Another book on Bible study? Well, yes and no. For sure, my aim in this book is to help readers progress in their ability to study the Bible and understand its meaning. But this isn’t like other books on Bible study. I’m not concerned with teaching you a method. Instead, I’m interested in being honest about what will help you and what won’t.
Let’s start with a cold dose of truth. As a Bible scholar with more than twenty years of teaching experience, I can tell you that effective Bible study doesn’t happen by making the books of the Bible conform to a method. You can learn to repeat steps and follow rote procedures, but that won’t produce greater comprehension of what Scripture teaches its readers.
The reason is simple. Biblical writers didn’t write with a study method in mind. Books of the Bible can be quite different, so they don’t conform to canned approaches. If you’ve tried one of those Bible study methods books, you know I’m telling you the truth. Sure, you learn to write notes, draw in your Bible, and fill blanks in books. But learning tasks isn’t grasping what the biblical writers wanted you to see and understand.
There are certainly techniques you can use to study Scripture more adeptly. I’ll give you a few of those in this book. But a technique that helps you in one instance may not help you in another. You need a tool chest, not a checklist. How you approach the Bible needs to be flexible and adjustable, not rigid and repeatable.
The key to good Bible study isn’t following steps. It’s learning to think carefully about what you’re reading. You develop thinking skills by asking insightful questions, learning to detect and avoid flawed ideas (your own and those of others), and being dissatisfied with explanations that aren’t comprehensive. Learning to think well is much more powerful than memorizing a method. Careful thinking allows you to adapt to whatever Scripture presents you rather than asking the same questions of every passage.
Much of what you’ll read in Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study is therefore aimed at giving readers sound advice. It’s filled with dos, don’ts, and blunt advice I might suggest if I was peeking over your shoulder as you study. I’ve used all of my own recommendations. Some are more obvious than others. Yet they’ll all help you move to the next level in getting more from your Bible study.