Bible study

[visionary]

What method have you found to be the most practical for you to study by?

I have found that if I have a scribbler that I make notes in on any given subject I am able to put order and sense out of it. I use concordance and bible together along with the lexicon to get the full meaning.

What works for you?

 

[akaDaScribe]

I listen to the Bible at double speed most work days as I commute to and from work. It doesn't help me memorize verses, but i can recall what was said and it gives me a lot longer attention span than reading.

 

[torahpointstoHim]

I'm currently into audio teachings. So I try to read the torah portions on weekdays so I can catch up with the torah commentaries on saturdays. I take note of the highlights of these teachings. I use a concordance app too. But I'm not sure if its accurate enough to back up scripture.

 

[Heber Book List]

Whatever you do you need to learn to make connections. A study bible is useful book to have, but the book is worth less if you don't use it properly to make, and understand, the connections, and that includes between the 'old' and the 'new'. There nearly 500 direct quotes from the 'old' to the 'new', and many allusions to the 'old' also.

What that tells us is that if you strip out the of the 'new', any reference to the 'old', you have nothing; the 'new' depends on the 'old' for its very existence. Also, look at a timeline for when the 'new' was written - are you aware, for instance, that Paul wrote his letters before the gospels were written (with the poss. exception of Luke / Acts).

 

[JIMINZ]

I use a KJV, Strong's Concordance, Vines Dictionary of Bible words, and a Zondervan Greek English Interlinear Bible.

My method is, I begin to read, it can be anywhere, I am not looking for anything in particular, no subject, interest, or Book, I want to give the Holy Spirit the most room for Leading me as I possibly can.

I don't know if this happens to anyone else when they read but I have found over the years, when I read I will invariably come to a Word I really do not understand the usage of where it is in the text I'm reading, or a Phrase, I cant quite get a grasp of, these are some of the things which get my attention.

I find that when I STOP at that moment it happens, that is when the Learning, begins, It's like the Holy Spirit is saying very quietly, I wonder what that means, or what does that word mean.

When I heed the prompt, I begin my Study, using everything at my disposal to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can, I don't use things like Commentaries, I don't want to be influenced in my pursuit that something means a certain thing because, I respect particular Commentator.

But I know that by the time I have finished this Banquet the Lord has laid out for me, that I will be full, so much so that there have been time where I have Spiritually pushed myself from the table, and Physically said Please God I cannot eat another bite.

When I study, I fully expect the Holy Spirit to Teach me, and I can honesty say, when I begin to read I enviably come to that Word or Phrase withing two pages every time.

When I allow the Holy Spirit to lead me, Teach me, I get from Him every Detail, ever nuance of knowledge, understanding that can possibly be gleaned from the fields of Gods' Wisdom.

Through the years, I have come from viewing the Bible as a Book, to a Book of two Books, to a Book of many Books to a Book of WORDS, yes Word, every word used in the Bible is exactly the best word in exactly the best position that word can be used, it describes exactly what God is expressing to His Children.

Here is an example of what I mean.

Mat.2:1
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

BETHLEHEM: Greek
G965
Βηθλεέμ
Bēthleem
bayth-leh-em'
Bethleem (that is, Beth-lechem), a place in Palestine: - Bethlehem.

BETHLEHEM: Hebrew
H1035
בֵּית לֶחֶם
bêyth lechem
bayth leh'-khem
H3899; house of bread; Beth-Lechem, a place in Palestine: - Beth-lehem.

H3899
לֶחֶם
lechem
lekh'-em
From H3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it): - ([shew-]) bread, X eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.

John 6:33
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:48
I am that bread of life.

John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Is it by coincidence that the Bread of Life (Jesus) was born in the City which is called the House of Bread?

I believe I have also found that Bethlehem is called the House of Bread because they not only supplied the City of Jerusalem with Bread because of their close proximity, but that Bethlehem also supplied the Temple with the [Shew] Bread......as a side note, during the Passover meal one of the three pieces of Shew Bread is hidden in a napkin, and the children have to find it, Jesus is that Shew Bread, who was hidden for three days in the earth, and was Resurrected.

That is the example of what I said, the Bible is a book of Words.

This is what works for me and why.

 

[Heber Book List]

Did you notice that Beth Lechem is in the Tanach forty one times, from Genesis to 1 Chronicles* and only eight times in the Christian Testament?

This what I mean by making connections.


*The last book of the Tanach

 

[chunkofcoal]

I am a lot like JIMINZ in my studying except I also read a lot of Jewish writings - like Heber said the "new" depends on the "old" and sometimes the Jewish writings helps me to understand things in the New Testament.

I use a KJV, Strong's Concordance, 'the new Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words', and a Hebrew, Greek, English Interlinear Bible.
I also use "e-sword" and have loaded on it the KJV, "John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible", "Robertson's Word Pictures", "Vincent's Word Studies", and three dictionaries that cover Hebrew, Greek, and both.

 

[chunkofcoal]

Did you notice that Beth Lechem is in the Tanach forty one times, from Genesis to 1 Chronicles* and only eight times in the Christian Testament?

This what I mean by making connections.


*The last book of the Tanach

Sometimes the connections can go even farther - "Lord" is from old English and means "bread-keeper". Gives a whole new meaning to "Lord Jesus from Bethlehem"!

 

[Heber Book List]

I am a lot like JIMINZ in my studying except I also read a lot of Jewish writings - like Heber said the "new" depends on the "old" and sometimes the Jewish writings helps me to understand things in the New Testament.

I use a KJV, Strong's Concordance, 'the new Strong's Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words', and a Hebrew, Greek, English Interlinear Bible.
I also use "e-sword" and have loaded on it the KJV, "John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible", "Robertson's Word Pictures", "Vincent's Word Studies", and three dictionaries that cover Hebrew, Greek, and both.

You could also download ISA Basic from www.scripture4all.org for a good translation of Hebrew and Greek and providing an interlinear bible for free!

 

[chunkofcoal]

You could also download ISA Basic from www.scripture4all.org for a good translation of Hebrew and Greek and providing an interlinear bible for free!

Thank you! I will check that out.

 

[Heber Book List]

Thank you! I will check that out.

I forgot to say that it makes clear, by greying the words, those words added to the Greek to make it readable - you may disagree with some. It does the same for the Tanah.

 

[gadar perets]

If you want to come to the truth about Bible doctrine, then topical studies are the way to go IMHO. Select a subject such as "justification" and use a concordance or word search to find every reference to justification, justified, justify, etc. Also, determine the meaning of the Greek or Hebrew word in question. Sometimes, a word may be translated two different ways (justification, righteousness) in which case you would need to study both words to fully understand the subject. Comparing translations is also helpful in order to see differences in a text. For example, the KJV of Acts 12:4 is totally different than the NASB. In such a case, you would need to check the Greek text to determine which is correct. Even a layman can double check using eSword, ISA, etc.

If you want to know the truth about a particular Bible character, then you need to do a biographical study. You can also do book studies or chapter studies.

 

[Heber Book List]

I forgot to say what I use.

The Complete Jewish Bible & NT Commentary (which includes the Tanach and NIV)
JPS 1917 & 1980 Standard Hebrew / English Bible
The Jewish Study Bible - based on JPS 1980.
Artscroll Tanach - bi lingual
ISA 3 (software) which includes KJV in Hebrew and Greek, Strongs, and an Interlinear bible
Hendrickson Interlinear incl. Strong's numbers,
BDB Hebrew and English lexicon,
Strong's expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible,
The Mishnah

plus a few other versions, not all at once, but if I can't remember a verse I use one or the other to find what I want.

 

[tampasteve]

I like the idea of a study Bible, but most are slanted in their understanding of the text to whatever tradition they are from. So, I use a study Bible, but in conjunction with others. My daily reader is an RSV Lutheran Study Bible, but when I am really getting into the word to study I use from the following (not all at once, but I reference them):

The Lutheran Study Bible (RSV)
The Complete Jewish Bible & NT Commentary (which includes the Tanach and NIV)
The Jewish Study Bible - based on JPS 1980.
Artscroll Tanach - bi-lingual
Hendrickson Hebrew-Greek-English Interlinear incl. Strong's numbers,
Strong's expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible,
The Mishnah
eSword software

I also use the First Fruits of Zion "Unrolling the scroll", which is a fantastic resource for the weekly Torah portions.

 

[Heber Book List]

I like the idea of a study Bible, but most are slanted in their understanding of the text to whatever tradition they are from. So, I use a study Bible, but in conjunction with others. My daily reader is an RSV Lutheran Study Bible, but when I am really getting into the word to study I use from the following (not all at once, but I reference them):

The Lutheran Study Bible (RSV)
The Complete Jewish Bible & NT Commentary (which includes the Tanach and NIV)
The Jewish Study Bible - based on JPS 1980.
Artscroll Tanach - bi-lingual
Hendrickson Hebrew-Greek-English Interlinear incl. Strong's numbers,
Strong's expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible,
The Mishnah
eSword software

I also use the First Fruits of Zion "Unrolling the scroll", which is a fantastic resource for the weekly Torah portions.

Dowload ISA 3 www.scripture4all.org it is free and is a quick way of reading the bible in Hebrew or Greek, with an English line. It contains an interlinear bible which shows, by greying out words, all those words not in most translations. I use it for a quick search after which if I still want finer detail I can go BDB or Strongs - it has Strongs numbers as an option on it.

 

[Hoshiyya]

Biblehub.com is a very good resource.