How to read and study the Bible.

One of the biggest controversies in Christendom is the diversity in doctrines and explanation or interpretation of the scriptures. This diversity has led to the different denominations and altercations in the body of Christ. Now more than ever before, because of the evolution of the human belief system, as a Christain, it is not just enough to be a churchgoer and getting your beliefs and interpretations of the Bible from your Spiritual leader. It is important to have a personal and intimate relationship with God, to know God for yourself, to study the scriptures, not just by reading up what you heard from church, but studying the scriptures and waiting on the Holy Spirit to give you the interpretation.

2 Timothy 3.16 says, "Everything that is written in the Bible comes from God's Spirit. It helps us in many ways. The Bible teaches us what is true. It warns us when we are doing wrong things. It shows us what is right. It teaches us to live good lives". The Spirit of God through men wrote the scriptures, and the only way to understand the scriptures is by asking the Holy Spirit to teach us what it says. To get the most out of the scriptures for a transformed life, here's what you should do:

Study:

When an A student is reading or preparing for exams, he or she reads up every possible information in relation to the subject, and even more outside the subject, so as to get enough knowledge to not just pass but pass well. He doesn't just read, he studies. He does in-depth learning, and the goal is not to just pass, but to pass excellently. To live an excellent Christian life, study the scriptures, don't just read the Bible. Studying the scriptures is reading the preceding verses, a chapter before, a chapter after, and even reference verses. Don't take a particular verse and draw a context out of it without considering the preceding events. It is important to know and understand why certain things were said or done in the scriptures. Ephesians 1.17-18 starts happening to you when you start studying the scriptures. You begin to understand God better for who He really is. Studying the scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit grants you the revelation knowledge of the Father, and that makes you not live by the flesh or the Mosaic laws, but to live and be led by the Spirit, finding your whole being and identity in God.

Meditate:

Joshua 1.8 was a mandate God gave to Joshua before making him the leader of the Israelites after Moses had died. God commanded Joshua to meditate on His word, day and night, 24/7. Meditating on the Word of God makes you see and feel the impact of the scriptures. Every verse has a different message every time you read and meditate on it again. Every verse ministers differently to whatever situation you are in at the moment each time you meditate on God's word. Meditating on God's word gives the Holy Spirit ample time to work in your heart with the Word. He sheds more light in your heart as you meditate on His word. He ministers to your situation, also pointing out areas you might have gone wrong, whether in your approach, response, or attitude towards it.

Inspiration from the Holy Spirit:

This is the most important factor to acknowledge in studying the scriptures. Studying and trying to understand the scriptures without the help of the Holy Spirit is like trying to use a new machine without the instructor's manual or trying to fix a broken one without the manual or taking it to someone that is well specialized in that field. It is funny how we understand that we can't work with such machines without consulting the owner's manual, yet, we try to do life without the manual or help from the Creator of life, God himself. Before and even while studying the scriptures, it is important to constantly consult the Holy Spirit to help you understand His word. Without the spirit of understanding from the Holy Spirit, we would never the scriptures for what it really is nor understand God for who He really is.

You can never understand the Bible and its truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. The things of the Spirit will always sound foolish to carnal-minded people.