Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible - By Leroy Ramaphoko

[Type text] Page 1
| By Leroy Ramaphoko
Simple Tips for
Understanding the
Bible

Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible Page 2
www.bibletruthspot.blogspot.com
Contents
Introduction .............................3
1 Be willing to study ....................4
2 Ask for divine guidance ..............4
3 Compare Scripture with Scripture...5
4 Don’t add or subtract ................6
5 Be willing to lay aside preconceived
ideas .....................................7
6 Be willing to obey.....................8
7 Believe the word of God .............9

Introduction
We are living in a day and age where there’s much
access to God’s word. It’s always remarkable to
know that the Bible is the most selling book in the
entire world, and has been for a long time. Today
one can have Bible in a cell phone, computer,
iPad, etc. Although this is the case, there is so
much Bible illiteracy. God’s word is the light
[Psalm 119:105] in this darkest world, the truth
[John 17:17] in this deceptive world. There are so
many reasons why many of us fail to spend
enough time in prayer and studying God’s word.
One of those reasons might be the fact that we
might have never learnt to study God’s word on
our own, perhaps we just seem to have hard time
understanding it. In this study, we will be looking
at some of the ways which will enable us to
understand the Bible.

1 Be willing to study
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be shamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15.
“If anyone wills to do His [God’s] will, he shall
know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from
God or whether I speak on My own authority.” –
John 7:17, NKJV.
Read Proverbs 1:5. We are to invest enough time
searching the Scriptures on our own; this will
surely enable you “to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is
in you with meekness and fear.” – 2 Peter 3:15. It
is essential that we are able to defend that which
we profess to believe, and remember that we
want to be like Jesus, and support all that we say
with the Scripture [See Matthew 4:1-11].
2 Ask for divine guidance
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.” – James 1:5.

We know that the Bible is a spiritual book, so we
are to always ask God to give us the Holy Spirit to
guide us so that we will correctly understand it.
“For what man knoweth the things of man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the
things of man knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God...the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.” – 1 Corinthians 2:11,10. Read
John 14:26. Just as you need to pray before you
partake of the food, also remember to pray
before you receive the spiritual food. Read
Jeremiah 15:16.
3 Compare Scripture with
Scripture
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a
little, and there a little.” – Isaiah 28:10.
Studying God’s word is more like joining the
puzzle pieces together. Just as you can’t make a
conclusion from one piece about what the entire
picture might be, so should you not establish a

certain belief or doctrine from one verse [See
Deuteronomy 19:15]. Put together related verses,
as you keep joining these verses accordingly, so
would the picture become clearer and clearer:
“for precept must be upon precept,...line upon
line...here a little, and there a little.”
4 Don’t add or subtract
“Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto
them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not
unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar.” – Proverbs 30:5,6.
We are to never add a meaning to God’s word.
For example: “‘In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’
– John 1:1. Then conclude, ‘Therefore, the Father
and the Holy Spirit created Jesus before they
created the world.’” Notice this verse [John 1:1],
does not mention anything about creation, and
the Holy Spirit, so we are to avoid adding a
meaning to the verse to make it say what it does
not initially say. Remember that “every word of

God is pure” and for this reason, we are to not
add to it, neither should we subtract from it.
5 Be willing to lay aside
preconceived ideas
“Cease my son, to hear the instruction that
causeth to err from the words of knowledge.” –
Proverbs 19:27.
If we come across something in Scripture that
does not harmonize with what we have always
believed or been taught, then the counsel that we
get from God’s word is to stop listening to or
believing that particular thing. Learning is often
easier than unlearning, but because the Bible tells
us to stop believing that which clashes with
Scripture, then we must do so. “To be willing to
give up an idea which we have long held, even
though we now see it is contrary to Scripture can
be difficult.” – The Bible Guide, page 20.

6 Be willing to obey
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves.” – James 1:22.
Notice that from this passage, those who don’t
put what they learn into practice are said to be
“deceiving” themselves. Many have made a fatal
mistake of equating knowledge to a strong
connection with God. The other extreme
recognizes that a knowledgeable person might
choose to not walk in accordance to the truth
revealed unto him, and therefore this extreme
also makes a fatal mistake of thinking that
knowledge is not that important. We are to obey
the truths that God has revealed unto us, as we do
so, more light will be revealed. One author once
wrote: “Set your heart to obey what you do know
of the word of God. His power, His very life,
dwells in His word. As you receive THE WORD IN
FAITH, it will give you power to obey. As you give
heed to the light you have, greater light will
come.” – Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings,
page 150. “For unto us was the gospel preached,

as well as unto them [ancient Israelites]: but THE
WORD preached did not profit them, not being
mixed WITH FAITH in them that heard it.” –
Hebrews 4:1.
7 Believe the word of God
The Old Testament opens with a story where
mankind is tempted by the Enemy of souls
[Genesis 3], so does the New Testament
[Matthew 4]. In both the stories, the individuals
are tempted about the appetite [Genesis 3:2-5;
Matthew 4:3]; both use the same weapon [the
word of God] to defend themselves [Genesis 3:3;
Matthew 4:4,7,10]. One becomes victorious,
while the other gets defeated. Why is this the
case? Eve was defeated by the Enemy because
she knew the word of God, but she didn’t believe
in it, rather she believed the words of the Enemy
[See Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:4]. “Had Eve
refrained from entering into an argument with
the tempter, she would have been safe; but she
ventured to parley with him, and fell a victim to
his wiles. It is thus that many are still overcome.

They doubt and argue concerning the
requirements of God, and instead of obeying the
divine commands, they accept human theories,
which but disguise the devices of Satan.” – Great
Controversy, page 531-532. It is important that
we put our faith in God’s word; this will enable us
to resist the temptations. “Thy word have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” –
Psalm 119:11. Read 1 John 2:14.
Visit us at
E-mail: bibletruth123@gmail.com

Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible - By Leroy Ramaphoko

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (15)

Destaque

Destaque (20)

Semelhante a Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible - By Leroy Ramaphoko

Semelhante a Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible - By Leroy Ramaphoko (20)

Último

Último (20)

Simple Tips for Understanding the Bible - By Leroy Ramaphoko