True Bible Study

[NoHype]

Apostle Paul gave Timothy (and us per example) very important advice with the following:

2 Timothy 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

The majority of believers on Jesus Christ have something like twelve years of education in the public schools, but how much time in comparison with Bible study? Something to think about.

In public school, we learned rules of language grammar, math and algebra, history, physical science, social philosophy, and for some physics, chemistry and geometry, etc. So how difficult really, can disciplined Bible study be, because God's Word has many of those same subjects within It?

A "workman" per the above means having a working understanding in God's Word. Bible study by The Holy Spirit creates a unique thing; when we study in-depth, chapter by chapter, line upon line, looking up words and names we don't understand, going slow to gain as much from it as possible each time, then The Holy Spirit helps cement that in our mind. And when we least expect it when we need what we studied for future reference, The Holy Spirit will bring it back up in our mind.

Some have at times commented on my memory in God's Word, amazed at how much I can remember, when I know most of the time it's not me doing it, but of The Holy Spirit bringing a Scripture I once studied back into my mind at the time needed. So how will we get that operation going on without first disciplining ourselves in all of God's Holy Writ? That's what becoming a "workman" in God's Word is about, doing disciplined Bible study for ourselves with God's help, line upon line.

What about Paul's "needeth not to be ashamed" part? If we don't do our own Bible study with God's help, what do we become subject to? It means having to rely on what others say God's Word teaches. Can what some teach and claim is God's Word lead us into shame? Yes, most definitely, as our Heavenly Father allows the false prophets to do that working during this present world. The LORD will let us have all that we want of those false prophets for listening to them instead of Him in His Word.

What about "rightly dividing the word of truth"? Once we discipline ourselves in God's Word, we begin to see specific timelines of events, things past, present, and still future. We have to become disciplined in God's Word to understand how to rightly divide those timelines per His Word, and not per men's traditions.

Some men love to create followings of themselves, mostly to try and prop up their own insecurities, or for filthy lucre (money), or power, etc. Because of that they create doctrines that act as tethers, like a rope tying one to a stake, never allowing one to reach the ground beyond the length of the rope. This was the subject our Lord Jesus warned of with the example men's leaven doctrines. Leaven means yeast that is used to make bread rise, but metaphorically our Lord used to represent men's doctrines added to His Word of Truth. High rise bread looks inviting, delicious, wholesome, but all the yeast actually did was create tiny bubbles in it to make it look bigger. What we want is the unleaved Bread of God's Truth, without men's doctrines messing with It. Because of their leaven, they very often shuffle the timelines in God's Word around, when those timelines can only be properly understood according to God's Word once one has disciplined their self in all of it, i.e., once one has become a "workman" in It.

Time is short. Four years from now (if we're still here), where will you be with disciplined Bible study? Will you still not have covered It from Genesis through Revelation because you let those at your Church tell you what It says? Or will you have a greater understanding in It by disciplining yourself with God's help?

 

[EmethAlethia]

"Continuously keep on proving all things over and over again, as a habit and way of life, and always hold fast to that which is good/true."

Interestingly, there are only 2 methods of study that people use in the world that helps them get what it is that they want. The question is, what do we want?

If we want to prove our beliefs "about God" to "be" "truth", then we gather all of the passages, facts, data, that we can "use" to prove our beliefs to "be" "truth" and all of the passages, facts, data ... that we can "use" to "prove" all "opposing beliefs" to "be" "false". Then we interpret all of our "selected" passages, facts, data ... in the light of our beliefs. Then, when our beliefs are questioned, we jump immediately to our selected data, facts, passages ... and when our data is questioned, we jump to our beliefs, and the rest of our selected data to show how infallible our beliefs are.

There are various degrees of thoroughness in applying the methodology above, from those that just have a surface belief to those that have been so thorough in gathering passages, facts, data ... that it might fill rooms if it were all printed out. The good thing is, with this methodology, you can hold fast to absolutely ANY BELIEF YOU WANT TO BELIEVE "AS" "TRUTH", and find as much support as you want to "believe" your "beliefs" to be truth. Using this methodology anyone can die with their core beliefs intact.

Also, open minds and ears are contrary to this methodology. Since your core beliefs "ARE" "TRUTH" seriously considering anything else (by definition lies), is counter indicated. Closed eyes and ears are the general rule. And yes, those that use this methodology, regardless of their beliefs, including Atheists, Moslems, Mormons, Baptists ... and every other group that uses this methodology as a habit and way of life, really believes that they "Love" the truth, and have sought the truth.

The truth is though, their methodology proves that they want nothing at all to do with truth. It proves that they hate truth and want nothing at all to do with it. Why? Because getting to the truth of all that was said and meant, ALL of the data, ALL of the passages, ALL of the possibilities, with ALL of the data "Cut-Straight" in the context in which it is found, and interpreted in the light of that context, with no meaning added that isn't there, left out that is there, and no meaning distorted to force it to comply with a person's current beliefs, with EVERYTHING put together so that EVERYTHING fits with everything else without ANY contradictions, is a lot of work. Plus, it will cost you your beliefs. Plus, when your beliefs change from the norms of the "religious group" you are in, you will receive shunning and persecution.

Those are the facts. There is a cost for truth, and it isn't just in the work you need to do to get to it. It's also in the cost of having different beliefs than most. Having different beliefs will cost you family, jobs, ministry ... the price is high. Having closed eyes and ears to anything other than your belief groups accepted beliefs on all issues definitely has its rewards, regardless of the belief group you are in. Of course, you must habitually do the form of study that "proves" beyond any shadow of a doubt that you do not want truth, but actually hate it, and since Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and since we are sanctified with the truth, and the word is truth, we will have to carefully "select out" the passages that we can use to prove our beliefs to be truth and all opposing beliefs to be false, and interpret those selected passages in the light of our beliefs, but that's not much bother. Regardless of whether you are an Atheist, Moslem, Jehovah's Witness ... or even a Baptist, you can find those that have already done a very thorough job in gathering what you need to hold to whatever belief you may want, "as" "truth". No need to be a workman and reinvent the wheel. Memorize your chosen belief groups selected passages and facts, interpret them all in the light of your beliefs, and die with them intact, never once sincerely questioning anything. It's the easy life. It's the broad path. 95% of the religious people in the world are on it.

And yes, Atheists are very religious. I used to be one. Very dedicated. Piles and piles of data, scientific studies .. a list of over 10,000 errors in the scriptures ... most of my contemporaries marveled at my dedication to the amassing of those things I could "use" to prove my beliefs true, and that I could use to prove all opposing beliefs false. I even used bible passages like the one I started this reply with to pull dozens of Christians from their faith. Yes, I KNEW my beliefs were truth. For years all the Christians I met who were willing to continuously prove all things and alter their beliefs to fit what was good/true fell before me. I did love truth though. So when all of the opposing data that the atheist experts had been feeding me was proven to be only the barest portion of hand-selected data, with the contradictions conveniently ignored, I was open to looking. When logical, reasonable, rational answers for 9943 out of the 10,000 best errors that all the Atheists could find in scripture were presented, my eyes and ears were open.

Sadly, most of the people in the religious groups I am in ("Christian" Churches) continue to do the exact same things that I did to hold fast to their beliefs as well. Sadly, there is as little love for truth in "Christian" churches, as there was in the Atheistic ones(Colleges). Lost ... but at a different level. Closed eyes and ears ... but with a different amount of foundational truth. The lost religious of Jesus day have a lot in common with the lost in most of our "Christian" churches today as well. Little love or truth. Lots of love for their beliefs. Your methodology when you go to the word of God shows CLEARLY who you are. Few there are who are saved. Many will say to Me, "Lord, Lord ..." The broad path with the "Many" on it are, from the context, those that honestly believe that Jesus is their Lord, God, Savior ... but most will never seriously look, just like most of those from all the other belief groups in the world will never seriously look. In church, or out of it, the truth is, the truth is generally despised.

Most people seriously look for truth the way most people seriously look for things to step into in the farm yard. Come to think of it, most people seem to have a similar reaction when they find it as well.