Introduction
- II Timothy 2:2
- Ephesians 4:11-12
- Each and every Christian needs to be studying the Bible on a regular basis!
What are you curious about?
- Make a list: “Things I’m curious about.”
- Acts 17:30
- Acts 13:47
- Pick the most interesting thing on the list and study that!
Do some simple study
- Find all the relevant passages.
- Example: The Lord’s Supper
- Read!
- Compare translations.
- What does the phrase “drink ye all of it” mean? Comparing translations shows that Jesus meant for all of those gathered to drink of the grape juice. It did not mean for them to drink all of the grape juice.
- Read the context.
- Consider the original meaning.
- Matthew 26:27 – “fruit of the vine”?
- Account for figurative language.
- Is it literally Jesus’ blood? Matthew 26:28-29. Jesus was using a metaphor.
- Check fallible sources for passages and ideas.
- Don’t do this before reading the passages yourself first!
- Acts 19:1-7; 18:24-28 – Apollos taught an incomplete message at first.
- Acts 17:1-3
- Are people proving their points from the passages?
- Don’t look for the “church of Christ position”!
- Matthew 15:2; 19:3-9 – Jesus directs the Pharisees back to the text when they try to figure out what doctrinal camp He is in.
- Harmonize all the passages into a conclusion.
- Repent and change yourself as needed.
- Save your notes.
- Set up your own filing system, either on paper or digitally, so that you can find your notes again later.
- Editor’s note: Consider a Zettelkasten system like Obsidian if taking notes digitally.