STUDYING THE BIBLE EFFECTIVELY (Episode 2)

D. Believe that the Bible Can Be Understood.
Some believe that the Bible can be understood only by specially-trained preachers or priests, but not by the average person. As a result, they approach the Bible convinced they will never understand it, they put forth only a half-hearted effort, and of course they do not understand.
Mark 12:37; Acts 17:11 - Inspired teachings were addressed to the common people, not to some special elite group. (See also Gal. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 5:27; 2 Peter 1:1; Rev. 1:4.)
Mark 7:14 - Jesus required everyone among the great crowds of people to understand His teaching.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures are profitable to teach and provide to all good works. What profit would they be if we could not understand?
People were expected to understand the written word (Eph. 5:17). Instead of just accepting whatever preachers say, people should use the scriptures to check out the teachers (Acts 11:17).
(See also 1 Cor. 14:33; Eph. 3:3-5; Isa. 55:11; 35:8; John 20:30,31; 8:32; Prov. 2:1-12; Psalm 19:7ff; 119:105; Col. 1:9-11; 2 Peter 3:15,16.)
Part II: Principles of Bible Authority
Luke 8:18 warns us to take heed how we hear. Likewise, we must take heed how we study the Bible. To know how to study, we must understand the principles God uses to teach us. [2 Tim. 2:15]
A. God's Commands for Us Today Are Revealed in the New Testament
Old Testament laws are not binding authority today.
The fact that a practice was acceptable under the Old Testament does not prove it is acceptable today.
Hebrews 10:9,10 - Because the first covenant (will) did not provide complete forgiveness of sins (v3,4), Jesus took it away and established the second.
Colossians 2:14,16 - Jesus' death blotted out the old law, so we are not bound by such regulations as unclean meats, feast days, and the sabbath.
Galatians 3:24,25 - The law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Now we are no longer under the schoolmaster.
To illustrate, formerly our forefathers were under the laws of Great Britain then under the Articles of Confederation. Now that the Constitution has come, those previous legal systems are no longer binding. So today, anyone who seeks to bind the Law of Moses has fallen from grace (Gal. 5:1-4).
Many Old Testament practices are nowhere authorized in the New Testament, including animal sacrifices, Levitical priesthood, tithing, seventh-day Sabbath, circumcision, instrumental music, feast days, etc. However, many commands today are similar to those in the Old Testament because they are repeated in the New Testament.
(See also Rom. 7:1-7; Eph. 2:11-18; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15-20; 7:11-25; Jer. 31:31-34.)
However, even though the Old Testament is not binding as law, still much good can come from studying it.
Old Testament Scriptures were written for our learning (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:6,11). We can learn how to use the Old Testament by considering Bible examples of how first-century Christians used it.
History - The Old Testament records the Creation (Gen. 1 & 2), and God's dealings with man until the coming of Jesus. Many New Testament passages assume we believe these historical records (Acts 7; Heb. 11; etc.).
Evidence - The Old Testament provides abundant evidence for the existence of God, the inspiration of the Bible, and the Deity of Jesus. This includes: (1) The accuracy of the Bible in history, geography, and science; (2) Fulfilled prophecy (see John 5:39; Acts 3:24); (3) The unity of the Bible - harmony between Old Testament and New Testament.
Unchanging Principles - Although God's laws have changed, many facts about the Universe, the nature of man, and the nature of God do not change (Heb. 13:8). For example, the Old Testament shows that men are tempted, often sin, and need forgiveness (Rom. 3:9-23; 1 Cor. 10:1-12).
Appreciation and Understanding of the New Testament - Old Testament prophecies help us understand the New Testament (cf. Isa. 53; Acts 15:14-18). Further, when New Testament commands are the same as the Old, the Old helps us understand the New (cf. Heb. 11). And when the two systems differ, the disadvantages of the Old help us appreciate the New (Heb. 10:3,4; Rom. 3:20).
While we should not use the Old Testament to justify our practices today, neither should we neglect to study it. We can never fully appreciate and understand God's dealings with us unless we study the Old Testament.
B. In the Bible, God Uses Three Basic Methods to Reveal His Will.
We often use various methods to communicate or teach others. Likewise God uses these general methods:
1. Commands and direct statements
1 Corinthians 14:37 - Paul wrote commands of the Lord. Many other passages also mention the importance of commands (John 14:15,21-24; 15:14; 1 John 5:3; 2:3,4; Matt. 28:18-20).
The Bible uses commands in teaching us about such subjects as baptism (Acts 10:48), love (Matt. 22:37-40), the Lord's supper (1 Cor. 11:23-25), etc. [Eph. 6:2; 1 Cor. 16:1,2]
2. Examples and illustrations
Instead of directly commanding us to do something, God sometimes tells us indirectly by giving an instance in which Christians acted by His guidance. We are expected to imitate or follow these examples.
1 Peter 2:21,22 - Jesus left an example we should follow. (Phil. 2:5; Matt. 10:24,25; 16:24; 1 John 2:6)
Philippians 3:17; 4:9 - Imitate Paul's example as a pattern. Do the things seen in him as well as things heard from him. (1 Cor. 11:1; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Cor. 4:16; 2 Thess. 3:7,9; 2 Tim. 3:10; Heb. 6:12)
Acts 15:5-11 - Peter taught others to imitate his example in teaching Gentiles.
Specifically, we can learn much about salvation from examples of conversion in the book of Acts. Still other Bible examples teach us about faith (Heb. 11:1-12:4; James 5:10,11), the action of baptism (Acts 8:35-39), the day for the Lord's supper (Acts 20:7), and plurality of elders (Acts 14:23). (Cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. 4:11; 2 Peter 2:6; Luke 10:30-37.)
3. Logical necessary conclusions ("necessary inferences" or "Scriptural reasoning")
Some truths are not directly or expressly stated yet they necessarily follow as a logical consequence of what is stated. For example, if I tell you my birthday, you can determine my age.
Acts 17:1-3 - Paul's custom was to reason from the Scriptures to convince Jews that Jesus was Christ, yet the prophecies he used did not directly state the conclusion. [Acts 2:22-36; 18:4,19; 19:8,9; 28:23; Isa. 1:18; 1 Peter 3:15]
Matthew 19:3-9 - Jesus used God's statement about marriage between two people to reach an unstated conclusion that divorce (not for fornication) displeases God and remarriage afterwards is adultery.
Hebrews 7:11-18 - The Old Testament allowed priests only of the tribe of Levi, but it predicted a priest of the tribe of Judah. The necessary conclusion was that the law would change. (For other examples see Acts 11:1-18; 15:6-21; Gal. 3:10-12; 1 Cor. 15:12-19; Matt. 22:23-32; 21:28-46; 22:41-46.)
Further, all Biblical parables requiring reasoning to understand the implied lesson (Matt. 16:5-12; 25:14-30; Mark 4:33,34; etc.)
Lessons we learn by necessary Scriptural reasoning are: babies should not be baptized because they cannot hear, believe, repent, and confess (John 6:44,45; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38; etc.); the church has no earthly headquarters (Eph. 1:22,23 with Heb. 8:1); the command to assemble authorizes a place to assemble (Heb. 10:25), etc.
Mature Christians must use wisdom to apply the principles of God's word to specific situations (Heb. 5:14). As in a math problem, we "add up" the information given to reach a conclusion.
C. God's Word Completely Reveals His Will for Us.
Some people think the Bible speaks religious truth but not all religious truth. They think activities that please God, but are not found in the gospel, can be determined by other authorities (church councils, human creeds, preachers, tradition, modern revelations, etc.).
John 16:13 - The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into ALL truth. If anyone claims to have a doctrine from God, but it is not found in the Scriptures, it is not true!
2 Peter 1:3 - Through the knowledge of Jesus, God's power grants us all things pertaining to a godly life. God's word may not tell how to excel in sports, business, or politics, but it tells everything we need to know about how to please God.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures instruct and provide us completely to every good work. They may not answer every speculative question men may have (Deut. 29:29), but they tell us all we need to do to please God.
The gospel reveals the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:20,27). No man can reveal new truths from God or new ways to please God that are not found in the Scriptures.