The key to rightly studying God's Word is knowing the theme of the Bible.  The central and controlling theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ (Christology). It is this manifestation of Jesus Christ; His Person as God manifest in the flesh, His sacrificial death, burial and His resurrection, which constitutes the Gospel.  Unto this, all preceding scripture leads, and from this all following scripture proceeds.  It is not only important to study the Bible; it is equally important to know how to study God's Word.

I.  Study Prayerfully (Psalm 119:18)  Specifically ask the Lord to influence your mind as you study His Word.  Remember, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate illuminator of God's Word.

II.  Study Purposefully (2 Timothy 2:15).  Purpose that you will heed what The Lord is teaching you (John 16:13)

Lets consider different approaches of study:

• Memorization (Psalm 77:11) - Learning to remember key passages of the Bible is extremely valuable.  Knowing where all the books of the Bible are located is essential to your study of God's Word.  Simply put,  don't under-estimate the value of memorizing God's Word.

• Meditation (Psalm 77:12) - Meditate means to reflect  or to give thorough thought.  There is tremendous value in meditation.  The Holy Spirit will enable you to grasp a more meaningful understanding of God's will. 

• Interpretation (2 Timothy 2:15). Interpretation simply means to bring clarity so that one may realize the significance of the given subject   Rightly interpreting of God's Word is essential to an effective ministry that breeds clarity and certainty. 

<>  First and foremost, understand that the Bible is the very inspired and preserved Word of God.  Make no mistake about it... there are no mistakes with God's Word.

<>  Second:  Interpretation should provide clarity about the historical and cultural background.

<>  Thirdly:  Interpret according to the correct definition of words.  An exhaustive concordance will aid in this matter.

<>  Fourthly and very importantly, always interpret according to the context of a verse.  Look at the passage immediately preceding and following any verse, word, or topic to make sure that you understand the truth in the passage that God intended.

Determine that you will be thorough as you study God's Word.  This will enable you to perceive all that God intends for man in the work of salvation and His will in sanctification for the Believer. 

Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger

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