The Essential Prerequisite for Bible Study

The Bible is the Book of life, the content of which is so powerful it can give and literally change lives. It is sharper than two-edged sword and capable of piercing to the deepest parts of the human heart thereby revealing its thoughts and intents (Hebrews 4:12). Accepting its truth leads to everlasting life while rejecting it leads to everlasting condemnation.

Why is the Bible so powerful and unique? How is it that it has lived through various vicious oppositions and several attempts to rid the world of it, yet it still survived till this day? This is owing to the God of the Bible, the Source of Scriptures. So, as you approach your Bible study, you must do so with this important truth in mind.

Bible study will mean very little or nothing to you until you are fully persuaded that the Bible is the Word of God. It is not just a Book that contains some of the Words of God, it is itself the representation of God and of His authority in this world.

Your Bible study must begin with your confidence in this truth, that is, God is the Source of Scripture, otherwise it will be fruitless. See also: How to Study the Bible.

It’s Time to Return to the Truth

There is no better time to have this conversation than now. The world has turned its back on the truth. And sadly, many believers and Church leaders are no longer taking any stand for the Scripture.

Some are doubting the validity of some parts of the Scriptures, while others are outrightly denying the fact that we can know anything for sure. It is therefore extremely essential for us to be reminded of how we got the Bible, the Word of God.

Though men were used to write the Bible, its contents are inspired by God. In other words, God transmitted His words to us through the human spokesmen and writers. These men were not the Authors of Scripture but the instrument used to record the Scripture.

The Source of Scripture is God

Every word written in the Bible is inspired by God (God-breathed). This is clearly stated in 2 Timothy 3:16 where we also see the roles that the Word of God will play in the life of those who read, believe, and obey it:

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

God gave us His words through inspiration. That means those human writers were inspired and moved by God to write all that they wrote.

2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

These “holy men of God” spoke and wrote the Words given to them by God. It is not my intention to address the process of inspiration in this study, but suffice is to say that these men did not write their own opinions. They recorded for us the words of God as He wanted us to have it.

The result of this is the Bible, the very Word of God, tried and true (Psalm 12:6), completed without errors and accompanied with God’s promise to preserve it for ever (Psalm 12:7).

The Scripture is Inerrant, Infallible, and Sufficient

Since God was fully involved in the process of recording and transmitting His words, the Scriptures reflect the attributes of God. As a result of this, two adjectives have been ascribed to the scriptures: Inerrant and Infallible.

The idea of inerrancy and infallibility is that the Bible, the Word of God is exempt from errors or mistakes. That is true based on Whom God has revealed Himself to be.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Psalm 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

In Jeremiah 10:10, the Bible says that “the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.” When Israel walked away from following God, they were said in 2 Chronicles 15:3 that they “hath been without the true God.”

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

The point is this, God is true, and He is the God of truth. And His Word which is the representation of Him shares the same attribute. You need not take my word for it, just listen to Jesus Himself declare the same thing. In John 17, Jesus was praying and says this in verse 14-17:

John 17:14-17 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The Scripture is Purified and Preserved

God is true and so is His Word, purified and preserved for ever.

Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

God has preserved His Word! We can count on that promise, read and apply the Word of God with confidence.

The Scripture is Sufficient

There is also one attribute of the Scripture that is often left out which is Sufficient. If God has really spoken through the Scriptures, by His Son (which He did – Hebrews 1:1-2), then the Scripture is sufficient. In other words, the Bible gives us all that we need to know about God.

You don’t get to know everything about God by reading the Bible, but you get sufficient details in the Bible to be whom God wants you to be. Therefore, when it comes to the matters of the knowledge of God and the way of salvation, all that you need is the Bible. It is simply sufficient!

1. It Affects How You Handle the Study

When you pick up the Bible, do you see it as being any different from any other Book, or is it just one among many books on your shelve?

Does the Bible keep you awake, or do you dose off reading it? This is not to say that we don’t sometimes get tired or become physically exhausted. But imagine yourself standing in the presence of a power king (or President, Prime Minister), does that look like a place of slumber, or the place where you check the notifications on the gadgets around you?

I don’t think so!

Have you ever thought of your Bible Study time as the time when God Himself, the Kings of all kings, is speaking to you?

The Seriousness of Study

In addition to taking Bible study times seriously, there are many who made Bible study the thing that they do only when they have some leftover time from doing all the stuffs that are important to them. In other word, Bible study is not a priority or a requirement, but only optional.

This will change as soon as you realize the source and nature of the Bible, and the purpose for which it exists.

2. It Affects How You Respond to the Truth

The Word of God was given to us that we might be changed by it. It is not that we might change it or make it fit into our own lifestyle or choices.

How do you feel about what the Bible says? Are the truths of Scripture some facts that are just good to know, or do you hold yourself accountable to them as the very words of God?

Let’s put this another way: What do you do when you are challenged by the Word of God, whether during your personal study or when listening to someone speak the Word? Do you find excuses and rationalize your bad behavior, or do you submit or yield yourself completely to its conviction and ask for God’s mercy?

How you respond is determined by how you view the Word of God. That is, what you think about the source, nature, and purpose of Scripture. But I want to tell you this: God reserves special favor and respect for those who tremble at His word:

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

3. It Affects How You Stand for the Truth

When you think about the truth of Scripture, does it sound like something for which you are willing to stand and contend? Are you confident in it enough to boldly declare and stand for it? Your reaction will be determined by your convictions concerning the source, nature, and purpose of Scripture.

The Neutral Generation

As our world is turning away from the absolute truth to personal and relative truth, many are losing their confidence in the Word of God. Many so-called evangelicals and followers of Jesus Christ are now agreeing with the world that the Bible is too extreme and divisive.

As a result of that, they are now avoiding some biblical truths that might offend people. That’s sad!

Some would often rationalize it this way: “I don’t want to impose my beliefs on anybody, so I’m not going to mention the Bible.” That, sadly, is the result of fear and lack of confidence in the word of God.

Here are some questions regarding that position: do you take the same position when it comes your opinions on some social or economic issues? What about politics and sports? In other words, have you ever had a strong opinion on anything and you made it known?

If your answer is yes, then you need to change your position regarding sharing and standing for the Word of God, both privately and publicly.

The Call to Share and Stand

The Bible calls us not only to share its truth but also to contend for it. Jesus Christ made this bold promise that “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20). Jude, in his Epistle, exhorts the believers to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3).

This is sometimes necessary because of the actions and influence of false teachers and their false teachings. But how much you will share, and how much you will stand and content will be determined by your confidence in not just the Scripture, but also the Source of Scripture.

Do you possess that confidence to share and contend for the Word of God?

The Bible is not a Book of the compilations of wisdom from which you can either choose or reject. It is the truth inspired by God, and all people, whether they agree or not, are subject to and will be held accountable to its content.

God exalts His Word more than His Name (Psalm 138:2). His Word, the Bible is the representation of Who He is and what He wants us to know about Himself.

Exit the Camp of the Fools

There is a reason why many people in the world do not want to believe in God. It is for the same reason the Bible is also being rejected or reduced to mere human writings. There is an implication to believing that the Bible is the true word of God. That makes the Bible an authority over you (since God is over all), and you are subject and accountable to it.

Well, those who do not want such authority over their lives, who want to be the king sitting on the throne of their own heart, have rejected God and His Word. They tried to convince themselves that God does not exit and that the Bible is not the word of God. By denying the truth, they wouldn’t have to deal with their conscience.

But we know this is not working. The truth is still the truth, even if the majority rejects it. It is still the truth, even if all the experts try to explain it away with their scholarly researches and publications. The Bible says this about them: “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

Foolishness is part of both the cause and the result of rejecting God (See Psalm 14:1).

Enter the Camp of the Wise

Do not join the camp of the fools this year who have rejected the truth. Instead, you should embrace the truth. Make Bible reading and study the most important thing you do this year. As you do, be open minded, and God will reward your effort. He will reveal Himself to you through His Word in a marvelous way.

Do not approach the Bible with the mindset that it not true, or that it is a bunch of human ideas. You will not find God that way. Do you know why, because the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

If you diligently seek God through His Word this year, I guarantee you will find Him. And it will be the most rewarding thing you ever do.

Conclusion

Knowing the source, nature, and purpose of the Bible will transform your study of it and embolden your stand for it. The Bible is given that we may know God, be changed, and change the world by the knowledge of God. Let this truth always go with you in your studies.

See also: How to Study the Bible.

Thank you for reading!