I believe the world is in such a mess because the Church is in such a mess.  And the church is such a mess because we have abandoned teaching theology.  A 2022 study by LifeWay and Ligonier Ministries revealed some shocking misbelief among those who identify themselves as Christians.  A recent article from LifeWay Research written by Jen Wilkin and J.T. English highlights four very troubling findings concerning some dangerous misbeliefs. (You can read the entire article by clicking here.)

• God learns and adapts to different circumstances: 48% of evangelicals agree.
• Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God: 65%of evangelicals agree.
• God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: 56% of evangelicals agree.
• Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God: 43% of evangelicals agree (up from 30% in 2020).

The high agreement cited in the above statements are from evangelicals.  One of the major tenets of evangelicalism is the belief that the Bible is God’s Word and authoritative.  Yet, high percentages believe truth contradictory to the teaching of the Bible.

The Why of Theology

I hope that you are finding these posts on personal Bible study helpful. Today, we are going to look more practically at the first step of personal Bible study.  I call this observation.  In this step we look at WHAT a passage is actually saying to the people addressed in their context.  Remember, context is king.  Many people mistakenly apply what they think the Bible is saying rather than determining its original meaning.  The Bible can never mean what it never meant.

Observation Begins with a Good Background

In last week’s post (click here), I left you with three questions about the book of Colossians.  IF you did your homework, here is a summary of what you discovered.

Paul wrote Colossians around AD62 while he was in prison in Rome.  Colossae was town in Asia Minor that shared a lot in common with two neighboring towns Hierapolis and Laodicea. The church in Colossae was established during Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus.  It was established by a man from there named Epaphras.  Epaphras heard Paul preach in Ephesus and became a follower of Jesus.  He then went home and started a church in Colossae.

The book of Colossians is an epistle, or letter.  So, we can expect the usual opening greeting followed by theological teaching and practical application.  And we can expect the letter to end with some personal remarks to and about mutual friends.

Marking the Text

I am visually oriented.  Marking up a Bible text can help me see the relationships the words and phrases have with each other.  You may or may not like to write on your main Bible.  Here are four suggestions for providing you with a great canvas for your Bible study mark-up.

My previous post addressed the importance of a template to help us stay on track with personal Bible study.  Today, I’ll share some considerations and tools that help us get the most out of our study.

To gain insight into Biblical truth, we want to ask three basic questions of the passage we are studying. The first question is “WHAT?” and we discover the answer through the process we will call observation.  Observation allows us to gather information about what the passage is saying. 

Basic Considerations

The Bible is a composite of 66 different books written over a period of about 1500 years.  40 authors from three different continents wrote those books in three different languages.  The Holy Spirit supernaturally inspired each writer and each word to give God’s revelation.  While the Bible displays an amazing unity of theme, it nonetheless reflects many different contexts.

To properly get at the “what” of a Bible passage, we start with the various contexts.  These would include historical, literary, and cultural contexts.  We also must consider where that part of the Bible which we are studying fits into the book that contains it.  Then we look at where it fits in the overarching narrative of the Bible and its place in redemptive history.  For a look at how contexts shapes understanding, click here to read my document Context Is King.

In my last two blogs, I have addressed the issue of spiritual illiteracy.  (You can read them here and here.) Many Christians do not know the Bible like they think they know it.  The reason for this alarming illiteracy is a lack of personal Bible study.  

We have the Bible available to us in so many readable translations.  Many people have access to God’s Word on their phone, tablets, and computers.  And if your bookshelf is like mine, there is no shortage of printed Bible copies either.

Sadly, the spiritual diet for many Christians consists of what someone else writes or says about the Bible.  But the GOOD NEWS is that is doesn’t have to be this way!  If you are a Jesus follower, the author of the book lives inside of you.  One of the Holy Spirit’s roles in a believer’s life is to teach that believer Bible truth.  You don’t need a seminary degree in Bible to study it.  So outfitted with a Bible, a few simple tools, and the Holy Spirit, you can feed yourself on God’s Word.

Three Keys to Fruitful Personal Bible Study

To seriously look at God’s Word, the believer must being with three foundational elements. First, you need a productive time.  Try to choose a consistent time each day when you are most mentally alert.  For some that would be mornings, for others during the day, and still others in the evening.

Second, choose place with as few distractions as possible.  Turn off electronic notifications.  Look for a place with the perfect amount of quiet to help you focus on your study.  While a consistent time and place may prove most helpful, some will need flexibility in their scheduling. 

Finally, you need a dedicated plan.  Bible study doesn’t happen by accident. One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in Bible study is choosing what to read.  That is why some opt for reading a devotional book.  Remember, we are trying to wean ourselves from regurgitated Bible truth and feed ourselves.  You will enjoy a more fruitful Bible study if you have a template to follow.  That is where I want to help you.

In April 2007 I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic.  Ironically, I received call from my doctor with diagnosis as I was finishing a luncheon at church.  He called me about halfway through my second piece of coconut pie!

Since that time, I have gone through cycles where I managed my diabetes well and not so well. Bloodwork from the first of this year revealed worse readings since my diagnosis.  I realized some things needed to change drastically and quickly.

What had happened?  I had eaten in abundance what should I have eaten in moderation.  Conversely, I had eaten in moderation things that I should have eaten in abundance.  I settled too often for easy treats rather than wholesome choices.

Sadly, I believe many Jesus followers have treated our spiritual nutrition with the same neglect.  In my last blog, I lamented that much of what is called Bible study these days isn’t really Bible study.  It more resembles the regurgitated food a mommy birds feeds to her nestlings. Too many Christians spend more time reading what others write about the Bible than actually reading the Bible for themselves.  

We have a lot of birds in our yard.  I love to watch them and listen to them communicate with each other.  I love to watch the care a mom and dad bird give their new hatchlings in the nest.  

Of particular note is how mom and dad birds feed their young.  The parents go out and capture and eat all manner of juicy and protein-rich bugs and worms.  Then the parents come to the nest and regurgitate what they just ate right into the hatchlings mouths.  You can click here to see a video…if you dare.

Yeah.  I agree with you.  YUCK! It’s bad enough they have to eat worms and bugs.  But they have to eat them only after their parents have vomited them up right in their mouths.  The hatchlings have to wait several weeks before they are able to eat such juicy fare on their own.

A Shocking Comparison

Sadly, I see a correlation in the 21st century American church.  Much of what we call Bible study is not, in fact, Bible study.  Much of what is called Bible study is nothing more that studying a book somebody wrote about the Bible.  Rather than feeding themselves, many Christians have grown content  “eating like a bird” when to comes to Bible study.  They would rather read someone else’s Biblical regurgitation than feed on God’s Word for themselves. That is when Bible study becomes eating like a bird.

Take a look at the “Bible study” offerings at many churches.  You will find impressive lists of various studies written by gifted Bible teachers.  Many of the courses labeled “Bible study” are in actuality studies of that author’s study.