How to Study the Bible

2 Timothy 2:16 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” Now isn’t it interesting that Paul, after telling us to study the Word of God in verse 15, tells us what not to do in verse 16. He says, “Here’s what you ought to be talking about. Here’s what you ought to be doing. You ought to be studying the Word of God.” The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 4, “Study to be quiet.” Paul said “I want you to talk about Jesus but I don’t want you to become involved in vain babblings.” Now what does the word vain mean? Empty. Babblings mean nonsensical talking. You know there’s a lot of people that talk about nothing. People can talk and talk, and how many know that when we’re with each other (listen to me) we ought to leave one another’s presence with more of God? If your life is not inspiring somebody else to love God, something is wrong. I don’t mean talking in tongues, I mean living for Jesus, pure and godly and right. It’s an attitude. The kingdom of God is not meat or drink, it’s the ability to produce peace, joy and righteousness in every situation. That’s an attitude. We ought to have attitudes of gratitudes! the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15 that we are to study (underline the word study). When I read a verse, I look for the key words. The three key words in 2 Timothy 2:15 are study, approved and rightly divide. He said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Now, I want you to imagine for a moment 2 people that are standing outside in the dark and one person standing there with an extension cord and a 100 watt light bulb in his hand. The other individual is standing a few feet away and he has a little flashlight with a 25 watt bulb in it. Now one’s got a 100 watt bulb, but It’s just a bulb. The other one’s got a flashlight with a 25 watt bulb. Who’s going to see the furthest? The flashlight. Why? Because the light is confined. The light is controlled. You see, a lot of people come to Jesus and they are shining like beacons. You know, “Halleluia! Glory to God! I’ve been saved.” They go on that way and there’s a glow about them and they tell you about the power of God, and they go on 1,2, 3,4,8 years, but there is no fruit in their lives. Nothing really becomes of them. I’m going to tell you why that is, beloved. Because you can’t just be baptised in the Holy Ghost without the Word. The Word of God will channel that power. It’s not enough to say, “I’ll pray in tongues 4 hours a day and I’ll witness to people.” That’s wonderful, that’s great. “Pastor, you talked before about giving 15 percent off to Christians, I don’t charge them anything.” Wonderful, that’s wonderful. But you are only as effective for God as you have a knowledge of His Word. There are many young preachers today that are sitting on the sidelines. God can’t use them because they refuse to discipline their lives. Discipline is the key to obedience. Discipline. Oh, how we hate that word. We are so unorganised, like jelly fish spread all over the place. God said, “I want you organised.” Discipline.

STUDY IT!
All right, now, not anywhere in the Word of God does it say to read. It never says that we are to read the Bible. Did you know, Jesus never said read the Bible. David never said read the Bible. Elijah never said read the Bible. The Bible never says to read the Bible, it says to STUDY it. This is not some book that some degenerate, reprobate professor made up. God wrote the book. How many know what the word Bible means? It means ‘The Book’. that’s ultimate. There it is, The Book. Isn’t that just like God? Just call it The Book. God says it’s The Book; singular, there is no other book but The Bible. it’s the only book God recognises. Amen! Now, the Bible says to study to show yourself approved. The word study comes from the Greek word spoudaios. It means a few things;

a) to hasten to do a thing;
b) it is to exert one’s self;
c) to give diligence to.

Folks, listen to me. You can only get out of the Word of God what you put into it. If you have an apathetic, lethargic, lazy attitude towards the Word of God, you will never be blessed of God. In fact, these meetings won’t bless you. You can come to a meeting until you get what I call ‘preacher hardened’ .You can say, “Oh, halleluiah! Glory to God! The Pastor preaches the Word of God. My church is great.” But in your heart you’re going nowhere with God. You’re preacher hardened because you have no personal devotional life in the Word.
The Bible says study, that is, hasten to the Word of God. Exert yourself towards the Word Of God. Give diligence toward the Word of God. Now, somebody said, “Time must be set aside for the Bible.” Lord, I ask you to anoint that to your people. Time must be set aside for Bible study. You say, “I don’t have time.” Well, you will never have time unless you make time. I’ll tell you what the Holy Ghost said to me one day. He said, “Time for the important things in life is never found, It’s made.” We find time to ride motorcycles, time to read the newspapers, time to watch the boob tube, time to cook; we find time to talk on the telephone, but we can’t find time for the Word of God. That is hypocrisy. That is outright hypocrisy and it is a lie and a sin to the Holy Ghost. Don’t tell me there’s not time for the Word of God. Time is never found for the Bible, it must be made. Now somebody said, “Brother, I don’t have the time. Well, I can’t gets set time.” Do we have a set time that we eat? We do. Do we have a set time that we go to bed? Yes, we do. Do we have a set time to watch our favourite television programme? Yes, you do. You have a SET time you take a shower. You have a SET time you brush your teeth. You have a SET time to brush your hair. Why is it that when it comes time to the most important thing in life, we cannot find time? Something is wrong. You see, the devil doesn’t fight you when you brush your teeth. The devil doesn’t care how fat you get. He’ll let you eat 5,000 meals a day, but he wants. you to make excuses for the Word of God. It’s wrong! it’s wrong! Set a time for that Bible. You know, sometimes I feel like quitting. I said to one of my workers, “Brother, does anything I preach get across to God’s people?” I pray God it does. I look at some of you and I say, “Are they going to become anything in life? I want you to take what I’m saying tonight and make it real. Now husbands, let me tell you something You don’t need to read with your wife. There’s so many excuses. “Pastor, my wife and I really have to get together.” You don’t have to get together with your wife. God wants you alone with Him. You can pray with your wife and read with your wife and you ought to have that type of relationship but listen, brother, God wants to get your ear once in awhile. God wants you alone with Himself. You’re His child. He wants you alone. There are times God has told me, “Tell your wife to go into the next room, I want to talk to you.” I love to pray with my wife, we pray wonderfully together, but God wants you alone. I’m talking to every one of you. Don’t you make any excuses and leave here tonight and say, “I can’t find time.” if you’ve got to cut out dinner, you’ve got time right there. If you have got to cut out breakfast, you’ve got time right there. You don’t need all that breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks in between. You’ve got time.. turn that television off. You don’t have to throw it out. Pull the plug out and reverse it until you’ve got dominion over it. This Is truth tonight. Somebody needs to tell it like It is. Somebody said, “When I read the Bible, I can’t understand it.” They say a third grader can understand the Bible and I know that every newspaper is geared for eighth grade readers. That’s a whole bunch of excuses. You see, the newspaper doesn’t challenge your life. The newspaper doesn’t do anything for you, it’s a filthy rag. You know what It Is? it’s the devil’s news and he’s broadcasting It. He just kills, murders, rapes people and then he talks about it and you pay 25-40p to read and say, “Isn’t this terrible.” Why don’t you get out the Bible, it’s more up to date than tomorrow’s newspaper and it won’t depress you, it will get you up. Say amen somebody. You come back from church and the Sunday newspaper is there. You know you re not going to read that thing In 5 minutes. I want to tell you this, God wants you in His Word. God wants you in His Word. I’m not telling you that reading the paper is a sin. God wants you in His Word and it’s time to put away all the excuses. I believe God is sick and tired of the sloppy excuses. I really believe that He is. I believe that judgement is going to begin in the house of God. Some people are going to be sitting down (while others are going on with God) and saying, “Why is he going on?” It’s because he has made time while you were sitting around looking for it. Don’t you ever say again that you don’t have time. You have the time, you need to make the time and cut out the nonessentials in your life until Jesus is Lord, and real. That Bible needs to be read every single day. Don’t tell me you don’t have time. God will give you strength. You’ve got to want it more than anything else in life. You see, if you don’t want it, you find a million excuses for it. Then you know why God doesn’t bless you on your job, why God doesn’t bless you In your marriage? Because you are negligent towards His Word. Your attitude towards the Word of God determines your life. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” You’ll never be prosperous, you’ll never have good success, you’ll always be saying, “Oh me, oh my, how unblessed I am", if your attitude towards the Word of God is lazy. The greatest sin I fight in the church today is not sexual sin, it is not money sin, It is the sin of laziness. God’s people are asleep. People are asleep, dead asleep. Listen, mister, God doesn’t want you making any resolutions. I don’t want you to get up and say, “Yea, you’re right Pastor. I came here and my heart was really convicted and I’m going to try to do better.” You might as well forget that. God doesn’t want you making resolutions. You need to repent. You’ve sinned against the Holy Ghost. You need to repent. It’s a sin against God! God commands us to study His Word, and when we break a commandment, It requires repentance. The heart has got to be broken up and God has got to move In that life and give a conviction. You don’t need to make a resolution, you need a conviction of God. Get into that Word. Then, just don’t do it for a week, don’t do it for a month. Let it become part of your life. Let it become like eating. You won’t even think about it. You’ll just say, “Praise God, I’ve got to get Into the Word now.” It’s life, life, life. You see, Jesus said, “I am the Way.” First it’s got to become the way. Then, when you get convicted that it’s the truth, you’ll find it becomes life. That’s always the progression of God for anything He does in your life. You’ve got to recognise it as the way, accept it as the truth and flow in it as life. Halleluiahs to the Lamb of God
All right now, we’ve covered the first aspect; that is that, first of all we have to have a desire to study. That means you need to give diligence to the Bible. It says, “Study to show yourself approved.” I want you to look at that word Approved. Approved comes from the Greek word dukemus, and it means this:

a) to be tried,
b) acceptable (study to show thyself acceptable), and
c) to be of reputation.

How many know the Bible says there were those in the Old Testament that were of reputation. How many of you want to be of reputation with God? I want the devils to know who I am. Paul was of reputation. When the unsaved sons of Skeva tried to cast a devil out of a demon possessed man, the demons turned around and said, “Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you?” You know why those men were not in reputation? Because they didn’t know God’s Word and have a love for it. Listen, if you want a reputation with God, you need to get into His Word. The Bible says, Study to get a reputation with God. Dukemus. Study to be acceptable in the sight of God. “Pastor, you mean God won’t accept me if I don’t study?” No. He will, He loves you, but you’re not useful, God will never use you. You’ll be another one of those butterflies that does nothing for God but take up space in His house. I’d rather have you study God’s Word than give your money. Your money I can live without, but if we fail here to inspire you to love the Word of God, we’ve lost everything. Men, I want to tell you something. God is holding you responsible for your home, not your wife. Amen If your kids are old enough to read, they’re old enough for a Bible study now My kids don’t like to eat, so I’ve got to sit down with a spoon and feed them. That’s true. “Oh, Pastor, you’re forcing your children.” Well sure, if your kid was falling off a cliff, would you yank him up? This new philosophy today, don’t force them, ..my God in heaven, where have we come from? Well, we know where we come from; I know where the world’s going.. .in the wrong direction.
So now we know that the Bible says, “Study to show yourself approved.” You will never have a reputation with God if you don’t study. Study that Word, give diligence to it. The Bible says, “Study to show thyself approved unto man?” Unto who? Come on, how many know that it doesn’t matter how many people know how much you study. How many know it doesn’t matter how many people know how many Bible verses we can quote? Don’t study to show yourself approved to man, to show people how much you know. My God, God will never open up spiritual revelation. We study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman. We are workmen, we are not sleeping men, we are workmen In the vineyard, in the household of God. “Study to show thyself approved of God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed.” Do you know you have no need to be ashamed. When you know the Word of God, there’s nobody that can ask you a question that you don’t know. I have had college professors from Stony Brook University sit down with me and ask me questions (and I’m not smart, but I know God’s Word), and I was able to tell them, “This Is what God’s Word says.” They were lust astounded. You know, the Bible says that the Saduccees and the Pharisees could not withstand the wisdom of Jesus. You know that all the orators and all the people back then that were brilliant could not withstand Stephen. The Bible said they could not withstand his spirit for they saw his face as the face of an angel. The Bible said he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Listen, when you are filled with the Holy Ghost and know that Word, there’s nobody that you can’t answer. You don’t ever have to be ashamed. You wit know what you are talking about. You don’t have to reason with these people, you know what God’s Word says and you’ll know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
God’s Word is the final authority of every situation in life. If you need an answer, it’s in the Book. The Bible says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed.” Here is the kingpin … rightly dividing the Word of truth. Thank God for the truth. The Bible admonishes us that if you’re going to study the Word of God, you cannot study the Bible arbitrarily. You cannot study the Bible haphazardly The Bible needs to be approached in 3 major ways. There are 3 ways that I understand (there might be others) to rightly divide the Bible. Rightly dividing the Bible. Rightly dividing - orthos Is rightly in Greek. The word divide conies from a similar Greek word, orthotomeo. Now orthos means this, straight, a straight manner, or correct. There’s a wrong way to read the Bible and there’s a right way to read the Bible. Rightly dividing and the word dividing means to dissect or to make a straight cut. When you read the Bible, you need to make a straight cut.
Somebody I was counselling the other day kept on telling me what their situation was, I kept on telling them what the word said. I said, “Look, you’re not looking for a solution, you’re looking for justification.”

You Must Be Filled With The Holy Ghost
Three ways to rightly divide the Bible. First, you must be filled with Holy Ghost. If you aren’t filled with the Holy Ghost, you’re out. “Pastor, why do I have to be filled with the Holy Ghost to know the Bible?” Because the Holy Ghost wrote the Bible. “How do you know the Holy Ghost wrote It?” The Bible says the Holy Ghost wrote it. “Where does the Bible say the Holy Ghost wrote it?” 2 Timothy 3:16. Turn there. Look at verse 15, parents, check this out. This is going to change you. Paul was talking to Timothy. He said, “That from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures.” When did Timothy know the scriptures? From a child. When are we going to teach our children? At home and in school as a child they are going to know the Word. He said, “That as a child thou hast known the scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” That should make you shouting’ happy. In verse 16 he says, “all scripture”. I don’t care what kind of attack is coming on the Bible today. the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Now watch this, “It’s profitable for doctrine” (that is teaching) “for reproof. for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be mature, thoroughly furnished unto every good work.” You know what every good work means? That means your home, that means your lob, that means your business, that means children, that means your ministry. You know what the word furnished means? When you get saved, you’re like a house with no furniture in it. God’s got to put the furniture in and that furniture is the Word. You will be thoroughly furnished. I like the kind of house you walk in and wherever you fall, you fall on a couch, that is a thoroughly furnished house. And God wants you thoroughly furnished unto every good work. There should be no situation that you don’t know what to do, when you know God’s word. “Pastor, pray for me, I don’t know what to do.” I don’t have to pray for you, get the Bible out. Study that book, you’ll know what to do in every situation. Look at verse 16, all scripture is given by what? The word inspiration (write this down) In Greek is God-breathed. How did we get the scripture? God breathed on his servant. “oh, Pastor, do you really believe that the Bible is written by God?” Yes, I do, every jot and tittle, every comma, God wrote It.
The Bible says that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, it’s God breathed. You can’t understand the Bible until you are filled with the Holy Ghost; God wrote it. How did God write it? He wrote it through men. I had a professor tell me that men wrote the Bible. I said, “I agree with you, they did. But God breathed on them.” Just like my secretary, I tell her what to write.
The first thing is that you’ve got to be filled with the Holy Ghost, Is that clear? You’ve got to be in the Spirit to understand the Spirit. Some people have tried to understand the book of Revelation but they are not where John was. Where was John? On the Isle of Patamos? No! He was in the Spirit. John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.”

Prayer
Secondly, you must approach the Bible in an attitude of prayer. “Brother, it’s 6:00 and I’ve got to get to the Word of God. I was late at the office, the boss was on my case; honey, get me the Bible, forget supper God bless me. It doesn’t work.” Did you ever try eating when you’re not hungry? It doesn’t work, Do you understand what I’m saying? You cannot eat God’s word If you are filled with nervousness. We’ve got to stop presenting a hectic Christ. How are you going to get anything out of God’s word like that? You can’t do that. You can’t watch television for 4 hours and then pray in tongues and have the Lord anoint your mind.
You’ve got to approach God’s word reverently. This Is not the TV Guide. This is not the Daily News. You can’t understand the Bible through natural means. The Bible Is not a natural book. It is a supernatural book, therefore, you must be in a supernatural state of mind. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean if you’re going to go in water, you’re going to get wet and If you’re going to go into the Bible, you’ve got to be in the Spirit. I’m not saying that if you don’t pray that you can’t read the Bible. I mean if you just want to read the Bible on the job for five minutes, that’s understandable Why, I carry a little Bible with me and I read it in my car when somebody else is driving. Then you can’t pray for a half an hour. I’m talking about studying the Bible. I’m not talking about just reading. Do you understand? You’ve got to approach it prayerfully.

Commentaries
What commentary do I use to understand the Bible? Do you know that people come to me with that question more and more. What kind of books should I buy to help me understand the Bible? Do I buy a Strongs? Do I buy a Matthew Henry commentary? Do I buy the topical Bible? Do I buy a Vine’s Expository? Yes, you do; but let me tell you something. The best commentary on the Bible, is the Bible. What are you talking about? I’m talking about this. The best authority on the scriptures is other scriptures. “Pastor, I want to find out what faith is 311 about so I read this book.” That isn’t going to help you. The Bible tells you what faith is. The Bible says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Bible tells us what faith is. Faith proceeds out of love. Faith is worked by love. The best interpretation for the Bible is the Bible. “Pastor, what is love?” Read 1 Corinthians 13. “What is righteousness?” Read the Bible; righteousness is faith in God. The best interpreter for the Bible is the Bible. Never accept anything as a fact from the Bible until you back it up with at least two scriptures. The Bible says, “From the mouth of two or three witnesses let everything be established.” Don’t you go running off some doctrine unless you can prove it with at least two or three scriptures in the Bible. I’m talking about rightly dividing. if you’re going to take a popular commentary on the Bible over the Bible’s commentary on the Bible, you are not being taught by God. Now I use what we call supplementary helps. When I study the Bible, I don’t usually pray and say, “Now Lord, show me what the word ‘judge’ means in Greek.” And the Lord says tome,” “Oh, thank you Jesus.” I have a Vine’s Expository. It tells you what the Greek word is, where it’s used and how it’s used, whether it’s a verb or a noun, whether it’s a pronoun and where it’s used in other scriptures. I have a Hebrew dictionary that I use. Fine, wonderful and good! That will tell you what the word means, but in order to understand the entire word, you must let the Bible comment on itself.
Most of us are defeated in Bible study because we belittle ourselves. Do you know that it’s as bad to be puffed up as it is to be puffed up with false pride. “Oh, I was never good in school. I was never good at anything. I couldn’t understand anything.” Listen, stop that. Do you know that that’s outright sin against God because He’s said that He has given you the mind of Christ. You’ve got no business walking around saying you’re a dummy. You are still identifying with a dead man. You’re dead. That dummy is gone. You have the mind of Christ. You’re brilliant. Say amen somebody. You’re brilliant. Well, do you think Jesus was stupid? Do you think the Lord can’t understand algebra? Do you think the Lord can’t remember dates? Welt, whose mind do you have in that head of yours? Come on! You’ve got Christ’s mind. “Well, I don’t know.” You better know. You’ve got to take it by faith, brother, or you’re never going to get it. Start to say, “I’ve got the mind of God.” The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible. Scripture interprets Scripture.
Now, the Bible Is like a puzzle. We’re defeated before we read it because it’s big. I’ve said this before but I think it bears repeating. How many of you have ever seen a puzzle with 2500 pieces in it? A giant one. it shows you on the front cover what it looks like. Then you open up the cover and you throw it up In the air and it doesn’t look anything like It does on the picture. Now listen to me. How many know the Bible is a picture of the Lord? The Bible is a picture of God. Now, they tell me that when these professional puzzle experts get ready to put those big puzzles together, do you know what they do? They don’t Just run over there and say, “I’ll stick this piece here.” That’s the way we read the Bible. Don’t read it like that. They put that puzzle down and they look at it, sometimes for weeks. Sometimes for months. They pickup each piece, they inspect It and they put it down. Then, when they get ready to put that puzzle together, they pick up one piece and look at the shape and say, “Hey there’s another one over there. I remember it being over there.” Then they get that piece and they put it together and they see another piece over there and they begin to put the puzzle together. Listen to me. God’s Word is like a puzzle. You may read that Bible for months and not get anything out of it, but one of these days God is going to begin to put the pieces together for you. Amen Pretty soon you’re going to see the face of God.
The Bible is the best interpreter for the Bible. The puzzle will come together as you let scripture fit together. God will put it together for you.

YOU MUST READ AND STUDY
You must read and study the Bible to know Jesus; not for self glorification. If you have any other intention for reading the Bible than to see the Lord more clearly, you’re missing it. Turn with me to the Gospel of John, the 5th chapter. How many know that God is faithful? Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In verse 39 He says this, “Search the scriptures” That’s a commandment of God. Search it. How many know that when you search for something you’ve got to look for it. You’ve got to search for it. The Bible says, “It is the honour of God to hide a thing; it’s the glory of man to search it out.” Doesn’t it say that? Find it! Jesus said in verse 39, “Search, get a reverent attitude, search the scriptures or in them you think you have eternal life.” You don’t get saved by reading the Bible, you get saved by what Jesus did on Calvary. “Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life. No They are that which testify of me.” People say, believe in the Bible, I believe in God, I go to church “ That doesn’t mean anything. Listen, the Bible is to reveal Jesus. He said, “The Bible testifies about me.” Amen! What do we read the Bible for? To see Jesus. To know Jesus. To follow Jesus. One more scripture verse and then I’m done here. Search the scriptures. That is a commandment of God. Search them. Man, I’ll tell you what. You begin to do this, you’ll walk in this church next Wednesday five feet taller. You’ll feel the power of God and when you pray over people, God will heal them. You get tilled with this word and nothing will defeat you. You’ll laugh at the impossible. Hebrews 10, verse 7. Now why do we read the Bible? To see whom? Jesus! “Then said I (God) Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will of God.” Okay, let’s take away the parenthesis and read it this way. Then said I, lo I come to do thy will, 0 God; but he injects there Lo, I come - In the volume of the book it is written of me. What is written in the volume of the book? Lo, I come in the volume of the book. How does He come? In the volume of the book. That’s right. What was God in Genesis? In Genesis He was a judge. In Exodus, He was a deliverer. In Leviticus He was the Lawgiver. Amen! You go right on down through the Bible, God is in every book. Every book, every verse reveals some part of God. “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me.)” Don’t read the Bible just to store knowledge up. Read it to know God. He comes in the volume of the book.
We said tonight that we need to study the Bible, we need to rightly divide the Bible, we need to be approved of God, and we need to look into this Word to see the face of Jesus. If one thing has happened in this meeting tonight, I hope you have been inspired to see the absolute necessity of studying scriptures. You might say to me, “Pastor, what should I read?” I made a list for you of what I would study first In the Bible if I were you. Just two seconds, it’s not even 10:00 yet folks. You need to know the life of the one you’re serving and that’s Jesus. If you don’t know the 4 gospels, you’ve got no business reading Paul. Paul merely exemplifies what Jesus already said. Get your nose out of Revelation, you won’t understand anything anyway. All it does is puff you up. “Well, God showed me the 9 beasts.” God didn’t show you anything.
Learn the gospels. Compare them with one another. The That’s the way I’ve done it. Maybe there’s a better way, but that’s the way I’ve done it and it’s helped me. I’ve learned from it.

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