10 Mistakes to Avoid in Bible Study

Recently, I got a list of 10 mistakes to to avoid in Bible study, in my email. The list came to me via the folks at Logos. They are good reminders and cautions. And, just like any modern person studying the Bible I need to be reminded of these from time to time.


Here they are:

   - From: One flawed, modern student of the Bible.
             - To: You

10.  Starting without prayer: We have access to God through prayer, so we should be looking to him for guidance as we seek to understand his Scriptures. It doesn’t matter what incredible resources and study tools we use if we do not first go to God.
9. Studying by yourself: Scripture was intended to be read and studied in community. It’s not wrong to do personal study—there is definitely a time and place for that. But if we study on our own in exclusion to studying with others, we’ll miss out on the rich insights the community of God has to offer.
8. Bringing preconceptions to the text: It is tempting to read the Bible selectively, trying to prove an idea we already believe to be true. Yet we should open the Bible with humility, knowing that some of our beliefs are wrong and ought to be changed.
7. Reading from only one perspective: It is tempting to only use study resources we already agree with. But I’ve found that those whose perspectives differ from my own often have the most to teach me. When Logos selected contributors to write the notes and articles in the Faithlife Study Bible, we reached out to a wide range of different theologians. They all share a love for God, but their differing perspectives bring unique insights to the Scriptures.
6. Using only one translation: Different Bible versions follow different translation philosophies. The basic categories include formal equivalence (seeking word-for-word accuracy), dynamic equivalence (seeking thought-for-thought accuracy), and paraphrases (rephrasing the overall message). Furthermore, the Greek and Hebrew texts have many nuances that can’t be captured by a single translation. If you don’t read Greek or Hebrew, comparing multiple translations can help you see the various nuances each passage has to offer.  

5. Missing the historical setting: Each book of the Bible was written by a specific person, to a specific group of people, in a specific culture, at a specific time, for a specific purpose. If we miss these details, we’re likely to misunderstand much of what we’re reading.
4. Assuming modern definitions of biblical words: Very few Greek or Hebrew words have an exact English equivalent; we have to remember that the English words in a translation may not mean exactly the same thing as the original Greek or Hebrew. One way to get around this obstacle is to use a tool such as Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, which contains almost every major word in the Bible.
3. Failing to understand the genre: The Bible includes epistles and narratives, poems and parables, instances of wisdom literature and apocalyptic literature, and a host of other specific styles. Keeping them all straight can be confusing, but it’s a vital part of understanding what we read. Thankfully, there are resources like How to Read the Bible Book by Book, which provides an overview—including genre—for each book of the Bible, along with a number of other important details.
2. Ignoring biblical context: All too often, we read the Bible as if it were a collection of unconnected verses. Taken by itself, a single verse can appear to mean something totally contrary to the author’s intent. One good example is Jeremiah 29:11, which is frequently claimed as a promise for God’s specific blessing on an individual. But in context, we see that God was talking to the Israelites, whom he had sent into exile for their sins. Only after they were in exile for 70 years would God bring them back to prosperity—those are “the plans I have for you” according to Jeremiah’s full context.
1. Studying for the wrong reasons: It’s easy to view Bible study as an intellectual exercise. But acquiring information about the Bible is not a proper end in itself. Paul described the purpose of Scripture: “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). As we read the Bible, our goal must ultimately be to apply it in our lives. 

PS. These would be good to share with your teen, twenty-something, or best friend. 

Memorizing Scripture

Memorizing scripture can be tough.

Once you have a scripture memorized, it feels good! However, the path to memory is often fraught with stumbling blocks, discouragement, and frustration. Yet the Psalmist writes:

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

...

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

...

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light to my path.

Psalm 119:97-112

It is good for us to commit God's word to our hearts. One way to do this, is to memorize it. This fall Pastor Don recommended ScriptureTyper to our small group. It was a helpful tool as our group was trying to memorize I Cor. 13 over several weeks. Here are the details: 

Scripture Typer: www.scripturetyper.com/

This website is free to join, and helps you memorize scripture through typing it. They also offer a ScriptureTyper app ($5.99) for Apple devices, Android devices, and for Kindle Fire.

Cool features: The website allows you set up your own preferences for typing, it tracks your typing speed, and you can join an established group, or set up your own group. Setting up a group as a family could be a great way to memorize scripture together. Oh, and it keeps track of how many verses you have memorized!

Whenever you are trying to memorize scripture don't forget to:

1. Pray before you start: It's God's word. Ask him to join you, and to reveal his word to your heart.

2. Set reasonable goals: Don't try to memorize all of Genesis in one night.  

3. If you can, get friends or family involved:  The accountability of having someone journey with you is great.

What's Most Important?

Growing up I played baseball. I ate, slept, and drank baseball. Eventually, all that hard work paid off and I got to play college baseball. Yet, there is one nagging question in my mind, "What was really sacrificed for two years of college baseball?"

I know what I gave up socially through high school, and even in college. The coaches of my high school traveling team had one rule: No family vacations. They made it clear, if you wanted to play, not even family vacations could override baseball. The thing about it is, this was the team everyone wanted to play for. And we were good. Several of my teammates went on to play in college, and every year we challenged for states. So when they asked me to play two years before most got asked to play, my dad was thrilled. He ate, slept, and drank baseball more than I did. And, so the rule about family vacations became instituted in our house.

Looking back on it now, it seems ridiculous. Sure, I learned a thing or two about teamwork, and a lot more about things that I've tried to erase from my mind (oh, teammates...). But, I never played professional or even semi-pro baseball.Of all that time and money spent on baseball, what else could I have invested in? Did I really need to play baseball all four seasons? My coaches certainly thought so; and, demanded it. Did I really have to give up family, and more importantly spiritual family time for it?

When I worked for Christian Sports International coaching baseball clinics, we would start our week off by telling the athletes, "Less than 1% of all kids who play little league baseball, will play pro-ball." That stat defines pro-ball as any level in in which you are paid to play. And, yet we funnel tons of money and time into something that for many of our students won't exceed past high school. And if you grow up in a very competitive area, maybe not even past Jr. High.

Now, I'm not saying that making sure your student attends every church service, youth group lock-in, or retreat, will be the key to their spiritual health. But, I am asking (as someone who was an over committed athlete), what should our students really be investing in? How does our commitment to sports (my experience), or any other extra curricular impact eternity? And the hard to swallow follow up question, "Am I really making an impact for eternity on my team, or in my group?" Are our students being taught an example of "church skipping", even unintentionally? Are we as parents helping our students learn to live the majority of their lives for the Gospel, by teaching them to do so while still under our roofs?

More thoughts on this topic here.