8/31/2016

HowshouldIstudytofindthemeaningofGod'sWord?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples
GivingtheWorlda"New"ApproachtoLife!

HowshouldIstudytofindthemeaningofGod's
Word?
DiscoverScripturesMeaning
researchGodsWordtogainkeyinsights
AkeytoengraftingGodsWordintoourlivesisdeepeningourunderstandingofitby
studyingpassagesofScripture,understandingthemeaningsofrootwords,andconsidering
crossreferencesandhistoricaldata.
ScripturalmeditationistoaChristianwhatruminationistoasheep.Sheepdonot
simplymunchthetipsofthebladesofgrasstheyeatrightdowntotherootsofit.Similarly,
aChristianmustnotjustskimoverthesurfacemeaningsofthewordsinScripturehemust
digdowntotherootmeaningsofthewordsandphrasesinordertofullycomprehend
theirmeanings.Justasasheepruminates,chewingamealoverandoveragain,soa
ChristianshouldmeditateontheWordofGod,ponderingHistruthagainandagain.

UsetheToolsThatSuitYouBest
StrongsExhaustiveConcordanceoftheBibleisanexcellenttoolforindepth
studyoftheBible.ItaccountsforeverywordintheKingJamesVersionoftheBible,
assigningeachoriginalHebrewandGreekwordanumber.HebrewandGreek
dictionariesatthebackoftheconcordance,organizedbytheStrongsnumbers,give
brieflexicaldefinitionsofeachoriginalword.Thisconcordanceisusedandreferenced
inmanynewstudyresources.
Takeadvantageofonlineresources.ManyWebsitesoffervaluableinformationto
assistyouwithastudyofScripture.Learnmore>>
Usecommentarieswithcaution.TheuseofBiblecommentariescaneasilybecome
anexcusetonotdoyourownstudyofapassage.Bediligenttomemorize,study,and
meditateontheScriptures.Asyoudo,youwilldiscoverinsightsGodwantsto
personallyrevealtoyou.Avoidspendingtoomuchtimereadingcommentaries.
Thetimetoconsultcommentariesisafteryouhavedoneyourpersonal
study.Youmayfindbyreadingacommentarythatyouhaveoverlookedsome
significantdifficulty,orthatthereareresolutionstoproblemsinthetextwhichyouhad
notconsideredinyourpersonalstudy.(DougMcIntosh,GodUpClose:Howto
MeditateonHisWord,MoodyPress,Chicago,Ill.,1998,97.)
ConsiderusingtheScriptureMeditationWorksheetasatoolfordocumenting
yourstudyandcompilingyournotes.
http://iblp.org/questions/howshouldistudyfindmeaninggodsword

1/3

8/31/2016

HowshouldIstudytofindthemeaningofGod'sWord?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

DoaWordStudyofthePassage
Thenextstepisawordstudyofkeywordsandphrasesinthepassage.Lookupthe
wordsinStrongsExhaustiveConcordanceoftheBiblebyusinganactualconcordance,a
Biblestudysoftwareprogram,oronlineresources.Researchtherootmeaningsofthewords,
whichcangiveyouamorethoroughunderstandingoftheoriginalmessageofthepassage.

ConsiderCrossReferences
Acrossreferenceisaverse,passage,Biblicalbiography,orexamplethatfurther
illuminatesorexpandsthepassageyouarestudying.MostBiblesincludemanycross
references.Somecrossreferenceswillapplymoredirectlytoyourstudythanothers.Often,
whenyoulookuponecrossreference,youwillfindthatthesecondverselistedhasafurther
crossreferencethatwillofferevenmoreinsightintotheoriginalverse.
Youcanalsofindcrossreferencesatbiblegateway.comorbyusingStrongsConcordance.In
theconcordance,selectkeywordsinapassageandlookthemup.AlltheBibleverses
inwhichthesesamewordsareusedwillbelisted.OftenthereareseveralStrongsnumbers
foronlyoneEnglishword,indicatingavarietyofHebreworGreekwordsthatwereall
translatedasthatsingleEnglishword.
Forexample,inICorinthians15,thewordvainappearssixtimes.However,accordingtothe
Strongsnumbers,youwillseethattherearethreedifferentGreekwordsthatwere
translatedasvain.YourreviewofallpertinentGreekwordsandtheirmeaningswill
leadyoutoprecise,richinsightsandinterpretations.

BeAlerttotheHolySpirit
AsyoumeditateonScripture,theHolySpiritwilloftenbringtoyourremembrance
versesthatyouhavepreviouslyreadorheardthesewilladdnewdimensionsof
understandingtothepassage.ThemoreyouunderstandtheprinciplesofScriptureandthe
characterofChrist,themoreothercrossreferenceswillcometoyourmind,because
ScriptureisunifiedanditallspeaksoftheLordJesusChrist.
Afteryourthoroughstudyofthepassage,taketimetomeditateonGodsWord.Learnmore
>>

ForFurtherStudy
CommandsofChrist
CharacterQualities
BasicLifePrinciples

Command22:BeWiseasSerpents
Command24:HearGodsVoice
Command44:KeepMyCommandments
Command12:PracticeSecretDisciplines
Command5:HonorGod'sLaw

LifeRoles
AspectsoftheHome
http://iblp.org/questions/howshouldistudyfindmeaninggodsword

2/3

8/31/2016

HowshouldIstudytofindthemeaningofGod'sWord?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

Testimonies
OtherTags

RelatedQuestions
HowcanImeditateonScripture?
WhatisaScriptureMeditationWorksheet?
WhatonlineresourcescanaidmeinScripturemeditation?
WhatquestionsshouldIasktoaidmeditationonScripture?
ExactlywhatisScripturemeditation?

Print

Like

Tweet

http://iblp.org/questions/howshouldistudyfindmeaninggodsword

3/3