How To Study Build a Foundation
Before you start studying, you need a foundation. There are two things that a strong, study foundation has, the physical basics of studying, and the mental basics of studying. The physical basics of studying is organizing your studies. The mental basics of studying means getting your mind and body ready to study. The deeper you study the stronger your foundation will be. You will need a strong foundation to carry the truth because the truth is heavy.
On this page I will break down how to study:
- Physical and Mental Basics
- Steps to Study the Bible
- How to Listen - 1,2,3
- Study both the OLD and NEW Covenants
- Learn the Context
Physical and Mental Basics
Some kind of filing system will be needed because you will want to be able to easily find the subjects you have already studied. Being able to go back and piece things together is very important. I’m old school, so I have two of each study. One copy is in a metal filing cabinet with hanging folders, and the other is in my computer because all electronics have the potential of crashing. Even online storage apps can get bugs and I’m not risking thousands of hours and years of research.
Use sticky notes. As the piles of research papers stack up, sticky notes are a quick, easy way to organize and summarize what’s beneath them. Then, when that study is done, you can file all those papers in their proper place. You can also use the sticky notes for single things to remember, making it easier to find because one reminder is on one sticky note, not ten reminders on one piece of paper.
Get highlighters to highlight ONLY THE IMPORTANT PARTS. The highlighters will enable you to go through a lot of papers really fast to put together a summary of the page or find a certain verse or point you are looking for.
A lot of people like to use graphs and maps when it’s hard to describe something. Or, if there is a lot of information, put it into a graph or map so one glance can reveal a ton of info. It also breaks up the monotony of reading and gives the eyes a break. I don't use them, but that's just me.
The mental basics of studying the bible is the most important. No matter how much you study, or how you study, if you don't do this, it will be alot harder to find the truth.
There is no room for bias when studying for the truth. If you avoid verses that go against what you believe, that’s not studying. If you are looking for more verses to back up what you believe, that’s not studying. Studying is searching for the truth, no matter what you believe, and then following the truth even if it means you were wrong in what you first believed. Being biased when studying for the truth will only divert you further away from the truth. Study with an open mind and with an open heart, so it can be filled with the truth.
Don’t be afraid to be wrong when studying for the truth. It happens a lot because you change what you believe a couple of times before you reach the end of your study. Without knowing the whole truth, the picture will change as you add to it, then, with the whole truth, you can decide what to believe.
Study by yourself. Keep going to church and group studies, but have YOUR study time when it's just you and YAHWEH (GOD). You need to hear from YAHWEH (GOD) through Yahoshua (Jesus), not someone else. YAHWEH's voice can't be heard when someone else is talking. When studying, you need to be focused on the topic and the scriptures so you can learn from YAHWEH, WHO wants you to learn from HIM, not someone else. Your relationship with YAHWEH (GOD) is only through Yahoshua (Jesus) and no one else. Church is good for shallow edifying, group studies are good for moderate edifying, but personal growth comes from studying alone, with YAHWEH (GOD). Be still and know that I am YAHWEH (GOD).
With an organized filing system and your mind and body mentally prepared lets study!
First, we pray.
YAHWEH (GOD) in heaven, I humbly ask that YOU give me the knowledge of truth that I will be studying, so I can get to know YOU through YOUR Holy Son, Yahoshua (Jesus). Please teach me to remove any doubt, any hooks, any blocks, any wrong doctrines or theology that might hinder getting to know the truth about YOU, YAHWEH (GOD), through YOUR Holy Son, Yahoshua (Jesus). Please put a hedge of protection around me in the natural (spirit) realm that will allow me to start a good reading and studying schedule that will turn into a habit that will forever be had. Please give me the courage and strength to face the truth, believe the truth, live the truth, so people can see it even when I'm not talking. Fill my heart with a loyalty so strong for YOU, YAHWEH (GOD), through YOUR Holy Son, Yahoshua (Jesus), that death itself would be a pleasure just to meet YOU! Please teach me to study in a way that honors YOU, YAHWEH (GOD) through YOUR Holy Son, Yahoshua (Jesus). I am boldly approaching the throne of grace, humbly asking these things, with my face on the ground, through your Holy Sons name, Yahoshua (Jesus). Amen.
Steps to Study the Bible
Think of a topic you wanna know more about, then, think of a word in the bible that describes that topic. The word that describes the topic is the study word. Every verse that uses the study word, specifically about the topic, type out or copy and paste the verse onto a document, then bold the study word. Make sure you type out the whole story and not just the verse it’s in. Without the whole story you will be missing key elements and maybe the main point. Sometimes it’s a couple chapters long but that’s ok. Keep it long for now, in the later steps it will be shortened. You will find other words that relate to the topic word. Start a list of those, and do all of them as well, one by one as you finish them.
Read each verse on the study page. This time focus on how each verse applies to the topic. If verses are repeating, or if it doesnt apply to the topic, delete it.
Read each group of verses on the study page again, this time, summarizing them into one line, with book-chapter-verse at the end of the line. Dont include every single little detail, just the bigger ones. If a summary line jumps out at you, bold it.
Listening The right choice is to listen to The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) first, then scripture second, then history if needed.
Listening to The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) must be accounted for, in order to decide on what to firmly believe. Dates, beliefs, and interpretations of the topics you are studying will be different with each source you look at because that is the devils tactic to “steal, slaughter, and fully destroy" your faith. You must rely on The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) to guide you through your studies and by doing so you will build a bond and trust with YAHWEH (GOD) through Yahoshua (Jesus) that will become a part of your everyday routine.
Listening to The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) is very important because all scripture is not divinely inspired. The ORIGINAL bible itself is divinely inspired, but not every single one of the scriptures inside the bible TODAY are supposed to be there. After studying long enough, you will be able to read and know right away if something doesnt flow right. YAHWEH (GOD) will reveal to you what's wrong about that scripture in HIS timing. I say that because man has taken the liberity to change the interpritation of scripture to make it easier to read; man has also added and taken away from scripture to put in the doctrines and theologies they believe should be in there. Lots of reasons why they do it, but none of them are approved by YAHWEH (GOD). Fear not, little child, for YAHWEH (GOD) is always with you!! Read and study like nothing is wrong, and if it is, let YAHWEH reveal it to you. Don't go looking for it. Baby steps. You will learn it soon enough, my friend.
The right choice is to listen to the scriptures second because not everything you need to learn is in the bible. The bible will not guide you on every single decision in life but The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) will and is more than happy to do so. YAHWEH (God) will lead you through Yahoshua (Jesus) who leads us through The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit). We are led by The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) but guided by the bible. The Divine Nature will tell us to do something, and the bible will tell us how. The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) is a nature (spirit) and the bible is physical. We are physical. We need a physical guide, the bible, and we also need a natural (spiritual) leader, The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit). We need both at the same time because The Divine Nature goes with us everywhere and the bible usually stays home, or in the car, or in the phone thats left somewhere, lol. Its sad, but most people dont carry the bible in there hearts.
Learn to take the bible one step further, by doing what the bible says, when The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) tells you to do it. When most people study the bible they randomly pick what they think they should do. Its The Divine Nature's job to pick what you need to do. Doing what the bible and Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) tells you to do will keep you one step ahead of everyone else. You cant teach or help someone if youre not one step ahead.
The right choice is to listen to history when needed. The physical manuscripts is what gives us the bible that we know today. Those physical manuscsripts are the bibles history. Its those manuscripts that tell us what scriptures were added and what scriptures were taken away, and what footnotes of scripture was added as scripture. Sometimes we need something physical so when The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit) tells us something isnt right, we can see that its true. Thats how most people learn to be lead by The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit).
Looking at the writings of the early church fathers, is also a good, most of the time, reliable, history source. It shows what they were thinking and discussing and believing back then. You can see the history of alot of things by researching thier behaviors. Did they worship holidays, birthdays, what was there stance on certain doctrines and theologies, if those certain doctrines and theologies existed back then, and if not, when did those certain doctrines and theologies start? History is a good timeline, and an ocean of biblical knowledge and truth, but only if you're lead by The Divine Nature (Holy Spirit). History is the last of the three study and research tools.
Studying the Old and New Covenants
A very in depth way to study the bible is to ALWAYS INCLUDE THE OLD COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT. ALWAYS!!! If both of The Covenants are not studied every single time, half of the study, and millions of cool, small, but very significant biblical knowledge will be missed out on. I cannot repeat this enough. You will actually be learning multiple studies at the same time without knowing it, while studying one main topic. Do not miss out on this wealth of wisdom that ALMIGHTY YAHWEH (GOD) wants to share with you.
Context Taking scripture out of context is telling the bible what it says, instead of the bible telling you what it says. That happens alot because people only look at one or two verses, instead of the whole bible.
For example,
Eph. 2:8 because by favor
you have been delivered, through trust
and that is not of yourselves.
The gift is of YAHWEH,
Eph. 2:9 not of works,
lest anyone should boast.
This verse is saying we are saved by trust and not works.
James 2:17 Even so, faith by itself,
unless it has works, is dead.
Faith, trust, believing, it's all the same word. This verse is saying, trust is dead without works. Oh my, this seems so confusing, but it's not. Its really simple. All you have to do is put the puzzle together and the picture is really clear.
James 2:22 Do you see that faith
was cooperating with his works
and by works faith was made complete?
This verse is saying that faith and works go together.
This is what happens when the whole bible is not studied.
The first verse says faith, not works.
The second verse says faith by itself is dead.
The third verse says faith is made complete by works.
This is only confusing if you don't study the whole bible.
The reason YAHWEH allows this in scripture is for 2 reasons. 1 - YAHWEH (GOD) wants you to study the whole bible to learn it all. 2 - YAHWEH knew some people would say faith, some people would say works, and YAHWEH brings them together with "faith is made complete by works".
Now you see how one verse can easily be taken out of context.
Now you see why studying the whole topic, in the whole bible, is very important.
Now you will be able to see when people study the bible wrong.
If they are studying wrong, more than likely their doctrines or beliefs are wrong.
You won't know if someone is teaching or preaching wrong unless you study right.