I have a lot of Bibles!

If you are a Christian I bet you do too. I have a box of pocket bibles for handing out to people. I have two massive study bibles. I have a cheap Bible I bought for $12.95 when I first got saved and I know there are several more in storage boxes somewhere.

I have a Bible app that has so many translations: ESV, NASB, NET, KJV, ASV, and many more. Two of them have Strongs number hyperlinks so I can do word studies on the fly. It integrates dictionaries, maps, commentaries, etc into a single accessible biblical information system.

I have instant access to two translations of the Septuagint and two of my favorite on-line bibles (Biblehub and Blue Letter Bible). I also have access to great Bible teachers through their books and videos. I have joined KHouse, a ministry started by Dr Chuck Missler years ago. It offers a guided, in depth study of the Word and it’s free (although there is a cost to their materials).

Why do I say all this? Well, I think the Lord meant for His Word to be easily available to us today. There is no excuse for true, born again Christians to not understand the Bible. It is easier now, probably more than at any other time in history, to achieve a very good understanding of scripture.

This availability of bible teaching resources today intersects with a time in history in which there has never been a stronger need for biblical literacy among God’s people. Unfortunately, biblical literacy is a major problem in the church today.

Part of the problem is the internet. The same technology that provides easy access to all the great resources I just mentioned, also provides access to powerful, demonically energized, AI driven deception. The only protection from deception for you and me as believers is one thing:

Know. Your. Bible!

Is understanding the Bible properly really as hard as some people lead you to believe? No. I realize starting a personal study of scripture can be a little daunting, particularly as a new believer. But it is possible for you to understand it as deeply as you wish. I hope the desire among Christians to know the Word rises to the urgent need for biblical understanding today. Individual Christians must stop relying solely on their pastors to achieve biblical literacy. Sadly, many pastors have compromised with the culture to maintain the cash flow.

Even if pastors are faithful to the Word of God, biblical literacy is not a product of listening to a Sunday morning sermon for 40 minutes. It is a product of personal obedience, humility, daily commitment to God’s Word, and a lot of work.

If you want to get started towards deeper knowledge and understanding of scripture, here are seven principles that I hope you find helpful:

First, you have to be saved. To find out what it means to be saved, go to the “Steps to Eternal Life” page on this site. On this particular issue, if you cannot explain clearly from the Bible how you are saved, then it’s possible you are not saved. Take the time to read through that page.

What is it about being saved that helps understand the Bible? Saved people have something unsaved people don’t: the Spirit of God to help guide us into truth and a correct understanding of scripture.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

John 14:26

The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Undiscerning Christians allow themselves to be deceived by an unsaved, wicked culture that advances a narrative of the Bible that only undermines and distorts its message. This is the basis for the second principle.

The second principle for a proper understanding of the Bible is: don’t listen to what unsaved, wicked people tell you about the Bible! If you do then you lose faith and confidence in God’s Holy Word. You risk coming to a perspective about the Bible that is ungodly and insulting to the Lord.

I have never seen such an assault on the Bible as I’ve seen in the last several months. Unbelievers and the wicked either give an interpretation of the Bible that justifies their sin or disparage it as unreliable or even false. Stop listening to them!

The third principle is: you must believe you can achieve understanding of the Bible. Anyone who says you cannot personally understand the Bible does not know what they are talking about. Anybody who says you should rely on some self proclaimed interpretive authority is deceived and trying to deceive you. These are demonic lies.

The Bible can be understood by an individual believer. If you doubt that, go read Psalm 119. The one thing that is crystal clear in that Psalm is that God wants you in His Word to build increased understanding.

The fourth principle is to always pray as you engage with the Bible. Ask God to give you understanding according to his word.

How can a young person maintain a pure life? By guarding it according to your instructions.

Psalms 119:9

Give me understanding so that I might observe your law, and keep it with all my heart.

Psalms 119:34

Ever wonder if you are praying in line with the will of God? Ask Him for understanding of his Word. That prayer is completely in the will of God and he will answer.

The fifth principle: work hard. Understanding of the Bible does not come all at once, but as you work through the scriptures throughout your life as a believer, you will receive increased understanding.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8

This is a spiritual truth from the sermon on the mount. It has to do with seeking God’s will. When you dive into the scriptures with the determination to understand, and you prayerfully ask God for understanding, you are seeking according to His will. Over time, you will get understanding because that is his promise. It takes determination and hard work. That’s the Lord’s expectation of us as we study the word for ourselves.

Many people think it’s best to just leave bible teaching to the professionals because they are seminary trained and thus are the only ones qualified to understand scripture. This is not true. I am not implying that good teachers have no value. They do. But let’s look at how to discern good teachers from poor teachers.

Finding Good Teachers

The sixth principle for understanding the word: seek scriptural insights from mature, faithful, godly, uncompromising Bible teachers. Hopefully you are part of a solid, bible believing church that has pastors and/or elders who are wise and experienced in the Word of God. If so, start there. If not, change churches.

He [an elder] must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it.

Titus 1:9

You need several people you trust to help you with your understanding of the Bible. Hopefully, you have mature believers in your church who can help. There have also been good teachers throughout church history who have long since passed away but have left their teachings behind in the form of books, commentaries, and these days, multimedia formats as well. You can check your observations from the Bible against what others have historically observed and taught. If you have a new insight from your study, it’s good to run it by someone you trust with the Word. Don’t be disappointed or discouraged if they disagree or there is some correction involved, as long as that correction is demonstrated from the Bible.

There are a lot of teachers today available on the Internet. Beware. If you are not familiar with a particular teacher, always evaluate them based on their words and their conduct. Are they living a godly life?

Many teachers today disqualify themselves by their ungodly behavior. This happens far too often. Many teachers have given in to the pressure from the culture to bow down to the wicked. I would not recommend listening to anyone who has compromised on God’s unchanging Word. We are all personally accountable to Him, so be wise.

Some teachers or public personalities who claim to be Christian, also claim special revelation from God that cannot be questioned. Bad teachers. Others encourage you to measure their teachings according to the standard of the Bible. Good teachers. Does a teacher you follow reject correction or rebuke or do they receive it with humility? If they walk in pride and double down on error for the sake of their own pride, don’t listen to them. Remove their web sites from your bookmarks. If they are sinking into the abyss of error, don’t let them drag you under. Protect yourself!

There are many good biblical sites out there that can give you an honest assessment of a particular teacher. Taking an hour or so to research the teachings of a popular figure in Christianity is worth your time. But you have to get to a point in your knowledge of the Bible that you can spot bad teaching a mile away.

Even the great Apostle Paul was measured against what the scriptures said. What about pastors or elders? What about popes or anyone else who claims unique authority from God to interpret the Bible or speak new revelation they claim is from God? Are they greater than Paul? The Apostle Paul didn’t push back or oppose Berean evaluation of what he said. He commended it. We are all expected to do this. Anyone who takes exception to this scrutiny is immediately suspect.

The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.

Acts 17:10-11

The word for “examine” is:

anakrinō…properly, to scrutinize, i.e. (by implication) investigate, interrogate, determine: — ask, question, discern, examine, judge, search.

Strongs definition from NET Bible With Strongs, 2nd Edition

The Jews in Berea must have thought they could understand the Bible well enough to make a judgement of Paul’s teachings based on their investigation of the scriptures. This is wisdom.

A lot of false teachers are out there just trying to make a name for themselves rather than make the Name know. When someone makes a ridiculous pronouncement “from God” that is against clear biblical teaching, who do we trust? God’s Word or the person? They want you to put your bible down and trust them. I don’t care who they are, how big their church is, how many books they’ve sold, or how big their smile is. Never put your Bible down. Keep it open. Weigh their words carefully in the balance scales of the Bible. All people are subject to the Word of God, not the other way around. I have had to leave a number of churches because there was a persistent departure from the Word.

And the final and seventh principle is humility. Sometimes you will make mistakes. Be self correcting. Also have a willingness to be corrected from other people who are wise in the Word. Sometimes the Holy Spirit works through others who may have better insight and understanding than you. It’s ok. That will add to your own understanding. That’s how the church works.

I am not saying to give in to someone else’s perspective or even to compromise. In fact, don’t compromise on truth. Figure it out and adjust as necessary according to proper analysis of the scriptures, even if that comes from someone else. Do your homework. Have the debate. Sometimes you won’t get a correct understanding right away. Do you have the humility to admit error and take correction? It’s hard and humbling but it pleases God and actually earns you some credibility and respect with others.

These are my principles and they have served me well. Maybe you will find them helpful. I have to cover one more thing: some simple rules about how to approach the scriptures for proper interpretation. I’ll do that in Part 3.