2 Timothy 2:15
How to Study the Bible
Read carefully. Understand in context. Respond faithfully.
- 01
Read the whole passage
Read the paragraph before and after a verse. Identify the speaker, audience, occasion and purpose before applying it to yourself.
·In Philippians 4:10-13, what circumstances explain verse 13?
- 02
Notice the kind of writing
Narrative, poetry, wisdom, letters and prophecy communicate differently. Read ordinary statements plainly, and recognize figures of speech as figures rather than forcing wooden meanings.
· ·What does the shepherd picture communicate in Psalms 23?
- 03
Observe before explaining
List repeated words, contrasts, commands and connections. Distinguish what the passage says from an inference or a question you still have.
·What contrasts do you observe in Ephesians 2:1-10?
- 04
Let Scripture interpret Scripture
Compare passages on the same subject. Do not use an isolated phrase to overturn a clear teaching. Cross references support reading in context; they do not replace it.
·How do Romans 3:28 and James 2:14-18 describe faith and its fruit?
- 05
Use original-language tools carefully
A word's meaning depends on its use in the sentence. A dictionary lists possibilities, not meanings that all apply at once. Do not build a doctrine on a word's root alone.
·Does the surrounding sentence support the meaning you chose?
- 06
Apply what you have understood
Ask what the passage teaches about God, what it calls its hearers to believe or do, and how that applies faithfully today. Ask for wisdom and respond in obedience.
·What specific response follows from this passage, rather than from your preferences?
Note: These are study principles, not quotations of Scripture. Sources: the cited passages; Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article I. Bible Roadmap does not interpret unfulfilled prophecy.
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