VICTORY IN CHRISTIAN WARFARE

(Second Edition)

CHAPTER 13 The Final Battle: A Knowledge of God

Sanctification is the second and final battle that every human being has to fight against sin and Satan. Warfare must be waged by the individual against “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.” 2 Corinthians 10:5. We must fight against every demon, who are Satan and his evil angels, who seek to drive every knowledge of God from our minds. For when we do not “know God” (Titus 1:16) we are “abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Titus 1:16), morally worthless.

The Purpose of the Bible

God has given to humanity a battle plan, the Bible, as a blueprint for their warfare against sin and Satan. For God’s desire is to mend the broken relationship with humanity and by giving us His word, the Bible, God has provided humanity with that which is designed bring us into harmony with His character of love, into harmony with His law of love.

God says, “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:8-10. For all His created intelligences, God has prescribed that, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:5.

“This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it” (Matthew 22:38, 39), namely, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Leviticus 19:18. These two great commandments are a summary of God’s law of love.

God’s great purpose in giving us the Bible then is so that every human being may be such that “the soul of” the individual “was knit [united] with the soul of” God, “and” the individual “loved him,” loved God, “as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1), as his own person. This is God’s desired endpoint of our sanctification and it depends on our obtaining a right knowledge of God.

When we reach this desired endpoint, we are prepared to live a pure and holy life here on earth and to live in the presence of God, the sinless angels, and the sinless beings of the unfallen worlds. An understanding of the Bible then is of crucial importance to our coming to a right knowledge of God and, hence, is vital to our sanctification. For in the Bible we find God’s word to us individually as if He had spoken audibly to each one of us.

In this chapter, therefore, we will take a detailed look at how to study and understand the Bible for ourselves and not be reliant on other people’s thinking, interpretation, and study of the Bible. Now this does not mean that you should stop reading this book at the end of this chapter, but rather that you should continue reading to the end of this book.

I have much to share with you in this book which will lay a firm foundation for your own individual Bible study. For there is much to know and to understand about God and how to have a loving, trusting relationship with Him. Continue reading this book then to the end and I pray that you will find it to be a blessing to you.

The Benefits of Bible Study

God says of His word, the Bible, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17. Mankind then may be sanctified, which is to be made holy and fitted to dwell in the presence of God who Himself is holy, by the word of God which is truth.

God also says of the Bible, “The holy scriptures…are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly [fully] furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

Furthermore, God says that we ourselves may say in truth of God’s word, the Bible, “Thy [God’s] word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. “The entrance of thy [God’s] words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130) who are naïve and gullible. “For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Psalm 18:28.

This means that to study the Bible is to learn to think the thoughts of God and to link His thoughts one to another and thereby bring out one perfect chain of truth, thus showing that the Bible is a harmonious whole. The Bible contains “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8), “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3. It is an inexhaustible fountain of knowledge.

Therefore, by assimilating the word of God, the Bible, we come into possession of “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) for God says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. Now if you do have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) it means that you have become obedient to God’s law of love.

For God says that you are to be such “that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in…your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God” (Ephesians 2:22-24), that is to say, which in accordance with God’s character of love, “is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24.

Then it is that, with a renewed mind, the language of your heart will be “thy testimonies” (Psalm 119:24), that is, the entire Bible which is the word of God, “are my delight and my counsellors.” Psalm 119:24. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts [moral instructions] I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” Psalm 119:103, 104. “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil [treasure].” Psalm 119:162.

Then your lips will be unsealed and you will say, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1. “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:1, 2.

“Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” (Psalm 147:1), which is to say, praise is beautiful. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High.” Psalm 92:1.

God’s Counsel Regarding the Bible

God admonishes us saying, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I [God] command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it [any part of it], that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 4:2. Moreover, God says of Himself, “Every word of God is pure: he [God] is a shield unto them that put their trust in him [God]. Add thou not unto his [God’s] words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5, 6.

So, we are to accept the entire Bible as being the word of God and not ignore any part of it, nor incorporate our own words or traditions. We should be able to say of ourselves in truth, “We are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17), which is to say, we speak according to Christ’s character of love.

God’s counsels are given to make us secure against “the snare of the devil.” 2 Timothy 2:26. For “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), cannot be proven to be in error nor made to sustain error. If we take heed to God’s cautions we shall be made “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15. Hence, we would be able to thwart “the wiles [trickery] of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11.

Now Christ says, “Search the scriptures; for…they are they which testify of me [Christ].” John 5:39. The entire Bible speaks of Christ in that He is to be found in all the books of the Bible. The central theme of the Bible is Christ and the plan of redemption. In light of this, God says, “Study to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15.

This means that there is a right way and a wrong way to study the Scriptures. In this chapter, therefore, we will look at the right approach to Bible study.

So, God says, “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” Proverbs 4:13. For “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” Matthew 7:24, 25.

As we have seen, the study of the Bible brings many blessings to the Bible student. Therefore, under no circumstances should we allow ourselves to be weaned from Bible reading and Bible study by Satan.

A Mature Understanding of the Bible

God, employing the illustration of “newborn babes” (1 Peter 2:2), says we are to “desire the sincere milk of the word.” 1 Peter 2:2. For example, God’s commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) is clear, plain, and easy to understand and would, therefore, be classified as “milk” (1 Peter 2:2) suitable for newborn babies.

Furthermore, God says, I “have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…for every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat” (Hebrews 5:11-14), which is to say, solid food, “belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14.

Thus, God says that unless the “newborn babes” (1 Peter 2:2) grow up and graduate to “strong meat” (Hebrews 5:14) which is solid food, they are unskillful in understanding the word of God, the Bible.

How can we grow up from being “newborn babes” (1 Peter 2:2) in our understanding of the Bible? First of all, God says, “They shall be all taught of God.” John 6:45. “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” Psalm 147:5. “Behold…who teacheth like him” (Job 36:22), like God? Here we find one of the most important precepts, which are moral instructions, that are found in the Bible. It is that we all need to be taught of God.

“Whom shall he [God] teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept [moral instruction] must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:9, 10. The Bible, which is the word of God, must be interpreted to us by God Himself and so, we must allow God to teach us.

The Bible student who is taught by God receives blessings from God such that they “grow in grace.” 2 Peter 3:18. They advance in the Christian life by having continual victories over their sinful nature, and they grow “in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18. Let us then say, “To him [Christ] be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18.

Clearly then, the Bible cannot be understood as one would approach the understanding of a novel, nonfiction book, or other literature of human production. Just here human intellect alone is insufficient. This is why one may read the entire Bible from beginning to end and still not understand its meaning for it is a spiritual book, the production of the infinite mind of God.

Having been taught by God, we can truly say, “we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which…[God] teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual…because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:13, 14.

Nevertheless, without human effort, there will be no rich reward in opening to our minds the things of God that it is essential to know and which will make us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

For mystery after mystery may be unfolded to the mind of the diligent Bible student so that he or she beholds “wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18), which is to say, out of God’s law of love. Such will ever be the result of the finite mind of humanity coming in contact with the mind of the God, the Infinite One.

How to Study the Bible

There is a right way to study the Bible and it is imperative that we use this approach. This will prevent us from misinterpreting the Bible. We will now look at the approach to Bible study which I personally take and which, I believe, is approved by God.

Now it is God who teaches you so “that ye may approve things that are excellent.” Philippians 1:10. So, try my methods and see if you “approve” (Philippians 1:10) of my methods of Bible study. See if you can agree with me that, in applying my approach, the Bible does open up to your understanding.

Meeting the Conditions Necessary for Understanding the Bible

God says, “The holy scriptures…are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15. In order to accomplish our salvation, the Bible presents to us the word of God, “testifying” (Acts 20:21), that we should have, “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21.

Now God says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. So, it is repentance and a correct faith in God, which we will call saving faith, which causes us to come to a right understanding of the Scriptures so that we may be “wise unto salvation.” 2 Timothy 3:15.

If we do repent and have faith in Christ, then the Scriptures become a reality in our lives for we become such “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; [so] that ye [are]…rooted and grounded in love.” Ephesians 3:17.

Now “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10), “for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8. Therefore, “the righteousness of the law [is]…fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh” (Romans 8:4), that is to say, not according to the sinful nature, “but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:4), but in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the fruit of genuine faith, saving faith, is love and obedience to God’s law of love.

Such a faith brings our minds into harmony with the mind of God, into harmony with the word of God, the Bible. Only in this way can we have a correct understanding of the Bible.

Therefore, Christ says, “If any man will do his [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17. The only way to understand the Scriptures is to have a heart that is willing to obey what is revealed therein.

If the heart is unwilling to obey, it is opposed to the will of God and so cannot see the light of truth, because it is true of God that only “in thy light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9. We should study the Bible then only so that we might know the will of God and obey it.

The disobedient to God’s law of love are “turned aside like a deceitful bow” (Psalm 78:57), always missing the mark, for they do not “walk in truth.” 3 John 1:4. They are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7.

They do not accept God’s invitation, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 1:18), for God says they, “take counsel, but not of me.” Isaiah 30:1. That is, the disobedient take counsel of Satan and are taught by the enemy of God. Hence, they are such as those “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Ephesians 4:18.

Moreover, the disobedient are unable to reason correctly concerning the Scriptures “for precept [moral instruction] must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:10. Of such God declares, “Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass [surround] yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow” (Isaiah 50:11) at your losing eternal life.

For the disobedient have kindled their fire from the “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1) of Satan, having followed Satan, who is “the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:6. Hence, they are in “the mist of darkness” (2 Peter 2:17) without the light of God’s truth.

God says, “He that refuseth reproof” (Proverbs 10:17), from God, “erreth.” Proverbs 10:17. “He that refuseth instruction” (Proverbs 15:32) from God, “despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” Proverbs 15:32. “He that hearkeneth [is obedient] unto counsel” (Proverbs 12:15) from God, “is wise.” Proverbs 12:15. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Daniel 12:10.

Moreover, God says, “Study to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. The Bible must be studied in order to correctly understand “the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. “The Spirit of truth…he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13. This is the work of the Holy Spirit to make all of mankind “wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15) in that “they shall be all taught of God.” John 6:45. “

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. So we see that “the natural man” (1 Corinthians 2:14), the one who does not have the Holy Spirit of God as a guide, cannot discern the truths of God’s word.

These then are the conditions to be met if we are to understand the Bible.

Bible Study and Prayer

God says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy [God’s] word” (Psalm 119:9), the Bible. Let the prayer of our hearts then be “Thy [God’s] word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11. “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity [wickedness] have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133.

Pray saying, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18), which is God’s law of love. God will not turn away any sincere prayer and so we will be such that “then opened he [God] their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” Luke 24:45.

First and foremost, Bible study is successfully accomplished by means of prayer, which is communion with God, for it is true of God that only “in thy light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9. Unaided human wisdom is useless in understanding the Bible. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit can we correctly interpret the things in the Bible which the Holy Spirit inspired men to write.

Therefore, never should the Bible be read or studied without prayer. For by prayer, we enter the audience chamber of God by faith, and listen with our spiritual ear for God’s guidance and teaching as God impresses our minds with His thoughts.

Each morning as we should start our day with prayer spanning at least two hours in order to allow time for God to speak to us without our being in a rush, we are, in effect, doing a Bible study. For “who teacheth like him” (Job 36:22), like God? Likewise, we should close the day with prayer each evening spanning at least another two hours, which also is, in effect, a Bible study.

As we commune with God, study the Bible, and meditate upon God’s word, we will need at minimum a journal to be used during our daily prayer time as was outlined in a previous chapter. Also, we will need a notebook to make notes during the day as God impresses our minds with His thoughts. In addition, word processing software on a computer will be helpful as we organise and synthesize our notes and the light and truth unearthed from the Bible.

This rich feast of God’s word is not then for ourselves only. For from this knowledge of God we may create sermons which are religious discourses, tracts, leaflets, pamphlets, books, websites, blogs, YouTube videos, courses, smartphone apps etc., so that others may come to a right knowledge of God and be saved.

Bible Reading Plan

Make it a goal to prayerfully read the Bible every day and to read it entirely from the beginning to the end, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, over and over again without ceasing. In other words, reading the Bible should be a lifelong practice. If you read three chapters of the Bible each weekday and five chapters a day on weekends, you can complete reading the whole Bible in approximately one year.

This Bible reading plan should be the minimum rate at which you read the Bible. I recommend that you plan to read more chapters each day, say, four or five chapters each day in order to complete reading the entire Bible in less than a year.

Reading the Bible is essential to fruitful Bible study for God says, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit]…he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26. Thus, as we study the Bible the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance what we have read and studied in the past.

In other words, we should read the Bible and keep on reading it and Christ, through His Holy Spirit, will bring to our remembrance what we have read, even words, phrases, sentences, whole passages of Scripture and Bible stories, as we conduct our Bible study.

Bible Study Plan

As was said before, each morning we should start our day with prayer and Bible study spanning at least two hours. Likewise, we should close the day each evening with prayer and Bible study spanning at least another two hours.

Besides this Bible study during your morning and evening prayer, in addition, take the time and slow down and study the Bible through from beginning to end at the rate of two chapters a day as outlined below. This will take up to an hour or up to an hour and a half each day. Yes, it’s a lot of time but it is most important if you are ever going to come into possession of greater and greater riches from the Bible’s store of spiritual wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. At this rate, two chapters a day, you will complete the whole Bible within two years. Then, start all over again and so on as a lifelong activity.

Bible study should, however, not be limited to set seasons of prayer and study in the mornings and evenings. For God says, “This book of the law” (Joshua 1:8), the Bible, “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.” Joshua 1:8.

“Let the word of…[God] dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms” (Colossians 3:16), which are sacred songs, “and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace” (Colossians 3:16), which is to sing with the divine influence “in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16. Our minds should be constantly exercised in searching for the great truths of the Bible through meditation. In this way, we are engaged in a Bible study all day and every day.

The Bible as Its Own Interpreter

As we read and study the Bible and pray, the Holy Spirit, a divine Teacher, is beside us enlightening our understanding that we may interpret the Bible correctly. Thus, we may comprehend the great truths of God’s word and, therefore, none need err in their understanding of the Bible.

As we compare Scripture with Scripture, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:13) we will find that the Bible is its own interpreter. Scripture is the key that unlocks Scripture, in that one portion of the Scriptures connects itself with the truth of another portion, until the whole Bible is blended into one harmonious whole. In other words, light from one Bible text illuminates some portion of the word of God that has seemed more obscure and so one passage of the Bible explains another.

By comparing Scriptures referring to the same subject, you will see a harmony and beauty of which you never dreamed. In other words, by comparing different Bible texts treating on the same subject, viewing their bearing in all aspects, the true meaning of the Scriptures will be made evident. In this way, light will be shed upon the hidden meaning of the word of God, the Bible.

Every time we compare Scripture with Scripture, we receive new light for jewels of truth are scattered all over the field of revelation which is the word of God. There are veins of truth yet to be discovered, but “spiritual things…are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:13, 14.

Christ, when He was on earth, said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Luke 10:21), to those who are as a newborn in a correct faith in Christ: “even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Luke 10:21. “For ye see your calling…how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26) by God.

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought [naught]” (1 Corinthians 1:27, 28), to render useless, “things that are: That no flesh” (1 Corinthians 1:28, 29), that no human being, “should glory in his [God’s] presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:28, 29.

What does this mean? It means that God has designed that those persons who are “wise in…[their] own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7), those who are “wise in…[their] own conceits” (Romans 11:25), who feel that they are too wise to “be…taught of God” (John 6:45), will not be able to discern the true meaning of the Bible.

For God says, “Light” (Psalm 97:11), the light of truth, “is sown [disseminated] for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” Psalm 97:11. This then is the reason why the Bible has a hidden meaning.

Understanding the Background and Context of the Bible

The Bible is written against the background and context of the times of past millennia. Therefore, in order to understand correctly all that is said in the Bible, we need to have some knowledge of biblical archaeology, the historical geography of the Bible, the history of the civilisations of the Ancient Near East, the history of the Christian church, culture in ancient Israel, and agriculture in ancient Israel.

Such knowledge will cause us to reap rich rewards in our study of the Bible. In this book, I do not cover these subjects but I will do so in subsequent books which I will release in the future. Specifically, I aim, in giving the background and context of the Bible, to connect “the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) with the visible material world.

I aim to connect the unseen with the seen so that you may have a better appreciation that God is indeed real and, hence, you will live your life in accordance with heavenly realities. For ultimately, we must be such that “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal [temporary]; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Nature Teaches Us

The whole natural world is designed by God to be an interpreter of the things of God. In the natural world God has placed in the hands of mankind the key to unlock the treasure house of His word, the Bible. Thus, in the Scriptures, God makes reference to much of the natural world and it is by gaining an understanding of nature that we receive the key to unlock the treasure house of the messages and mysteries in God’s word, the Bible.

This is the reason why the hidden meaning of the Scriptures and the grand truths of the Bible are not unearthed by the careless or superficial reader of the Bible. For only diligent and patient study, careful thought and investigation, and a prayerful approach will avail in bringing the Holy Spirit to our side as a divine Teacher.

Now the Godhead says, “we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” 2 Corinthians 12:19. The things of nature brought to mind in the Bible then are for our learning.

The Best Approach to Bible Study

To come into possession of the truths of the Bible requires above all, time and prayer, earnest study and close investigation. Those who do apply themselves in this way will be richly rewarded for Christ, through His Holy Spirit, will give them understanding.

Searching the Scriptures

God says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD” (Proverbs 2:1-5), understand reverential awe for God, “and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:5.

“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler [a shield] to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.” Proverbs 2:6-9. Thus, God points out the need to search diligently and prayerfully for the hidden treasures of God’s word, the Bible.

In order to understand the Bible, we must earnestly and diligently search, study, pray with all perseverance focussing on one point until it is clear and all the more precious because of the effort it required to uncover it. Then focussing on another point and so on.

For the Bible is like the earth in which is hidden veins of precious and valuable ore and the Bible student must dig and search the Bible, just as the miner does to find and extract the ore. The student, by stretching his mind and applying all his strength, may systematically and meticulously unearth truths hidden below the surface in the Bible.

When we come to prayer and Bible study, we can expect God to guide our studies and to teach us, but we should not expect that God will tell us the lengths, and breadths, and depths and heights of all we need to know. For God gave us a mind to reason. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 1:18. Therefore, God seeks to develop, strengthen, and expand our minds by allowing us to use our minds to assimilate grand, elevated truths, and to grapple with great thoughts.

Meditation and Bible Study

Bible study is most effectively pursued by meditation while in prayer, wherein we speak to God and listen to His answers to us. Often God speaks to us by His giving us various Bible texts to consider, but also by impressing our minds with thoughts to consider.

Meditation in this way is, in effect, is a Bible study as we are led by God to search the Scriptures and identify relevant Bible texts. In meditating on the words of the Bible, try to gain insights into what God has to say to humanity. Build upon previous insights received and the resulting conclusions you have drawn.

The whole process is one of throwing light on God’s precepts and His holy word, the Bible, leaving us fortified in our minds against temptations on the points in question and strengthened by God to do His will in the matters at hand.

The Verse-by-Verse Method

Take a verse, preferably one relevant to one’s daily life and/or current circumstances, or a verse received in prayer from the Lord, and seek to ascertain the thought God has put in the verse for us. Then, take another verse, and likewise study it. This is known as the verse-by-verse method of study.

The verse-by-verse method then is where a single verse is chosen and becomes the focus of the Bible study in an attempt to understand the verse and its relation to one or more familiar Bible themes. In addition, the verse-by-verse method can lead to the discovery of a hitherto unknown Bible theme, and to understanding the theme’s relation to the Bible as a whole.

This method is the most profitable approach to Bible study rather than the reading of many verses, passages or chapters without gaining any understanding of what was read. In understanding the thought in a verse, you will find Scripture is the key that unlocks Scripture as the Bible is self-explanatory.

It is very important to choose verses relevant to one’s life as in comprehending such verses we will be able to practice what God has commanded us and, hence, “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18), which is to have continual victories over our sinful nature.

Applications of Bible Passages

You will recall that it was said previously that each verse, each passage (where a passage consists of two or more consecutive verses in the Bible), each chapter, and each book in the Bible has up to six or more applications. Some of these applications are (1) the literal meaning, (2) the application to me as an individual, (3) the application to God, (4) to the church, (5) to heaven which is God’s “dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:30), and (6) to Satan. Each application results in new thoughts that arise from the Bible.

As a fundamental rule when we interpret the Scriptures, our interpretation must be applicable in all ages, from the time of Adam and Eve until the second coming of Jesus, for the Bible contains one perfect chain of truth. If we find that an interpretation of ours does not harmonize with the whole Scriptures, then we must discard it.

We should recognise that God wastes no words in the Bible and its stories—each word, each phrase, and each sentence has significance. Moreover, we should consider that of all the many things that God could have said in the Bible, God chose to say the particular things found in the word of God. This itself that is an indication that the particular words of the Bible are important and convey much meaning that may be unearthed by earnest Bible study.

The Guidance of the Holy Spirit in Answer to Prayer: Tools

Below are some of the tools which will help you in your Bible study. And whenever you pick up a tool (resource) to read and study it, it is because the Holy Spirit is guiding you and teaching you in your Bible study. Thus, the Holy Spirit guides us into all of God’s truth.

Use a Bible

Use the King James Bible (KJV) which is the ONLY correct English translation of the Bible from its original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). For after the King James Bible was published in the year 1611, among a number of new translations into the English language in subsequent years, there was the Revised Version (RV), in the year 1881. This was markedly inferior and incorrect when compared to the King James Bible, some of the reasons for which are explained below.

Since 1881, there have been approximately 900 new translations into the English language, and these are referred to as Modern Bible Translations. Almost always, among other reasons for being an INCORRECT English translation of the Bible, one reason for translation errors is the doctrinal bias of the translators. That is to say, there are thousands of Christian denominations of the church with teachings (doctrines) that differ from each other and all erroneous except for the one true church which the Bible identifies as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Thus, the translators of Modern Bible Translations, instead of translating what the original language says, modify the translation to say what is in keeping with their own doctrinal beliefs.

In other words, instead of faithfully translating what the original language says, these translators interpret what they think the Bible says or ought to say and pass off their own thoughts and beliefs as a translation to the unsuspecting public. In all of this, we can be sure that Satan is the prime mover in his attempts to “corrupt the word of God” (2 Corinthians 2:17) so that, by believing and following error, people will lose their salvation, that is, lose eternal life.

Use a Bible Concordance and a Lexicon

Use a Bible concordance for word study as the Holy Spirit leads. A Bible concordance lists all the Bible verses in which a particular word occurs. For example, a concordance may be used to find all the Bible verses in which the word “forgiveness” occurs.

Now the selected word may occur in a few to hundreds of verses. It is necessary only to scan the list of verses to identify those that give “precept…upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:10.

A Bible word study is often not an end in itself, but may only be a first step to further Bible study. In all of this, in all Bible study, let it be done prayerfully, and the Holy “Spirit…he will guide you into all truth.” John 16:13.

The tool used for a Bible search may be a paper concordance (e.g. Strong’s Concordance), or an electronic concordance for computers such as the search facility in a particular Bible software e.g. the e-Sword software which is available as a free download at www.e-sword.net. Also, a concordance may be the search facility in an internet resource (e.g. www.blueletterbible.org), or a free smartphone app (e.g. the Blue Letter Bible app). When you search for one or more words in these electronic resources you will get a list of verses in which these words occur just as in the paper concordance.

Research into the meaning of Hebrew and Greek words and their usage in the Bible will prove enlightening. For this purpose, use Strong’s Lexicons (Dictionaries) in Hebrew and in Greek, (e.g. using the free e-Sword software) to find the meaning in English of a Hebrew or Greek word found in the verse you are studying. Follow up with the use of an English dictionary, if necessary, to clarify the meaning of the English definition given in Strong’s Dictionary.

Here is a brief, simple description of the format of the entries for a specific word or phrase in Strong’s Dictionary. Firstly, every Hebrew word (Old Testament) in Strong’s Dictionary is given a number, e.g. H4940, and likewise every Greek word (New Testament) is given a number, e.g. G3051. This makes it easy to refer to Hebrew and Greek words without knowing any of these languages by simply referring to what is known as the Strong’s Number.

Next, in an entry in Strong’s Dictionary, the Hebrew word is rendered in Hebrew alphabetic characters and likewise the Greek word is rendered in Greek alphabetic characters.

Next, a transliteration into English of the Hebrew or Greek word is given, where a transliteration is the process of giving the spelling of a word in one language in the alphabet of another language. Thus, in Strong’s Dictionary the Hebrew and Greek words of the Bible are “spelt” using the English alphabet.

Next, the precise pronunciation of the Hebrew or Greek word is given using an easy-to-understand phonetic convention. After that, the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek word in English is given.

Lastly, after the punctuation mark :- (a colon followed by a dash) all the English words into which the Hebrew or Greek word has been translated in the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) are given in alphabetic order. Note that in this last section of an entry in Strong’s Dictionary, various symbols e.g. +, x, (), [], are often employed but the interpretation of these symbols is for the advanced user of Strong’s Dictionary.

For the average user of Strong’s Dictionary, who is not engaged in the study of Hebrew and/or Greek, it is sufficient to pull out from an entry in the dictionary only two things. These are (1) the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek word in English, and (2) the English words in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible used to translate the Hebrew or Greek word.

For example, consider the following Bible verse: “For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” Romans 15:3. The English word “reproached” which occurs in the verse has the Strong’s Number G3679. The meaning of the corresponding Greek word in English is “to defame, that is, rail at, chide, taunt.” This Greek word, referred to by the Strong’s Number G3679, has been translated into English as “cast in teeth, (suffer) reproach, revile, upbraid” in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Use Bible Cross References

A Bible cross reference for a particular verse is a verse that is deemed to be related to the specific verse under consideration. For your Bible study, find related verses and passages, as the Holy Spirit leads, using the cross references found in some Bibles and in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. The latter is a resource consisting of hundreds of thousands of cross references for the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. It is available at www.tsk-online.com, at www.blueletterbible.org, and as a free download to the free e-Sword software.

Use an English Dictionary

Use an English dictionary to clarify the meaning of words in the Bible as the Holy Spirit leads. Online dictionaries which you may find helpful are, as a first resort, the American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 edition) by Noah Webster (webstersdictionary1828.com) since this dictionary is close to the 1611 publication year of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). And, secondarily, use The Free Dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com) which is an excellent online dictionary.

Use a Bible Dictionary

As the Holy Spirit leads, find related information using a Bible dictionary which is a kind of encyclopaedia of people, places, things, culture etc. of the Bible. Some Bible dictionaries are available for free online such as at www.blueletterbible.org where you can search multiple dictionaries at the same time. Otherwise, they are available as a free download to the free e-Sword software e.g. Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Fausset’s Bible Dictionary, Hitchcock’s Bible Names, Smith’s Bible Dictionary. Note that the paid Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (12 volumes) mentioned next has an excellent Bible Dictionary as one of its volumes.

• Use a Bible Commentary

There are many, many Bible commentaries available, some free and some paid. These commentaries give the author’s Bible study notes on verses, passages, or chapters of the Bible. They can, to some extent, give helpful insights into the Bible. One Bible commentary that I highly recommend that you get is the paid Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (12 volumes). It is not perfect, but it is very useful in many ways. It is currently only available in electronic format from Logos Bible Software (www.logos.com) as a package costing US$149.99 which can be added to their free Logos Basic Base Package. Also, there are a number of Bible commentaries available for free online such as at biblehub.com where you can search multiple commentaries at the same time, and as a free download to the free e-Sword software.

• Read the Only Repairer Bible Study Blog

My Only Repairer website (onlyrepairer.com) has a blog (onlyrepairer.com/blog/) where there are dozens of Bible study blog posts. These posts teach you how to study the Bible by example, through unpacking the meaning of various verses of the Bible and by illustrating the Bible study principles of what I call Jacob’s Mansion, where each Room uses a specific principle. Read my blog then to learn different Bible study approaches.

The Guidance of the Holy Spirit in Answer to Prayer: Process

What follows is the process, the specific steps, to be taken in the Bible study plan of two chapters each day mentioned above, as the Holy Spirit leads. How does the Holy Spirit lead? When you pray asking for God’s help in your Bible study, the Holy Spirit will guide your Bible study as He chooses. So, by faith, trust that God will guide your study as requested and God will do so.

Prayer

Start your Bible Study with prayer asking God to direct the Bible study and listening to thoughts and impressions from God while in God’s audience chamber, and having a conversation with God. Follow where God leads by His Holy Spirit, who is a divine Teacher.

Pray to God asking Him to “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” Psalm 119:18. For God says, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” John 3:27.

Make Notes

Make notes of the insights which God gives you during your Bible study and the conclusions you have drawn. It is essential to make notes or otherwise you might forget the Bible insights gained. The aim is to, over time, draw out from the Bible one perfect chain of truth.

In making notes, type them in a document using word processing software or write them out in a Bible study journal set apart for this purpose. Try to record your own thoughts and study instead of someone else’s. The notes are useful so that each successive time you go through the Bible studying it, you can build off what you had already studied before instead of starting over each time.

Context

Read the two chapters. What is the type of book/literature from which the two chapters are taken. Who wrote this, when, to whom, and why? What is the purpose of the text i.e. what is the big picture message and the intent of the author?

What is the arc of the letter/book/conversation/chapters/passage? That is, most of the times there is some kind of movement to the story in the passage and in making a point and it always points to God’s goodness, faithfulness, and mercy!

Read the two chapters through again multiple times using the verse-by-verse method to understand the chapters

What the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance from previous Bible reading and study.
What Bible verses and passages the Holy Spirit directs you to consider.
What new understanding the Holy Spirit gives as Scripture unlocks Scripture.
What new understanding the Holy Spirit gives as verses and passages of Scripture are analysed according to at least six applications.
What new thoughts the Holy Spirit gives as the Scriptures are the subject of meditation.
What research and study the Holy Spirit inspires you to pursue in order that you may grow in your understanding of the Bible. This may involve the use of non-biblical resources such as an internet search. For example, nature, history, biblical archaeology, and the historical geography of the Bible are helpful in understanding the Bible.
What are the themes?

A theme is an implicit or recurrent idea that occurs in your two chapters. Themes will tell you something of a lens that the author and the audience are supposed use to understand the text of the two chapters.

What do you not understand?

Look it up. Hunt down what you don’t understand using all the Bible study tools mentioned above and more.

What did this mean for God’s people?

Commentaries really help with this. God’s people are especially those who have entered into a loving relationship with Him. Often, in the Bible, God’s people are made up of God’s visible church beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then followed by the nation of Israel, and later the Christian church.

Where is Jesus in the text of your two chapters?

All of Scripture, the Bible, centres on Jesus. He is the centre of it all!!!

How does this point to the great controversy?

The whole Bible is written against the background of the great controversy, which is the conflict between Christ and Satan.

What does this teach about Christianity?

The whole Bible, including and especially the Old Testament which consists of the books of Genesis through to Malachi, teaches all about Christianity.

Find the flow of thought that connects the passages and verses in your two chapters

Oftentimes in reading the Bible, the things it says seem disconnected and bewilderingly disjointed, but it is NOT so. What is necessary to see the harmonious whole is to follow the flow of thought from point to point.

Prayer and meditation. Where is your worshipful application? How do I apply this to my life?

Every time we read and study the Bible, it should lead us into the worship of God and cause us to have a worshipful application of what we have just read and studied. Further, we want to apply what we have read and studied to our lives so that we are taught and led by God. To accomplish all this, prayer and meditation on your two chapters is necessary. Thus, we are drawn into a deeper and deeper relationship with God and we glorify God more and more.

Maturing in Bible Study

As you progress in your Bible studies, it is worthwhile to purchase Bible software and to study the languages in which the Bible was originally written, which are Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament. There are free resources for studying the biblical languages but you will also need to purchase some resources. Being able to read the Bible in its original languages is a great blessing.

How will you afford these things? You should be willing to give up some things so you can save for them because investing in spiritual things has consequences for all eternity to come. If it is not possible for you to save for these things, pray to God claiming His promise: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. And trust God to provide if it is His will for you to have these things.

Accordance Bible Software

I highly recommend that you purchase the Accordance Bible software, which is what I use. Accordance is available to download at accordancebible.com for a 90-day free trial and after that a cost of US$49 to permanently own your software and library. What you get is the full feature software and a library of over 60 free Bible resources. NOTE: This web address contains the word “BIBLE.” The latest version of Accordance is Accordance 14 but typically new versions are released by Accordance every few years. As an owner of the Accordance software, you can upgrade to the new version at a deep discount. I paid approximately US$39 to upgrade from Accordance 13 to Accordance 14.

Note carefully: Accordance has collections and bundles of Bible resources selling for hundreds of US dollars but you do NOT need these. Also Accordance always has ongoing sales where the price of resources is discounted; to get notice of these sales sign up for their email newsletter at the Accordance website. Whatever resources you may need in addition to the free ones that you got with the software can usually be had at a discount during a sale even if you have to wait a while for the appropriate sale. That is, pick and choose what you want to buy from the extensive Accordance resource catalogue at the Accordance website and then wait for a new sale, if the current sale is not applicable.

I recommend that as you acquire Bible resources, typically books, that you get the electronic version. Now, many books are available at Amazon.com and their online marketplaces worldwide as a Kindle E-book and thus can be had instantly as a digital download. However, I recommend that, if the same book is available in either Accordance or Logos Bible software, that you buy this version instead of a Kindle E-book. When you do so, there are advantages of having your book available within your Bible software.

Note that that not all books that you may wish to purchase are available in Accordance. If not, then check if it is available in the Logos Bible software at the Logos website (www.logos.com) and get that version. If it is not available in either Accordance or Logos, then get the Kindle E-book, if available. As a last resort, get the printed book in paperback or hardcover format unless you absolutely have a preference for printed books.

Now the Accordance Bible software has numerous features and it can be overwhelming to know where to start in learning how to use the software. Below are some videos from the Accordance YouTube channel to get you started quickly and smoothly. NOTE: Some of the links contain TINYURL.COM.

Getting Started with Accordance YouTube Playlist (tinyurl.com/acc-get-started). This playlist is useful for getting familiar with Accordance terminology for their software.
The Accordance 13 Five-Minute Quick Start Video #1 (tinyurl.com/acc-quick-start-1).
The Accordance 13 Five-Minute Quick Start Video #2 (tinyurl.com/acc-quick-start-2).
Accordance Quick Tips YouTube Playlist (tinyurl.com/acc-quick-tips). This playlist is useful for getting an introduction to a number of Accordance features.

Accordance has plenty of tutorials available within the software itself, at their YouTube channel, from the Accordance website, as well as help from online chat at their website.

Logos Bible Software

Regarding the Logos Bible software (www.logos.com), I recommend that you use the free version. NOTE: This web address contains the word “LOGOS.” The link for this version can be found by doing a search at www.google.com for “logos bible software free version.” You can get purchased books that are not available in Accordance to add to the free Logos version. Above, I had recommended that you purchase the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (12 volumes) at a cost of US$149.99 from Logos and add it to your free version of Logos.

Note that Logos paid versions are available as a yearly subscription. And the lower cost paid versions of Logos are not full feature whereas in Accordance their is one full feature version available for a one-time cost, with upgrades available for a price every few years.

Studying Biblical Hebrew

If you want to read the Old Testament of the Bible in its original Hebrew language, you need to learn Biblical Hebrew. For this, I recommend the Aleph with Beth YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@AlephwithBeth) with its over 130 lessons to date. Note that Biblical Hebrew is different from Modern Hebrew which is the language spoken in Israel today.

Aleph with Beth uses a teaching method known as Comprehensible Input which, in essence, is teaching a language in the way that children learn their mother tongue. In contrast, the Grammar-Translate teaching method teaches grammar and vocabulary first then lets the student read and translate the Hebrew by “decoding” each word. Now, grammar has its place in language learning but Aleph with Beth recommends that you become fluent in Hebrew FIRST, BEFORE taking a deep dive into Hebrew grammar.

First of all watch Lesson 1 of the Aleph with Beth lessons (tinyurl.com/awb-lesson-1). Now you have to complete up to Aleph with Beth Lesson 19 and the following video with a Hebrew Alphabet Song in order to learn how to read and write the Hebrew alphabet.

However, since the goal is to read the Old Testament of the Bible, after watching Aleph with Beth Lesson 1, I preferred to jumpstart the reading and writing of Hebrew BEFORE they are taught by Aleph with Beth. You can do this by doing the video lessons, Lessons 01-01 through to Lesson 02-04 from the textbook Beginning Biblical Hebrew by Mark D. Futato at dailydoseofhebrew.com, where you just need to scroll through the webpage to find the link to the video lessons. NOTE: This web address contains the word “DAILY.”

Next, having learned how to read and write Biblical Hebrew from Daily Dose of Hebrew, go to the companion website for Aleph with Beth (freehebrew.online) and go to the Resources webpage (freehebrew.online/resources/). There, at the Resources webpage, download the Vocabulary List, the Grammar, and the Hebrew Scripts for the Aleph with Beth lessons. NOTE: This web address contains the word “ONLINE.”

Then, I recommend that starting at Lesson 1 of the Aleph with Beth lessons, do this for each YouTube video lesson: (1) Watch the YouTube lesson, (2) read the corresponding Vocabulary List, (3) read the corresponding Grammar lesson, and (4) read the corresponding Hebrew transcript for the lesson, (5) do the corresponding Aleph with Beth quizzes at BibleLing (hebrew.bibleling.org/#/), where you just need to scroll through the webpage to find the link to the quizzes. NOTE: This web address contains the word “BIBLELING.”

At the Resources webpage of the Aleph with Beth website, you can also download a Learning Schedule to guide you in how you go through and review the lessons. Now you may not need to review previous lessons as specified by the Learning Schedule you chose; do what works best for you. I recommend that you do ALL the Aleph with Beth YouTube video lessons that have been released to date by which time you should have gained some fluency in Biblical Hebrew. Here is Aleph with Beth’s guide (tinyurl.com/awb-7-tips) on how best to learn biblical languages.

While you wait for new lessons to be released by Aleph with Beth, you may want to start on the approach in this Medium.com article How I Learned Biblical Hebrew in a Few Months by Sang Tian (tinyurl.com/hebrew-tips). Note that the Grammar and Workbook mentioned in the article are available for the Logos Bible software, both as standalone books and as bundle of two books at a discount.

The article mentions purchasing a physical Hebrew Bible as a Reader’s edition which has grammar and vocabulary helps at the bottom of each page. For a free electronic resource with some or all of the same features, go to STEP Bible (www.stepbible.org). NOTE: This web address contains the words “STEP BIBLE.” Here is a YouTube video by Dr. Phillip Marshall that teaches how to use STEP Bible (tinyurl.com/pm-step-bible).

If you want an electronic or physical Hebrew Bible without helps, go to my Only Repairer website at onlyrepairer.com/biblical-hebrew/. NOTE: This web address contains the words “ONLY” and “BIBLICAL.” There you will find the Hebrew Bible in four parts and in large print to read free online, download as free PDFs, and to purchase from amazon.com and all their marketplaces worldwide.

Alternatively to the Medium.com article, or in addition, AFTER you have done ALL the Aleph with Beth released lessons and are waiting for the release of new lessons, you could try the paid resource, Biblingo (biblingo.org), which is similar to Aleph with Beth. Biblingo “incorporates insights from the latest research in both second language acquisition and general linguistics” and they have a free 10-day trial where you can study both Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek.

Note that Biblingo has a Free Forever plan with alphabet lessons and flashcards. The cost for Biblingo paid plans starts at US$9 each month for one language. Biblingo paid plans have flashcards, video lessons, a built-in textbook, and a graded reader (readings at the level you have reached in the lessons) and more. And you can practise typing Hebrew answers to study questions which helps with learning Hebrew.

Now each lesson on Biblingo has multiple sub-lessons and one tip is to read the built-in textbook for a sub-lesson before you do any of the sub-lesson activities.

Studying Biblical Greek

If you want to read the New Testament of the Bible in its original Greek language, you need to learn Biblical Greek also known as Koine Greek. Note that Biblical Greek is different from Modern Greek which is the language spoken in Greece today.

Now the original manuscripts of the Greek New Testament known as autographs have long since disintegrated from age and continued high use and handling. But the original texts were preserved by Greek copies, translations into other languages known as versions, and hundreds of quotations by early Christians. And all these were handwritten.

Of note is the fact that the handwritten Greek copies of the first generation were themselves copied making second generation handwritten copies of copies, and these, in turn, were copied making third generation handwritten copies of copies of copies and so on for about 1,500 years. To reiterate, all these generations of copies were handwritten. It was not until after the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg around the year 1440 A.D. that Desiderius Erasmus published the printed Greek New Testament in the year 1516 A.D.

Now the generations of handwritten copies, by the very nature of the expected human error in copying and, in some cases, by the intentional changes made by the copyists, typically differ from each other in places. This phenomenon of varied readings of the Greek texts is referred to as textual variants. This phenomenon, coupled with the fact that, in many instances, manuscripts only contain portions of the Greek New Testament, means that in order to arrive at a complete Greek New Testament it is necessary to draw upon a number of Greek manuscripts. And this is what Erasmus did in 1516 A.D.

After the 1516 A.D. Greek edition of the New Testament by Erasmus, a number of other persons published Greek New Testaments which all differed from each other to varying degrees depending on which Greek manuscripts were compiled to produce their Greek New Testament. One such Greek New Testament was promoted as the Received Text, that is, the Textus Receptus in the Latin language. Since then this term Textus Receptus has been applied to all those published Greek New Testaments which varied little from Erasmus’ Greek New Testament of 1516 A.D. I maintain though that the True Textus Receptus are the autographs, that is, the original writings of the authors of the Greek New Testament.

Now, the Textus Receptus has been translated into many languages, including the English language. As was said before, the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) is the only CORRECT translation of the Bible into the English language as a Spirit-led and prayerful study of the KJV will prove. And the translators of the KJV used a number of Greek Textus Receptus manuscripts to arrive at the English language KJV. However, it turns out that the 1550 A.D. edition of the Greek New Testament published by Robert Estienne (1503-1559) who was born in Paris, France, and was also known as Robert Stephanus in Latin or Robert Stephens in English, is almost 100% identical to the King James Version of the Bible. Thus, in the Stephanus 1550 Greek New Testament we have the Textus Receptus that is closest to the Greek autographs.

Now, since the year 1881, when the Revised Version (RV) of the Bible was published there have been many versions of the Bible in the English language and all these are known as Modern Bible Translations. What then is the difference between the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) and Modern Bible Translations? A whole lot. Why? The reason is that the Revised Version (RV) was based on an hitherto unknown Greek text created in the main by two men, Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort, both commonly referred to as Westcott and Hort.

This unknown Greek Text created by Westcott and Hort was the product of their own Greek theory which had no foundation in fact or logic. In essence, their Greek theory was the result of their Satan-inspired imaginations. Nevertheless, the Westcott and Hort Greek theory was taken up by others and taught as truth which it was not. The result has been never-ending streams of new editions of the Greek New Testament known as Greek critical texts, with one stream in its 28th edition. These Greek critical editions are called updates and they all differ from each other for they were produced by people according to their own imaginations and tastes inspired by Satan.

Thus, we have the multiplicity of Modern Bible translations based on the many Greek critical texts which are copyrighted so that they are a moneymaking source of revenue for the copyright holders. On the other hand, the King James Bible (KJV) is in the public domain, except in the United Kingdom, and therefore free from copyright. Anyone then can print and distribute the KJV outside of the United Kingdom without seeking permission to do so.

I have made the Stephanus 1550 Greek New Testament available on my Only Repairer website at onlyrepairer.com/biblical-greek/ to read free online and download as a free PDF. It is also available for purchase online at the Lulu.com Bookstore in E-book, paperback, and hardcover formats—links to the books at Lulu.com are at my Only Repairer website at onlyrepairer.com/biblical-greek/. NOTE: These web addresses contain the word “BIBLICAL.” Also the E-book from Lulu.com is an EPUB file. You can import it into your Kindle E-Reader device or into the free Amazon.com Kindle app on your computer or smartphone using www.amazon.com/sendtokindle.

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there is no free learning resource for Biblical Greek similar to Aleph with Beth for Biblical Hebrew. Therefore, of all the paid learning resources for Biblical Greek, I recommend the paid resource, Biblingo (biblingo.org), as described above. Also Biblingo has a Free Forever plan with alphabet lessons and flashcards. The cost for Biblingo paid plans starts at US$9 each month for one language.

Again, just as in the case of Biblical Hebrew, each Greek lesson on Biblingo has multiple sub-lessons and one tip is to read the built-in textbook for a sub-lesson before you do any of the sub-lesson activities.

While studying Biblical Greek with Biblingo, you should be able to benefit from the Alpha with Angela YouTube channel which has over 30 lessons released so far (tinyurl.com/awa-lesson-1). Alpha with Angela is a companion YouTube channel to Aleph with Beth. The corresponding website for Alpha with Angela is freegreek.online. Here is Alpha with Angela’s guide (tinyurl.com/awa-greek-tips) on how best to use their videos for learning Biblical Greek.

Now, for learning Biblical Greek using the Grammar-Translate method, I recommend the free Online Greek Textbook (tinyurl.com/dr-shirley-greek) by Dr Shirley J. Rollinson. This textbook is a standalone resource. For textbooks with accompanying videos lessons, I recommend two paid resources. Learn to Read New Testament Greek by David Alan Black has accompanying lessons on YouTube at tinyurl.com/dab-greek-lessons and at dailydoseofgreek.com/learn/. Also, Beginning with New Testament Greek by Benjamin L. Merkle and Robert L. Plummer has video lessons and downloadable resources at dailydoseofgreek.com/learn-biblical-greek/ and at tinyurl.com/bha-greek.

For helps in studying the Greek New Testament, I recommend the following online resources:

The website www.blueletterbible.org which has the Stephanus 1550 Greek New Testament as its version of the Textus Receptus with helps for studying it. Here is the link to their Blue Letter Bible YouTube tutorial: tinyurl.com/blue-letter-tut-1.
The STEP Bible at www.stepbible.org has an unspecified version of the Textus Receptus for study. Here are links to two tutorials for the STEP Bible: tinyurl.com/pm-step-bible and tinyurl.com/ddg-step-bible.
The Kata Biblon website at tinyurl.com/kata-biblon which has the Greek Byzantine text in the form of the Robinson-Pierpont 2005 text for study. Also, note that the Byzantine Greek text differs from the Stephanus 1550 Greek text in about 1,400 places. I only mention the Byzantine Greek text because it has a full suite of free learning resources. At the Kata Biblon website, if you click on a Greek word you will get a popup with grammar and vocabulary helps. In addition, you can get electronic versions of the Robinson-Pierpont Greek texts for download at byzantinetext.com. Also, you can listen to the Robinson-Pierpont 2005 Byzantine Greek text read at tinyurl.com/mr-byzantine in Erasmian pronunciation. This is very helpful for learning Biblical Greek listening skills. Erasmian pronunciation is the most popular pronunciation for learning Biblical Greek as it applies a unique sound to each letter of the Greek alphabet, which helps with learning how to spell Greek words. If you do read and listen to the Byzantine text, make sure to compare it with the Stephanus 1550 Greek text to see the differences.

Memorisation of Scripture

Make it a habit to memorise Bible texts because the Scriptures are our safeguard, our defence, against temptations in that “the sword of the Spirit…is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17. How is the Bible a defence? God says that the Scriptures are a defence when we can say in truth, “Thy [God’s] word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11.

So, when temptations come to us from our sinful nature, the world at large, and from Satan, we may, wherever we are, search our memories and find the appropriate Bible text and purpose in our heart to obey it, praying instantaneously to God for help to walk in His ways.

Keep your Bible with you, perhaps on your smartphone (e.g. the Blue Letter Bible app), and fix verses in your memory as you walk along the streets or wait for something. For God says, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” John 6:12. This means that as it relates to time, make good use of every fragment of time during your day so that there are no wasted moments. This will prove to be a profitable approach to increasing in the knowledge of the Scriptures.

Symbolism in the Bible

God says, “He that tilleth [cultivates] his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain [worthless] persons is void of understanding.” Proverbs 12:11. “He that tilleth [cultivates] his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain [worthless] persons shall have poverty enough.” Proverbs 28:19. These Bible verses have both a literal and symbolic meaning.

Symbolism is widely used in the Bible and, in this way, God has compressed over a million of His thoughts in the few words given in the Bible. Further, by the use of symbolism, God has hidden many grand truths in plain sight. Thus, the careless, superficial reader of the Bible does not discern the truths that are like precious ore hidden in the earth. We will now discuss both these verses and unpack their literal and symbolic meaning.

First, we will look at the literal meaning of these verses. In both verses, God is saying to us that he who cultivates his land, say, in planting wheat, will receive a harvest from this and may, therefore, prepare bread for his food, sufficient for his need. In other words, he that is diligent in cultivating the land, will have plenty of food to eat.

On the other hand, vain, worthless persons do not understand that if they are to have food to eat they must cultivate the land. Hence, they will suffer from poverty in that they lack food to eat. This is the literal meaning of both these verses.

But there is a symbolic meaning to both of these Bible verses and it revolves around what the Bible means by the word “bread.” Christ, when He was on earth, said, “I am that bread of life…This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:48-51.

Christ refers to Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:48) which, if anyone eats of it, they shall not die but “shall live for ever” (John 6:51), that is, they shall have eternal life.

Christ also said, “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51. Bread then is a symbol of Christ’s flesh, His body, or in other words, His life, which He gave so that humanity may have eternal life. So, the question then arises, “Must we eat of Christ’s literal flesh in order to have everlasting life?” The answer is, No! We must dig even deeper for the Bible’s hidden meaning.

God says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:14. This is a reference to Christ for He is the One, the member of the Godhead, who took upon Himself human flesh when He was born as a baby boy named Jesus.

“His name” (Revelation 19:13), Christ’s name, “is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:13. How is Christ the word of God? Christ’s life on earth was in accordance with God’s law of love, in that it was in accordance with the word of God, the Bible, which in its entirety describes God’s law. In effect, Jesus Christ in human flesh was God’s thought, the word of God, made audible.

Therefore, when Christ said He was the “bread of life” (John 6:48) He was really referring to Himself as “The Word of God.” Revelation 19:13. So, God is saying to us that we must “eat” the word of God, the Bible, if we are to have eternal life.

But what does it mean to “eat” the word of God? In answer to this question, consider what God says: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” John 17:17. Our sanctification then which makes us fit for everlasting life in the presence of God, the holy angels, and the sinless created intelligences of the unfallen worlds, depends on the word of God.

But how does the word of God accomplish our sanctification? Well, just as bread, or more generally, food, nourishes our bodies promoting physical life and health, so “eating” the word of God, the Bible, nourishes our spiritual life so that we are sanctified, which is to be made sinless and fit for eternal life. In other words, if we practice what God says in His word, which is to live in accordance with God’s law of love, we shall be sanctified, made fit for everlasting life.

So far, we have concluded that to eat the bread of life is to, symbolically, eat the flesh of Christ, which means to “eat” the word of God, which is to live in harmony with God’s law of love as revealed in the Bible and so be saved.

Now, coming back to our original two verses, we may conclude that if one cultivates their land they will receive a harvest from which they may prepare food such as bread. This symbolically means that one should nourish one’s spiritual life with the word of God and thereby be sanctified and, hence, have eternal life.

But what does God mean when He says, “He that tilleth [cultivates] his land” Proverbs 12:11, Proverbs 28:19? Well, literally, these verses imply that one must put forth diligent effort if one is to receive a harvest from the land. Symbolically then, it means that one must put forth diligent effort in reading and studying the Bible if one is to reap a rich reward from the word of God, in that the Bible is effective in our sanctification and, therefore, we may have eternal life.

For only earnest study and close investigation of the Bible will avail in our reaping the blessings of the word of God. It requires patient, persevering effort just as is required in cultivating land. No halfhearted, indifferent work in cultivation will avail for reaping a crop from the land and, similarly, no halfhearted, indifferent work in Bible study will avail anything for our salvation.

So, in just a few words in both of the Bible verses originally considered, God has conveyed two of His thoughts. Who would have thought that God’s advice about successful farming has anything to do with our salvation? It does, and this example is typical of much of the Bible in that there are many grand truths to be unearthed by understanding the Bible’s symbolism. Note that by comparing Scripture with Scripture we were able to extract the hidden meaning of God’s word, the Bible. This is an example of how the Bible is its own interpreter.

Now, the process of unpacking of the meaning of both verses originally considered is an example of what God means when He says, “precept [moral instruction] must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isaiah 28:10.

The word “bread” in the Bible conveys a multifaceted line of thought in the Bible in that this thought interconnects other lines of thought and other symbolism in the word of God. Thus, a Bible study of the word “bread” will require much effort to unearth related meaning, but will yield rich rewards in that the efficient Bible student will find much celestial gold in the Bible.

Selecting an Area of Focused Study

A key to understanding the Bible is to identify what you do not know or do not understand as you read or study the Bible. The next step is to do a focused enquiry of the Scriptures on these areas. In this way, you will come into greater knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures.

Another key to understanding the Bible is to seek to connect all that you think that you do know and understand into one harmonious whole. This approach will help you to see gaps in your knowledge, errors and inconsistencies in your interpretation of the Bible and, hence, overcome them. This is accomplished by close attention and contemplation of the Scriptures in order to connect the precepts of the Bible into one perfect chain of truth.

In addition to having identified areas on which to target your investigation of the Bible as described above, you may select for your study, for example, (1) particular words for Bible research, (2) a Bible verse or passage for research of the words occurring in them, (3) a topic in the Bible, or (4) select a person mentioned in the Bible for specific consideration of their life and character. These are just some of the ways in which you may choose a focus for your study of the Scriptures.

The Bible and Our Everyday Life

The entire Bible is an essential tool in our endeavour to live godly lives. It is applicable to our daily lives as we will see in the discussion which follows.

God’s Providence

We “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) when we obey God’s law of love. That is, we come into new light, a new perspective of God and an understanding of “the manifold wisdom of God.” Ephesians 3:10. For “he [God] hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” Ephesians 1:8.

So, we come to a new understanding of the Bible and, hence, to a better knowledge of God through our experience in life as God directs our lives through His providence, or in other words, through His care, guardianship, and control.

Even familiar texts of the Bible open up to us giving us greater understanding of the Bible as we follow in the way in which God leads us. When God’s providence leads us through various circumstances in our lives, our experience and observations of the world around us at that time cause us to come to an understanding of the Scriptures which we never had before.

Then it is that things we could not understand in the Bible before we had this experience become plain. We should understand that God has a purpose in all that He does. For the Godhead says, “We do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” 2 Corinthians 12:19.

Thus, God answers the prayer of our hearts, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law [of love].” Psalm 119:18. We may therefore say, “What hath God wrought!” (Numbers 23:23), which is to say, “What God has done!”

Our Need for Discernment

Without “eyesalve” (Revelation 3:18), which is, literally, a poultice or medical dressing for the eye, and figuratively, discernment, we cannot interpret the Bible correctly. For unless you have eyesalve you cannot “study” (2 Timothy 2:15), the Bible, “to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

Without eyesalve, we cannot be “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14. For there are many “dissemblers” (Psalm 26:4) in the world, people who “by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18), the naïve and gullible.

Thus, God says, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers” (Philippians 3:2), but without eyesalve, we are unsuspecting and will fall into “the snare of the devil.” 2 Timothy 2:26. For only “in thy [God’s] light shall we see [the] light” (Psalm 36:9) of truth. We can only become enlightened in our understanding of the world around us when we correctly interpret “the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

As was said before, the Bible is full of “instruction” (Job 33:16) and in it, God reveals the tactics of the enemy, Satan, for God says “I will forewarn you.” Luke 12:5. Therefore, God says, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15. “Beware.” Philippians 3:2.

“The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way” (Proverbs 14:8) of life, and “a prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself” (Proverbs 27:12) in God for “God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8); “but the simple” (Proverbs 27:12), the naïve and gullible, “pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 27:12.

For “the simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going” (Proverbs 14:5), that is to say, carefully considers the direction of his life.

The Bible and Our Speech

As Christians, “our conversation is in heaven.” Philippians 3:20. That is, we maintain a constant conversation and communion with God, and we obey God’s instruction regarding our words that we speak in this world, for God says, “Let thy words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2.

When we do speak, we should obey God’s instruction, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles [utterance] of God.” 1 Peter 4:11. In other words, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29) in that it is a blessing to the hearers.

This means that when we speak, we should say only scripturally-informed things. If we so speak, we will be like Jesus Christ for He was “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16), in that, when “the Pharisees…took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk” (Matthew 22:15) they could not prevail against Him.

So, when we speak according to the word of God, our words will then be pure for “the words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6) and we cannot be entangled in our talk. For “the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), in that the Scriptures, the Bible, cannot be proven to be wrong, neither can it be made to sustain error.

Such speech on our part reinforces and aids us in our Bible reading and study of the Bible. How is this so? The reason is that we have obeyed God’s command, “Let the word of…[God] dwell in you richly in all wisdom.” Colossians 3:16. Thus, it shall come to pass that we have been “enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit], and have tasted the good word of God, and the [divine] powers of the world to come.” Hebrews 6:4, 5.

For “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:36, 37) by God to eternal death (annihilation).

Preparing Bible Studies for Others

“The liberal [generous] deviseth liberal [generous] things; and by liberal [generous] things shall he stand” (Isaiah 32:8) free of condemnation by God in the judgment. “The liberal [generous] soul shall be made fat [be blessed]: and he that watereth [gives a drink of water] shall be watered also himself [receive a drink of water].” Proverbs 11:25. This is to say that he that satisfies the need of those thirsty for the word of God shall have his own thirst for God satisfied. So, in seeking to bless others by preparing Bible studies for them, you are yourself blessed by God.

For the process of preparing Bible studies requires much prayer, study, research, thinking, meditation, observation of the people and the world around you, and application of the Scriptures to what you observe and to your interaction with others.

Such preparations also require making notes, learning from God, analysis of God’s precepts (moral instruction) and their relation to each other, weeding out of any previously held errors or misconceptions and, hence, harmonising the whole Bible into a perfect chain of truth.

The whole process causes us to increase in our knowledge of God and draws us into a closer union with God in that our hearts are in harmony with God’s law of love. Thus, the receiver of the Bible studies and you, the giver, are both blessed by God.

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IK Series: Book 1 – Chapter 13

VICTORY IN CHRISTIAN WARFARE

CHAPTER 13 The Final Battle: A Knowledge of God

The Purpose of the Bible

The Benefits of Bible Study

God’s Counsel Regarding the Bible

A Mature Understanding of the Bible

How to Study the Bible

Meeting the Conditions Necessary for Understanding the Bible

Bible Study and Prayer

Bible Reading Plan

Bible Study Plan

The Bible as Its Own Interpreter

Understanding the Background and Context of the Bible

Nature Teaches Us

The Best Approach to Bible Study

Searching the Scriptures

Meditation and Bible Study

The Verse-by-Verse Method

Applications of Bible Passages

The Guidance of the Holy Spirit in Answer to Prayer: Tools

The Guidance of the Holy Spirit in Answer to Prayer: Process

Maturing in Bible Study

Accordance Bible Software

Logos Bible Software

Studying Biblical Hebrew

Studying Biblical Greek

Memorisation of Scripture

Symbolism in the Bible

Selecting an Area of Focused Study

The Bible and Our Everyday Life

God’s Providence

Our Need for Discernment

The Bible and Our Speech

Preparing Bible Studies for Others

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