09/10/2026
Brothers and Sisters let’s pray and keep the faith. There will be no in person or live streaming Bible study tonight…
Four Fundamental Ways to Study the Bible
Studying Scripture with depth and integrity requires moving beyond isolated verses to examine the framework of the text. Applying these four fundamental approaches ensures that the Word of God is handled accurately, honoring the divine breath behind it while avoiding the pitfalls of proof-texting.
1. Pre-Text (The Authorial Intent and Background)
Before looking at the words on the page, we must look at what preceded them—the author, the original audience, the historical setting, and the occasion that prompted the writing. Every biblical book was written by someone specific to someone specific in a unique historical moment.
* The Anchor Scripture:
> "All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error in restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning in conformity to God's will]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16–17, AMP)
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* Application: Understanding the pre-text means recognizing that while all Scripture is timelessly inspired, it was spoken into history before it speaks out of history to us. Knowing who wrote it and why prevents us from misapplying historical letters or prophecies.
2. Context (The Immediate and Broader Literary Flow)
Context rescues a text from becoming a pretext. It requires looking at what comes immediately before and after a passage, as well as where the passage fits within the book as a whole and the grand narrative of Scripture.
* The Anchor Scripture:
> "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, AMP)
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* Application: Isolating a single verse out of its literary environment distorts its meaning. Context ensures we see how individual statements serve the broader argument of the writer, keeping theology balanced and cohesive.
3. Text (The Linguistic and Grammatical Meaning)
Examining the actual text involves looking closely at the specific words, grammar, and original language structures used by the human author. It asks what the words meant to the original ears that heard them.
* The Anchor Scripture:
> "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word [the spoken message] of Christ." (Romans 10:17, AMP)
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* Application: Words matter because they carry divine intent. Looking carefully at the text prevents modern readers from reading their own cultural assumptions back into ancient terminology, allowing the text to speak with its original weight.
4. Historical and Original Purpose (The Grand Narrative)
This dimension looks at the ultimate goal of the passage within the overarching redemptive narrative of Scripture. It asks: What was this specific narrative meant to accomplish in the lives of the hearers, and how does it point to the finished work of Christ?
* The Anchor Scripture:
> "You search and investigate the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life; and it is these [very Scriptures] that testify about Me." (John 5:39, AMP)
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* Application: The Bible is not a collection of disconnected moral maxims or a self-help manual; it is a unified testimony pointing to Jesus Christ. Every narrative, law, and prophecy finds its anchor in God's redemptive plan to reconcile humanity to Himself through His Son.
