Building A Bible Study Library

Basic Principles of Bible Study

1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

3. There is one meaning per passage and per word. "Interpretation is one, application is many."

4. Meaning should be ''literal"' (the plain sense) unless shown to be otherwise.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

3. There is one meaning per passage and per word. "Interpretation is one, application is many."

4. Meaning should be ''literal"' (the plain sense) unless shown to be otherwise.

5. Meaning is determined by careful consideration of both historical contexts and the literary / logical contexts within the book.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

3. There is one meaning per passage and per word. "Interpretation is one, application is many."

4. Meaning should be ''literal"' (the plain sense) unless shown to be 0therwise.

5. Meaning is determined by careful consideration of both historical contexts and the literary / logical contexts within the book.

6. The Analogy of Faith: The teaching of the whole Bible determines specific interpretations.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

3. There is one meaning per passage and per word. "Interpretation is one, application is many."

4. Meaning should be ''literal"' (the plain sense) unless shown to be 0therwise.

5. Meaning is determined by careful consideration of both historical contexts; and the literary/ logical contexts within the book.

6. The Analogy of Faith: The teaching of the whole Bible determines specific interpretations.

7. The final authority of competent interpretation must be the original languages.

Basic Principles of Bible Study 1. Not all passages of Scripture are equally clear.

2. The clearer passages should interpret the less clear passages.

3. There is one meaning per passage and per word. "Interpretation is one, application is many."

4. Meaning should be ''literal"' (the plain sense) unless shown to be 0therwise.

5. Meaning is determined by careful consideration of both historical contexts; and the literary/ logical contexts within the book.

6. The Analogy of Faith: The teaching of the whole Bible determines specific interpretations.

7. The final authority of competent interpretation must be the original languages.

8. It is the Bible as a whole, and not the church, or any authority outside of Scripture that has the final authority.

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

You & The H.S

The All Important Circles of Context

Hermeneutics: “The Science and Art of interpreting the Scriptures guided by the

Holy Spirit”

1. Grasp the Text in its biblical town.

2. Measure the distance to be crossed

3. Cross the Principlizing Bridge

4. Grasp the text in our Town  

What did the text mean to them?

What does it mean to me?

How can I share what it means to me to you?

Building a Bible Study Library l Have a Plan!! l Be systematic l Add Books Gradually

l  As Your Skills Develop

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries

Should be your first priority!!

Other good Study Bibles include The NASV and NIV Study Bibles, MacArthur’s Study Bible, and The Thompson Chain Reference.

The ESV Study Bible • 2,752 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources

• 20,000 notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.

• Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.

• Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color.

• 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes and an extensive concordance.

• 200 color charts, located throughout the Bible, provide clear, concise presentations of essential information.

• 40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.

ESV Study Bible Online

Purchase of the ESV Study Bible gives free access to the complete Online Version which has the full content of the print edition, plus additional features including the ability to add personal notes and textual highlighting, the ability to search and follow interactive links between all the notes, charts, articles, etc. contained in the print version, and you can listen to audio readings of the Scripture texts as well.

Using a Study Bible •  Read the text of the Bible first. Meditate upon the text and read it with care. Apply

your own knowledge of the Bible in order to understand the particular text within its context and place in the biblical story-line. A first principle of interpreting the Bible is to interpret the Bible by itself text by text.

•  Look carefully at the cross-references linked within the study Bible to this passage. Read the referenced verses. This assistance is still the main contribution of the Study Bible -- making related and parallel passages more accessible.

•  Use the Concordance for word studies and to find other related passages.

•  Take full advantage of the notes, articles, maps, charts and other helps. A Study Bible functions as a basic Bible dictionary or encyclopedia. Most study Bibles offer some level of commentary within the notes. Remember that it is the Bible that is inspired, inerrant, and infallible -- not the study materials. Therefore, judge the notes by the biblical text, and never the other way around.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries

in the version of the Bible you use for Study is valuable. It should be keyed to Strong’s numbers. It can help you to see how the original Greek and Hebrew words are translated and their range of meanings and contexts.

Other useful Concordance works include Nave's Topical Bible, Torrey's Topical Textbook, and The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Determining Meaning: Words The basic bricks of language are words. Word meaning is very important. It must be remembered that words do not always have the same meaning in different contexts, they change in meaning with time and culture changes. And Translated words frequently do not have the same group of meanings as their original counterparts. Ways to determine meaning include

Examination of the etymology of a word (roots, prefixes, suffixes, compound words, etc.)

Comparatively (ways it is used in various contexts) Comparison with synonyms Determining its cultural usage as opposed to classical meaning.

There are all sorts of lexical aids available for Bible student.

Exploring the Range of Word Meanings with a Concordance

Words in one language do not have exact correspondence of meanings as the words used to translate them. A Greek or Hebrew word may require several difference English words to cover its meanings and

an English word may have meanings not included in the Original word.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries

helps to unlock, understand, and gain further revelation about the history and culture of biblical times.

Other good Dictionaries include The New International, The Tyndale, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia, and the

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)�

The difference between a “Dictionary” and an “Encyclopedia” is the length and (sometimes) the depth of the articles. A“Handbook” is a condensed dictionary.

Determining Meanings: Basic Units • The basic unit of speech is the sentence, with its basic parts the words.

• However it is best to consider the basic unit of the concept or meaning to be the paragraph. The paragraph is the context of the sentences in it.

• Different literary Genre have their basic literary units too: Episodes in Narrative, Strophes in Poetry, Oracles in Prophecies

1. Simple "diagramming of sentences 2. Always look to the preceding and following verses. 3. The more complex the grammar, the more precision is possible in meaning. 4. Always take in consideration the passage’s Circles of Contexts

Determining Meaning: Styles

Epistles Reading a letter

Narrative: Listen to His story

Poetry Emotions poured

out

Gospel & Acts Witnessing Jesus' teaching

Parables & Figures of speech

Law Principles for Living

Wisdom

Prophets Forthtelling His Character

Types & Symbols God's Pictures

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

A Word Study Dictionary Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries Vines Expository Dictionary is one of the best ways to get access to the original vocabulary of the Bible for those not familiar with Greek or Hebrew. It is keyed to Strongs as well.

Vincent’s Word Studies and Robertson’s Word Pictures are also helpful NT Refs.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries These are very useful for grasping three key issues: the historical background, literary analysis, and the theological message of particular books of the Bible,

and also help provide understanding as to the different ways they have been interpreted.

Determining Meanings: Contexts

Every text without a context is a PRETEXT!

The Logical/ Literary Context requires consideration of the passage in its immediate context as well as within the literary structure and argument of the book of the Bible in its sections and as a whole. Break down the whole into its sections or paragraphs, summarizing each one briefly. And then try to determine how your passage fits into these.

The Historical Context: the author, his audience, historical and cultural situations – anything outside the text that will help you to better understand it. Bible Handbooks, Introductions, Surveys, Histories, Commentaries, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias are helpful here.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries

Biblical Geography does more than show us “Where?” It puts Biblical events into their historical, ecological and socio-cultural contexts.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Studies : Vines

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference Biblical Theology

Commentaries These basic guides summarize the Bible’s teaching on particular doctrines and point you to where they

are taught in the Bible.

Building a Bible Study Library A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Study Dictionary

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology Commentaries

These books help us understand how the Bible’s teaching progressively develops and comprehend the unity of what

the Bible reveals to us about God and His works.

Building a Bible Study Library

A Good Study Bible

An Exhaustive Concordance

A Bible Dictionary

Word Studies : Vines

Introductions

Geography and Customs

Bible History

Doctrinal Reference

Biblical Theology

Commentaries?

There are good One Volume Commentaries

There are several paperback Study Guide series such as The Bible Speaks Today, The Tyndale OT/NT

Commentaries, etc. Commentaries on individual books can be

purchased as needed for your study. Remember that “Every Commentator is guilty until proved innocent!”

Do your own study first!