When constructing a building, builders start by securing a strong foundation. If the foundation is off, the building will have problems and possibly be unsafe. Likewise, when developing a life of studying and understanding Scripture, great attention must be given to the foundation. A faulty foundation will seriously compromise one’s study—possibly leading to spiritually injuring oneself and others. Many in the body of Christ have been hurt by a faulty foundation and some have even fallen away from the faith. In this lesson, we will consider six foundations for understanding Scripture.

Foundation 1: We Must Be Born Again To Understand Scripture

The first foundation for understanding the Bible is the necessity of the new nature, which we receive at spiritual birth. Consider what the Bible says about the state of every person before salvation: In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul said: “The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Similarly, in Romans 8:7 (NIV), he said, “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”

Paul taught something called human inability. When sin came into the world, it affected people in such a way that, apart from God’s grace in salvation, they cannot accept God’s Word. Scripture is foolishness to them, and they can’t understand it. Apart from saving grace, the world scoffs at a God who created the earth by his Word. They scoff at a God who judged the earth through a world-wide flood. They scoff at God’s Son becoming a man, being born of a virgin, dying for the sins of the world, and then being resurrected. Only God’s Spirit can give someone grace to accept the things of God. Therefore, people need to be born again to properly interpret Scripture.

How can a person be born again? John said this:

But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

John 1:12-13

When a person receives Christ—believing that Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead for people’s sins and commits to following him as Lord and Savior—he or she is spiritually born again. God gives that person the Holy Spirit and a new nature with a desire to study Scripture and a capacity to understand and obey it.

False Teaching

With that said, it should be understood that a lot of false doctrine comes from those within the church who are not truly born again and therefore cannot properly understand Scripture. Consider what Peter said about Paul’s scriptural writings:

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.

2 Peter 3:15-17 (NIV)

Peter said that some of Paul’s writings were hard to understand and that ignorant and unstable people distorted them, as they did with other Scriptures, to their own destruction. He also said these people were lawless—meaning disobedient to God. In fact, Peter’s entire letter is a warning against false teachers. It seems evident that those twisting Scripture “to their own destruction” were not true believers (v. 16).

Christ taught something similar in the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat (Matt 13:36-43). The parable teaches that in the kingdom there are weeds—false believers—planted by the evil one, and wheat—true believers—planted by God. The apostle John taught something similar when describing the false believers and teachers who left the church of Ephesus. In 1 John 2:19-20, he said:

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

John said those who left the church because of accepting heretical doctrine were not saved. He said, “they went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.” They were never truly born again. Then John said to the church, “but you have an anointing from the Holy One and you all know” (v. 20). John believed that the true believers in Ephesus were not led astray into heretical teaching because they had an “anointing” from God. This refers to the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the term “anointing” was used for the prophets, priests, and kings who were anointed with oil, conferring upon them the recognition and resources needed for their ministries. When they were anointed, the Spirit came on them to empower them for their work. The work that John referred to is that of interpreting Scripture. True believers have an anointing which teaches them “truth” (v. 20-21) which will keep them from heretical error. Similarly, in John 10, Christ taught that his sheep hear his voice and will not follow the voice of others.

False conversion—not being truly born again—partly explains some of the great heresies infiltrating the church, such as Christ not being God or human, all people will go to heaven, salvation by works, to name a few. Being truly born again is the foundation of understanding Scripture. The person without the Spirit cannot understand or accept the things that come from the Spirit.

This does not mean true Christians will not have different understandings of Scripture, especially on minor doctrines; but in a supernatural way because of their anointing, they will be kept from heretical error which misinterprets the gospel and essential aspects of it.

Have you been born again? Do you have the Holy Spirit’s anointing to understand Scripture? With this anointing, one will have a desire to study God’s Word and the ability to understand and obey it (cf. 1 Pet 1:2, Rom 8:7, 1 Cor 2:14-15). This is a proof that one is born again by the Spirit of God, and it is crucial for studying and understanding Scripture.

Foundation 2: We Must Depend On God To Understand Scripture

This corresponds with the first point. In salvation, God enlightens our minds to understand the gospel; however, we must daily learn to live in dependence upon God to continually understand Scripture. In fact, consider what Christ said to the disciples about the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.

John 16:13-14

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and his job is to guide us into truth. In 1 Corinthians 2:12, Paul said: “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.”

Example Of The Disciples

We get a good picture of our need to depend on God to correctly study Scripture from the story of Christ talking with his disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. After Christ’s death, the disciples were confused about Jesus. Was he truly God? Why, then, did he die? While they were walking, Christ appeared to them (although they did not recognize him). He began to teach from Scripture, explaining that the messiah had to die and be resurrected. As Christ was teaching, Luke, the narrator, added something special to the story:

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day

Luke 24:44-46

Luke said that Christ “opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Though they were saved, Christ still needed to enlighten them so they could understand Scripture. This is just as much a need for us today as it was for Christ’s disciples then. How can we depend on God so we can properly interpret Scripture?

1. To depend on God, we must approach Scripture humbly.

James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” If we approach Scripture confidently because of our educational achievements or spiritual background, we close the door to true understanding. God fights against the proud but gives grace to the humble. A great example of humility is Moses. In Numbers 12:3, it says Moses was the humblest man on the earth; soon after, it says that God spoke to him face to face, unlike with other prophets, to whom God spoke in dreams and visions (v. 6-8). No doubt, Moses’ understanding of God’s mysteries was connected to his great humility. When we are proud, we depend on ourselves. When we are humble, we depend on God (and others). Therefore, we must confess our pride and confidence and recognize our inability apart from God to understand Scripture.

Are you approaching Scripture humbly or pridefully? Sometimes, the more we learn about God’s Word, the more prone we are to pride—hindering our ability to receive. First Corinthians 8:1 says “knowledge puffs up.” Therefore, being humble is a discipline we must continually practice by the power of God’s Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23), especially as we grow in the knowledge of Scripture.

2. We must approach Scripture prayerfully, demonstrating our dependence on God.

Unfortunately, many Christians don’t pray when reading Scripture or listening to a sermon, which often robs them of understanding and application. We must ask God to open our minds to his Word and remove any hindrances to understanding and obedience. Consider how David prayed in Psalm 119:

Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law!

Psalm 119:18

Help me to understand what your precepts mean! Then I can meditate on your marvelous teachings.

Psalm 119:27

Give me a desire for your rules, rather than for wealth gained unjustly.

Psalm 119:36

In order to understand Scripture, we must depend totally on God—approaching Scripture humbly and prayerfully. The prideful are blocked from the riches of God’s Word—only the humble receive keys to God’s rich truths.

Foundation 3: We Must Depend On Mature Believers To Understand Scripture

To understand Scripture deeply, we must not only depend on God but also seek the insight and counsel of mature believers. This is God’s ordained method for believers to study and understand Scripture. In Ephesians 4:8, 11-13, Paul said this:

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” … It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.

This passage describes Christ’s ascension to heaven and his bestowing gifts upon people. However, it does not itemize a list of gifts. Instead, it lists gifted people: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. By God’s providence, these gifted people are God’s blessings to his church to help her mature and grow in serving others.

If believers are going to grow in their understanding of God’s Word, they must avail themselves of these gifts. They do this by being involved in a good church where the Bible is clearly preached each week, by participating in church small groups where the Bible is discussed, and by reading good Christian books. By doing this, mature believers help other believers better understand God’s Word.

Some Christians may say, “We don’t need to depend on other believers to understand God’s Word because we have the Holy Spirit!” However, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of Ephesians 4, which teaches that God’s ordained method to train his church is through the teachings of mature believers. The Holy Spirit empowers this process because God has ordained it; therefore, we must take advantage of it, both to learn God’s Word and to help others learn as we teach God’s Word to others.

Foundation 4: We Must Develop An Obedient Heart To Understand Scripture

In John 7:16-17, Christ said: “…My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.”

In this text, the Jews and the Pharisees were testing Jesus. Essentially, they were asking, “Are Jesus’ teachings from God or not?” In response, Christ said the only way they could discern if his teachings were authentic was to choose to do God’s will. Negatively speaking, if they continued to have a disobedient heart, God would not give them understanding of Christ’s teachings.

This principle is true for us as well. Apart from a willingness to obey God’s Word, God will not give us understanding. This is especially noteworthy because often we come to Scripture with our own presuppositions and ideas. We are looking to support what we already believe or want to do, which only hinders true understanding. Sometimes, people even approach Scripture like the Pharisees did with Christ—already antagonistic towards what they perceive God is saying through the text. They don’t like what Scripture says about this topic or that topic. Sometimes, they even force their presuppositions into the text—making the text say something it doesn’t say. An obedient heart is crucial to properly grasp Scripture. Without it, God will not give us understanding.

Disobedience Leads To Deception

In fact, a disobedient or antagonistic heart will often lead to deception. In 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV), Paul described the influx of false teachers in the end times and how they originated. He said:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

Paul taught that demons would deceive people who apparently were already living hypocritically, and these same people would espouse demonic lies. Because these people professed Christ but lived in unrepentant sin, their consciences stopped working and they became vulnerable to deception.

The conscience is a natural warning system from God in all people. It is not perfect, as it has been tainted by sin, but it does provide guard rails to our thinking and actions, indicating approval when we do well and disapproval when we do wrong. If we continue to sin, over time the conscience becomes hardened and stops working as it should.

Without the warning system which cautioned that practicing sexual immorality is wrong, lying is wrong, cheating is wrong, abusing people is wrong, these professed believers practiced these sins—making themselves more vulnerable to demonic deceptions. Eventually, they themselves championed and taught various demonic doctrines. A hardened conscience can lead to all types of wrong views and sins.

In the same way that an obedient heart allows the Holy Spirit to bring understanding, a disobedient heart allows demons to bring deception—even leading some to become false prophets and teachers. Satan uses people with twisted consciences to twist God’s Word. This is what the Pharisees did—they twisted God’s Word to their own benefit and others’ demise. Obedience is a critical foundation to knowing God’s Word.

What are some applications we can take from our need to have an obedient heart to understand God’s Word?

1. We should consider the need for an obedient heart as an encouragement and promise to those who truly want to understand Scripture.

Christ said, “If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority” (John 7:17). There are many difficult doctrines in Scripture and various views about them; however, if we truly want to obey God’s will, God promises to give us understanding. We should bring this promise before God as we seek to understand his Word.

2. We should consider the need for an obedient heart as a warning to the disobedient.

The more we disobey Scripture, the more prone we are to compromise what it says and lead others astray. This should be sobering for every Bible student. Many cult leaders and followers started out in the church and so did many atheists.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul said, “Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.” Our life and doctrine are inseparable. They affect one another. An ungodly life negatively affects our doctrine, and false doctrine negatively affects our lives. Therefore, we must protect both.

Foundation 5: We Must Develop A Diligent Spirit To Understand Scripture

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul said, “Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately.” “Make every effort” can also be translated “be diligent” or “do your best.” One of the reasons there is a lot of misinterpretation of Scripture is simply due to laziness. Many come to Scripture apathetically—unwilling to work hard or give their best efforts to understand it—which often results in misinterpretation. This was especially important for Timothy because he was a teacher and his interpretations affected others—both positively and negatively. However, even without being a teacher, our misinterpretations give the devil an open door into our lives and others.

Again, consider the story of the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The Bereans are memorialized in Scripture because when taught by Paul, they examined Scripture with “great eagerness” every day to discern what was true. Unfortunately, there are very few noble Christians. Most simply accept what they were taught by parents, friends, pastors, and teachers. Even our best teachers make mistakes and, therefore, must be tested.

It’s especially important to be diligent in our study of Scripture because some doctrines are hard to understand (cf. 2 Peter 3:15-16). What is the Trinity? How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty and human responsibility? How could Christ be fully God and yet fully human? Though some doctrines are hard to understand, they are still indispensable—bearing blessings for proper interpretation and consequences for misinterpretation. Difficulty in understanding a text or doctrine does not excuse us from diligent pursuit of proper interpretation and application. God even promised special blessings to those who read, heard, and obeyed the words of Revelation, which is probably the most difficult book in the Bible to understand (Rev 1:3).

Working hard to understand Scripture is not only necessary because some teachings are hard to understand, but also because of how pervasive false teaching is in the church. In Matthew 7:13-20, Christ described how hard it was to enter the kingdom of God, and one of the reasons was because there were so many false teachers. There are many on the wide road that leads to destruction instead of the narrow road, in part, because of rampant false teaching. Without working hard to understand God’s Word, we are prone to be led astray—even unto damnation.

How can we practice diligence in our study of the Bible, like the Bereans?

1. To be diligent in our study of Scripture, we must set aside time to study. It takes time to mine Scripture for its riches. Many can’t understand various deep doctrines in Scripture simply because they are not willing to set aside time to do so. What time in your schedule can you dedicate to studying more of God’s Word?
2. To be diligent in our study of Scripture, we must make sacrifices. Sacrifice implies cost—giving up something we enjoy to prioritize studying God’s Word. The cost could be time watching TV, playing video games, time spent on social media, time with friends, or even sleeping. Are you willing to sacrifice to reap the benefits of studying Scripture?
3. To be diligent in our study of Scripture, we must become zealous. Zeal is the emotional component of working hard. There is a difference between someone who just shows up to work and someone who shows up and works hard, and part of that difference is zeal. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” If we don’t seek God in his Word with all our heart, we will often miss the riches he desires to give us, in particular, his presence. Are you zealous to understand God’s Word? If not, why not?

Foundation 6: We Must Teach Others To Understand Scripture

It has been well-attested that the best way to learn is to teach. We remember 10% of what we hear, 20% of what we read, 70% of what we discuss, and 95% of what we teach. And throughout Scripture, it is clear that God desires every believer to teach in some capacity. In fact, in Hebrews 5:11-12, the author said:

On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food.

The author said that the Jewish Christians should have been teaching others, but they needed to be retaught the basics and couldn’t learn deeper theology because of that. That’s how many people are in the church today. They have to be continually retaught because they don’t retain what they learn.

All believers are called to teach God’s Word. Parents should teach their children (Eph 6:4). Older women should teach younger women (Titus 2:3-4). Believers should teach one another in all wisdom (Col 3:16), and they should also teach unbelievers (Matt 28:19-20). If one struggles with identifying whom to teach, he or she should simply find somebody who knows less and teach that person—even if it is a child or an unbeliever. This is the best way to retain what one has learned and learn more.

Conclusion

In this study, we considered six foundations for understanding Scripture. Apart from them, there will be cracks in our foundation which will hinder our ability to understand Scripture, grow in spiritual maturity, and help others. In fact, bad foundations can hurt us and others.

Foundation 1: We Must Be Born Again to Understand Scripture

Foundation 2: We Must Depend on God to Understand Scripture

Foundation 3: We Must Depend on Mature Believers to Understand Scripture

Foundation 4: We Must Develop an Obedient Heart to Understand Scripture

Foundation 5: We Must Develop a Diligent Spirit to Understand Scripture

Foundation 6: We Must Teach Others to Understand Scripture

Reflection

1. In the reading, what foundation stood out most to you and why?
2. Why is being born again so important for properly understanding Scripture?
3. In what ways have you seen or experienced how an obedient heart leads to understanding Scripture and how a disobedient heart hinders understanding and can even lead to deception?
4. Why is it so important to be diligent and work hard in our study of Scripture? How is God calling you to grow in this area?
5. How have you experienced the benefits of teaching others what you learned from the Bible? Who do you feel God is calling you to, specifically, teach in this season?
6. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

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When you come, bring with you the cloak I left in Troas with Carpas and the scrolls, especially the parchments.

2 Timothy 4:13

What types of resources does one need to study the Bible?

If you visited the home of someone who is great at something, typically you would find that he or she would have collected many tools and resources related to their hobby or craft. Great fishermen will have an assortment of fishing rods, types of lures, the appropriate clothes, and possibly even a boat. Great musicians will have a collection of instruments, sheet music, perhaps electronic equipment, and the like. Great businessmen will have books on leadership, marketing, and maybe even statistics. Similarly, people who are going to go deep in their study and understanding of the Bible will also need a collection of helpful resources.

In fact, many believe that 2 Timothy 4:13 mentions the tools of the greatest apostle. When Paul asked for “parchments,” he was probably asking for the Hebrew Scriptures, which were often written on bark or animal skins. The “scrolls” were very likely parts of the New Testament and other resources used to study Scripture. There were many Jewish writings on the Old Testament which Paul, as a Pharisee, would have had at his disposal. Presumably, these were the resources that he was requesting. Charles Spurgeon used this passage to rebuke pastors who preached but neglected study. He said this of Paul:

He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!¹

To study God’s Word deeply, Christians should seriously consider developing their libraries.

Needing Resources Outside Of The Bible

Now some would automatically reject this and say, “All we need is our Bibles for study!” However, for at least two reasons, outside resources are needed for deeper study: (1) The first reason is that the Bible is an ancient manuscript. We need to know the historical background and culture, which is often different from ours, to properly understand the text. Resources outside the Bible will help with that. (2) And secondly, God has chosen to mature his church through gifted people teaching the Word. In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul said this:

It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,

Often people rely on God to equip the church only through the oral instruction given by teachers in Sunday service or Bible study. This is certainly part of God’s plan to edify and instruct his people; however, God also builds the church through the writings of gifted teachers. In fact, God chose to build up the church not only through the oral teachings of the apostles but specifically through their writings—many of which are now known as Scripture.

God, by his grace, has equipped many great teachers to write about Scripture to aid the church in understanding his Word. Unlike the Bible, these resources are not inspired, and as such, should never replace Scripture. But, properly used, they can greatly supplement our studies and help us understand the Bible better.

Like Paul, we must use our “scrolls” to help us understand the Bible—the historical background, the ancient culture, the nuances of the original languages, how a specific text corresponds with the rest of Scripture, etc.

Types Of Tools

What types of tools should Christians use to help them understand Scripture better? It should be noted that many of these resources can be found on the Internet for free. However, one will have to spend some money to adequately expand their library.

1. Multiple Bible Translations

As mentioned, when Paul asked for the parchments, he was probably referring to the Old Testament, of which there were multiple versions. Often when Paul or other NT writers quoted the Old Testament, they quoted the Septuagint—the OT Greek translation. Other times, they used the Hebrew translation. Similarly, reading and referencing multiple translations will aid our understanding of Scripture, as well.

Multiple translations are helpful because one translation alone cannot fully capture the meaning of a word in the original Hebrew or Greek. For instance, in English there is one word for ‘love,” but in Greek, there are at least four, each depicting distinct types and characteristics of love. Sometimes by using different translations and comparing them, it helps us have a fuller understanding of a given word or verse.

It has often been asked, “What is the best Bible translation?” The simple answer is, “Whatever one you will read!” There are many versions: The English Standard Version, the New American Standard, the New King James, the NIV, the NET, among others, are all rich translations, which benefit readers in some way or another.

The below online resources provide multiple Bible translations for study:

• http://biblehub.com/
• http://www.biblegateway.com/
• http://www.e-sword.net/ (on E-sword you will have to download various versions)

2. A Study Bible

Why is a study Bible so important? A study Bible minimizes one’s need for multiple resources. The first few pages of each book in a study Bible includes introductory material: author, original audience, historical background, the purpose of the book, etc. Surveying the introductory material of a Bible book before reading the book is like surveying the forest before looking at each tree—it will often enrich one’s Bible reading.

In the center of each study Bible page, there are Scripture cross-references for each verse. When you read a verse on divorce (cf. Matt 5:31-32), several similar verses are provided (cf. Matt 18: 3-9, 1 Cor 7:10-14), which will enhance one’s understanding of the particular passage or the topic within the passage you are reading. A study Bible also has small commentary for many of the verses in a chapter. Do you ever look at a verse and say, “What does that mean?” The commentary will often provide both insight and application. Also, a study Bible will have a small concordance where one can look up verses by simply remembering key words in the passage. Here are four recommended study Bibles:

• The ESV Study Bible
• John MacArthur’s Study Bible
• The Life Application Study Bible
• The NIV Study Bible

3. Commentaries

Comments in a study Bible will be concise; however, commentary volumes will give a more thorough explanation of each verse. These are especially helpful for not only comprehending verses but for preparation to teach them. Often commentaries lead the reader from asking the question “What does this mean?” to “What do we do about it?” This is especially true of commentaries made for personal devotions and for helping pastors prepare to teach. Purchasing one or more commentaries for each Bible book is costly; however, there are free high-quality commentaries online, as well as good single volume commentaries for purchase. Some examples of both are below:

• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary (free online)
• Enduring Word Commentary by David Guzik (free online)
• The Free Bible Commentary by Bob Utley (free online)
• Believers Bible Commentary by William MacDonald
• The MacArthur Bible Commentary
• The Warren Wiersbe OT Commentary and NT Commentary

Likewise, there are many good commentary series with single volumes of various Bible books. For example, The Preaching the Word series, The Tyndale Commentaries, The MacArthur New Testament series, and The Bible Teacher’s Guide series. With that said, it should be noted that not all commentaries are created equal. Some are written by liberal scholars with a naturalistic bend—meaning that they don’t believe in miracles, such as the resurrection. Some are academic—focusing on the original languages, which might be hard to understand without language training. Each commentary will reflect the theological persuasion of the author (Reformed, Arminian, Dispensational, Lutheran, etc.). Nonetheless, God has especially gifted commentators from various theological persuasions to write certain books or a series of books. To discern the best commentaries, it is wise to consider reviews, get counsel, and if possible, read portions of the commentary before purchasing.

4. Systematic Theologies

Unlike commentaries, which focus on a single Bible book and verses within it, systematic theologies teach what the whole Bible says about major topics like God the Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, salvation, angels, and eschatology (end times). Within those major topics, they cover sub-topics, including the Trinity, God’s sovereignty, election, the security of a believer, and demons. There are many fine systematic theologies available: Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology (and the smaller version, Bible Doctrine), Millard Erickson’s Christian Theology (and the smaller version, Introducing Christian Doctrine), and Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology, among others.

5. A Bible Concordance And Dictionary

A concordance is helpful for locating passages in the Bible. It indexes Bible words in alphabetical order—allowing people to find verses they are looking for by only remembering a key word in a certain passage. Concordances are based on specific Bible translations; therefore, looking up words from the KJV in a NIV concordance might not be very helpful. The indexed words in a concordance are also often connected to the original language equivalent—allowing a person to look up the exact meaning in Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic. A popular concordance based on the KJV is Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Additionally, if a significant portion of a passage is entered online, search engines like Google and Yahoo can function like concordances, when those phrases are searched.

6. Other Tools

There are many other great Bible tools including biblical encyclopedias, which have hundreds of articles about topics in Scripture, Bible atlases, which help with understanding the geography in Bible times, and Bible surveys, which provide an overview of every book in the Bible. If we are going to thoroughly study Scripture, like Paul, we need our “scrolls” and “parchments” (2 Tim 4:13). Do you have yours?

Reflection

1. In the reading, what stood out most to you and why?
2. Are tools outside the Bible necessary to study the Bible? Why or why not?
3. Which Bible tools are you most familiar with and how have you found them helpful?
4. Is there a specific tool you are most interested in trying?
5. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

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A popular genre of film and books is criminal scene investigation (CSI). CSI stories follow a regimented procedure: after a crime is committed and discovered, the police isolate the crime scene to make sure no one tampers with evidence. Then, investigators screen the area for items such as blood, hair, broken glass, bubble gum, and receipts. They do this because they realize that any detail, even a tiny detail that seems insignificant, might lead to solving the crime. Like an investigator meticulously studying a crime scene for clues, Bible students must learn to develop a similar procedure when studying Scripture. Several components are necessary for a Bible student to do this:

Believe That All Scripture Matters

First, Bible students must believe that all Scripture matters—even seemingly insignificant details. Consider the following verses:

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that “every” or “all” Scripture is inspired, not “some.” Jesus stated that we live by “every” word that comes from the mouth of God. In fact, in Matthew 5:18, Christ said this: “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.” These verses emphasize that every portion of Scripture is important—even the smallest letter and stroke of a letter. This realization is vital to developing the skill of observation. God chose the specific words, including tenses, in a passage for a purpose. Therefore, we must develop keen vision to notice details and seek to understand what the Holy Spirit, through human authors, was trying to say to the original audience and now to the contemporary audience.

We can discern the importance of every word and how it can lead to both meaning and application by observing how Christ confronted the Sadducees’ lack of belief in the resurrection in Matthew 22:30-32. He said:

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

Christ asked, “have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ’I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?” Surely the Pharisees had read it before, just as most Christians have, but what made Christ’s reading of this OT text so different was his keen observation of it. Christ pointed out that though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead, the original writer wrote about them in the present tense, which meant they were still alive and therefore would be resurrected.

Believing in the importance of every aspect of Scripture is indispensable. If we don’t believe that all of Scripture is important, we might skip certain parts (like genealogies or historical details) or not read God’s Word at all. If we’re going to develop observation skills, we must believe that “all Scripture is God-breathed,” that we are called to live by “every word” of God, and that even the smallest letter and least stroke of the pen will never pass away. Just as Christ asked the Sadducees, we must ask ourselves, “Have we truly been reading?”

What else is needed to properly observe Scripture?

Become Spiritually Inquisitive

To properly observe Scripture, we must become spiritually inquisitive. We must ask questions about the Bible and its passages. Many can’t understand Scripture deeply merely because they’re not interested in knowing the meaning and application of Scripture. They’re simply content to read it, if that. This is part of the reason why, in 1 Peter 2:2, Peter commanded believers to “yearn” for “spiritual milk” like an infant. People won’t need to be told to read the Bible, memorize it, and study it, if they actually “yearn” for it. Yearning will motivate us to do all those things. Therefore, God commands us to have a hungry disposition, as we will need it to understand Scripture and grow from it.

Certainly, we see this inquisitive, hungry disposition in the disciples, who often asked Christ questions about his teachings. For example, consider the disciples’ interaction with Christ after he taught the Parable of the Sowers in Luke 8:8-9:

But other seed fell on good soil and grew, and it produced a hundred times as much grain.” As he said this, he called out, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.

After presenting the parable, Jesus added, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” This meant that not everybody was capable of understanding the parable—including his own disciples! However, their desire to understand it and their request for Christ to explain it was proof that they had ears to hear. Sadly, most people read passages in the Bible without any understanding and simply move on to the next verse. They don’t ask questions of the text, pray about it, or research it further. Having “ears to hear” doesn’t just mean we understand Scripture when we read it; it means we desire understanding and are willing to pursue it. This separated the disciples from the rest of the hearers in Luke 8:8-9, who didn’t understand the parable either but failed to pursue further explanation.

As we read the Gospels, the inquisitive nature of the apostles continues to be displayed. After Christ taught the need to pursue reconciliation with those who sinned against us, Peter asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?” (Matt 18:21). Similarly, after Christ taught the disciples about the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24:3, they asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

One might say, “We don’t have Christ here to ask questions of the Bible. How do we get further understanding of his words, and the Bible’s teachings in general, like the disciples did?” In John 14:16-17, Christ said this to the disciples, after telling them that he would be leaving them: “Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [or Counselor] to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” Christ used an interesting word to refer to the Holy Spirit. Two Greek words are typically used for “another.” One means “another of a different kind,” and the other is “another of the same kind.” Christ used the latter. Essentially, Christ said to his disciples, “I will send you someone just like me. I will not leave you as orphans. I will send the Holy Spirit to you. He will teach you the truth and explain things to you. He will be your counselor. In the same way, you asked me questions, ask him questions.” Christ has given us this Counselor as well—the Spirit of truth. He will lead us into all truth, as we depend on him.

Therefore, it must be understood that those who don’t prayerfully ask questions of the Bible—trying to understand its meaning and applications—will not grow in understanding it. Like the multitudes who listened to Christ while never understanding his words, so is the person who reads Scripture and listens to sermons, yet never asks questions or pursues answers. Again, Christ said, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” The person who has ears is the one with an inquisitive nature—who genuinely wants to understand and obey God’s Word.

What should we do if we don’t desire to read and understand God’s Word?

1. Repent of not desiring to know God. Repent of not desiring to understand his Word. Repent of desiring and prioritizing so many other things above God and his Word.
2. Pray for God to give you a hunger to read and understand God’s Word. In Psalm 119:36, David prayed, “Give me a desire for your rules, rather than for wealth gained unjustly.” He prayed for his desire and so must we.
3. Begin to read Scripture, ask questions of the text, and pursue those answers.

Ask Questions Of Scripture

As we become spiritually inquisitive, we must ask questions of Scripture as we study it, such as:

• Who
• What
• Why
• When
• Where
• How

These questions are fundamental to reading in general; however, it is helpful to write the questions down and routinely ask them while reading the Bible, until this becomes a natural habit. For example:

Who: Who is the author of the text? Who was this text originally written to?

What: What exactly is being said? What does the writing mean? What is the theme or purpose of the writing? What is the historical background? What type of writing is this—narrative, prophecy, letter, sermon, song, prayer, quotation, etc.? What is the immediate context of the passage?

Why: Why was this written? Are there any purpose clauses (these typically begin with so, because, to, for, so that, etc., which help discern the author’s purpose in writing a specific text)?

When: When was this written or when will this promise be fulfilled? Are there any time references in the text such as before, after, until, then, etc.?

Where: Where was this text written? Where is the narrative taking place?

How: How does this passage connect with other teachings in Scripture? How should this passage be applied? How should I pray from this passage?

Develop An Eye For Details

While reading the text and asking questions, take note of details which may provide answers to the questions or prompt further questions. Specifically, focus on details such as:

• literary genre (narrative, poetry, prophecy, epistle, etc.)
• grammatical structure of a sentence or paragraph
• key words
• things emphasized by repetition, amount of space given to it, or the order (sometimes order shows priority)
• comparisons
• contrasts
• cause and effect
• explanations
• commands
• exaggerations
• foreshadowing
• promises
• applications
• doctrine
• going from specific to general (or vice versa)
• the end of a scene
• the plot
• the climax

As one practices searching passages for details, his or her eyes will begin to readily pick up noteworthy aspects that lead to interpretation and application. Secondary tools (like commentaries and systematic theologies) will help with training one’s eyes to do this, continually pointing the person back to specific aspects of the text and their meaning/application.

Find The Answers By Research

As these questions are asked and details are noticed, they will often inspire the Bible student to further research. This research might lead to reading the text over and over again, reading the surrounding text to establish context, consulting a study Bible or commentary, or directing questions to a more knowledgeable believer. Eventually, if not immediately, these practices will reveal the meaning of the text (interpretation) and how to apply it (life application).

Observation Tips

What are some tips to help with observation?

1. Saturate the study of Scripture with prayer. In Psalm 119:18, David said, “Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your law!” Like David, we should ask God to open our eyes before studying his Word and while studying it. We should also pray for grace to live out the truths learned from Scripture.

2. Read the text over and over again (including the surrounding context). Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV) describes how God blesses the person who delights in and meditates on God’s Word. The Hebrew word for “meditate” was used of a cow chewing her cud. A cow has a four-chambered stomach, and because of that, she chews, swallows, and regurgitates over and over again as the food works its way through each chamber. Cows do this in order to maximize extraction of nutrients. Similarly, we’ll find as we prayerfully re-read Scripture over and over again that God blesses such study. The Holy Spirit will extract maximum nutrients from the text to edify us. In referring back to the crime scene investigator illustration, often the investigator realizes that he’s missing something and, therefore, revisits the crime scene to look for further clues. We must also do that as we study God’s Word. And since Scripture is living and active (Heb 4:12), we will find that God continually meets us in the text, no matter how many times we’ve read it before.

3. Allow secondary materials to be secondary. The Bible is the primary source and the Holy Spirit is the guide. Consider commentaries, systematic theologies, Bible dictionaries, and any other secondary material, only after prayerfully meditating on the text. Allow the Bible tools to refocus one’s eyes on the text in a fresh way, in order to aid in finding meaning and application.

Conclusion

Are you prayerfully observing God’s Word—meditating on it to extract all the nutrients for your spiritual health? Or, are you simply reading Scripture, quickly skimming it, or neglecting it all together? If we are going to understand God’s Word, we must believe that all Scripture matters, develop a spiritually inquisitive nature, prayerfully ask questions of the text, begin to notice details, and research for answers. These are critical steps in discerning meaning and then applying it.

Reflection

1. In the reading, what aspect about observing Scripture stood out most to you and why?
2. How can we develop an inquisitive nature—one that seeks to understand and obey Scripture?
3. What types of questions should we ask when studying Scripture?
4. What types of details should we look for when studying the text?
5. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

There is a story of a young man who was looking for direction in life. “What should I do with my life?” he prayed. He opened his Bible and put his finger in it—hoping that God would give him direction. It landed on Matthew 27:5, which read, “Then he went out and hanged himself.” Perplexed, not understanding what the text meant for his life, he tried again. This time his finger landed in Luke 10:37, which read, “So Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” Becoming nervous, he tried one more time, with his finger landing in John 13:27. It read, “Jesus said to him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’” Though humorous, this story illustrates the dangerous ways in which some people are tempted to apply Scripture.

What are some principles that will help with applying Scripture? For both laymen and serious Bible students, application is often the hardest part of Bible study. Many people have left their devotions or a sermon struggling with the question, “What do I do with what I’ve learned?” Application is the “so what” after understanding what a passage means. It is taking a passage originally written to an ancient world and applying it in the contemporary world. In this lesson, we will consider principles that help with proper application.

Recognize The Dispensation

Throughout history, there have been appalling misapplications of Scripture, such as with early Americans burning witches during the Salem Witch Trials, or the enslavement of Africans. These tragic errors often happen, in part because when studying the Bible, people don’t recognize the different dispensations in Scripture and therefore misapply the texts. It has often been said, “Everything written in the Bible is written for us, but everything written is not necessarily written to us.” This is why recognizing dispensations, or epochs of biblical history, is so important.

Recognizing dispensations essentially means asking the question, “Am I part of the people to whom this portion of Scripture was originally written?” For example, Israel was originally called to practice the Sabbath by not working from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown. Those who broke this law were to be stoned (Num 15:32-36). Since Paul taught that we are not under the Old Covenant but under the New Covenant (cf. Rom 6:14), we as Christians don’t practice this regulation, and we certainly don’t stone anybody. In addition, the necessity of practicing certain dietary restrictions and festivals given to Israel were removed in the New Covenant (Col 2:16-17).

Recognizing dispensations is also important when considering prophetic literature. For instance, in Revelation 13, the Antichrist and his prophet command people to accept the mark of the beast, and those who won’t, cannot buy or sell. One must ask, “Has this prophecy been fulfilled or is it still anticipating future fulfillment?” If this passage awaits a later fulfillment, it would be wrong to directly apply this to people in the current dispensation by saying something like: “Do not accept ______ or you will have accepted the mark of the beast and therefore are under God’s judgment!” In addition, there are prophecies that only fit in the millennial kingdom—such as people living extraordinarily long lives during that period, and those who die before 100 years of age being considered accursed (Is 65:20). Again, since this passage awaits a later fulfillment, it would be wrong to declare that somebody who currently doesn’t live to 100 is cursed by God. To apply those promises to this age would be to misapply them. Recognizing dispensations is important for proper application.

If we are going to recognize dispensations, we must first ask, “What is a dispensation?” Dispensations are periods of time or stages in biblical history where God has given particular moral responsibilities to his people. A dispensation is often marked by:

• the giving of certain responsibilities
• a specific time period these responsibilities last
• the end of previous responsibilities
• the continuation of other responsibilities

What are some questions for us to ask in order to discern the dispensation of a passage?

• Who was the passage originally written to or intended for (Israel, the church, people during the tribulation, etc.)?
• Are the principles taught in this passage timeless, or do they apply only to the original audience or a specific future audience (such as with end time prophecy)?
• If the passage is prophetic, has the prophecy already been fulfilled?

What are the dispensation periods in the Bible and the regulations given in them? Below is a brief summary of commonly recognized periods:

1. Innocence (from the creation of man to the fall of man). Adam and Eve were called to tend the garden and to be fruitful and multiply. They were called to eat only plant life. The only clear prohibition given was to not eat of the tree of good and evil. This dispensation ended in Genesis 3, when man ate of the forbidden tree and sin entered the world.

2. Conscience (from the fall to the flood). God did not give rules to humanity during this time. Scripture records no “thou shalts!” or “thou shalt nots!” Humanity was ruled by their God-given moral conscience, which they clearly rejected (cf. Rom 2:14-15). Genesis 6:5 says, “But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.”

3. Human Government (from after the flood). After the flood, God established capital punishment for the death of a human, whether the murder was committed by another person or an animal (Gen 9:2-6). This represented the establishment of civil government. God told Noah that whoever shed the blood of man by man, his blood would be shed. In addition, God said that both plants and animals would be food for humans.

4. Promise (from the patriarchs). God chose to make a covenant with Abraham and his seed to bless the world (cf. Gen 12:1-3, 22:15-18, Gal 3:7). This was fulfilled in Israel, who became the stewards of God’s law and the temple. It was ultimately fulfilled through the promised Jewish messiah—Jesus Christ—who has truly blessed the world by providing a means of reconciliation with God through his death for sin and resurrection. This promise will be fulfilled completely when Christ returns and rules on the earth.

5. The Mosaic Law (from Mount Sinai to the cross). This covenant was established with Israel on Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and the law. God called Israel to be a priestly nation that would bless the world. Israel was required to obey the Mosaic law. If they did, God would bless them, and if they did not, God would curse them (Dt 28). The Mosaic law was perfectly fulfilled through Christ’s righteous life and death for sin, which paid the penalty for everyone’s sins (cf. Matt 5:17, Rom 10:4). The Mosaic law was temporary and ended upon Christ’s death (cf. 2 Cor 3:7-11).

6. Church (from Pentecost to the Rapture/Second Coming). In Acts 2, at Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit came upon the church—baptizing her, making her the body of Christ, and empowering her to serve the Lord (1 Cor 12:13). The church is a gathering of believers, Jewish and Gentile, together in one body. In Ephesians 3:4-6, Paul called this a mystery which was not fully revealed to past generations. This age will be marked by the gospel going out to the nations. It will continue until Christ raptures his church, giving each member a resurrected body.

(6b.) Tribulation (from the final years of the Church Age to the Second Coming or from Rapture to Second Coming). Historically, most believe that the church age will last until Christ comes, which would include the church going through the tribulation period. In the tribulation, Satan will deceive the nations through the Antichrist, and God will pour out his judgment on the nations (Rev 5-19). Then Christ will come, rapture his church, and judge the nations. This is called the historical premillennial view. However, one of the most popular views today is the premillennial dispensational view. They believe that the church age will end at the rapture, when Christ secretly comes to take his church to heaven before (or during) the seven-year tribulation. The tribulation will end when Christ visibly and triumphantly returns with his saints to rule and judge the earth.

7. The Messianic Kingdom (from the Second Coming to the Great White Throne of Judgment). According to Revelation 20, when Christ returns, he will judge the world and Satan, and then establish a 1000-year rule of peace. After this time, Satan will be let loose to deceive the nations into rebelling against Christ. Christ will destroy the rebels, and then unbelievers will be resurrected for their final judgment at the Great White Throne of Judgment, after which they will be cast into the lake of fire. Some interpret Revelation 20 as symbolically representing the church age, with Christ eventually coming to judge the world and Satan, and then ushering in the eternal stage. This is called the amillennial view.

8. The Eternal Stage (from the Renewal of the Heaven and Earth to Eternity). God will renew the heaven and earth through fire (2 Pt 3:10-13)—creating a new heaven and earth. The capital city of heaven, Jerusalem, will come to earth thereby making it heaven on earth. The nations of the earth will flock to Jerusalem, as God’s presence will abide there. There will be no evil, mourning, or death in the new heaven and earth (Rev 21-22).

Again, recognizing the dispensation is important to properly apply Scripture. Everything is written for us but not everything was written to us. With that said, all Scripture has applications, but they are not always direct applications, such as Israel stoning those who didn’t practice the Sabbath, or those living during the tribulation being warned about not accepting the mark of the beast, or, during the millennium age, those people who die before reaching 100 years of age being considered accursed. In those cases, we look for contemporary equivalents which correlate with the time frame we live in.

Find Contemporary Equivalents

The next thing we must do to apply a text is to find the contemporary equivalent. Keep in mind, there are varying degrees of contemporary equivalency, depending on the historical context. Sometimes the equivalency remains the same, as with truths like “do not lie, steal, or murder.” However, with commands or maxims such as not eating food offered to idols or not muzzling an ox while it treads grain, it becomes more difficult to discern. When considering contemporary equivalency, the closer we are to the same historical situation in the Scripture, the greater authority the application has. The further away, the less authority the application might have.

How can we find contemporary equivalents, especially when the ancient situations are so different? To help, here are some situations to identify and questions to ask:

Identify The People

Begin by identifying the people in the passage, the characters who are actively involved. Sometimes no specific individuals or groups will be named (such as when reading specific passages in Proverbs or Romans). Instead, focus on the author, the original audience, and God. Ask questions like:

• Who are the people in this passage?
• How are these people like people in my world or how do they represent situations in my world?
• What characteristics of these people do I see in myself or others?

Let’s consider the story of David and Goliath. Who are the people in that story? They are David, Goliath, Saul, Israel, and the Philistines. Considering each character’s role in the story will help with finding applications. For example, Israel (the people of God) might have applications for the church. Saul might have special applications for a spiritual or secular leader. The Philistines might have applications for the world and its ungodly influence. Goliath might have applications for a prideful person (or a difficult trial we encounter). David might have applications for any child of God. To whom do we relate most: the faithless Israelites, faithful David, the unbelieving and antagonistic Philistines, the scared leader, Saul, the proud giant, Goliath? How are the people in the story most similar to those around us? Identifying and considering the people is an important step towards application, especially when reading narratives.

Identify The Place

This step places the passage in its original setting—the historical and cultural context. The more one knows about the culture, history, and problems of the people in the passage, the more one will be able to find parallels to life today. Ask questions like:

• What is the setting of this passage?
• What are the significant details in the history, culture, and geography?
• What are the similarities to my world?

Is the context the Jews in the wilderness, as in parts of Exodus and the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy? Is the context the exiled Israelites serving in Babylon, as in Ezekiel or the book of Daniel? Understanding the context helps identify applications. For example, Israel’s years of wandering in the wilderness might have general applications to going through trials and waiting seasons. The Israelites’ being exiled in Babylon might have applications for working or going to school in a secular environment.

Identify The Plot

This step answers, “What’s happening in the storyline?” Usually, this can be discovered by knowing the context of the passage or the book. Ask questions like:

• What is happening in this passage? Is it persecution, war, trials, or false teaching?
• What is the conflict or tension?
• What would I have done in this situation?
• How is this similar to what is happening in my life or in the world today?

For example, in the book of Judges, the storyline is the recurring unfaithfulness of the Israelites, God’s discipline through hostile nations, Israel’s repentance, God’s deliverance through a judge, and the story repeating itself. As we consider the storyline in the book of Judges, we can apply this to ourselves personally, to our churches, and to our nations. We routinely repeat patterns of sin, discipline, repentance, and restoration. Israel’s example should remind us to turn away from sin and remain faithful to God. It should also help us be prophets to others who persist in those patterns.

Identify The Main Theme (Or Themes)

To do this, we should ask questions like:

• What was the message for the original audience?
• What were they supposed to learn?
• What did God want them to do?

Often, the theme of a book is clearly stated. For example, in 1 John 5:13, John says, “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” The major theme of the book is assurance of salvation—knowing that one has eternal life. Throughout the book, John provides tests of true salvation, which have very direct applications to Christians today. In other books, the theme is discerned by its repetition throughout the book. For example, in Philippians, the words “joy” and “rejoice” are used more than twelve times.¹ Therefore, having joy in the Lord is one of the main themes of the book. This theme stands out even more when considering the historical context: Paul wrote the book, while he was in prison, to Christians who were suffering persecution. Certainly, this theme should challenge readers to pursue joy in the Lord regardless of their situation, even as Paul encouraged the Philippians to do so. Understanding the theme of a book is important for discerning applications.

Identify Universal Principles

When studying a text, we should always look for universal principles. For example, when Christ was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he always countered with Scripture. Consider Matthew 4:3-4:

The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

We must ask ourselves, “What are the universal truths in this passage?” In order to defeat temptation in our lives, we must know God’s Word and directly apply it to specific temptations. If this is a timeless principle, we should be able to see it taught throughout Scripture, which we do. In Psalms 119:11, David said, “In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.” By memorizing Scripture, David was able to defeat specific temptations. We also see support for this universal principle in Paul’s call to take up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to stand against Satan and demons (Eph 6:17). Each specific Scripture is meant to help us defeat the devil in the specific way he attacks.

How do we find universal principles? We should ask questions like:

• What is the message for all mankind?
• What are the timeless truths?

To apply Scripture, we must identify the people, the place, the plot, the major themes of the ancient text, and find universal principles for our contemporary world.

Find General Principles By Broadening The Application Of Specific Ones

For example, in 1 Corinthians 9:9 and 14, Paul said this:

For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”

God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? … In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.

“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” was originally written to Israel in the book of Deuteronomy. Israel was a farming society, to which that passage directly applied. How might we apply the truth in that passage to contemporary society? Consider how Paul applied it: in the same way that an ox should be able to eat from the grain that he is laboring over, pastors should be able to make their living from preaching the gospel. Although we are New Testament believers, and not under the rule of Old Testament law specifically addressed to Israel, applications and abiding truths can still be applied. The specific contemporary application to not muzzle an ox would be for farmers to provide food for their laboring animals. But the general principle presented here is that a laborer is worthy of his wages, which applies to pastors or any other laborer.

Here is a contemporary illustration: if a wife asks her husband to pick up his shoes, the direct or specific application would be for him to pick up the shoes. But what is the general application which the wife really wants (one that a wise, discerning husband will understand)? The general application is that the husband not create more work for her by making a mess, which applies to more than just leaving his shoes lying around. Also, the wife is probably implying, “Help out around the house, please!” When deriving meaning from conversations, we go from specific to general all the time. We’re simply discerning the broader principle behind someone’s words.

Find The Sin Principle

Bryan Chapell, the former President of Covenant Seminary, calls this the “Fallen Condition Focus.” Since Scripture was written to sinners so they can become saved, and to believers so they can become holy (2 Tim 3:14-17), each text, whether explicitly or implicitly, exposes our spiritual brokenness. Consider the following texts:

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

1 Corinthians 10:11

For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

Romans 15:4

Through Scripture, God is pointing out people’s sin and calling them to salvation and righteousness. Therefore, to properly apply Scripture, we must identify the sin principle behind the text. We should ask, “In what way is God exposing the spiritual brokenness of the original audience?”

Even passages that deal specifically with encouragement or grace in a sense still reckon with sin. For example, Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” What is the sin that the Holy Spirit is identifying through this passage? The sin is their propensity to lack divine joy and to live in discouragement—as though God were not in control, working things for their good—and also how they probably sought joy in things other than God, which left them empty. Certainly, circumstances affected this: they were being persecuted (Phil 1:27), they had false teaching in the church (Phil 2:2), and they had discord (Phil 4:2); however, they could still have joy in Christ, regardless of their circumstances. Like the Philippians, we often lack joy in the Lord and often fail to seek it from him. We try to find our joy in other things, things that can never satisfy. This is what the Holy Spirit was seeking to expose and change in the original audience and in our lives.

Let’s consider another passage: What is the sin principle in Romans 12:2? It says, “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.”

The primary issue that the Holy Spirit seems to be addressing was the Roman Christians’ tendency to model the world and think like them. This is true of believers throughout history. Israel wanted to be like the ungodly nations: to be ruled by a king, worship idols, and practice their sexual ethics (or lack of). Similarly, contemporary Christians often look just like the world in their entertainment, language, dress, and ethics.

As we have seen, the sin principle is often clear in warning passages (like “do not conform to the world”) but it is also implicit within grace-filled passages. Philippians 4:13 says, “I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.” Implied in this verse is the fact that we often lack the ability to do what God has called us to do because we rely on our own strength instead of God’s. Paul was able to be faithful in prosperity or poverty because of Christ (cf. Phil 4:10-11), and the Philippians could find grace in their own circumstances through Christ as well. The sin principle is the believers’ tendency to not rely on Christ, but instead strive to do things through their own power.

How can we find the sin principle in any given Bible passage?

• Identify a key word which points out or implies sin.

In Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world,” the key word is “conform.” The believers were conforming to the world. In Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord! Again, I say rejoice!” The key word is “rejoice.” It implies a sin problem: a lack of joy in the Lord, or a lack of seeking joy in the Lord. In Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength,” the key word is “strength.” Because we don’t rely on God but instead seek to do things in our own power, we are often weak and discouraged. In the last two examples (Phil 4:4 and 4:13), the sin was implicit, not explicit; therefore, we simply considered the opposite of the key words. The opposite of “rejoicing” in the Lord is having a lack of joy from not abiding in Christ. The opposite of “strength” which comes from the Lord is weakness which comes from a lack of abiding in him. An implied sin can often be identified by considering the opposite of the key word.

Another example of this is Colossians 3:16, which says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.” The key word is “dwell.” In Greek, it means to “dwell as a resident.” Though this is not a warning passage, it implies that God’s Word is often more like a visitor in many believers’ lives rather than a resident. Because of this, they don’t experience the blessings of God’s Word indwelling them, such as teaching others with wisdom, singing to the Lord, and being thankful. The sin principle in Colossians 3:16 is the believers’ tendency to not dwell in God’s Word and how they, therefore, lack the corresponding fruits.

• Remember that the original audience had sin that needed to be remedied, whether it was unbelief, worldliness, pride, or willful rebellion, and so do we.

Some people only see the sin of others in Scripture and not the sin in their own lives. It’s like those who listen to sermons and think about how it applies to somebody else, without recognizing their own need for the message. Israel worshiped idols, but we have our own idols, even if they are our job, spouse, digital toys, clothes, or future plans, etc. To find the sin principle, we must remember that the Holy Spirit was trying to make the original audience holy in some specific way, as he is also doing in us. We must find that ‘holy burden’ in the text and apply it to our lives.

Find The Grace Principle

Just as there are underlying sin principles in every passage, often grace principles are present as well. Throughout all of Scripture, we encounter grace: evidences of God’s care and unmerited favor toward humanity. After Adam and Eve sinned by not trusting God, God gave the promise of the messiah. After the flood, God gave the rainbow. When Israel was in sin, he sent prophets. After the crucifixion, there was the resurrection. There is often grace to be found within a text.

To accurately discern the grace principle, we need to consider the context of the whole story. For example, while God is not explicitly named in the book of Esther, his fingerprints are clearly identifiable. We can recognize God’s sovereign hand in the unfolding events of the story. Was it mere coincidence, when the enemies of Israel had received permission to destroy the Jews, that the king was married to a Jewish woman and that her Jewish uncle had recently foiled a plot to kill the king? Certainly not. God providentially intervened to bring redemption for the Jews, as they were given permission by the king to destroy their enemies. Esther’s story demonstrates how God defends his people and uses all things (including evil) for their good (cf. 2 Thess 3:3, Rom 8:28, Eph 1:11).

Let’s consider Matthew 11:28-30 as another example:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

In this text, the grace principle is Christ’s promise to give rest. However, we must notice that this promise is conditional. Christ only bestows this grace upon those who come to him in salvation and serve with him (“take my yoke upon you”). Not everybody experiences Christ’s rest and, of those who do, some experience it to greater degrees, as they faithfully serve with Christ in reaching the world.

What are some questions that will help us identify the grace principle?

• What is God doing in the text, in view of the audience?
• Is the promise or work of God conditional or unconditional? For example, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5) is unconditional. “Think on these things, put them into practice and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:8-9 paraphrase) is conditional.
• How does it apply to me?

To apply, we should consider what God is doing in the text and if there are any promises that we should receive or pursue.

Understand Contemporary Culture (Cultural Exegesis)

Cultural exegesis is essentially being able to critically evaluate culture—understanding its norms, strengths, weaknesses, etc.—and apply Scripture to it. This is important so we can apply Scripture both to ourselves (as participants in a culture) and to the world around us.

Let’s consider an example: James 5:16 says, “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” If confessing our sins and praying for one another leads to healing, how does a people (and the culture they represent) fail to do this and miss God’s promises? Since the fall, people have lived with shame, leading them to spiritually, emotionally, and physically try to hide from God and from others. Unfortunately, this is true in our churches, as well. Many Christians lack open relationships with others, where they are confessing sin, praying for one another, and receiving God’s healing. In some ethnic cultures, like Asian ones, the concept of “saving face” is exceedingly powerful; the cultural requirement to “save face” can hinder transparent sharing and the healing God promises. Recognizing tendencies of a particular culture are critical for discerning applications.

To practice cultural exegesis, we must ask questions like:

• What are the greatest strengths of this culture?
• What are the greatest weaknesses of this culture?
• What are the opportunities in this culture?

These questions should be applied to a nation, a city, an ethnic group, an age group, a gender, a family, and even ourselves.

One obstacle to doing cultural exegesis, and therefore applying the Bible to our lives and others, is that sometimes it’s hard to identify strengths and weaknesses within our own culture. Often, we just accept norms of our cultural environment without questioning or weighing them against Scripture. However, to properly apply Scripture to ourselves and others, we must understand our own culture and the cultures of those God has called us to minister.

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, Paul said this:

For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law. To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.

Essentially, Paul did cultural exegesis—learning a culture and adopting non-sinful aspects of it in order to win the people of that culture to Christ. We must learn to do the same in order to effectively apply God’s Word to ourselves and those around us.

Develop An Action Plan

James 1:22 says, “But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.” If we are going to do what Scripture says, we must not only discern the application of Scripture, but also plan how to apply it. Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty.” It has also often been said, “To fail to plan is to plan to fail.” Therefore, if we are going to apply Scripture, we must make an action plan.

What are some questions and steps to help develop an effective action plan? We should ask ourselves:

• What does God want me to do about what I have learned?
• What steps will get me to that goal?
• What should be my first step?
• Whom should I seek to pray for me and hold me accountable in this process?

These plans will be conditional or unconditional, depending on the passage and our status. For example, Ephesians 5:25-27 says:

Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious—not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

For the husband who wants to love his wife by washing her with the Word, an unconditional action plan might be:

1. Approach his wife about considering a daily time to read God’s Word and pray together.
2. Ask spiritual leaders to recommend good devotional books to read with his wife.
3. Attend a good Bible-preaching church.
4. Ask a godly friend to hold him accountable in his seeking to be the spiritual leader of his family.

For a single woman hoping to eventually be married, she might have a conditional plan that starts with, “When considering a potential husband, I will look for a spiritual leader.” For a single man, his conditional plan might start with, “I will focus on growing spiritually first before pursuing a potential wife.”

The plans of the diligent lead to profit. If we’re going to apply God’s Word, we must make action plans—both conditional and unconditional ones.

Conclusion

What principles should one employ to find biblical applications?

1. Recognize the Dispensation. Consider the time period in biblical history, the audience, and if the text directly applies to the church.
2. Find Contemporary Equivalents. Consider the people, place, plot, and themes to find universal principles.
3. Find General Principles by Broadening the Application of Specific Ones. Learn to consider not only what is directly said but the implications of a matter.
4. Find the Sin Principle. Find out what aspect of our spiritual brokenness the Holy Spirit is seeking to reveal through the passage.
5. Find the Grace Principle. Find out how God is moving in the text and how he is asking us to trust him.
6. Understand Contemporary Culture (Cultural Exegesis). Think not only about the ancient world but the contemporary world as well, noting its strengths and weaknesses, and how Scripture speaks to these traits.
7. Develop an Action Plan. It is not enough to figure out an application; we must consider practically how to implement it and then follow through.

Reflection

1. In the reading, what principle stood out most to you and why?
2. What does the statement, “Everything was written for us but not to us,” mean?
3. What are the sin principle and the grace principle in Scripture? Are both always in the text? Why or why not?
4. Why is doing cultural exegesis important? How can we practice cultural exegesis in our families, workplaces, cities, or nations?
5. Why is it important to not only find Scriptural applications but also to make action plans after?
6. What other questions or applications do you have from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

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