Foundations of the Faith 4: Intoduction to Bible Study

Introduction

After spending the last few weeks learning about the first foundation, that is prayer, we are moving on to our next foundation: Bible Study. Before we get to the Bible, there are a few thoughts on hermeneutics, that is a fancy word meaning the rules of Bible study and there are many but for the purpose of our study, we will limit ourselves to a few.

1. Never use the Word of God for personal gain. [i]

 

Luke 4:1-4

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” 

NKJV

 

Jesus was hungry and could have easily made bread for Himself, but He chose to use the Word for God’s glory not to satisfy His physical needs. Don’t get me wrong God is concerned about our physical needs but do not miss the spiritual lesson: Jesus did not need to prove Himself to the devil who He was.

 

The Bible is a mirror so we can see our own faults, it is the brass laver (Ex 38:8 He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. NKJV); it is a sword to use in spiritual warfare, but when we start using it as a offensive weapon against the lost or against brothers and sisters in Christ, we run the very real risk of becoming judgmental, hypocritical in a word a Pharisee plucking at the splinter in our brother’s eye while almost knocking his head off with the log in our own eye!

1. Always use the Word of God in Context. If we do not use a verse out of context. The Bible is meant to be read passage by passage, chapter by chapter, book by book so we can understand correctly what is being said. There is a danger in using the “hunt and peck” method of Bible study. Open the Bible randomly to one verse: Matt 27:5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  Second verse Luke 10:37 Go, and do thou likewise. Third verse John 13:27 What you do, do quickly. Out of context, we come up with the thought: suicide is ok, but nothing is further from the truth but you can make a doctrine out of almost anything if we ignore the context!
2. Be careful of Definitions. Meanings change over the course of time and from place to place. Getting a lift in the USA and in England are quite different. In the USA it means you are getting a ride in a car, in England it means you are riding an elevator. The solution is to use a good Bible dictionary that gives meaning closer to when the Bible was written. I like the Strongs Concordance/Dictionary and the Vine’s Expository Dictionary. We have both available here on the PC Study Bible.

Reading v. Studying

When we think about Bible study we think about reading the Bible, and quote the promise of Revelation 1:3 feeling we will be blessed by reading the Word.

Rev 1:3

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

NKJV

 

We need to understand what three words mean to understand what this verse means

 

Blessed NT:3107; to beatify, i.e. pronounce (or esteem) fortunate: KJV – call blessed, count happy. makarios (mak-ar’-ee-os); a prolonged form of the poetical makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension, fortunate, well off: KJV – blessed, happy (X -ier).[ii]

 

Read NT:314 anaginosko (an-ag-in-oce’-ko); from NT:303 and NT:1097; to know again, i.e. (by extension) to read: KJV – read. [iii]

 

Hear NT:191 akouo (ak-oo’-o); a primary verb; to hear (in various senses): KJV – give (in the) audience (of), come (to the ears), ([shall]) hear (-er, -ken), be noised, be reported, understand.[iv]

 

So we understand, it is more than a onetime casual reading that is being spoken of here. It means to read and read again, to listen, and by extension to do what it says.

 

So study is the key, not just reading. To search and study and apply the scriptures to our lives.

John 5:39- You search (G2045 ereunaō er-yoo-nah’-o Apparently from G2046 (through the idea of inquiry); to seek, that is, (figuratively) to investigate: – search.)

•  the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  NKJV
• 2 Tim 2:15 Study (G4704 spoudazō spoo-dad’-zo From G4710; to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: – do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.) to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. KJV

Why do we Study the Bible?

2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. NKJV

didaskalia

 

• Docturine: NT:1319 didaskalia (did-as-kal-ee’-ah); from NT:1320; instruction (the function or the information): KJV – doctrine, learning, teaching.[v]
• Reproof-NT:1648 a elegmos (el-eng-mos’); from NT:1651; found only in 2 Tim 3:16: conviction (of a sinner), punishment, refutation of error, reproof.[vi]
• Correction NT:1882 epanorthosis (ep-an-or’-tho-sis); from a compound of NT:1909 and NT:461; a straightening up again, i.e. (figuratively) rectification (reformation): KJV – correction[vii]
• Instruction NT:3809 paideia (pahee-di’-ah); from NT:3811; tutorage, i.e. education or training; by implication, disciplinary correction: KJV – chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.[viii]
• Perfect NT:739 artios (ar’-tee-os); from NT:737; fresh, i.e. (by implication) complete: KJV – perfect.[ix]
• So we can do the work of God. It is to glorify Jesus not beat each other down!

Verse Study

We will start off with the shortest of studies, the verse study. In this we focus on one or two verses in the Bible, but we need to be mindful of context!

 

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

NKJV

 

• What is the key word or words? Trust (batach OT:982 batach (baw-takh’); a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge [but not so precipitately as OT:2620]; figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure: KJV – be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
• Who are we to trust in? The Lord
• Is there a promise? Yes He will lead us.
• What are the conditions to the promise? We must trust the Lord and lean on Him only, not on ourselves.

 

I know this was an easy one, and for homework, do Psalm 1:1-2, it is also not too difficult and we will discuss this one next week

 

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[i] Duplantis, Jessie, Strike One, Strike 2, Strike 3, devil Your Out, DVD, Jessie Duplantis Ministries.

[ii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[iii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[iv] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[v] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[vi] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[vii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[viii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[ix] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

Foundations of The Faith: Keys to Answered Prayer

Key 1: Importunity, Just Keep Asking

 

Luke 11:5-8

 

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;  6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;  7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?  8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 

NKJV

• Friend and friend: A friend comes to us in need, he is hungry but we have not a thing to set in front of him. We need to go to our Friend who has enough for all and more left over.
• Need for 3 loaves
• He said no!
• Just bugged him enough to get the answer he wanted. Importunity (KJV, NKJV persistence) anaideia NT:335 anaideia (an-ah’-ee-die-ah’); from a compound of NT:1 (as a negative particle [compare NT:427]) and NT:127; impudence, i.e. (by implication) importunity: KJV – importunity.[i] Literally it means shameless.
• His troublesome perseverance; his continuing to disturb the man, and refusing to take any denial. The word “importunity” denotes perseverance in an object, without any regard to time, place, or circumstances – an improper perseverance. By this the man was influenced. Rather than be disturbed he would rise and give what was asked. This is to be applied to God in no other sense than that he often hears prayers and grants blessings even “long after” they appear to be unanswered or withheld. He does not promise to give blessings “at once.” He promises only that he will do it, or “will answer” prayer. But he often causes his people long to wait. He tries their faith. He leaves them to persevere for months or years, until they “feel” entirely their dependence on him, until they see that they can obtain the blessing in no other way, and until they are “prepared” to receive it. Often they are not prepared to receive it when they ask it at first. They may be proud, or have no just sense of their dependence, or they would not value the blessing, or it may “at that time” not be best for them to obtain it. But let no one despair. If the thing is for “our” good, and if it is proper that it “should” be granted, God will give it. Let us first ask aright; let us see that our minds are in a proper state; let us feel our need of the blessing; let us inquire whether God has “promised such” a blessing, and “then” let us persevere until God gives it. Again: people, when they ask anything of God, often give over seeking. They go “once,” and if it is not granted they are discouraged. It is not so when we ask anything of people. “Then” we persevere; we take no denial; we go again, and “press” the matter until we obtain it. So we should of God. We should go again and again, until the prayer is heard, and God grants what we ask of him.

 

Key 2: Believe and Forgive

Mark 11:20-26

 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

 

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

 

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” 

NKJV

 

Key 3: Bearing Fruit

John 15:5-8

 

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 

NKJV

• What is fruit? Could it be soul winning (cf. Proverbs 11:30)? Could it be the Fruit of the Spirit (cf. Galatians 5:22-23)? While these are both fruits in the Bible, we need to read the verse in context.
• What is the context of this verse? We see in verse six it says “we ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.” So it could be salvation, health, victorious Christian living, because the fruit here is answered prayer!
• This is not an unconditional request. The condition must be met, that is we must be abiding in Christ What does that mean?
• It means we are obedient to Him and follow His teachings allowing His Spirit to lead us.
• I know this may seem a little radical to those who are hearing this for the first time, I know it did to me but as I meditated and prayed, I realized this is correct for the context!

Wrap Up

Three keys Jesus gives us to have a fruitful prayer life: importunity, belief & forgiving, and abiding. This combined with what we learned in the first two lessons and a vital loving relationship with the Father will yield the prayer life and bring us closer to relationship we desire with God

 

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[i] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

Death in The Pot

2 Kings 4:38-41

And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were.  40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot !” And they could not eat it. 

41 So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

NKJV

Gourd -OT:6498 paqqu`ah (pak-koo-aw’); from the same as OT:6497; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its seeds): KJV – gourd.[i]

What was meant to preserve life was about to bring death to the people of God. The devil desires nothing more that to destroy the life and testimonies of His people to either bring about their death or make them ineffective for God.

Death -OT:4194 maveth (maw’-veth); from OT:4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin: KJV – (be) dead ([-ly]), death, die (-d).[ii]

During a famine the men of God went to get some vegetables to make a stew and someone saw some wild gourds growing on a vine, I guess they looked pretty good so he took himself a lapful. There are two thoughts I have on that:

• He sliced them into the pot. Many troubles in our lives comes either from our own hands or others meddling where they have no business being.
• He did not know what they were yet he put them in the pot. (knew: yada` OT:3045 yada` (yaw-dah’); a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]:KJV – acknowledge, acquaintance (-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, [un-] awares, can [-not], certainly, comprehend, consider, could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be [ig-] norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have [knowledge], (be, make, make to be, makeself) known, be learned, lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have [understanding], will be, wist, wit, wot.[iii]
• Meal or flour was added and the poison was gone. This was one of the many miracles of Elisha. Bring meal – Though this might, in some measure, correct the strong acrid and purgative quality; yet it was only a miracle which could make a lapful of this fruit shred into pottage salutary.[iv]
•  

A Spiritual Application

We need to move from an Old Testament physical story to a New Testament spiritual application. We need to see the pot as the life of a Christian and the gourds are the things we add to our own lives that can cause “death in the pot” in our lives. Things either through ignorance or intent, with deliberation or emotional outburst, there are things that are death in the pot. These include:

• Allowing ungodly influences into our lives. I remember a song I use to sing with my children’s church and we are going to use the lyrics for our outline:
• O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There’s a Father up above

And He’s looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

We need to watch what we watch. There are few ways for things to enter and take root and the eye gate is one of them. We need what we watch on TV. We need to look at while we are reading. We need to take care that they are pure and wholesome. When wrong things enter our eye gate it can influence our lives and actions and can be death in the pot of the Christian life.  (Put TV Guide in Pot)

• be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little ears what you hear

There’s a Father up above

And He’s looking down in love

So, be careful little ears what you hear

We need to be careful what we let in our ear gate. Ungodly music and talk (not just radio but listening to carnal Christians who are complaining and we listen to that garbage it can give place to the devil and harm those who listen to it. This includes those so called “prayer request” that are just dressed up gossip meant to tear someone down not build them up) it can plant wrong thoughts and ideas in our hearts and take root in our souls and influence our thoughts and actions and can be death in the pot of the Christian life. (Put CD/Cassette Player in Pot)

 

• be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little hands what you do

There’s a Father up above

And He’s looking down in love

So, be careful little hands what you do

Is what we are working on in our lives meant to build up others or ourselves? Wrong motive in actions can lead us down a deadly path, being death in the pot of the Christian. (Put Paper Heart in pot)

• be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little feet where you go

There’s a Father up above

And He’s looking down in love

So, be careful little feet where you go

We need to be careful. I was listening to a  TV preacher, I won’t mention his name, I would hate to embarrass him but he said it was OK for a Christian to drink wine as long as he watched himself. I don’t see that. We need to keep our feet from going to where it would not glorify God. No bars, no drinks, why? (Put empty bottle in pot )

Lev 10:9

 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die (it is death in the pot)

You may say this is Old Testament, but watch, what was the tabernacle? The dwelling place of God, and where does God dwell now? In the Christian, so we are God’s tabernacle or temple (1 Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?)

• be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

O be careful little mouth what you say

There’s a Father up above

And He’s looking down in love

So, be careful little mouth what you say

 OK this is a pretty big one, our mouths, which should be used to praise and glorify God but are being used for other things like:

• Backbiting : BACKBITE To speak slanderously or spitefully about a person (Ps 15:3; Rom 1:30). Backbiting involves an element of deceit and cowardice. It should be avoided by Christians.[v]
• Complaining: do we need to be reminded God hates complaining (see also murmuring) remember what happened to Israel in the wilderness, the quails, the brass serpent.
• Lying: & sowing discord among the breathern:

Prov 6:16-19

 

16 These six things the LORD hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

17 A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

19 A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

NKJV

Lying tounge- sheqer

 

OT:8267 sheqer (sheh’-ker); from OT:8266; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial):

 

Sowing discord-weather by deceit or word, it is hated by God and  is death the mouth can be death in the pot of a Christian. (put mouth in pot.

There is a Cure

When Elisha put the meal or flour in the pot the stew it was supernaturally fixed so there was no death in the pot! How can we as Christians get the death out of the pot?

Ps 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

KJV

 

Ps 119:16-17

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word . Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word .

KJV

 

Ps 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

KJV

By adding God’s Word to our lives, living it and following its teachings day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute we can get the death out and keep it out by keeping and following the Bible

But this only works for the Christian who has had his sins forgiven and is saved by grace, otherwise we are trying to work our way into Heaven, and we cannot do that as the Bible says:

Eph 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

NKJV

We are saved by grace alone by faith alone, works comes afterwards.

 

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[i] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[ii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[iii] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.

[iv] Clarke, Adam: Adam Clarkes’s Commentary on The Bible, 2 Kings 4:41, electronic database, E-sword.

[v] Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers