Page 16 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

Ask your disciple these questions: When is the best time for you? When are you most alert? When can
you get away from the cares of the day to be with God?

Pick a time: From _______________ To _______________
Suggestion: Be realistic in the amount of time you budget to begin and be faithful to the time you
select. You can always add more time as you get more in the habit of daily Bible study.

Where do we study the Bible?

The Bible does not say where you must be to study it. You can study it in your bedroom, in your
personal study, at work before your working hours, or in your back yard or under a tree. However, here
are some suggestions:

1. Make sure the place you choose is without interruptions or a lot of background noise. You need
to put your full attention to your study.
2. Make sure you have access to the proper tools for Bible study. We will talk about that shortly,
but you may need to have a couple of translations of the Bible, a couple of commentaries, a
Bible dictionary, Vines Expository Dictionary of NT Words, a concordance, or perhaps a
computer, depending on the kind of study you plan to embark upon. Make sure you have
access to the necessary resources at the place you select.
3. Once you select a place, be disciplined to make that place your special place of study. That way,
if you discipline yourself to go there, you will be more disciplined to complete each day’s study.
4. Make sure your place of study is also a good place to pray.

Learning how to Study the Bible

A new disciple of Christ needs to learn some basic principles in studying God’s Word. As you guide a
new disciple, you need to take them through a basic hermeneutics course that helps them understand
how to properly interpret the Bible accurately. Laying out a reading plan, starting with the Gospels and
then moving to Genesis (historical sections), then Romans will help a new believer establish a
foundation in Christ and biblical thinking.

Guiding Principles to Effective Study

In our journey to learn how to study God’s Word, we need to learn some major guidelines or principles
(called hermeneutics) to direct us along the way. These guidelines will keep you from misinterpreting
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God’s Word and going in an incorrect direction as you study.

Principle #1

Study the Word in Context

God’s Word is the definitive word on all things. God establishes the rules or
principles, not man! We must determine the answer to any question by

9 Some of these principles were taken from John MacArthur’s Book, How to Study Your Bible. You can see a
synopsis of the book by going to https://www.gty.org/library/articles/45STUDY/how-to-study-your-bible

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