How to Study the Scriptures?

• Holy Men of God Spake as they were Moved by the Holy Ghost - The Scriptures were not written by men nor did they come by men just dreaming or thinking things up. In other words, even though there are many physical authors of the Bible, as far as the different books of the Bible—the prophets: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.; Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible; David wrote many of the Psalms; Solomon wrote Proverbs and Ecclesiastes; the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; Paul wrote much of the New Testament following the Gospels—yet all of these men spoke how? They spoke as the Holy Spirit moved them. So, first and foremost, this Bible is the Word of God. It is God’s Word that has been delivered to mankind. It is God’s gift to mankind of His message, His revelation to people. How did the Holy Ghost speak? He spoke through these men. Men were moved by the Holy Ghost, the Bible said.

2 Pet 1:20-21 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

• The Holy Ghost Teacheth; Comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual - But how does the Holy Ghost then teach us as we read the Scriptures 2,000 years after most of the New Testament was penned and even more thousands of years later than when Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible? How does the Holy Ghost teach us? - “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. The Holy Ghost is the author of the Bible and now the Holy Ghost is going to be a teacher of the Bible, too. Since there is one author, the Holy Spirit, there is oneness and cohesiveness in God's Word. “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” means finding things that are similar and alike, comparing them, and then seeing how they all fit together. This is the beauty of studying the Word of God and coming to truth as we compare spiritual with spiritual. In other words, Bible is its own dictionary.

1 Cor 2:12-14 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Cor 2:7 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”

Isa 28:9-10 “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

• How to Compare Spiritual things with Spiritual - Let us take a look at an easy passage to show an example of this. In the Gospel of John, we have a beautiful example. This one might be easy, although people at the time who heard this did not think that this was easy, maybe you will. I hope that you do. So can you see that this is challenging language, to a degree? This is because Jesus is speaking about bread but He is not talking about a wafer or about wheat bread. He is talking about something different. He is saying that if you eat the bread that comes down from Heaven, you are not going to die. what the bread is that He was talking about when He said that if you ate it you would not die? It is the Word. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life...., the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life..., the Word was made flesh.... Now how do you understand “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you”? We need to be forgiven by washing of our sins by the blood of Christ and new life has to be given to us by the Holy Spirit by blessing the Word to our hearts.

John 6:48-63 “I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 59These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

John 1:1,14 “1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Matt 6:9-11 “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread.” 

Matt 4:3-4 “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Heb 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness].”

Lev 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.”

Heb 10:12 “But this man [the Lord Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

Rev 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

Rev 13:8 “... the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”