06/14/2013

Beginning today, as God gives unction, I will share tips on the study of Holy Writ. These are things I have learned through the years regarding the study of scripture that are important to the discerning of truth. Today I share three quick things. Each addition to this instructional will be set apart by the date of its posting.

One ~ Always begin by seeking a face to face with God, asking Him for ability to comprehend His truths with clear understanding.

Two ~ Always start with a surrendered, teachable spirit that invites the instruction of the Spirit of God, Whom Jesus promised would enter the life of the believer to be their teacher on His behalf. I call Him, Rabbi-Presence. It is He who brings the Mind of Christ to us that we may know God and His ways.

The next thought is something that keeps rolling around in my head today, calling me to this post. To this practice, we give focus today.

Three ~ Always note context. God may speak a personal little instruction for a specific situation or need to us using one or two verses that appear to be pulled out of context, but when held up to the whole, it will always fit with God’s truth. In noting context, I see two very important questions to answer:

Question one ~ How is this verse, thought, or word used in context with the thought flowing from the author of this specific book and chapter of Scripture? That means we must note what comes before the focus of our study, and what comes after. Otherwise we take our idea of truth from short runs through the room of God’s speaking. It is like passing by what looks like a heated conversation to hear what we interpret as “piece of you,” leaving us to think they are about to break out in fight. Later, asking one what happened, they reply, “Huh? No! He said “I am praying fervently for the peace of you and your family.”

Question two ~ What is taught of this particular subject matter throughout the whole of Scripture? For example, there are numerous passages and authors that cover some aspect of love (Agape, Phileo, Eros, etc.). We can learn about aspects of the love walk from each such passage. But to fully understand love as God sees it, we must take all of them together and pull the whole teaching of scripture into our reservoir of understanding.

Developing this skill in our study of scripture is one important step in removing the tendency on many subjects to see the teachings of God as contradictory and confusing. Scripture teaches that God “is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order” ~ 1 Corinthians 14:33, AMP. Finding His order removes the disorder of our own understanding to make His truth clear.