Concerning the method of studying the Bible, we have heard a lot already. In brief, in order to study the Bible properly we first need to have the right feeling. Next, we need to have the right attitude. Then, we also need to have the right method-memorizing and exploring the word with our mind. In studying the Bible, we cannot totally annul the function of our mind. It would be good if we could memorize at least a few verses. Even though we may not be able to memorize the entire Bible verse by verse, it is still good to memorize the general idea of each chapter. For example, the first section of Matthew 1, from verse 1 through 17, is on Christ’s genealogy. The following section is on the birth of the Lord. Chapter two is about the worship rendered by the Gentile magi and the Lord’s fleeing to Egypt. Then chapter three mentions the baptism by John. These are the main facts that are worthy of our memorizing and understanding. When we read the Bible, we should use our mind to memorize, understand, and look for the facts; we should not merely read the empty letters.
For example, when we read Matthew 1, we should not just read the letter; rather, we have to find out all the facts in that chapter. When we read Romans 6, we have to know that this chapter is about our co-death, co-burial, and co-resurrection with Christ. Sometimes I ask the brothers which book of the Bible they are most familiar with. After asking a few brothers, no one dares answer my question any more. Even when a brother mentions a book, when I ask him about the main points of that book, he is not able to answer me. This shows us that in our study of the Bible, in addition to exercising our spirit, we have to use our mind to memorize. Once we have memorized the word, it will be easier for us to understand. Then we also have to spend time to search for the facts. Some people seem to know the Bible sentence by sentence and verse by verse, but when all of these sentences and verses are combined together, they do not know what it is all about. Let us use the book of Romans as an example. Chapter one speaks about the sins of the Gentiles. Chapter two speaks about the sins of the Jews. Chapter three speaks about the sins of mankind. Chapter four concerns justification by faith. Chapter five talks about being in Adam. Chapter six speaks about being in Christ. Chapter seven is on being in the flesh. Chapter eight is on being in the Holy Spirit. Chapters nine through eleven cover God’s selection and mercy. Chapter twelve deals with consecration. Chapters thirteen through fifteen cover the living of consecration, and chapter sixteen covers the arrangement of some small matters. If we learn all these main points in the book of Romans, the Bible will be very beneficial to us.
I hope we all can see that in reading the Bible we need to find the facts in each chapter. If we can grasp these points concerning having the proper attitude in reading the Bible, we will be able to read the Bible well. We need to have the right feeling and the right attitude, and then we need to find out the facts contained in the Bible. As to how much we should read, we all know that normally if we read one chapter of the New Testament and three chapters of the Old Testament each day, we will be able to read through the Bible once a year. During vacation from work or school, it is best to study a particular book of the New Testament, or sometimes we may also study a specific subject.
Prophecies and types are the most difficult matters in the Bible to study. Regarding prophecies and types that are hard to understand, we should not force ourselves to try to expound them. When the prophecy is spoken in plain words, we should understand it according to the plain words. For example, Isaiah says, “The virgin will conceive and will bear a son, and she will call his name Immanuel” (7:14b). We have to interpret this verse literally. As for all the types in the Old Testament, we have to understand them by the explanation of the New Testament and not by our intellect. For instance, the Old Testament refers to the lamb, and in the New Testament John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). Thus, we can know whom the lamb refers to. Furthermore, the Old Testament refers to the bronze serpent (Num. 21:9), and in John 3 the Lord said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (v. 14). By this we know that the bronze serpent actually denotes the Lord.
To understand parables we need to study the entire Bible. For example, to understand the parable of the virgins and the oil (Matt. 25:1-13), we first must be familiar with the whole Bible. If we are, we will be able to realize that the virgins denote Christians, and the oil signifies the Holy Spirit. These are the principles to follow in our study of the prophecies and parables. We must interpret prophecies literally, interpret types with the words of the New Testament, and interpret parables with the entire Bible.
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