Studying the bible is work. It is a blessing it is a desire, it is a command but it is work for many of us. Not everyone is blessed with the ability to sit down and read for long periods of time, or with the resources to have commentaries and multiple versions of the bible or seminary training. Many people feel they don't have the time, while others simply have no interest or don't find it important. There are all sorts of reasons we don't study the bible, I often fall victim to them myself. But all those things are not my heart right now.
Earlier today I found myself thinking about how could I really study something in the bible full throttle, with my whole heart soul body and mind. More applicably I thought of what sort of rabbit trails would that entail, what sort of tools and directions would it include if I felt like 10 million
dollars or my wife or my child were dependent on it.
Lets take a single verse, 1 John 2:1 (NASB)
"1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; "
1-Pray for the holy spirit to lead me in understanding and wisdom, the father to provide time and resources and patience with my study
2-Read the verse a few times...but really
3-Read the chapter. Each verse is part of a chapter, and verses taken on their own can be used to contradict other parts of the bible, make up doctrines and in general should be considered in light of the chapter...but really
4-Read the book. The books are written as a whole, many of them as letters, they are not really designed to be read separately taking things apart or used as chapters like you would a school text book...but really
5-Read everything that author wrote in the bible. There are all sorts of different authors in the bible, people who God worked through to write down His word, and because God did not simply make each of them a robot they have their own flavor, style of writing and words they use. We must understand the authors relation to his writings, and what he specifically means by the words he uses. The term belief or light might be used different by John then in some of the OT books...but really
6-Read the entire bible. Since the author is just a prophet of the true author of the book, it should be taken as a whole...meaning that a single verse isn't really able to be understood without the context and study and reading of the whole bible, as well as study into the individuals who wrote the bible, the times they were in, and what the words they used would have meant to the people they were shared with...but really
7-How far do we go into this cycle? Do we limit ourselves to the cultural means and grammar? Do we only let people with quadruple phds in Hebrew & Greek culture and grammar tell us what things mean? Do we only listen to other people and never ourselves?...but really
8-God gave us the bible and God gave us the Holy Spirit. Throughout the scriptures there is a principle of effort and desire, of seeking after the heart of God. It isn't about a specific man or a specific language or a specific class of person being able to give us the scripture. However it also isn't about all men simply opening up the bible and through what they call the holy spirit giving you their interpretations regardless of how they line up with the rest of the bible or church history.
I think there is a line somewhere in here, and I think this is where we have to rely on constant study, on the conviction of the Holy Spirit and on wise council. But the underlying question is Do you care.
Do you? Do you care about what the bible says? Do you want God to reveal Himself to you? Do you want to apply the Word to your life? Do you yearn to grab onto a deeper understanding of the Lord?
If we don't care about the Word, if we don't care about Gods commands, if we simply see our salvation and our relationship with Him as a reason to devote time when we feel like it to bible study or rules by which to encourage ourselves and others to go by when we feel convenient, then why would we care at all about the bible.
Our lives are called to be in the word constantly, eating it, holding it in our hearts, speaking it. How can we do that if we never spend time in it, how can we do those things if we view it as house maintenance, or car maintenance, or working out so we are healthy? We LOVE the Word as Christians. Christ was the fulfillment of the law and He was the Word made flesh, so do we not value this Word? In the world we would cherish a gift, something that simply reminds us of someone we care about; a wife's gloves, a husbands coat, a child's shoes, a favorite pets leash. How much more should we value the Word that tells us of the Word made flesh? of our God, our savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
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