Resource · Bible Study
From The New Topical Text Book (1897)
First of all make up your mind that you will put some time every day into the study of the Word of God. That is an easy resolution to make, and not a very difficult one to keep, if the one who makes it is in earnest. It is one of the most fruitful resolutions that any Christian ever made.
The forming of that resolution and the holding faithfully to it has been the turning point in many a life. Many a life that has been barren and unsatisfactory has become rich and useful through the introduction into it of regular, persevering, daily study of the Bible. This study may not be very interesting at first, the results may not be very encouraging; but if one will keep pegging away, it will soon begin to count as nothing else has ever counted in the development of character, and in the enrichment of the whole life. Nothing short of absolute physical inability should be allowed to interfere with this daily study.
It is impossible to make a rule that will apply to everyone as to the amount of time that shall be given each day to the study of the Word. I know many busy people, including not a few laboring men and women, who give an hour a day to Bible study, but if one cannot give more than fifteen minutes a great deal can be accomplished. Wherever it is possible the time set apart for the work should be in the daylight hours. The very best time is in the early morning hours. If possible lock yourself in with God alone.
It is astounding how much heedless reading of the Bible is done. Men seem to think that there is some magic power in the book, and that if they will but open its pages and skim over its words, they will get good out of it. The Bible is good only because of the truth that is in it, and to see this truth demands close attention. A verse must oftentimes be read and re-read and read again before the wondrous message of love and power that God has put into it begins to appear. Words must be turned over and over in the mind before their full force and beauty takes possession of us.
One must look a long time at the great masterpieces of art to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning, and so one must look a long time at the great verses of the Bible to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning. When you read a verse in the Bible ask yourself: What does this verse mean? Then ask: What does it mean for me? When that is answered ask yourself again: Is that all it means? And don't leave it until you are quite sure that is all it means for the present. You may come back at some future time and find it means yet a great deal more. If there are any important words in the verse, weigh them, look up other passages where they are used, and try to get their full significance.
God pronounces that man blessed who "meditates" on the Word of God "day and night." (Ps. 1:2, 3.) An indolent skimming over a few verses or many chapters in the Bible is not meditation, and there is not much blessing in it.
"Thy words were found and I did eat them." — Jer. 15:16
Nothing is more important in eating than chewing. If one doesn't properly chew his food, he is quite as likely to get dyspepsia as nourishment. Don't let anyone chew your spiritual food for you. Insist on doing it for yourself. Anyone can be a student who makes up his mind to. It is hard at first but it soon becomes easy. I have seen very dull minds become keen by holding them right down to the grindstone.
Take up the various subjects treated in the Bible, one by one, and go through the Bible and find what it has to say on these subjects. It may be important to know what the great men have to say on important subjects; it is far more important to know what God has to say on these subjects. It is important also to know all that God has to say. A great many people know a part of what God has to say — and usually a very small part — and so their ideas are very imperfect and one-sided. If they only knew all God had to say on the subject, it would be far better for them and for their friends.
The only way to know all God has to say on any subject is to go through the Bible on that subject. To do this it is not necessary to read every verse in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. That would be slow work if we had to do it on every subject we took up. This is where Text Books and Concordances serve us: in them we have the results of the hard work of many minds, the various passages that bear on any subject brought together and classified for use, so that now we can do in a few hours what would otherwise take months or years.
The topical method of Bible study is simplest, most fascinating and yields the largest immediate results. It is not the only method of Bible study, and the one who pursues it exclusively will miss much of the blessing God has for him in Bible study.* But it is a very interesting and fruitful method of study. It fills one's mind very full on any subject studied.
Mr. Moody once gave several days to the study of "Grace." When he had finished he was so full of the subject that he rushed out on the street and, going up to the first man he met, he said: "Do you know anything about Grace?" "Grace who?" the man asked. "The Grace of God that bringeth salvation." And then Mr. Moody poured out upon that man the rich treasures he had dug out of the Word of God. That is the way to master any subject and to get full of it.
There are four important suggestions to make regarding topical study of the Bible.
Do not take up subjects for study at random. Have a carefully prepared list of the subjects you wish to know about, and need to know about, and take them up one by one, in order. If you do not do this, the probability is that you will have a few pet topics and will study these over and over until you get to be a crank about them, and possibly a nuisance. You will know much about these subjects, but about many others equally important you will know nothing. You will be a one-sided Christian.
When you take up a subject do not be content to study a few passages on it, but find as far as possible every passage in the Bible on that subject. If you find your text book incomplete, make additions of your own to it.
Find the exact meaning of every passage on any subject. First note the exact words used. Next get the exact meaning of the words used — this is done by finding how the word is used in the Bible, for the Bible usage is not always the common use of today (for example, the Bible use of "sanctification" and "justification" is not the same as the common use). Then notice what goes before and what comes after the verse; this will oftentimes settle the meaning of a verse when it appears doubtful. Finally, see if there are any parallel passages. The meaning of many of the most difficult passages in the Bible is made perfectly plain by some other passage that throws light upon it.
One should constantly use pen and paper in Bible study. When you have gone through your material on any subject, get it into usable shape. Take, for example, the subject "Prayer." A useful classification would be: (1) Who can pray so that God will hear? (2) To whom to pray. (3) For whom to pray. (4) When to pray. (5) Where to pray. (6) For what to pray. (7) How to pray. (8) Hindrances to prayer. (9) The results of prayer. Make a trial division of the subject before taking up the individual passages, and arrange each passage under the appropriate head as you take it up. The best classification of passages for any individual is the one he makes for himself, although he will get helpful suggestions from others.
This method is not beyond any person of average intelligence who has fifteen minutes or more a day to put into Bible study. It may take more than one day to study a chapter if only fifteen minutes a day are set apart for the work.
The Bible is the Word of God, and we get the most good out of any book by studying it as what it really is. It is often said that we should study the Bible just as we study any other book. That principle contains a truth, but it also contains a great error. The same laws of grammatical and literary construction hold here as in other books — but the Bible is an entirely unique book. It is what no other book is: the Word of God. (1 Thess. 2:13.) Studying it as such involves five things.
The author of the book is willing to act as interpreter of it, and He does so when we ask Him to. The one who prays with earnestness and faith the Psalmist's prayer, "Open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law," will get his eyes opened to see beauties and wonders in the Word that he never dreamed of before. Be very definite about this. Each time you open the Bible, ask God to give you the open and discerning eye, and expect Him to do it. Every time you come to a difficulty, lay it before God and ask an explanation, and expect it. He is always present. Take it to Him.
Christ is everywhere in the Bible. (Luke 24:27.) Be on the lookout for Him, and mark His presence when you find it.
In almost every life many minutes each day are lost — while waiting for meals or trains, while riding in the car. Carry a pocket Bible or Testament with you and save these golden minutes by putting them to the very best use: listening to the voice of God.
It will keep you from sin (Ps. 119:11) and from false doctrine (Acts 20:29–32; 2 Tim. 3:13–15); it will fill your heart with joy (Jer. 15:16) and peace (Ps. 85:8); it will give you victory over the Evil One (1 John 2:14) and power in prayer (John 15:7); it will make you wiser than the aged and your enemies (Ps. 119:98, 100, 130); it will make you "complete, furnished completely unto every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16, 17.)
Try it. Do not memorize at random, but memorize Scripture in a connected way — texts bearing on various subjects in proper order. Memorize by chapter and verse, that you may know where to put your finger upon the text if anyone disputes it.
* A fuller description and illustration of various profitable methods of Bible study is found in Mr. Torrey's book, How to Study the Bible for the Greatest Profit.
Adapted from R. A. Torrey, The New Topical Text Book (1897). Public domain. Light editing for modern readability.
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