Beginner’s Guide to Studying the Bible

Learning to Study the Bible — Five Practical Steps (Part 1)

Scripture References

• Ezekiel 4:12

Overview

Pastor Craig opened a two-week mini-series designed to help believers move from wishing they read the Bible to actually studying it with confidence. In this first message he named five simple practices, demonstrated them in the book of Philemon, and showed how God turns a “formerly” into a “but now” when His Word is embraced. The goal: form a daily habit that lets Scripture renew minds, guide decisions, and rewrite personal stories.

Main Points

1. Choose a translation you understand

• The Bible’s originals are Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; scholars translate words whose meanings shift with time.
• Language changes (the King James dates to 1611), so modern readers may trip over phrases like “the bowels of the saints.”
• Recommended translations: NIV, NLT (current language); New King James, ESV, NASB (more formal yet clear).
• Pick one you’ll actually read; consulting several can add nuance.

2. Set a consistent time, place, and plan

• Consistency beats intensity; without a slot on the calendar most people never open Scripture.
• Morning reading primes the day, but any faithful rhythm works.
• Options: paper Bible with pen, audio during a commute, digital on the YouVersion app, a reading plan, or a devotional guide.
• The YouVersion Bible App hosts more than 32,000 plans; choose one that matches your season.

3. Seek the context

• The Bible is a library: 66 books, 40 authors, 3 languages, 3 continents, 1,500 years.
• Always ask: Who wrote it? To whom? For what purpose?
• Illustration: A photo of Pastor Craig dining with his daughter looked suspicious until the back-story was known—context changes everything.

Context exercise: Philemon

• Author: Paul, writing from a Roman prison.
• Recipient: Philemon, a wealthy believer who hosts a house church.
• Situation: Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave, had met Paul, come to Christ, and was returning home.
• Purpose: Urge Philemon to forgive and receive Onesimus “no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother,” a radical request in a culture where runaway slaves were branded “F” (fugitivus) or worse.

4. Read slowly and ask questions

• Two always-questions: “What does this say about God?” and “What is God saying to me?”
• SPECK tool:
  • Sin to avoid?
  • Promise to claim?
  • Example to follow?
  • Command to obey?
  • Knowledge about God?
• Philemon 8–11: Paul could command but appeals “on the basis of love.” Onesimus (“useful”) was once “useless” but is now “useful” to both men.
  • Greek play on words: pote (“formerly”) and de nyn (“but now”).

  • “You can’t have the ‘de nyn’ without the ‘pote.’”

5. Pray for God to speak and apply what He shows

• Scripture is “living, active, sharper than a double-edged sword”; ask the Author to illuminate it.
• Application transforms “formerly… but now” stories:
  • formerly sick → now helping others through health insights
  • formerly addicted → now walking in freedom
  • formerly hopeless → now guarded by God’s peace
  • formerly estranged marriages → now restored and serving together

Key Truths

• Access doesn’t equal engagement; many Christians skip Scripture because they never learned how to start.
• A readable translation removes an unnecessary barrier to understanding God’s voice.
• Context protects us from misreading verses the way a single photo can misrepresent a moment.
• God uses His Word to turn useless pasts into useful futures.
• Consistent, prayerful study is one of the most life-shaping disciplines a believer can form.

Response

• Pick one modern translation today and stick with it for at least a month.
• Block a daily slot (start tomorrow) and decide on a location free from distractions.
• Before reading, ask the SPECK questions and jot brief answers.
• Pray, “Lord, show me who You are and what You want me to do,” then obey the first prompting.
• Invite a friend or family member to join you and discuss discoveries.
• Commit to return next week (or watch online) to build on these foundations.

Closing

Pastor Craig challenged the church to seven straight days of Scripture engagement and promised that next week the practice will “come alive” in fresh ways. He reminded listeners that, just as Onesimus moved from “formerly” to “but now,” God is writing new chapters for everyone who meets Him in His Word.

“God’s Word is truth, and it’s the truth that will set you free.”

Prayer

The congregation prayed a salvation and dedication prayer, thanking Jesus for forgiveness, asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and pledging to live as students of God’s Word.