5 Steps for Accurate Bible Study

When studying a passage of Scripture, it's important to: 

1. Identify the purpose of the book or passage. Some people call this the author's intent. The ultimate author of Scripture is the Holy Spirit, and He used human authors to write for specific purposes. For example, the author of Proverbs explains the purpose in Proverbs 1:1-6.(1) 

2. Identify the audience. You want to know if a command was given for everyone (Matthew 28:16-20) or only for a specific time or group (Matthew 10:5-6).(2)

3. Identify figurative language. The Bible uses poetic language, especially in the poetical books.(3) It shouldn't be taken literally. For example, see Psalm 98:8.(4)

4. Read in context. This gives you a fuller understanding of the passage and prevents misunderstandings. Words taken out of context can lose their true meaning.(5)

5. Study thoroughly. Find out everything the Bible says about a subject before drawing conclusions.(6)
 

Footnotes:   

 

(1) See Proverbs Aren't Promises.
(2) See the four short articles: Which Old Testament Laws Apply Today?
(3) Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon
(4) For more on this: 4 Facts about Figurative Language in Scripture and Can I Take the Bible Literally? 
(5) See Context  Adds Clarity. For an example of a common out-of-context mistake, read Self-Esteem's Twisted Proverb.
(6) To see how easily we can misunderstand prayer, read Pieces Parts.

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