, once we know the meaning of the passage we must ask the question of ourselves, “How should this information affect my life?”

The three main steps of inductive Bible study are observation, interpretation, and application.

In this short article I will only discuss observation and only a brief overview of the subject. 

As one observes a passage they must question the passage.  Here are a few ideas, but in no way are these exhaustive.

Who – Who is speaking?  To whom is it being spoken?  About who is it being said?

Where – Where is the author?  Where is it taking place?  Where is the letter going?

When – When was this taking place?  When will it take place?  When did the author live?  When is this in relation to the rest of the Bible?  Who is acting?  Upon whom is the action taking place?

What – What is taking place?  What are we being asked to do?  What is to be obeyed?

Hendricks in his book “Living By the Book”  challenges us to look for things that are emphasized, repeated, related, alike, unlike, or true to life pg. 166.  If you would like an in depth study on hermeneutics, how to study the scripture, I would encourage you to get this book and go through it with someone.

We must also realize that this is not an instant process.  We must read over a passage many times patiently looking at the structure and then thinking about the message that the author is striving to relay to us.  I personally use an eight color highlighting pencil in my personal devotions which I use to mark my Bible. 

The following chart shows what I use the colors for:

Red	Names or descriptions of God; LORD, Lord , Rock
Yellow	General highlight  or  challenge
Orange	Commands: Thou shall….; Gal. 5:1 Stand Fast…
Dark Blue	Geographic locations: Jerusalem, Samaria, Egypt
Light Blue	Prophecy or promises:
Pink	OT quotations in the NT
Green	Passages dealing with Salvation or God’s promise of salvation.
Brown	Translation/ manuscript issues – usually in the notes of the margin as well.
Regular pen circle	I circle major conjunctions ie. But in Gen. 6:8 or Gal. 5:18; or Therefore in Rom. 12:1 or Eph. 4:1

These things only scratch the surface as far as observation, but for many it will give you a great place to start as you embark upon learning the Word of God.  In future posts I will discuss interpretation and application.

Competent to Counsel

In Romans 15:14 Paul commended the Romans by saying, “Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (NKJV)”  The final thing mentioned here is the Romans’ being “able to admonish” or some might translate it “competent to counsel.”   The word “admonish” comes from the Greek word “noutheteo” and carries the idea of warning, encouraging, or advising.  It is a comprehensive word for counseling and involves believers coming alongside other believers for spiritual and moral counseling.  This is not a gift or a job of just the clergy but it was the members of the Roman church that were being commended for this and it is the responsibility of every believer.

This is what John MacArthur has to say regarding this subject,

“Tragically, many Christians today have been convinced that competent counseling can only be accomplished by a person who is trained in the principles of secular psychology—despite the fact that the various schools of psychology are, for the most part, at extreme odds with God’s Word and frequently with each other. Although they may profess that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), many evangelicals—both those who give and those who receive counseling—do not rely on the full sufficiency of God’s Word.

There is no such thing as a psychological problem. All personal problems are either spiritual or physical. Anyone who suggests that so-called psychological problems can exist apart from or between those two realms of human existence does not understand either the nature of man and the power of sin or the nature and power of God’s Word and Spirit.^[1]

With him, I whole-heartedly agree.  In modern psychology individuals are often given a title that they are then stuck with for life.  If one searches the scriptures for these behaviors rather than finding a sickness that I will be stuck with for the rest of my life we find “sin”.  Though taking on the title of a sinner is not pleasant it is not permanent in that Jesus Christ paid the price for sin and for all those who recognize their sin and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay the atonement for their sin there is victory.

God gives us two tools to help in this, first the Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in Christ and the Scriptures.  Hebrews 4:12-13 “The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In “Nouthetic” counseling we apply Scripture to problems and challenge people to be honest about their sin so that they confess it and forsake it.  This is when one is freed from the bondage of sin and is able to live the life that God intends them to live.

One who is given a title by a psychologist may be helped to get by in life to the point that they do not cause difficulty in their family or in their neighborhood.  In other words they are helped to “survive”.   But Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”  He doesn’t want us just to survive, He wants us to THRIVE!

If you are tired of just surviving, a constant struggle with your own life or with your children and you desire to have a life that is thriving let one of us sit down with you and show you the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus.  For more information see: www.fbclittletonil.org

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^[1] John F. MacArthur, Jr., Romans, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991).

The President and His Men!

Years ago when I was working in camp ministry we had the opportunity to go to a camp conference every year.  At these conferences we discussed many things regarding the camp ministry. One year a camp demonstrated their new paintball course.  They had us play a game called the president and his men.  The game was set up as follows:  One team had five people from which the president was chosen; the other team had 15 people.   The job of the team with the president was to get the president through the course without being shot by the opposition.  I remember going through this course having been chosen as the president and getting tackled by my own guys with them laying on top of me – giving their “lives” in my place.  At the time it was a little disappointing because I never got to shoot in that game. J

When we finished the game we sat down to discuss what we had learned from it.  The challenge was do you protect your pastor in the same way.  When people come to attack the pastor do you listen and take part or do you take a stand to protect the truth and the pastor.

Now I can say it is not a game, but real life.  What I had previously experienced in the outdoors classroom I experienced in reality.  In the last couple of days I have had the experience of Godly men and women stopping with words of encouragement and support as they have stood to protect their pastor.   In this I am truly blessed and truly thankful. 

May God continue to work to bring glory to himself in spite of opposition from the evil one!

End of Year Evaluation, New Year Motivation

Another Christmas is past and the year draws to a close.   Families all around are cleaning out the remnants of Christmas.  Let me encourage you as you do to evaluate whether Christ had first place this past Christmas, and whether he had first place this past year.

Yes, the New Year is a great time to evaluate our lives.  Where have we been and where are we headed?  This takes some careful examination.  Imagine a ship or plane captain that is only one or two degrees off as they chart their course over the Atlantic.  It seems like it makes no difference yet when they reach shore they will find they are hundreds of miles from where they had planned.

Life is similar.  We must carefully examine where we are going.  What may seem OK from a daily perspective in light of eternity may find us far from where we thought we were headed.

One of the first things to examine is how much am I allowing the Word of God to impact my life.  It should be our compass that helps us determine where we are headed.  Not only do we have the responsibility to be reading and studying the Bible but we have the responsibility to be under the teaching of God’s Word on a regular basis.

Some evaluation questions to help me see how I am doing:

11.   Have I been reading/studying God Word on my own?

22.   Am I faithfully attending Church?

33.   If so, are the messages at church driven by teaching of Scripture based upon the message of the original author to the original recipients?  Or are they based more upon the opinions of the speaker?

44.   Do the people that attend church with me have a passion for the Scriptures?  Do they bring their Bibles to church with them? Are they following along in their Bibles as the pastor preaches? Do they get concerned if the message of day is not based upon the text of Scripture?

55.   Am I willing to respond to the teaching of God’s Word and personal study?  Do I confess and forsake sin?  Am I concerned with being obedient to Jesus Christ?

66.   And most importantly, have I place my faith in Christ by asking forgiveness of my sin believing that Jesus Christ blood is the only thing sufficient to cleanse me and make me acceptable to God?  To trust in anything else whether it is baptism or any other works will not work.  In Revelation 20:13- 15 God’s Word makes it clear that at the final judgment all those judged on their works alone will be cast into the Lake of Fire.  It is those who put their faith in Christ that are saved by God’s grace(Eph. 2:8-9).

I hope that these few words help you set your course straight for the next year and many to come. 

Eulogy - Harold Roemelin, Jr.

Yesterday we attended the funeral of my beloved Uncle.  My younger brother was not able to attend, but wrote the eulogy that was read.  Thought some might like the opportunity to see the impact he had on some of us nephews.

Harold Roemelin, Jr.; Bud; or “Uncle Butch” as we knew him had a vibrant personality, a zest for life, and a laugh that came from the gut.   He was typically an affable prankster. 

It would be impossible for me to express my lamentations in regard to his loss.  Through my teen years we were very close and for some time almost inseparable.  In a word, he was not only a mentor but a good friend.  After school I would often flee to join him at his house, and many a weekend we spent together either chasing this or that antique or going to an estate auction.  He was quite gifted mechanically and taught me many things encouraging me to pursue both mechanics and wood working.  He could be given to generosity, and through the years he gave me some of his tools, some of which reside in my tool box and get used quite occasionally but never without a pleasant memory of him and what he taught me. 

The stories are too numerous to recite here, but he never missed a chance for a gag.  Whether taking advantage of a dutiful and obedient child by shooting a hole through his hat after telling him to throw it in the air or putting a hole through a watch, he loved to laugh.  When he laughed it required his entire body, and he often laughed almost uncontrollably.  It was impossible not to join in. 

His mechanical abilities were quite great.  In the military he was promoted to sergeant for having fixed the transmission of a Jeep amidst a war game and then used the Jeep to get back to base in the mock battle.  He understated what he’d done by saying that the fix was not really a big deal but under the circumstances the Army saw it so.  In later years as his children came of age he transferred his love of mechanics to things like go-carts, mini-bikes, and motorcycles, all items that required constant maintenance.  Not only did the use of these teach us how to drive and ride but through them he taught us the principles of keeping things in good repair, a trait he got from his father.  Whether it was replacing chains, sprockets, and clutches or just servicing the machines it set us on the proper course for taking care of such.  He would not tolerate the abuse of a mechanical device. 

He had an avid love for adventurous activities as well.  Canoe trips down the Current River and taking swims at the farm are amongst the great memories for many of us. 

None of this ignores the colossal flaws in his personality.  Indeed, he was a most difficult person with whom to interact.  At work they used to wager on how long a new employee would last under his management.  However, for those who could pry beyond that most inflexible exterior there was an interior that was quite soft.  He had quite a capacity for kindness despite his flaws. 

It was quite painful watching him go downhill so much between visits.  I saw a man who’d taught me so much as a child sit astonished when I fixed the wheel on his oxygen cart because the suppliers couldn’t do it.  It was a task he could have done in his sleep some time before.  That said, I should think that his pain is all over now, and we have hope that he is now where there is no need for a Jeep nor a war game.

Rest in peace my old friend.

His loving nephew,

David Lindow 

I would ask you to continue to pray for his wife and family as they mourn their loss.