Since the Bible is a spiritual book, it must be approached spiritually. You approach studying the Bible spiritually by bathing your study in prayer. In this way, the Holy Spirit can illuminate your mind as to the meaning and application of its truth to your life (1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Ephesians 6:18).
But don’t count on the Study Bible to do all the work for you. If you want to get the most out of the Scripture you need to learn to read it for yourself and learn to interpret it by giving a careful focus to the passage you are reading and by comparing what you learn there with the rest of what the Bible teaches.
The Gospels (Matthew-John) give us four different, but complementary, perspectives on the life of Jesus. We see in them the story of the One who embodies the Kingdom of God and who offers a path to salvation based upon His love, His sacrifice, and His grace.
If you want to get the most out of the Scripture you need to learn to read it for yourself and learn to interpret it by giving a careful focus to the passage you are reading and by comparing what you learn there with the rest of what the Bible teaches.
The Bible is filled with history, biographies, miracles, prophecies, songs, poems, letters, and practical teaching. Each element deserves your time and attention, and each book contains wisdom and guidance for your life.
If you don’t pay attention to the context, you are in danger of trying to make the Bible say something that it doesn’t actually say. Every verse of the Bible is part of a chapter, and every chapter is part of a book, and every book of the Bible is part of one larger God-inspired message that unfolds across its pages.
These individual books were written by many different authors over an extended period of time. What makes the Bible so unique, though, is that its many human authors were all inspired by its one Divine Author —God Himself!
We don’t study it so that we can win theological arguments or impress people with our knowledge. We read it so that God can use it to transform our lives. Therefore, we should read the Bible with humility and an open heart, being ready to be challenged and changed by God’s Word. We should read it with an open mind, not assuming we already know what it means. The more you read the Bible, the more new and fresh truths you will discover in its pages. It is inexhaustible.
In a sense, the Bible is the “manufacturer’s handbook” for life. The One who created us has plans and purposes for us. If we don’t know the content of His “manufacturer’s handbook” we won’t know what these are or how to live as He intends for us to live. Still, many people don’t put much effort into reading the Bible.
The Books of Poetry (Job-Ecclesiastes) were written at various times during the history of Israel, though the lion’s share were penned during the high points of the monarchy under David and Solomon, who are traditionally considered to be the authors of much that is in these books. Job struggles with the question of why there is suffering in the lives of good people, Psalms is a book of songs, praises, and prayers, Proverbs offers bite sized nuggets of wisdom for living, The Song of Solomon reflects upon human and divine love, and Ecclesiastes centers on the meaning of a truly good and purposeful life. Since poetry is less straightforward than prose, these books take a different path to revealing important truths about God and our walk with Him.
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