Dear Veritas,
God gave me the spiritual eyes to see and believe the truth of the gospel in my early twenties. When I began walking in obedience to the Lord, I was given a fantastic gift that any new believer would be blessed to receive: a quality Study Bible. Specifically, it was an ESV Study Bible. One of the most significant changes that took place was that, for the first time in my life, God gave me the desire to read, understand, and apply his Word. However, this was also a dangerous gift for me to receive. You may be asking yourself, How could receiving a Study Bible be a dangerous gift? Well, I’m glad you brought that up. Let me explain.
My wife and I recently bought our oldest son his first pocket knife. He is almost eight, and we decided he was ready to bear the responsibility of safely using his own pocket knife. In a world where many coming-of-age rites of passage seem to be disappearing into the background, we’re seeking to recapture many of these as intentionally as we can. As a dad of three boys, this may have been more exciting for me, but that's another topic for another time. I say this because when the knife arrived on our front step, I didn’t just toss my son the package and say, “Good luck!”—no way! I showed and talked him through every step: opening my own knife, carefully opening the box, cutting away from my hand and body, closing my knife, opening the box up, reopening my knife, cutting open the package, closing my knife, putting it away. Then I began inspecting his new knife, assessing its features, showing him how to open and close it, and then helping him do the same. And even after all that, we set clear ground rules for where it belongs, when he can use it, and that he needs to ask for permission to retrieve and use it.
Now, what does using a Study Bible have to do with using your first pocket knife? I mean, other than the fact that a knife is kind of like a sword, and the only offensive spiritual weapon we have to charge into the everyday spiritual battle with is ”the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). When I was gifted that ESV Study Bible, I was like a child who had been given a pocket knife; however, I was given no instruction or ground rules on when and how to use it. I had no idea what I was doing, and I didn’t even think to YouTube it! I was fascinated by the wealth of information that was at my fingertips. I had access to all of this helpful information right there on the page explaining what I was reading. All of the comments below the line on the page—where God’s Word is on top, and the theological explanation from a group of theologians and editors are below—made it so easy to understand the confusing things I was reading. Before long, I was spending more time looking up cross-references and reading below the line than I was actually reading God’s Word in context. I was basically tossing around a knife while blindfolded, getting cut and stabbed along the way. I’m not sure exactly when I heard it, but thankfully I was challenged to spend more time reading God’s Word than reading what someone else had to say about it. I would now expand this challenge to include commentaries, study guides, articles, podcasts, and yes—even preaching. The primary quantity of intake of God’s Word should be personal between you and the Holy Spirit.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. - John 14:26
I want you to think about how you read and study God’s Word. The warning here is what many have said before me: Do not primarily rely on secondhand knowledge while you are directly offered a firsthand encounter. You should be reading God’s Word directly yourself, not only depending on someone else’s interpretation of what God has said.
I am definitely a proponent of studying God’s Word and using quality tools like Study Bibles and commentaries to help, but how, when, and how much we use them matters. If we are too quick to “download” the right answer and understanding (whether through a search engine or a commentary), we are actively working to cut out the Holy Spirit from his transformative work through the Word working in us. We truly never read scripture by ourselves; God is communicating truth to us, and it is at work in us at the same time (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
Here are some considerations and steps—while neither exhaustive nor necessarily successive—that we need to carefully employ when using study tools, especially a Study Bible, as we engage with God through reading, studying, applying, and meditating on his Word.
Pray
Before you read God’s Word, intentionally pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word in your heart and mind as you abide with God. You are not just reading words on a page and putting information into your brain. God speaks through his Word, and we understand and properly apply spiritual truth through the Spirit’s communication to us through the Word.
Make Observations and Ask Questions
As you read, pay attention to things that stick out to you. Who is involved? Why is this communicated this way? Why are these words repeated? Are similar phrases used elsewhere in this verse, chapter, or book? What topics are discussed? Is there a pattern to the order of topics? Does this passage bring other passages of scripture to mind?
Read in Context
It’s helpful to remember that the Bible was written for us, but not to us, so it is important to consider how the original audience would have heard and interpreted the text in their time and culture. What was happening at the time the original audience heard from the writer of the book of the Bible you’re reading? Most of scripture is an independent letter from a real person to a real group or individual. Even more importantly, all of scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). What is the purpose the author was writing about? What other books has the author written in the Bible? How does this topic or theme fit into the overarching story of the Bible? What are other scriptures that speak to this truth or topic? Also, what was being written about right before this specific passage, and what immediately follows it?
Pray Again
Same as above. Pray again!
Sit in the Tension
Fight the urge to just get the answer right and look it up! It is OK to wrestle with not immediately knowing or understanding exactly what the passage you are reading means and how you should apply it. Reread the passage, pray, read to understand the context, ask more questions of the text, make more observations, and, you guessed it—pray some more. Sit in the tension of seeking understanding and application, and allow the Spirit to work in your heart.
Talk with a Biblically-Minded Brother or Sister
While we have the Holy Spirit in us, and he is actively teaching us truth, we can also gain deeper understanding from the community God has placed us in. Additionally, while we wrestle with understanding and applying God’s Word, we can deepen relationships and bonds of fellowship through the collaborative learning process!
Pray Some More
Same as above. Pray some more!
Now You are Ready to Use Resources
After you have done a few, hopefully, many, if not all, of the steps listed above, you are ready to seek understanding from solid theological sources—whether that is in the form of a commentary, podcast, article, book, or all of the information below the line in your Study Bible. And even now, it is appropriate to circle back to some of the previously listed processes of understanding and application.
Reading and learning from scripture is a lifelong process that takes time, intentionality, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. The understanding isn’t always immediate, nor is it meant to be. I pray this encourages you to dig deeper and depend fully on God to carefully, intentionally, and joyfully study his Word! Do not be ignorant about what we are truly doing while reading God’s Word; we are being taught, tested, corrected, and trained for righteousness, that we may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
In Christ Jesus our Lord,
Sam