How to Study the Bible, Part 2

Bible Study Expectations

People have many reasons for studying the Bible.  Christians read the Bible because they expect some sort of impact on their lives.  This is a good expectation to have every time one reads the Bible.  In fact, the Bible places this expectation on Christians. In James 1:22-24, we read: 

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."

Step 4: Application

Effective Bible study is not only about finding meaning.  That's really important.  But it's how that truth affects us that can make Bible study worthwhile.  James is capitalizing on this reality of Bible study.  There is a way to study the Bible that can cause us to lack any meaningful encounter with God and the world around us, namely by hearing it.  Hearing is essential; but hearing without doing is futile.  Doing, or obeying, God's Word ingrains truth in our minds and hearts so we don't go away forgetting what it says.  Therefore, a primary purpose of Bible study is application.   I define application as the ability to take spiritual truths and react to them in such a way so as to lead to deeper conformity to Christ. 

Christians should expect a supernatural encounter with God--in varying degrees--every time we read the Bible. In other words, each time I study the Bible, I will encounter God since he has chosen to reveal himself through his Word.   Applying a biblical text is simply one way we encounter God and become more conformed to the image of Christ.  

Obstacles to Bible Study Application

1. Spiritual Blindness

Application is not easy. There are many obstacles to correctly applying a biblical text.  First, there is spiritual blindness--we can't see the truth because we don't have the right glasses.  Each time we look to a text, we must do so in faith with spiritual eyes.  Spiritual people can discern spiritual things because they have the Holy Spirit.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Without spiritual glasses it's impossible to see the light. 

2. Unwillingness to see our own sin

Failure to apply a biblical text can also be caused by are unwillingness to see our own sin.  Christianity has a counter-intuitive way of bringing people to spiritual fulfillment compared to other systems of belief.  In modern day religion, the key to unlocking spiritual success is by focusing on the inner-you, your "true" self.  You possess hidden potential that is waiting to be unleashed.  It teaches that humanity is basically good and that most problems are external, not internal.  Christianity teaches that our biggest problem is our self--it's internal. We are our own greatest enemy in the sense that we are wicked to the core of our being.  Because we are wicked, God's wrath is unleashed against us, and the only solution is not to follow our heart, it's to completely replace it.  When we read a biblical passage that points out sin in our life, it will take a new heart to acknowledge it's presence and eradicate it. 

3. Not enough time to think about application

A less spiritual reason, but still significant, is the lack of time we spend combing through the application of biblical texts.  When Peter saw Jesus transformed in Mark 9, he wanted to set up a tent so that he could just  gaze upon the beauty of Christ.  But Jesus wasn't so keen on the idea--there was much more work left to be done.  We must stay and gaze upon the beauty of Christ in our Bible reading. And we must work hard to see how Christ's beauty connects with our lives, lest we think that being enamored of Christ is somehow separate from striving to be like him.  

Questions for Bible Study Application

What then are some questions we should ask when we approach a biblical text in order to apply it to our lives? Here is a list of 11 questions:

1. Does this passage point out sin in my life for which I need to confess and repent?

2. What assumptions does this passage have that I don’t share?  Or that I share but don’t necessarily live by? 

3. Is there a command to obey that I see in this passage?  What are the ways in which I’m not obeying it?  What’s keeping me from obeying it fully?

4. Is there encouragement for me in this passage?

5. Is there a promise in this passage from God that holds true for me?

6. Does this passage teach me something about who God is?  

7. Does this passage help me understand something about myself?

8. What evidence for my faith does this passage give me?  How does it help me trust God’s promises?

9. What am I going to do differently because of my time in this passage?

10. How can I model or share or teach this truth so that others are also encouraged by it?

11. What application does this passage have for us as a family (if you’re married) or as a church? 

Here is a downloadable grid with these questions and spaces to fill in your responses: