Reformed people often focus on having good theology from the Bible, and that is excellent! But having good theology from the Bible and being in the Bible—both reading and studying the Bible—are very different things. The first vow of the Reformed Presbyterian is: “Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life?”
We have Scriptures.
We have Old and New Testaments.
We have Word of God.
All three are synonymous for the Bible.
And then we’re told what it does: it’s an infallible rule for faith and life. Not only what we believe flows from the Bible, but how we live is found within the Word of God as well. Because of this, we should be studying and reading the Word of God. We both read and study God’s Word.
Bible Reading
The Westminster Larger Catechism has a great question about reading Scripture. Question 157: How is the Word of God to be read? And listen to how practical the answer is:
“The holy Scriptures are to be read with a high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God, and that He only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.”
Here we are told the way we’re to approach Scripture: with reverence, with persuasion that it’s the Word of God, with dependence upon God to understand it, with desire to know and obey, with diligence and attention, with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer. So yes, we read the Scriptures, and we study the Scriptures. But to study, first you need to be reading.
Bible reading should be a consistent part of your life. You may want to read following the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan. That’s reading the whole Bible in a year, several chapters a day. That can be a good thing. But you can also read slower. We should never say, “If you can get through four chapters a day but have no idea what you read, great job.” That’s of little value. If you can read a chapter, or half a chapter, and actually get more out of it, understand it, meditate on it, remember it, that may be better for you than reading four to six chapters. You’re going to have to figure that out. You’re going to have to decide what is best for you, and that’s going to be between you and the Lord and your conscience: how much can you digest, and how much can you actually meditate on?
M’Cheyne’s Reader or a few paragraphs, either way, read the Bible. Then enjoy it.
John Blanchard has a helpful little book called How to Enjoy Your Bible, and he gives several reasons for reading Scripture that are helpful. If you understand man and you understand the world, you’ll understand why you need to be in the Word of God.
First: left to himself, man is morally and spiritually bankrupt. The Bible is a treasure, more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold (Psalm 19). If gold is something you desire, the Bible is a gold mine. It’s a treasure to be mined. And the Bible itself encourages you to go there, knowing that by nature we’re spiritually bankrupt. We need the Word of God to teach us.
Secondly, without God’s voice, man is woefully ignorant. The Bible is a book of wisdom. The psalmist says, “From Your precepts I get understanding.” There’s wisdom in Scripture that helps you with faith and life—what we believe and how we live. The answers are found in the Bible, and we should be in the Bible, searching and looking.
Next, left to himself, man stumbles in moral and spiritual darkness. The Bible is a searchlight. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Bible helps us understand the way God has put before us. We know the world is a dark place, and the Word of God is that lamp to light the path.
Fourthly, man lives in an uncertain world, and the Bible is a guidebook. David acknowledges that all the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and testimonies.
And you can see what’s happening here: the Bible gives us imagery about the Bible. Treasure. Wisdom. Searchlight. Guidebook.
Blanchard goes on: man needs to know himself if he’s going to make progress. The Bible is a mirror. Man is told to look intently into the Word and act wisely on what he sees, and he will be blessed (James 1:25). We look in and we see a reflection of how Scripture sees us, and we want to conform to the Word of God rather than looking into the mirror of self and seeing no need.
Man is restless and unsettled, and the Bible is a stabilizer. Those who love God’s law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. We need peace. We need steadiness. We need to walk uprightly, and Scripture provides that necessary aid.
We’re told man is constantly surrounded by temptation and prone to sin, and the Bible is a purifier. Ephesians 5 talks about “washing with water of the Word.” There’s a washing and a cleansing that comes through the Word of God, and we should read the Word as a means of that cleansing.
Man lives in a world of rapidly changing and contrary opinions. The Bible is a fixed point of reference. The psalmist says, “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” Society changes. In your lifetime you’ve seen major changes in the culture around us. But the Bible is stable. We want to hold on to that. The early church loved the imagery of an anchor. You think of the Mediterranean world, boats everywhere, and what an anchor meant. The anchor is essential. The Word is settled in heaven. The Bible is that anchor.
And the lastly, Blanchard tells us that man is engaged in a lifelong battle against sin, and the Bible is a powerful weapon. Paul refers to it as the sword of the Spirit. We’re called to fight against sin, and a fight requires a weapon. The weapon God equips us with is the Word. And that’s a helpful comparison. If you had some sort of weapon for self-defense, and you never trained with it, if it sat rusting in your closet, never sharpened or oiled, it will be of little use to you. Same with the fight against sin. If you’re not in the Bible, reading, meditating, studying, that fight is often going to be a lost battle.
So the Bible gives us all these encouragements to read, and it gives us all these beautiful images about what Scripture is and what Scripture does. But we also need to ask: how do we read it?
How We Read
Whether you are reading following M’Cheyne or reading more slowly, be in the Word of God. But here’s another help that I want to give you, from J.C. Ryle. He has a lecture called “Bible Reading” in Practical Religion. Ryle gives these pastoral help for Bible reading.
First: begin reading your Bible today. The way to do a thing is to do it. The way to read the Bible is actually to read it. I am occasionally asked the question, “Pastor, how do I start reading the Bible?” The answer begins with, “just start reading it.” Open the Book. Read. There may be follow-up questions such as where should I begin?, and those are fine, but the first step is to open the Word and start.
Next, read the Bible with a desire to understand it. Ryle says, “Don’t think for a moment the great object is to turn over a certain quantity of printed paper and that it matters nothing whether you understand it or not.” Reading is not magic. Running your eyes over a page isn’t the goal. Understanding is the goal.
Thirdly, read with childlike faith and humility. Open your heart as you open God’s Book and say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” Remember the first vow as Reformed Presbyterians:
Scriptures.
Old and New Testament.
Word of God.
This is God speaking to humanity. God speaking to the church. God speaking to you. So we open and we pray: “speak, Lord.”
Fourthly, read in a spirit of obedience and self-application. Sit down with a daily determination that you will live by its rules, rest on its statements, and act on its commands. We read the Bible to be transformed by it.
Fifthly, read daily. Make it part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Private means of grace are as needful every day for our souls as food and clothing are for our bodies. We come to church and receive public means of grace: Word read, Word preached, Word sung, prayer. But if that’s your only spiritual food all week, you may be hungry, It’s like eating a fellowship meal on Sunday and then not eating again until next Sunday. That’s not good for your body. It’s not good for your soul. We need daily bread. And one of the great things about our time is we all have access. Everybody has a phone. When you’re standing in line at Trader Joe’s, you pull it out and scroll. We have the Word of God in our pocket too. Use it.
Sixthly, read all of the Bible and read it in an orderly way. Ryle says he fears there are many parts of the Word which some people never read at all. That’s presumptuous. All Scripture is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). We may not know immediately what to do with lists of names or dietary laws, but if you search and especially if you keep Christ in view, you will draw something from those texts.
Next he says, read the Bible fairly and honestly. Determined to take everything in its plain obvious meaning, and regard all forced and unnatural interpretations with suspicion. As a general rule: whatever a verse seems to mean, it does mean.
And lastly: read the Bible with Christ continually in view. The grand primary object of Scripture is to testify of Jesus. Christ is from Genesis to Revelation. Christ is in every book of the Bible. A good exercise is to open the table of contents and ask one question through the whole list: “Where is Christ in Genesis? Where is Christ in Exodus? Leviticus? Numbers?” If you can’t answer, that’s okay. Go into those books with that question and find the answer as you read.
Reading as Worship
And as we keep talking about these practical ways to read, especially with Christ in view, we need to remember something: our reading of Scripture is private worship. It’s not merely an academic exercise. It’s not merely out of guilt. “Doing your devos,” as the evangelicals might say, isn’t just to relieve your conscience. It’s so that you may be before the Lord and worship God.
The Westminster Directory for Private and Family Worship (1647) says: “It is most necessary that everyone apart, and by themselves, be given to prayer and meditation… this being the mean whereby, in a special way, communion with God is entertained and right preparation for all other duties obtained.” And then it says pastors are to “press persons” to perform this duty morning and evening and at other occasions. And it adds: it is also the responsibility of the head of every family to have a care that both themselves and all within their charge be diligent herein. So yes, pastors remind. But dads, it’s also on you. Encourage your children to be in the Word. We all need to be in private worship—and we do that with Bibles open.
How to Study the Bible
Reading the Bible is straightforward: you read it. The question is how much. But how to study the Bible can take some training. So I want to help with that too. Our Reformed Presbyterian Testimony has a useful statement on why we study. Reformed Presbyterian Testimony, 1.19 says: “All men have the right to read the Bible, to inquire into its meaning, and to adopt the doctrines it teaches. In studying the Bible men must depend upon the illumination of the Holy Spirit. They must use God-given human faculties and search in earnest for the truth, in submission to the authority of Scripture. In interpreting the Bible consideration must be given to the historical situation in which the passage was written, to the grammatical structure, and to the literary form. The instruction and counsel of fellow believers, of teachers of the Word, and creeds and confessions of the Church should be given due consideration. When men understand the message of the Bible, they must earnestly seek to obey that message in all that they think and do.”
So we study with dependence on the Spirit, but we also work. We consider history, grammar, literary form. Esther isn’t Luke. The Psalms aren’t Revelation. Genre matters. Context matters.
And we also remember that in studying Scripture, we are not alone. When you became a Christian, whatever that moment is in your mind, you need to understand you’re not the first person to read the Bible. You’re not the first person to ask questions. And this is not a criticism; it’s a burden off your shoulders: your job is not to reinvent every theological discussion in the history of the church. The church has wrestled through major doctrines. You don’t have to reinvent Christianity when you start studying the Bible.
So yes, use commentaries. Listen to sermons. Read creeds and confessions. Creeds and confessions are boundaries. They help you know you’re in the right pasture.
And Scripture itself calls us to this work. Jesus says: “Search the Scriptures… they testify of Me” (John 5:39). Paul tells Timothy: “Study to show yourself approved… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). And Acts 17 praises the Bereans because they received the Word with readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so. They didn’t just hear Paul and say, “Sounds good.” They opened the Bible and fact-checked from the very Word of God. They were noble because they were in the Word.
Tools for Studying the Bible
Several tools will help you in your study of the Bible.
The first thing you need is obviously a Bible. It can be expensive or it can be a pew Bible. Pew Bibles are like ten dollars. Get a Bible you’re comfortable using like a tool. If you write in books, that’s your prerogative. If you want twenty highlighters, fine. If you underline, write in margins, use triangles and stars and hearts, all that is fine. Use it. I write with a sharp pencil. I underline with a straight edge. That’s me. I’ve seen messy Bibles, and that’s fine too, as long as they’re being used, and they’re helping you grow.
Besides a plain Bible, it’s good to have a study Bible. Not everyone likes them, but they can help when you’re confused. Notes aren’t inspired, but they can be useful. The Reformation Study Bible is one I often recommend. Some like the ESV Study Bible. Reformation Heritage Books has a very fine study Bible. The Geneva Bible is very old, yet has very helpful notes. And it’s interesting, the very first English study Bible was the Geneva Bible (first published in 1560).
Most study Bibles have the same format: translation on top, notes on bottom. Read, and when you struggle, look for help.
Next: a concordance. When I was a new Christian, you’d buy a huge book with every word of the Bible alphabetically and every place it appears. Now you don’t need to buy the proverbial doorstop. It’s online. You can look up where else a word or theme is used in the Bible.
A Bible dictionary or handbook is next. These books have short entries that give background, meaning, context, and other helps in your study.
You may want an interlinear Bible. These are English texts with the Greek or Hebrew as well as Strong’s numbers tied to definitions and usage. The Strong’s number will show you the range of meaning and see other places that original word appears.
Next, a whole Bible commentary. The magnum opus here is Matthew Henry. Six volumes or one-volume in very small print. It is inexpensive and in public domain. If you’re struggling with a passage, pull it off the shelf and read a few paragraphs. This is not cheating. It’s help.
Then I recommend note cards for memorization. Write down verses or write them and take a picture. Make it your phone lock screen for a month. Memorization is almost a lost art because we have everything in our pockets. But Psalm 119 says we hide the Word in our heart—not merely in our phones.
And lastly, have a notebook. Write outlines. Write notes. Record your study. If you want to write electronically, fine. I’m recommending a notebook. And I’ll even say: spend a little money on one. If you treat it as valuable, you’ll care for it, I use Moleskine notebooks. I have a whole shelf of them. When one’s done, put it away, pull a clean one, start again. Write things down.
Five Methods to Study the Bible
There are several Bible study methods that are helpful. I’m giving you five. None of these are mandatory ways to study the Bible, but they are all helpful.
Inductive Study
Pick a passage. Start with observation: what does the text say? Not what you think it says, but what it actually says. Look for repeated words and phrases. Lists. Contrasts. Cause and effect. Commands. Promises. Ask simple questions: who, what, when, where. Look for connection words: therefore, for, because, so that, but. Circle them if you want. They show the logic.
Then interpretation: what does the text mean? What did it mean to the original audience? What is the author’s main point? How does context determine meaning? Words can be the same, but context changes meaning. So don’t pull phrases out of context. And bring in the analogy of Scripture: Scripture interprets Scripture. How does this fit with the rest of the Bible?
Then application: how does the text affect me? What should I do? What should I believe? How does God change my mind? my behavior? What does this tell me about Christ? about sin? about grace? How should I repent? pray? believe? These application questions should flow from the text.
Whole-Book Study
Here you study a whole book, not just a chapter.
Begin by reading the whole book quickly. One sitting if possible. In the New Testament, you can read every book in one sitting. Romans is long, the Gospels are long, but you can do it. Hebrews takes about 45-55 minutes. These are letters and narratives meant to be heard as a whole.
After reading, write one or two sentences you think capture the theme. Underline verses that stand out.
Once you have done that, being to map the structure. Divide the book into major sections: thought units, themes, keywords. Many Bibles already have headings, use them if they help. Then summarize each chapter, and even smaller sections, in one sentence. You’re digging from the top down and showing the structure: of the whole book, of chapter sentences, section sentences, and then paragraphs.
Next, trace the argument: what are the claims, the reasons, the examples, the citations? Jot down paragraph themes that you see. Follow that up with searching for key theological words and themes: God’s character, covenant language, law and gospel, Christ, promises, etc. Look up words you don’t know—build a theological vocabulary.
If you’re stuck in your study, that’s when you step back and use a trusted commentary, Matthew Henry, for example. Read until it clicks, then return to the text. And then let application flow from the text. Scripture is full of application. You should not be hard-pressed to find it.
When you are finished you will have a whole book outlined and you will see the argument and themes of the book, as well as the book’s theological vocabulary.
Thematic or Synthetic Study
For thematic study, you begin by choosing a theme from the Bible: faith, hope, love, Scripture, Messiah, etc. After you’ve chosen a theme, list references from a concordance and cross-references. Many Bibles have cross-references. The Westminster Reference Bible has a huge set of them and they are helpful in thematic study.
Then ask questions about your theme: Why is faith important? What is true faith? Can faith be false? For Messiah: what were expectations? what does Scripture say? As you search out these themes, write down your answers and record your conclusions.
Lastly, make your application actionable, something you can actually do, not “I will never sin again.” Have application that is useful.
Q’s and X’s
This is as simple as it gets, and it’s brilliant. R.C. Sproul recommends that readers put a question mark beside every passage which is unclear, and an X beside every passage that offends you or makes you uncomfortable.
Then go back. Focus on the question marks and study until you understand what the text means. Then look at the X’s. If you don’t like something Scripture says, maybe you don’t understand it, study more. If you do understand it and still don’t like it, that’s not an indication there’s something wrong with the Bible. It’s an indication something is wrong with you! Something that needs to change is in you. The renewing of the mind is lifelong, and you can accelerate it by focusing on the passages you don’t like.
(See RC Sproul’s Five Things Every Christian Needs to Grow for a fuller explanation of this.)
The Six-Fold Method
This begins with reading. Have a plan. Read to become familiar with themes, history, context.
Then interpretation. Ask Philip’s question from Acts 8: “Do you understand what you are reading?” Be honest. Between you and the Lord, do you understand what is being read.
Then search. Remember to trust but verify. Use resources that are for your search: commentaries, cross-references, interlinear, word studies, and background will all be useful as you search.
Follow that with application. John 13:17: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” This is huge for us. One of the big accusations against Reformed people is we know a lot and apply a little. Jesus says: know and do. Obey commands. Embrace promises. Heed warnings. Submit in all things.
Then connect. The Bible is 66 books and one message. Principles repeat. Doctrines repeat. If you find an interpretation nobody has ever thought of before, you’re probably wrong (you are wrong). Connect Scripture with Scripture.
And finally converse. Talk about what you’re reading. Let the church give feedback. If you grow without accountability, you may grow crooked. Scripture was intended for public reading and public discourse. So talk. Share. Ask. Encourage. Correct.
Conclusion
Those are five methods. There are others. You can find many books on how to study the Bible. But these are basic and helpful. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.” We want to be in the Word of God and we want to build our lives there—we want to live there. The Prophet Jeremiah’s words were not “live there” but “eat.” He said, “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)
A diet of Bible reading and Bible study will help us to live in the Word and to be fed by the Word. These are both necessary in the Christian life.