photo.jpg

# LESSON 18 ## THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURE **Key Text:** "Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth.” 2 Tim 2:15. **Theme:** The methods of Bible study and rules for its interpretation are too l...

# LESSON 18 ## THE STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURE **Key Text:** "Do your best to win full approval in God's sight, as a worker who is not ashamed of his work, one who correctly teaches the message of God's truth.” 2 Tim 2:15. **Theme:** The methods of Bible study and rules for its interpretation are too large a subject for us to treat adequately here. However, each one should know some of the basic principles before beginning the study of the major doctrine. **Introduction** If the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the scriptures to record and if God preserved those messages, why are there so many different ideas about what the Bible teaches? The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures ensuring consistency of teachings, and the difficulty is not with the Book or with the provision for understanding its teachings; the problem is they approached the scriptures. **1. The Guidelines of the Holy Spirit** The minds of men have been blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14, 4:4), corrupted (2 Corinthians 11:3) so that it is impossible for them to grasp spiritual truth without special enlightenment. The things of the spirit of God are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). Man, unaided by the Holy Spirit cannot arrive at spiritual truth. A change must come in our minds before we can decide what the will of God is and then act upon it. **2. A Right Attitude Toward Truth** There would be little purpose in God's speaking his will known to men and women if they have no intention of following it. God has spoken to doubters who have read the Bible, and he constantly speaks to unconverted men and leads them to the truth. But increasing light and understanding in spiritual matters is given to those who are determined to accept and put into practice the light received. The first step for the Christian in spiritually enlightening Bible study is to claim the fulfillment of Christ's promise of the spirit to guide him into truth. The unfolding of truth is gradual, even for the born-again Christian. We cannot receive it all at once, since the spirit continues to guide us as we persist in study and as spiritual growth takes place. The Bible should never be studied without Prayer. The Holy Spirit above can cause us to feel the importance of these things not easy to be understood, or prevent us from wresting truths difficult of comprehension. It is the office of heavenly angels to prepare the heart to comprehend God's word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises. We should make the psalmist's petition our own, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” G.C.Pg.599, 600. We shall not engage in the study of the Bible with that self-reliance with which so many enter the domains of science, but with prayerful dependence upon God, and a sincere desire to learn His will. We must come with a humble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge and so bind our minds and so bind our minds and harden our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth. G.C. Pg. 599. Instead of questioning and cavilling concerning that which you do not