INTRODUCTION:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit 
these to faithful men who will also be able to teach others... Remind 
them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to argue with 
empty words to no good, to the destruction of the hearers. Be diligent 
to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be 
ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. But shun profane and idle 
babblings, for they will proceed to more ungodliness." (2Tim2:2,14-16)

Regarding the Scriptures Paul gives essentially two exhortations: 
Scripture should be 1) read (1Ti4:13)  and 2) preached/taught (Tit1:3)  
One of the gifts given to the Church is that of "pastors and teachers". 
(Eph4:11)  There are some who would suggest that the Greek really means 
"teaching pastors". But the passage does actually contain the 
conjunction "and". But even so, I would ask: How can a person be a 
pastor, if they are not "able to teach"? (1Tim3:2) Teaching is one of 
the required qualifications of a pastor. And how does one teach, if they 
do not know how to study?

It is one thing for this ministry to continually feed the reader with 
God's Word. But there will come a time when this global technology will 
break down. There will come a time when the powers of darkness will 
censor the proclamation of God's Word. When that time comes, how will 
the young-in-the-Lord know how to keep clear of what Paul calls "empty 
words to no good"? How will they know how to sort out the "profane and 
idle babblings"?  How will they know how to give "diligence" in "rightly 
dividing the Word of Truth"? 

There's an old saying: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; Teach a 
man how to fish, feed him for a lifetime. If you know HOW-TO study God's 
Word, when you become separated from the Godly teachers you've grown to 
trust, you will find you don't need them, because God's Holy Spirit will 
"guide you into all truth". (Jn16:13)  You will find that "..you have no 
need for anyone to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you 
concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has 
taught you, you will remain in Him." (1Jn2:27)  And as you learn how to 
study for yourself, many of you will become able, further in turn, to 
teach others.



SCRIPTURAL STUDY METHODS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scripture does not contain a book among the 66 called "Bible Study 
Methods". But it does tell us how Paul "reasoned" with people from the 
Scriptures. (Ac17:2) By definition, that would be "inductive", wouldn't 
it. God speaks to Israel "let us -reason- together" (Is1:18)  While 
there is the 'spiritual' (Romans ch8), God also gave us "minds" 
(1Cor14:15), and one of the characteristics of the Christian life is 
that of having a "sound mind". (2Ti1:7)  These minds were God-given to 
us to -USE-. There are certain concepts that have become understood over 
the years regarding 'how' people learn things. This series will attempt 
to give an overview of the most commonly understood principles.

Topics:
        00 -Introduction
        01 -Repetition
        02 -Scriptural Interpretation
        03 -How to Interpret the Scriptures
        04 -Literal
        05 -Allegory
        06 -Visions
        07 -Topical Studies
        08 -Charts
        09 -Outlines
        10 -Verse-by-verse
        11 -Word Studies
        12 -Sentence Analysis (grammatical structure)
        13 -Context
        14 -Correlation with other Scripture
        15 -Historical/Cultural Background
        16 -Overall study of a book
        17 -Who/what/when/where/why/how?
        18 -Inherent Dangers
        19 -Holy Spirit: our Teacher
        20 -Reviewing the Repeatables
        QA -Q/As on this series



REPETITION:
~~~~~~~~~~~

One principle that is probably the most-understood is that of 
'repetition'. When the powers-that-be wanted to create a climate wherein 
it would be easier to implement rules and laws for governmental 
infringments upon individual American 'privacy' and liberties, for the 
purpose by the powers-of-darkness towards governmental dominance, they 
took a national tragedy (9/11) and replayed those video images over and 
over. For an entire week NBC network totally pre-empted all other 
programming and did nothing but cover the initial attacks, playing those 
images over and over, and continually talked about the sorrow of the 
victims, elevating to the status of "hero" the police and firemen, etc. 
You Americans remember...you were here.

Companies gain name-recognition by 'repeating' their commercials, 
continually placing their logos repeatedly in view of people.

How does a child learn his 'lines' for the school play, or memorize 
things like the Gettysburg Address, Preamble, Pledge of Allegiance, etc? 
Or learn all the states and their capitols, or for civics class the 
counties and county seats? (if they even learn those things anymore?!) 
REPETITION.

If I can insert a little anecdote here: I'm reminded of years ago when I 
drove school bus, there was little "Andy" in his wheel chair. The place 
his chair would 'fit', where it could be strapped in for safety, was 
directly behind the driver (me). Nobody had yet told him that his 
handicap was supposed to be a source of sorrow, grumbling and self-pity; 
that he was in a sub-category of human called, "victim"; but he was 
always cheerful and would happily sing songs all-the-way-home. One day 
it would be the Alphabet song. Another day, "tomorrow, tomorrow, I love 
you, tomorrow..."  over and over and over and over.....and over again. 
However many times he could sing the song, in the time it took to get 
from Grand Forks out to the Air Base west of town...that's how many 
times he'd sing it over and over. REPETITION!

Of the various things we will observe in this series, this point is the 
one with strongest Scriptural support...

As God gave the Law, what was said about man's relationship to it? "But 
the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may 
do it." (De30:14)  How was it to get there into the hearts of them and 
their children?  "And these Words which I am commanding you today shall 
be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and 
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, 
when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign 
on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You 
shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." 
(De6:6-9)  

If you think about what these verses say, it's just like commercials 
that pop up all over in front of us: on TV, billboards, newspaper and 
magazine ads, flyers in the mail box, etc. REPETITION. What the world 
does with commercial advertisements, is how the Christian is to hide 
God's Word in our hearts (Ps119:11)

God's Word is learned the way children learn. A child learns to talk by 
'repeating' the sounds he hears from the adults. A parent teaches a 
child the alphabet by repetition. Counting...by repetition. As God says 
to Israel: "To whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to 
understand the message? Those weaned from the milk and removed from the 
breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line 
upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;" (Is28:9-10) 
This is how children are taught. And Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, 
unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no 
means enter the kingdom of Heaven." (Mt18:3) 

Precept upon precept; line upon line; here and little, there a little.

In other words, a person cannot read a verse here or there, -once-, and 
assume he knows-it-all. Nor can one do like I've heard some proudly 
proclaim: I've read through the -entire- Bible once, and I've got a 
pretty good idea of its teachings. 

No. Our learning of God's Word is like Jeremiah says, "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 Jehovah the God of Hosts." 
(Jer15:16)  

Show me one person who can eat but one meal for their entire life, and 
survive... and I will then also agree that all a person needs is to read 
through the Bible -once-. No! We eat regularly, daily. We -repeat- the 
daily rituals of breakfast, lunch and dinner/supper. Same with God's 
Word.

[Back to Topics]

SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATION:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we actually get into the Scriptures, and start digging into its 
truths, possibly of more importance than anything else is this matter of 
interpretation. 

As I was collecting together the topics for this series, I also looked 
up my old notes (class syllabus) from a similar class in Bible school 
years ago, to be reminded about what we might have been taught back 
then, to see if I had missed any concept that should be included. In 
amongst everything else, the printed notes and my written notes, there 
was one point the instructor made, which he repeated; and we as students 
would repeat to each other: 

"There is only ONE -TRUE- INTERPRETATION of any given passage of 
Scripture"  (Repeat this to yourselves a few times. Let it sink in.)

There might be several applications; as Scripture itself will often 
expand some passage during different times of history, to different 
people, in different ways. (Heb1:1) But as Joseph says to Pharaoh, of 
the two dreams about cows and grain, "the dreams are one". (Gen41:25-26) 
John sees groups of "sevens" in his vision; and yet, when one compares 
the "trumpets" (Rev8) to the "bowls" (Rev16), one sees a similarity. 
We'll look at this specific example further when we discuss "charts". 

God is "one". (De6:4)  His Word is one. (Jn17) God does not change. 
(Mal3:6) Jesus Christ remains "the same yesterday, today and forever" 
(Heb13:8)  Whatever was holy or unclean in Genesis, is so today. Just as 
Abel was saved "by faith" (Gen4:4, Heb11:4), so it is for the N.T. 
Church (Ac16:31) and us today.  The Scriptures did not come about 
through "personal exposition". (2Pt1:20)   KJV says "private 
interpretation". There is a difference...

Between the VW-edition and the KJV we can come to understand a truth 
that today's apostasy would do well to understand; which they reject at 
their own eternal peril. Scripture is not interpreted by going around 
the circle asking: "What does it mean TO YOU? Well, TO ME it means..."  

No! No! No!  That method of so-called "Bible study" is at the very heart 
and soul -core- of today's apostasy. It is its curse!

The question that needs to be asked is: "What did -GOD- mean?"  

When a person gives their own 'private interpretation', what in essence 
they are doing is giving their own 'personal exposition'. That verse 
actually says that Scripture did not 'originate FROM OUT OF man'. That's 
what "exposition" means: a "setting forth" of meaning. From the latin: 
"ex", "out of"; and "posit", to "put or place". (See? We're doing a 
little "word study" here; one of the study methods we'll discuss later 
at length) In other words, Scripture did not originate from within and 
out of man, out of his own heart and mind, to become proclaimed. No. 
Holy men of God wrote as the Holy Spirit "propelled" them along. 

That word "propelled" is a word having the same idea as an object like a 
tumble weed being blown along by strong gale force winds, or the winds 
of a storm blowing things along. It is with a certain 'vehemence' that 
the holy men wrote at the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is like 
riding a motorcycle through a "dust devil" (a mini-tornado on a hot 
summer day): when it is hovering over the middle of the highway you 
cannot see it because there is no dust for it to kick up, so you don't 
realize it's there until you ride through it, at which point it knocks 
you back and forth violently; even on a big motorcycle travelling at 
speed.

KJV's use of "interpretation" is not quite accurate to our modern 
understanding of the word. It suggests an "explaining of the meaning" of 
the Scriptures that's there. However, 2Pet1:20-21 is actually speaking 
of Scripture's -ORIGINS-, not its interpretation.

However, when people don't actually 'like' God's Word, but would never 
admit to it for fear of exposing themselves as being unbelievers, while 
pretending to be christians, they "interpret" the Scriptures as "what it 
means to me". In other words, they are not seeing what the text -SAYS-; 
but rather, picking-and-choosing some words to their own liking, and 
manipulating things around in their minds to deceive themselves into 
thinking they are 'studying' the Bible; when in truth, what they are 
doing is finding 'excuses' to explain-away their sin and rebellion 
against God's holy standards. When it boils right down to the nitty 
gritty of the matter, when they proclaim "it means to me"...in their 
hearts they are actually WRITING THEIR OWN BIBLE. It is NOT -God's- 
Word; it is their own. It is "a false vision and a worthless divination, 
and a thing of no value, and the deceit of their heart." (Jer14:14)

When an "interpreter" is speaking on behalf of another person of another 
language, he is "translating" into the language of the hearers. Often, 
in going from one language to another, there is no word that conveys the 
exact meaning of a certain word in the original. Or, the speaker uses a 
colloquial idiom of his native tongue, for which there is no parallel in 
the language of his hearers... so the -translator- must sometimes 
"interpret" what he has said, in terms familiar to the hearers. The 
interpreter does not hear the speaker's words, and then add his own 
ideas to those words. 

For an example, the speaker might have said something like: You folks 
need a water tower for your town, and my corporation is providing the 
funds so you can get right to it; your lives are at stake if you don't 
drill this new well, and change your water source; since your present 
water source is contaminated; that's why so many of you have these 
health issues.

So, the interpreter says: You townspeople have many options for 
resolving your health issues, one of which, if you should so-choose and 
decide, you can organize a fund-raiser for the expenses to divert the 
waters from this river that snakes around over here and dam them up as a 
reservoir. Others of you may wish to seek out doctors and other holistic 
healers to get those boils and sores looked at.

Let's see, there was -some- similarity between the two: they both talked 
about "water" and their "health" issues and about "getting healed" and 
the "costs" involved. So, see...??  Same thing... right?

This is how the matter was 'interpreted'. But the truth is that the 
townspeople are not receiving the message AS GIVEN by the original 
speaker.  The speaker is offering to 'give' the town a solution that 
will work, and the interpreter is speaking of the townspeople doing it 
themselves with different less-than-optimal results.

But this is the exact same sort of thing people are doing with God's 
Word when they express their own "personal interpretation" of the 
Scriptures.

So, let us continue...

[Back to Topics]

HOW TO INTERPRET the SCRIPTURES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three Methods: as indicated by the text
        -literal           (actual events as recorded or prophesied)
        -allegory/parables (clearly stated in passage/context)
        -visions           (clearly stated in passage/context)

Literal:
~~~~~~~~

A few years ago, next to my sign shop in the same building, used to be a 
shipping/postal company. The entrance where their customers would enter 
were of the double swinging door variety; over on the end of the 
building and around the corner from my shop. The proprietors had bolted 
the one door stationary, with a sign on 'it' pointing to the 'other' 
door, indicating to their customers to use that 'other' door. The 
'other' door also had a little sign on it saying, "Please Use This 
Door".  Over the course of years I lost count on how many of their 
customers would come through my door, looking for a way 'in' to their 
establishment. On a couple of occasions they would even walk in, look me 
straight in the face in all seriousness, pointing with their outstreched 
arm off to the side and pointed finger at my neighbors, asking if 'this' 
was 'that' place over there. You think -that's- funny!  Well, how about 
this, then...

On one occasion, when a lady realized she was not where she wanted to 
be, expressed that those signs on the doors told her to: Go left and 
come around the corner. Huh?  She was not reading the signs 'literally'.
If she had, she would have gone directly in the correct door, without 
walking clear half-way around the building to my place.

Literally, the one sign said to "use other door" and had an arrow 
-pointing- to the other door. And if there was any question, the other 
door said, "Use -this- door". How much clearer could it be?  There was 
-nothing- to suggest "going around a corner".  Here again, she was like 
so many claiming to be christians: making the Bible 'say' that which 
agrees with how they are already living their lives. In her mind, since 
she had walked around the corner and down the side of the building... 
that's what the signs said... even though they didn't really (literally)

A very high percentage of Scriptural text is "literal". The only times 
Scripture is NOT literal, is when the TEXT ITSELF SAYS SO. (Here again, 
please read that last sentence a couple of times to let it sink in and 
understand it fully. We'll address this further, a bit later.) When it 
says that Noah built an ark out of wood, that's what he built. Its 
remains are there, preserved high-up in those mountains. When the Bible 
says that Solomon built the temple, that Herod built a temple, the 
remains are there to this day. When it speaks of other historical events 
involving Israel, Babylon, Syria, Rome, etc. there is archaeological 
evidence to support Scripture. When I studied Latin in high school, we 
would translate stuff about the Appii Forum and Three Taverns, same 
places Paul -literally- saw when he got to Rome. (Ac28:15) When God 
promised that after being dispersed into all the nations, Israel would 
again become a nation, that's -literally- what has happened; Israel is 
in the daily news, proclaiming Scripture's fulfilled prophecies. Israel 
is a -literal- nation.

Literalness is to have a statement which accurately reflects the facts. 
If I walked down to the store to buy some groceries, a -literal- 
representation of that event of my walking to the store would be a 
sentence something like: "I went to the store and bought some things". 
The statement says that "I went", because, in fact, that's what I did; I 
went. And it says that my destination was the store, because indeed, 
there is a store over there that I went to; you can go and see the store 
for yourself if you are of a mind to verify my statement. And the 
veracity of my having "bought" some things is proven by seeing those 
things now sitting on the kitchen table where I placed them when I first 
walked in the door, with the receipt sitting next to them.

I could speak of the store being the "Riveridge" Yoke's over there on 
"W. Wellesley", across the street from the VA hospital. Now if you go 
past the store you end up at the cemetery. If you were to continue 
straight, you would end up going over the cliff, down to the Spokane 
River. But if you follow the cemetery paths around, like I do sometimes 
for bicycle rides, you can end up in a wooded area with little trails, 
and if you follow them around, you end up at the Joe Albi stadium 
parking area...  If you are a local, you know 'exactly' the places I'm 
talking about. If you're not from around here, you could conceivably 
look up some online directories and see that, indeed, there is a grocery 
store at the W.Wellesley address called, "Riveridge Yoke's". You could 
verify that the VA hospital exists there, and that that is where the 
stadium is situated. In the same way we can know that the tribal borders 
for Israel in the latter half of Joshua were -literal- boundaries.

However, let us also look at one Scriptural example of 'literalness' 
that the scoffers stumble over:

God's creation of this "heavens and earth" (Gen2:4) was accomplished in 
six (6) -literal- days. How do we know this? By looking at the text. 
Genesis repeats a word pattern: "..the evening and the morning: Day 
One" (Gen1:5)  Scoffers argue: how could there be day/night in vs5 when 
the sun, moon and stars weren't yet made until vs14....therefore, they 
say, it's not "literal". 

Here's where a "word study" is in order. In vs3 we see that God created 
"light". It would do no good to create "luminaries" (vs14) if there was 
not such a thing as "light" by which to see them. As God queries Job: 
"Where is the way to where light dwells? And darkness, where is its 
place...By what way is light diffused, or the east wind scattered over 
the earth?" (Job38:19,24) (And in looking at these verses from Job, we 
have also just engaged in "correlation" with other Scripture) Notice, 
God does not ask Job where the sun is; but rather, where is 'light'? 
"Light" is not the same thing as the "sun".  So then to complete that 
question, how could there be "evening and the morning" without a sun?  

Let us not forget that "God is light" (1Jn1:5); and also remember that 
in the new heavens and earth, it says of the New Jerusalem that there 
won't be sun or moon, because why? "for the glory of God illuminated it; 
and the Lamb is its light." (Rev21:23)  What could we suggest, except 
that when God said, "Let there be light", that during those first couple 
days of creation God, Himself, was illuminating the earth, in 
preparation for His living creation? God, in His own essence, doesn't 
require light, as it says of Him that He was in the "thick darkness" 
(Ex20:21), that that is His dwelling. (1Ki8:12) When He created the 
earth, before He made light, it says that His Spirit was "hovering over 
the face of the waters" in the -context- of "darkness on the face of the 
deep" (Gen1:2) But since we also know He dwells in "unapproachable 
light" (1Ti6:16), perhaps His creation of "let there be light" was His 
special manifestation of Himself for the sake of man, whom He was about 
to create?  MYSTERIES to yet be fully revealed in God's own time, I 
suspect.

This is just one possible explanation. Thus...just because we don't 
initially 'understand' something, we should not dismiss that which 
Scripture presents 'literally'. There might be some other explanation 
that God hasn't yet revealed to us. But when the passage itself spells 
it out, "evening and morning", is that not the very definition of the 
cycle of a -literal- earthly "day"?

Word studies aid in understanding the literal. If we don't understand 
the words, we do not know what the literal -is-. In seeking to 
understand the literal, we need to take care to 'faithfulness' to the 
exact text. This is why the matter of 'translations' is soooo important; 
that I continually harp on. There are several translations that claim to 
be "literal", but in each case that I am aware of, they each have errors 
here and there in their word choices...using English words that do not 
really quite mean what the texts say. If a person uses a translation in 
which words have been altered from the true meaning, any efforts at 
-literal- interpretation have already been defeated before a person's 
study ever gets started.

Unlike "allegory" or "visions", with "literal" interpretation, words 
mean exactly what they say. Certain words are in the text, because when 
their definitions might be looked up, their meaning is what God intends 
for the reader to understand. Black is black; white is white; 
righteousness is righteous, and evil is evil. Doing what God commands is 
obedience; and disobedience calls down His judgment. Black does not 
mean, "shades of gray". Obedience does not mean, "if you feel like it".

God's promise of "death" for Adam's disobedience (Gen2:17) is -literal-. 
And there is only "one true interpretation" to that matter. There are 
certainly two applications: physical and spiritual. If sinful man does 
not believe in such a thing as spiritual death, he should at least 
observe the physical; the earth is littered with cemeteries, proving the 
'literalness' of the physical. Should he not open his eyes to understand 
that spiritual death ("the things which are not seen" right now), thus, 
is also 'literal' (and "eternal/everlasting" 2Co4:18, Dan12:2)?

At the time this was being written, a subscriber of the 'mixed 
multitude' wrote to complain about something, and quoted from that utter 
abomination "The Message" which says: "Anyone who doesnt love is as good 
as dead" (1Jn3:14)  God's Word says, "He who does not love his brother 
remains in death." "as good as dead" suggests -life-, not "death". The 
word "death" is -literal-. "as good as dead" weasles around God's 
judgment.

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust 
in Him. Do not add to His Words, that He not judge you and you be found 
a liar." (Pr30:5-6)  "...and if anyone takes away from the Words of the 
Book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of 
Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this 
Book." (Rev22:19)

Earlier we posed a question that should be asked: "What did -God- mean?" 

Well, the answer is easy... What did He -say-?


Allegory - Parables:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Another parable He put forth to them, saying: The kingdom of Heaven is 
like a man who sowed good seed in his field" (Mt13:24)

Remember, previously we stated: "The only times Scripture is NOT 
literal, is when the TEXT ITSELF SAYS SO." In this quoted example (and 
Scripture is full of similar parables) notice that the text itself tells 
us that Jesus is telling a "parable". And the text also tells us clearly 
that it is allegory when it says "is like".

Just a sideways snide remark, here, about today's youth: They are all a 
bunch of allegories and not real, judging by the extent of their 
vocabulary:  "I mean... -LIKE-... you know... dude!"  (OK: Ha, ha!)

First of all, what is a parable? According to the dictionary: "a simple 
story illustrating a moral or religious lesson"  Jesus taught the 
multitudes extensively with parables. (Mk4:2)  The kingdom of Heaven is 
not a -literal- "farm", but Jesus used the illustration of the wheat and 
tares to teach Heavenly Truth. We started this series with what might be 
called a mini-parable, regarding 'teaching a man to fish'. This series 
is not about baiting hooks, and learning where to go fishing for fish 
with scales and fins; just like Jesus used fishing to illustrate what 
the disciples would be doing in witnessing to people when He says, "From 
now on you will be catching men". (Lk5:10b) But the illustration helps 
us see that which we are enmeshed in, by seeing something else at a 
distance with objectivity. So often our lives are so muddled up that we 
cannot see straight...but if we see a parable that contains parallel 
concepts, it gets us out from ourselves, seeing the same truth from a 
different angle, and then we can apply the basic concept to ourselves.

Notice the words "basic concept". One very important thing to understand 
about parables is that they are different from 'literal' teaching. With 
literal teaching a person nit-picks, looks at precise word meanings for 
all the little details; every jot and tittle. But with parables one only 
looks at the 'general' and 'obvious' lesson being taught. One does not 
develop a complete doctrinal thesis by nit-picking parables. That is not 
their intent. They are given for the -basic- 'simple' understanding of 
the Truth being taught. One reason some cult-like groups go into the 
tangents they do is because they focus in on and treat parables 
literally, and ignore that which is supposed to be literal.

One parable that is likely abused more than any other is the one about 
the "Ten Virgins", five having oil, five not. There are so many 
fantastical false doctrines on eschatology that are taught from it, 
distinguishing Israel vs Church, looking in intimate detail at Jewish 
wedding customs; some even, who believe in the so-called "post-trib" 
false doctrine, taking the part where the five are told to go "buy" oil 
for themselves (Mt25:9) as being supposedly the exhortation to stock up 
survival supplies to last through the so-called "tribulation". Whereas 
the 'simple' teaching of that parable is identical to the teaching in 
Matthew ch7: that not everyone who calls out "Lord, Lord..." we did so 
many things in "Your name", but will be told, "I never knew you" (vs23) 
is the genuine article. That a tree is known by its fruit. (vs16-20) Not 
all are genuine. Just as with the virgins: they were virgins, and had 
'lamps'...they 'appeared' to be genuine, but five did not have oil (Holy 
Spirit), they were not saved. (Rom8:9) They call out, "Lord, Lord, open 
to us!" but the Lord answers the same thing, "I do not know you". 
(vs11-12) And essentially, that is -all- that parable is teaching.

If a person looks at the 'context' (another study principle we will 
discuss later) of Matthew ch25 at the other parables told, one notices 
that they all teach essentially the same thing: When Christ returns, 
some will be revealed to have been faithful and will receive blessing; 
and others who had rejected Christ and were contrary to Him, judgment.

The basic engine of parables, also, is "allegory". Again, looking in the 
dictionary: "A literary, dramatic, or pictorial device in which 
characters and events stand for abstract ideas, principles, or forces, 
so that the literal sense has or suggests a parallel, deeper symbolic 
sense"  You say, "Huh?"?  

We cannot see satan with our eyes, nor can we yet physically see the 
spiritual world of the "spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies" 
(Eph6:12b)  So Peter uses an allegory to illustrate the seriousness of 
satan's threat: "..your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring 
lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1Pt5:8) 

Notice that satan is not said to -be- a "lion"...but that his activity 
is "like" a lion. How does a lion get its food?  It hunkers down to be 
invisible to the prey, it stalks, and when the time is right it pounces, 
at which point it grabs the prey, chokes the life out of it or breaks 
its neck, and then the pride proceed to rip the carcass apart as they 
feast.

Whenever you see the text say that something is "like" or "as", you can 
be pretty sure it is not 'literal'. That is usually the textual -label- 
that it is allegory. And so, also, be careful how you mold your 
doctrines around such passages. Quite often the text itself will also 
explain the meaning, as in this case of the wheat and tares (the opening 
passage to this section)(Mt13:36-43)

We already understand that parables help clarify truths. This is how 
children are taught many things, through stories and fables. A child may 
have self-confidence issues, but if the story of the "little engine that 
could" is told, the child can incorporate for themselves next time they 
are stiving to accomplish a goal: "I think I can, I think I can..."

But also...and this is important to understand about the Scriptures: Not 
all of Scripture is intended to be understood by all people. (Another 
sentence worth repeated a couple times)  As God knows the rebellious 
hearts He says, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, 
that they should not see with their eyes, that they should not 
understand with their hearts and be turned, and I should heal them." 
(Jn12:40)  This is why Jesus told so many parables: "All these things 
Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did 
not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the 
prophet, saying: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things 
kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Mt13:34-35)

Again, why? "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they 
do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in 
them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will 
hear and shall not at all understand, and seeing you will see and by no 
means perceive; for the heart of this people has grown dull, their ears 
are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, that they should 
not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with 
their heart and convert, and I should heal them." (Mt13:13-15)

(I suspect this is one reason the parable of the Ten Virgins is 
distorted by so many...in order to 'fit' with the other false doctrines 
of their hard hearts...when in actuality, that parable is talking about 
them. Only...they don't see it! -They- are the virgins without oil!)

But to those who have put their trust in Christ, Jesus says: "But 
blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for 
truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see 
what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not 
hear it." (Mt13:16-17)  "To you it has been given to know the mystery of 
the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things are in 
parables," (Mk4:11)

Thus, dear Believer: If in your witnessing and proclaiming the Truths of 
God's Word, it seems like you are ramming up against a brick wall and 
they JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND, do not fret. That's part of God's design of 
the Scriptures. Always remember that God's Word accomplishes exactly 
what God intends. (Is55:11)  As God's Word abides in us (1Jn2:14) as we 
witness, for some the Word is the "..aroma of death leading to death, 
and to the other the aroma of life leading to life." (2Co2:16)


Visions:
~~~~~~~~

This one, now, is easy; and yet, not. Most visions in Scripture are 
followed by explanations, except for the latter chapters of Daniel and 
most of Revelation.

Joseph sees dreams of sheaves and stars bowing to him; which was 
fulfilled when he became ruler in Egypt and his family came to him, 
bowing. Pharaoh sees dreams of sevens of cows and stalks of grain, and 
Joseph interprets the seven years of plenty followed by famine. (Gen41) 
Nebuchadnezzar has visions of a statue and a large tree, which Daniel 
explains as world history, and Nebuchadnezzar's own life before God. 
(Dan chs2&4)

Ezekiel has visions of God and the Holy Spirit. Were they literal 
'wheels'? Ezekiel continually explains his vision with words: 
"appearance like" (Ez1:14, etc) There, we don't know -exactly- what 
Ezekiel saw, but we are given a 'sense' of its awesomeness.

Paul had a vision of the "third heaven" where he saw and heard 
remarkable things. (2Cor12:1-4)  In spite of the magnitude of Paul's 
ministry in writing most of the N.T. epistles, and his understanding of 
things, he came away from that vision expressing, "whether in the body I 
do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows". 

And then, there's one of Scripture's greatest stumbling blocks for the 
unsaved, the book of Revelation. Am I being presumptuous in saying that? 
Surely God would never lay a stumbling block for people?! "Behold, I lay 
in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense..." (Rom9:33) "And He 
shall be a sanctuary for you; but a stone of stumbling, and a rock of 
falling to both the houses of Israel; and a trap and a snare to the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Is8:14)

Remember that the entire book of Revelation is John's record of the 
-vision- he was given. He was "in the spirit" (Rev1:10)  And it, being 
at the very end, has not yet been fully explained. Some of it surely is 
literal. But a good part of it, being a vision, is figurative and 
symbolic. Some of it has already been fulfilled, but other has not. But 
if we have seen how other Scriptural visions were explained and 
fulfilled, as we see world events unfolding and coming to preparation 
for fulfillment, we see them portrayed in Revelation.

If Daniel could write down his visions and conclude: "...I heard, but I 
did not understand" (Dan12:8), and Paul would say, "..I do not know, God 
knows.." (2Co12:2-3)  then who are we to be presumptuous regarding 
as-yet-unfulfilled prophetic Bible visions..!  We need to be careful 
when attempting to 'interpret' prophecy. Some things are clear; others 
are not...by (God's) design. 

[Back to Topics]

TOPICAL STUDIES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, this one is pretty much self-explanatory. What does the Bible say 
about... (fill-in-the-blank) ...?  Salvation, marriage, the church, 
angels, heaven, hell, creation, child-rearing and development, etc.

In keeping with the concepts of "interpretation" that we have already 
spoken of, this is likely the MOST DIFFICULT of all methods...if one's 
goal is to be TRUE to God's Word. If a person is a brand new 'baby' 
Christian, it is likely wise for them to not try this at first. We're 
going to talk (later) about "context" and "correlation" with other 
Scripture. But in order to have an accurate understanding of a topic, 
one needs to know the -whole- of Scripture. "..the whole counsel of God" 
(Ac20:27) That means, having read it through from cover-to-cover AT 
LEAST ONCE. But to -really- know 'all' that is contained in the Bible, 
considering its vastness, a person truly needs several years of having 
read the Bible through at least several times. In addressing a 'topic' 
one needs to be familiar with all-angles. And the various study tools 
with their 'search' capabilities do not do justice to what a person 
stores in their heart from having had the Holy Spirit put it there, 
through reading and meditating on it. (Ps119:97)

But otherwise, for those who are past the "milk of the Word" (1Pe2:2), 
'how' a person puts together a topic study will be based on the concepts 
that follow. There is likely not any "ONE-right-way" to put a topic 
together. As with most things in life, that will be based on 'what' the 
topic is, who is putting the study together, and who the audience is.

[Back to Topics]

CHARTS:
~~~~~~~

Here, too, there is likely not any -one- 'right' way to do charts. It 
will be determined by 'what' the subject is, and the goals one wishes to 
fulfill. If a teacher is putting together a chart to teach others, the 
methods will be different than for a person doing so for their own 
personal growth.

Charts serve basically a couple of functions:  1) To track the 
progression of things and events,  and 2) To make comparisons.

A most noteworthy sort of 'progression' is a Timeline. At the website 
is a timeline that resulted 
from my own personal notes years ago. Within it you will see both 
'progression' and 'comparison'. That 'chart' started out as sheets of 
paper and pencil, next to my Bible. One particular read-thru of the 
Bible I made a special point of notating every time any reference to 
'time' was mentioned; usually in "years". People being born, dying, 
building of Noah's ark, the time Israel was in Egypt, years of the 
reigns of judges and kings, Israel's time in Babylon, etc. Then, once I 
had reached Revelation, I compiled all those notes, using a calculator, 
and (back when I did it was before I had a computer) taped sheets of 
typing paper together, head-to-tail, and with a typewriter typed spaces 
and dashes down the left side to represent the years...so-many-years 
represented by a dash and carriage return. Then, with careful 
calculations (all of the simple 'addition' variety), starting at "0" for 
Genesis 1:1, assigned a 'year' to each person, item or event of my 
notes; and then plotted them on the chart. It ended up being a long 
scroll.

I mentioned "comparison". You will notice that when Israel was split 
into northern and southern kingdoms, that their respective kings are 
listed in two columns in synchronicity with each other, because each 
king is mentioned in relationship to the 'year' of the king of the other 
kingdom. You will also notice the various O.T. prophets interspersed, so 
a person can see which kingdom each prophet spoke to, and also which 
prophets were contemporary with each other. And if you want to get 
carried away, over in the far-right column you will see certain other 
historical markers, as one might study them in world history, 
synchronizing Israel's Biblical history with some of the primary world 
philosophers, etc. 

And of course, you can also buy complex charts that others have 
compiled, like the one I've got on my office wall, with 15 concurrent 
timelines, representing all the various regions of the world through the 
past 6000 years. But that gets a little beyond strictly -Bible- study.

What are some other things a person might wish to -compare-?  An obvious 
one is the Life of Christ, as presented by the four Gospels. One can 
compare how "synoptic" events are retold by each writer. I'm not going 
to do any comparing of the Gospels for you here, but let's borrow from 
my earlier trip to the grocery store, shall we, to see how we might make 
our observations:

During my trip to the store the wind was blowing pretty briskly. At the 
gray house, the little black-and-white cat came out to greet me, 
meowing, and I stopped briefly and stooped to pet it and talk to it like 
I usually do when it comes out. The next block at the one house some 
people were outside in their yard raking leaves, and we greeted each 
other. When I got down to the arterial, it took me a few extra seconds 
to get across the street because the traffic was thick and furious. At 
the store I bought a bag of pre-packaged salad, a block of cheddar 
cheeze, and a gallon of milk. When I got home, I initially put 
everything on the kitchen table.

So one person tells about my shopping trip: They saw me walking down the 
street, zipping up my jacket. A bit later they saw me wiping my hands 
off on my pants. At a certain point in the store they saw me picking out 
a block of cheeze.

Second person observes: I crossed the street rather quickly, as though I 
was in a hurry. Then I was over at the produce aisle at the store, and 
then they saw me walk out the doors.

Third person remarks about how hectic the traffic was that day. They 
also saw a little cat meowing.

Fourth person informs us: PB was born in Tokyo, Japan of missionary 
parents, was saved at age 5, was always engaged in some sort of 'ministry'
activity throughout his life, even from a child. In his earlier life the 
ministry was mostly in music, but since his life was turned upside down 
almost 13 years ago, and he met God afresh and was forced to face all the
crud that had collected in his own heart, the life-long 'call' upon his 
life from God is now being used to proclaim God's Word in written form.

Now you see...each one of these people is making observations about the 
-very- 'same' shopping trip. But if you heard only one of their 
accounts, you might have a totally different picture of my meanderings 
that afternoon, than what -all- the facts were. One speaks of me wiping 
my hands on my pants....that's because the cat that the other person 
mentioned seems to live mostly outdoors and doesn't get brushed very 
often by its owners, so I was brushing its sheddings off my hands. I was 
in a "hurry" to cross the street, because the traffic was busy, so I was 
catching a clear spot, to get across before the next vehicles came 
along; I was not in a "hurry" at all, just getting across without 
getting run over. According to one account one might think that all I 
bought was "cheeze". According to the other, who-knows-what?  And nobody 
even mentioned the "milk". That doesn't mean I didn't get some milk; 
just... nobody mentioned it. Not to mention the zipping of the jacket: 
why did I zip the jacket? The reality was that the wind was cold. But in 
just hearing the narrative, a person might not know (for sure) without 
being stuck with mere conjecture or speculation.

And then, as with the four Gospels, the fourth departs from the others 
in its scope, and tells us about the person. In this example, PB.

The first three Gospels detail many of Jesus' activities and teachings
as He ministered -to- man. John presents Jesus's activities and words 
that let us know the -nature- of 'who' Jesus is: Deity, the Son of God, 
the I AM.

As we noted earlier about the six "literal" days of creation, or the 
mis-interpretations of the parable of the 10 virgins; I suspect another 
primary item of stumbling for the scoffers is related to the events 
surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, burial, resurrection and meetings with 
the various disciples. That's because each writer has recorded various 
perspectives and 'segments'. None of them individually give the -entire- 
complete timeline of events. Remember that John gives a disclaimer that 
it was not possible to write -everything- down, that the world could not 
contain all the books necessary to do so. But what is written is done 
so, so that we might read and "believe" and have "life in His name". 
(Jn20:31)  

Thus, as we observed before, for those whose hearts are -hard-, God has 
put the various accounts together in such a manner so as to cause 
-stumbling-. For those whose hearts God knows, there is also sufficient 
upon which to base our faith. Remember that FAITH is "the certainty of 
things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN." (Heb11:1)  "Blessed 
are those not seeing and yet believing" (Jn20:29)

With the Gospels one can see Jesus from four different perspectives in 
terms of: Matthew speaks much about the "kingdom"; Jesus is King. Mark 
always sees Jesus in a hurry with the repeated words "and IMMEDIATELY"; 
Jesus the servant. Luke speaks of the Son of Man, and is the one who 
mentions Jesus' sweat as "drops of blood"; Jesus' humanity with human 
emotions. And John presents Jesus as the Son of God; the "Word was God", 
as Jesus the "I AM"; the One with God's power to throw the multitude 
backwards to the ground at the mention of His name. (Jn18:6)

Another obvious comparison can be made between Revelation's three groups 
of seven: seals, trumpets, bowls.

        Seals (Rev6-8) 

1  wht horse/conquering
2  red horse/no peace/killings           
3  blk horse/commerce
4  palehorse/death/sword/hunger/beasts
5  martyrs under altar
6  earthquake/stars falling
7  silence/prep for trumpets

        Trumpets (Rev8-11)

1  hail/fire:             third of vegetation burned up
2  mountain into the sea: third of sea blood/death
3  falling star:          third of rivers bitter/death
4  sun/moon/stars:        third darkened
5  angel of bottomless pit/locusts/sting-torment of unbelievers
6  army of 200-million  fire/smoke/brimstone
7  Christ takes over world's kingdoms

        Bowls (Rev16)

1  sores on unbelievers
2  blood in the seas
3  blood in the rivers
4  sun -scorching men with heat
5  darkness upon the beast's kingdom
6  Euphrates dried up for the "kings of the east" Armageddon
7  It is finished!  Falling of the nations

Due to space limitations of this medium, these three don't fit 
side-by-side. (here's where I want that "chalk board")  As you look at 
these three groups, what do you see? Do any of them have similarities to 
each other?

Observe -- between the Trumpet and Bowl chapters, we have: 
ch12 -woman and dragon (6000 year history of God/Satan/Israel/Christ)
ch13 -beast with 7 heads and 10 horns, the mark, martyrdom, 666 
ch14 -144,000, gospel preached to the world, winepress God's wrath
ch15 -picture of heaven and the martyrs; source/preparation of wrath

Remember when Pharaoh had two dreams? He dreamed about cows, and -then- 
about stalks of grain. That was not indicating a timeline from the cows 
-to- the grain. Joseph explains to him, "the dreams are one" (Gen41:26) 
with the further explanation: "And the dream was repeated unto Pharaoh 
twice because the thing is determined by God, and God will shortly bring 
it to pass." (vs32)

Thus, do you understand the fallacy of making Revelation into a 
"timeline" like so many do? When Revelation is treated like a timeline, 
it causes all sorts of eschatological errors. Most of the so-called 
"post-trib" doctrines, among other things, also treat Revelation as one 
gigantic timeline. When a 'pattern' of something is suspected, a simple 
'chart' helps make "comparisons" to sort things out.

What is God's reason for repeating the seven Trumpets with the Bowls? 
What did Joseph say to Pharaoh?  Here is God's message: Now please 'act' 
on this knowledge to "save" people through the horrendous time that is 
about to come. (Gen41:33~) What is God's call to action based on the two 
sevens of Revelation?

"Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; 
also, do homage to Him who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and 
springs of water." (Rev14:7)

Now, in the midst of comparing with charts, one can also do a word study 
with these three 'sevens'. And as we've been seeing throughout this 
series, no single study method usually stands alone, without help from 
other methods; because in all of this, we are dealing with words and 
language. What about the imagery (allegory?) of the three expressions: 
seals, trumpets and bowls? We didn't really address this in the 
"visions" section. And perhaps it should fit under the "allegory" 
section? Since we can't decide, let's talk about it here. This might 
make another interesting study to sort out with the use of another 
chart..?

What do seals represent? Usually something 'official'. Official 
documents were sealed with the official state seal of the ruler. Pharaoh 
gave his signet ring to Joseph, by which to carry on the business of 
Egypt. Haman's official status was transfered to Mordecai. Jesus, buried 
in the tomb, the stone was sealed with a Roman seal. When a ruler sealed 
something, only a ruler could unseal it. Remember, the book is called 
the "Revelation of Jesus Christ". The One who was the meek Lamb of God, 
slain for the sin of the world, now about to take over the kingdoms of 
this world. As ruler He has the 'right' to open those seals.

Trumpets were used for many occasions: to usher in each new month, at 
sacrifices and worship, to summon the congregation for important 
gatherings, to make important announcements, to muster the troops for 
war and direct their battle movements.

Bowls were used for washing away uncleanness, for collecting the blood 
of the sacrifices, and after ritual sprinklings had been done, whatever 
was in it, representing uncleanness and sin and its atonment, was poured 
out on the ground next to the altar. And in the case of Solomon's 
temple, where they poured the blood, there was a conduit system for all 
these pourings to be carried away, somewhat like a sewer system.

Perhaps: the seven trumpets to 'announce' the final judgments, and the 
bowls symbolizing their 'fulfillment'? The bowls symbolizing Christ's 
flushing all the world's uncleanness and filth 'down-the-toilet'? As 
there is other colorful descriptive language about the evil ones being 
"swept away" (1Sa12:25, Jer46:15, Is28:17) and the "winnowing shovel" of 
harvest time (mt3:12) as the wicked are blown away like chaff. (Ps1:4)

While this mentions these topics, this is not intended to be a 'study' 
of Revelation. These are addressed as -examples- of 'what' a person 
might dig into, to investigate further and look up relevant Scriptures, 
if one were studying this part of Revelation...using some sort of charts 
to keep track of what they found as they researched. Perhaps a chart 
investigating the different kinds of trumpets and their use? Another to 
investigate bowls and lavers? Another for seals and signet rings? Each 
one of these, individually, would result in some rich studies.

[Back to Topics]

OUTLINES:
~~~~~~~~~

Outlining is likely one of the 'best' ways of looking at a book or 
passage in terms of helping to organize one's thoughts around the text, 
and sorting out what it actually 'says' in a logical manner. Remember? 
God gave us "minds" to "understand the Scriptures". (Lk24:45)

They speak of "left-brain, right-brain". Outlining is an analytical 
manner of approaching the Scriptures. Remember that lady who thought the 
sign on my neighbor's door said to "go round the corner"? She was all 
flustered -emotionally-. She was not thinking logically. And not to 
appear 'chauvinist" here, but, by Creator design men tend to be more 
"logical" and women more "emotional"; that's just the way we're each 
wired. God put the man together with a wife because they "complement" 
each other. (Gen2:18,20)  The woman gives emotions to the relationship 
that perhaps the man lacks, and the man supports the woman with logic, 
where she might tend to go overboard with emotions, making emotional 
decisions, instead of rational ones. But God made -man- the 'head'. 
(1Cor11:3) If there is a question as to 'which' takes precedence, it is 
the "sound mind". (Rom12:3, Tit1:8, 2:6) And notice that that last Titus 
reference is addressed to "the young men".  Thus, do we understand one 
of the reasons Paul says that women are not to usurp authority to teach 
over men? (1Tim2:11-14) When the serpent approached Eve, she reacted 
with her emotions, and did not rely on Adam's logic...she went for that 
which "felt good" at the moment. Thus, also, in the context of the topic 
of "charismania" Paul tells the women to "keep silent in the churches 
(meetings)" (1Cor14:34)  Charismania gets its start with -emotions-, and 
in the days of its infancy, it was more likely than not, that a -woman- 
was leading the congregation in their ecstasies.  Just as the lady 
thought she was to come "around the corner", when Scriptures are 
approached only with emotions, as sure as not, there will be doctrinal 
errors; because the person will not accurately see WHAT IS THERE...WHAT 
IS WRITTEN. Jesus countered satan with, "It is written". (Mt4:4)  Eve 
did what the lady did... 'added' to God's Word. She added, "..nor shall 
you touch it.." (Gen3:3) God hadn't said that; He had only said not to 
"eat" it. (Gen2:17)

And as a little side-bar current-day observation: Have you-all noticed 
how today's apostasy, pagan occult, and female-god religions are all 
pushing and promoting "emotions"? Even the secular news reporters, 
instead of focusing in on, and reporting "facts", are continually asking 
people, "How did you -feel- about that (event)?"  Or like I heard in one 
case recently, the reporter just came out and asked the person about the 
situation in so-many-words, "And what were the emotions?"

So with that as introduction...

If you study "outlining" in a typical English class, you will learn the 
official "right-way" to outline. They teach that if a heading is to have 
a sub-heading, sub-headings -MUST- be at least 2 or more. At least, 
that's what they taught back in my school days:

I Main topic
   A Sub-heading
   B 2nd (required) Sub-heading
II Next topic
   etc,etc.

Forget that! Outline -whatever- the passage contains. How does one 
determine what the topic headers should be? Where are the divisions? A 
person might use chapter numbers; but not all chapter divisions are 
accurate to the topic. e.g. Ephesians 2:1 does not really begin a new 
thought, but actually trails towards the end of one that began in 1:15. 
You might try using the paragraph marks that are found in most Bibles; 
but there, too, so often, I have found that they are not always totally 
reliable. The Scriptures were not written in chapters and paragraphs. 
Those markings were all added years later by copyists and translators. 
The paragraph marks used by the Online Bible software were compiled by 
Matthew Henry. They are all some man's ideas. For you that are using it, 
you will see that the VW-edition has removed the paragraph marks from 
the html, pdf and palm files.

If you are outlining by 'topic', the website Library has examples of a 
more narrative outline approach in the Soteriology and Covenants series. 
The "Seven Churches" has both strict outlines, as well as narratives.
The various epistles have been done more-or-less following chapters. 
Romans was chapter-by-chapter. John, more-or-less by chapters.

For this study let's take a couple of generic ideas that we haven't yet 
addressed in the mailings, and approach them more the way you might do 
for private study, or in preparation to teach a Bible class:

Jonah is small enough book to look at here, that might lend itself to a 
'chapter' outline, thus:

Ch1 - God's first call to Jonah
Ch2 - Jonah in the fish's stomach
Ch3 - God's second call to Jonah
Ch4 - Jonah is angry

This is the book's basic overview. From there we might break each 
heading down into sub-topics something like this:

Ch1 - God's first call to Jonah
   A. God's call
   B. Jonah flees the opposite direction
   C. God sends a storm
   D. Prayer
      1. Pagans pray
      2. Jonah does not
   E. Jonah found out
   F. Testimony of an unfaithful witness
   G. Continued rebellion
   H. Jonah into the fish

This might be what chapter 1 looks like. In later sections on culture 
and context we'll come back and look at "why" Jonah might have fled, 
from sub-topic "B". But notice the sub-sub-topics for D. This is just a 
sample, not an actual study of Jonah. As you would go through that first 
chapter you would likely find other things to make into sub-sub-topics. 
You might use different words/phrases than I did. An outline like this 
can be as detailed, or as general as you wish it to be, as the thrust of 
your studies want to take you, or the level of acceptance of an 
'audience' you might be teaching, and their maturity level. You might 
take "G" and change it into a sub-topic under "F", along with another 
sub-topic addressing the conversion of the sailors. Again, there is not 
necessarily a right or wrong way to outline, as long as a person is 
reading WHAT IS THERE, and seeing accurately what God's Word -SAYS-. 

Remember: An outline is not God's Word; it is merely a 'tool' of logic 
to help a person sort out an accurate picture. If you are teaching, 
don't get so wrapped up in your outline, that you forget that you are 
actually teaching God's Word. Some teachers like to print out the basic 
form of the outline as a skeleton, run off copies to give to the class, 
whilst having their own outline fully filled in. And then, as the study 
progresses, the audience can fill-in the blanks on their copies if they 
so-choose. Writing or 'doing' something related to a study is a 
tremendous aid to learning and remembering, next to repetition. 

But always remember: it is God's Word. And if the Holy Spirit steers the 
lesson differently because of audience questions and needs, don't be 
so-glued to your outline that you cannot follow where the Holy Spirit 
takes you. I've heard many preachers tell about having extensive 
detailed outlines and notes for their sermon, and at the moment they 
stepped up to the pulpit, the Holy Spirit in that instant 'changed' the 
sermon entirely, and they preached on something totally different, and 
their notes got tucked under the cover of their Bible.

[Back to Topics]

VERSE-BY-VERSE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While outlining may be the best way to look at an entire book or 
passage, verse-by-verse is the best way to travel through a passage or 
book. It's like one of my music history professors told about when he 
was in college: One of his professors had given an extensive reading 
assignment in a rather substantial (big) book. Many pages and not many 
pictures. Apparently there was an outcry from the students, asking "how" 
they could possibly read ALL THOSE PAGES! The professor is said to have 
replied something like: Take the book, find yourself a comfortable 
chair, place an adequate light source that will illuminate the pages, 
sit down in the chair, open the book to page 1 and start reading. When 
page 1 is finished, move to page 2, and so-forth. Keep repeating this 
pattern until the final page of the assignment has been reached.

Our professor, of course, added a bit of 'dramatical' touch to his 
re-telling of it, such that we were chuckling. But that is the essence 
of doing anything. There are no "shortcuts". You do not plant a seed in 
the ground one day, and then the next go outside and expect to see a 
60-foot high elm tree. In spite of science fiction to the contrary, a 
baby is not born one day, and the next he is a fully-matured adult with 
total cognitive and language skills fully developed. People buy books to 
tell them 'about' the Bible, and once they've read that book, they think 
they know the Bible. Others rely totally on their Sunday morning 
sitting-in-pew experience, and think that enlightens them. But no...

Remember the "repetition"?  Precept upon precept, line upon line, here a 
little, there a little. You don't start driving from Los Angeles, punch 
in "3000" to your odometer, and suddenly, Voila! you're in New York 
City. No. You start driving: mile 1 rolls by, mile 2, mile 3....etc. If 
your trip was intending to site-see, taking in all the scenery along the 
way; if you hopped, skipped and jumped here and there, you would miss 
most of it. If you want to see-it-all, you need to travel-it-all.

If you want to know -all- the Bible, you need to -READ- 'ALL' the Bible. 
That means every book, every chapter, every verse, every word, making 
grammatical note of every punctuation mark. A period is different from a 
question mark. They make the words preceeding them mean different 
things. Jesus said, "For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass 
away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all 
is fulfilled." (Mt5:18)  

If you've not seen those periods, commas, apostrophes...how will you 
know that God's "Law" was fulfilled or not? How will you know you have 
the correct meaning? In a future section on "grammar" we'll look at some 
examples of this.

But to close this section, let us consider something a moment. If people 
are communicating with each other, expressing thoughts, conveying 
feelings, recounting activities; how do they communicate? In words, in 
sentences...sentence-by-sentence. A person does not typically speak a 
sentence or phrase about shopping, then in mid-sentence speak of their 
sore back, then jump over and say the word "apple" (indicating something 
they had with their lunch), and then another couple words about shopping 
again. Some people do that, and there are special professional labels 
for such people: "schizophrenic"  The dictionary says of such: " Of, 
relating to, or characterized by the coexistence of disparate or 
antagonistic elements"  They are usually recognized as needing "help".
A person who is "like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" 
is a "double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (~Jac1:6,8)

God speaks to man the same way mankind talks to each other. Words at a 
time, sentence after sentence...yes, verse-by-verse. When doing certain 
kinds of topical studies there will certainly be occasions to skip 
around looking for contextual/correlative passages. But on the whole, 
the "best" way to approach God's Word is the same way you would listen 
to your friend talking to you. Word-by-word....verse-by-verse.

[Back to Topics]

WORD STUDIES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier we spoke of "topical" studying. One of the best ways to do this 
is with a good search tool, doing word look-ups, and word studies. This 
is also closely related to reading verse-by-verse. But word studies 
involve a narrow focus. With outlines we can have an overall general 
view of something and compartmentalize things. With word studies it is 
like that satellite photo where you see an entire continent; then you 
'zoom' in on areas to see mountains and rivers; you zoom still farther 
till you see cities; you focus in on one city and zoom farther till you 
see streets; and if you got some good imagery, you can zoom even more 
and pick out specific buildings, vehicles and other such things. A word 
study is like seeing the vehicle, and scrutinizing further to see if 
it's a truck or car, and perhaps as detailed as the number on the 
license plate.

One might do a word search on things like love, endure/endurance, 
save/saved/salvation/redemption/etc.  Whatever the word/topic of 
interest. If you are using a program like Online Bible, when you look up 
words, every verse in which that word exists pops up in a collective 
window and you can scroll down the window, verse-after-verse, reading 
the 'context' surrounding that word. When you find verses that speak to 
the subject that's on your mind, you can click/hit another combination 
and the verse's contextual passage pops up, and you can read what the 
general subject is, where that word fits into. If you do this sort of 
back-and-forth cross-checking of words, verses and contexts, you may 
have a pretty reasonable chance of learning accurate information about 
the subject that surrounds that word. 

In studying English words in your English translation, a tool any good 
student cannot be without, is a good dictionary. I'm not going to try to 
play 'expert' and tell you where to find one. The one I'm using is 
American Heritage that I got years ago, and while it has a Windows3.1 
version, I'm using it in its DOS mode, in a DOS window. Another is the 
Webster's 1828. Webster did a "Webster's" edition of the KJV in his day, 
and this 1828 dictionary is also somewhat taylored with KJV era words in 
mind, although it does not necessarily have all the KJV words in it. If 
you are reading from KJV, or an update that didn't quite get all the 
necessary words updated, using the Webster's will tend to define words 
as they were understood a couple centuries ago; closer to the time the 
KJV first came out, and certainly closer to the 1769 that most people 
use.

Why is a dictionary a necessity? There are many words we don't use in 
everyday life, that we may not have ever really considered in depth; and 
if you are a new Christian and didn't grow up in a church where these 
terms were preached on regularly, you probably won't know what they 
mean. Like: redemption? Propitiation? Sanctification? Atonement? etc.
And too: there are lots of words that we -think- we know, but when we 
look them up, we come to discover a whole treasure trove of added 
insight we might never have suspected.

And then, if you wonder how accurate your English version is, with 
computer programs the lexicons to the Hebrew and Greek are 
keystrokes/mouse-clicks away. By the way, if you are not familiar with 
the word: "lexicon" == "dictionary; A stock of terms used in a 
particular profession, subject, or style; a vocabulary"  A music lexicon 
might specialize in words like Moderato, Pianissimo, Concerto, Oratorio. 
A lexicon in electronics might specialize in Amps, Volts, Ohm's law, IC 
circuit design, Op Amps, etc.  In the case of the Scriptures the 
specialized "subject/style/vocabulary" is Hebrew and Greek. Thus, the 
Heb/Grk lexicons are "dictionaries" of the Heb/Grk words from which the 
English was translated.

Thus for example, if we were to, at random, look up the word  "Jesus" 
(Mt1:21) we find in the Greek, "Iesous". The lexicon informs us it is of 
Hebrew origins "Yehowshuwa" which comes from "Yahovah" (the existing 
one) and "yasha" (to be saved/delivered). Thus, the explanation in 
Matthew, "for He will save His people from their sins". This was all 
looked up in the matter of 'seconds' by switching to the KJV window and 
activating "Strongs", and with OLB the links are already there, you just 
click them and it takes you immediately to the Greek, and from the Greek 
window directly to the Hebrew ones. Real easy.

By the way, for the uninitiated: "Strongs" is a numbering system that a 
man by the name of Strong devised years ago. In Greek 1=alpha, 2=Aaron, 
3=Abaddon,etc. In Hebrew 01=ab, 02=ab, 03=eb, etc. In such a manner 
every Hebrew and Greek word that appears in the Bible was catalogued 
A-Z, and those numbers, then, applied to the words throughout the Bible. 
This was done with the KJV as the base translation. Thus you often hear 
of "KJV w/ Strongs". And so each number, then, has its associated letter 
or word, with extensive definitions that cover those words. If you have 
software and are using another translation (hopefully the VW-edition?), 
you still want to have a KJV module with Strongs and associated 
lexicons, so you can do word studies.

Let's take a look at some examples that one typically sees, and 
understand 'why' word studies are sometimes necessary. While we progress 
through these next paragraphs it may seem like I'm promoting the 
VW-edition. Not so. But it may quickly become apparent that a big part 
of compiling a translation 'version' involves intensive "word study". 
And if you are trying to decide which version is "best" because it is 
most faithful to the Heb/Grk, the way that is done is with word studies; 
because translation editions are made up of 'words'.

In the opening paragraph of this series we quoted from 2Tim2:15 "..be 
diligent to present yourself approved unto God.." quoted from the 
VW-edition. KJV says, "Study to show..." When other versions have 
changed that word to "diligent", many KJV-onlyists have risen up in 
protest, complaining that God's Word was being "watered down" and 
promoting that people don't need to 'study' God's Word.

OK...let's do a word study on it: The Greek is "spoudazo" from "spoude". 
Both of these Greek forms are defined with words: "haste, earnestness, 
diligence, striving after, exert one's self"  Nothing whatsoever to do 
with "scholarship" which is how we think of "study". Perhaps when KJV 
first came out the word "study" was appropriate; but even looking up in 
the aforementioned Websters, "to endeavor diligently" is a ways down the 
line of definitions in the 'second' instance of "study". While a modern 
definition of "study" may include adverbial modifiers of "study", the 
word itself does not mean "diligence, striving, etc" which is the Greek 
in that spot. The "study" part is actually conveyed in the part where 
the exhortation is to "rightly divide" the Word of Truth. We "study" 
(rightly divide) God's Word with DILIGENCE. Several different versions 
have updated this word correctly.

OK...for another one. Not to be 'picking' on KJV, but if you're not 
using the VW-edition, hopefully you're using KJV...in your KJV look up 
these three verses: Gen2:4, 15:2, Ps150:6. In each verse you see the 
word "Lord". Now if you looked up the Hebrew for these three instances 
of "Lord" you would find:  1) Yahovah 2) Adonay 3) Yahh  Each of these 
three are 'different', but KJV (and many others) says "Lord" for each. 
(VW-edition distinguishes each of these everywhere they exist; which is 
why the Preface to it suggests that your need for word studies is 
greatly reduced if you read from it.)

Genesis 1:1 in most versions states that "..God created the heavens and 
the earth"  However, if a person does a word study on the word "created" 
one discovers that it is "perfect tense". In other words, if it was 
rendered -analytically- 'literally', it should say, "..God -HAD- 
created.."  And if you follow down the line through Genesis you will 
find a lot of 'perfect' tenses that are rendered in simple 'past' tense. 
And yes, the VW-edition retains the traditional in this. Why? Because 
going from one language to another I suspect that one thing that is 
hardest to convert, without totally mangling the language it is being 
translated 'into', is verb tenses. In order for perfect tense to 'work' 
throughout the Pentateuch, one needs to be sitting at Moses' writing 
table. Moses lived some 2500 years after Genesis 1:1. As He sits, 
wherever he sat (in the wilderness?) as he wrote, with Israel 
surrounding him in their tents, he is writing about things that happened 
millennia ago from his time. In his mind he might have been thinking: 
Here we are 'now', but way back in the beginning -this- is how it "had 
been". But we don't speak English that way.

I don't know of any such 'reliable' work for the O.T., but for the N.T. 
there is a work called the Analytical Literal Translation (ALT) that was 
compiled a few years ago. People have asked me about it from time to 
time. It is a good 'tool' for 'word studies'. In terms of word choices, 
it is not always very 'literal'; the word choices are sometimes wrong; 
and it shares that characteristic with the LITV. But in other places it 
is very good and includes parenthetical alternate word suggestions, such 
that, if you used it along with the VW-edition, you would find the 
combination to be not at all unlike an "amplified". One area in which it 
is superb is in rendering the correct Greek verb tenses into English. 
The VW-edition did not go that direction, because we don't speak that 
way. But in doing word studies, if you want to know what the Greek verb 
tenses sound like in English, the ALT is highly recommended. Perhaps the 
editor of the ALT will also do something similar for the O.T.?

Here's one more example of an O.T. verb tense issue, this one could 
alter one's understanding of the facts, and thus illustrates the need 
for more precision in tenses in some instances: In Gen12:1 KJV says, 
"Now the Lord had said..." But the verb tense is not "perfect" there. 
KJV makes it sound like God had said (way-back-when) that Abraham was to 
leave his family and country. One might think that his time in Haran, 
living with his father before he died, was disobedience to some prior 
command God had given him. Some might argue that other passages suggest 
this to be so, but Gen12:1 does not. "Now Jehovah said to Abram..." This 
allows our interpretation of the matter to be focused, perhaps, on other 
correlative passages...but it keeps 'this' passage more 'literally' 
accurate to what the text -says-.

Thus, our word studies might enable us to search out broad topics; and 
they can also help us in our verse-by-verse readings when we come to 
words that catch our attention...to look them up: the English in English 
dictionaries to understand meanings of words we are not familiar with; 
and the lexicons to see the definitions that are behind those English 
words... showing them to be accurate and we can understand them better, 
or to find they are not quite right (or in some cases, downright wrong) 
and to discover what 'should be' there. Again...all for the purpose of 
knowing WHAT GOD SAID.

[Back to Topics]

SENTENCE ANALYSIS (grammatical structure):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course, 'words' do not exist alone. They are put together to form 
sentences. In the preceeding section we already touched on this a little 
when we looked at verb tenses. But when Jesus spoke of every "jot and 
tittle" of the Law (Mt5:18), for us with English, that's like the 
dotting of the "i" and crossing of "t", and the commas and other 
punctuation marks.

For sentence analysis one of the best tools is likely 'diagraming'. 
Remember that from your English 'grammar' classes? (Do they still teach 
it? The way many people today speak and write, I have serious doubts.) 

You can diagram Scripture if you want, but it's not necessary, if a 
person keeps in mind the basic sentence 'structure'. There are the two 
basic parts: 1) subject (the prime focus of the action) and 2) predicate 
(the rest of the sentence that the subject does, or is done to it, or 
modifies it)  The predicate includes verbs, objects and modifiers 
(explainers). When one reads the latter half of Daniel, things get 
really confusing, as it is hard to keep track of WHO is DOING WHAT to 
WHOM. There are many places, which we won't address here, where a 
passage is full of pronouns (he/she/it/they/them/etc); and if the reader 
doesn't keep track of them carefully, one can mix up what God is 
doing/saying vs what man is doing/saying/responding.

Let's take a look at a couple of passages that have been sources of 
false doctrine, all because words and sentence structure have been 
mangled:

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 
withal." (1Co12:7 kjv)

What is this sentence saying? To keep this from getting too lengthy, 
let's assume you've already verified that you know the meaning of the 
words with a word study; so let's look at sentence structure. What is 
the 'subject'? "manifestation of the Spirit". In other words, according 
to this rendition, the -Spirit- and -it's- 'manifestation' is the focus 
of the sentence. The way many people understand words, a "manifestation" 
is a showing, revealing...as often recounted from dreams, visions, 
hallucinations and so-called 'anointings'. In other words, Let us 'see' 
the -Spirit-. A vision of the Spirit. As they call this "manifestation" 
a "spirit-filling", they proclaim that -everybody- is supposed to be 
"spirit-filled" (with their definitions of these words), and the result 
is allegedly that -everybody- is to speak in tongues, etc. In today's 
big media outlets (so-called "worship centers"), if they could project a 
huge image of the Holy Spirit up on the big screen and bow down to it, 
they would.

But that sentence in KJV is in error. It should be:
"But the manifestation is given through the Spirit to each one for the 
profit of all:" (VW)

Now, what is the focus? The word "manifestation". So then, based on the 
"context" (which we will address later), we can understand 
"manifestation" to be the things addressed in the surrounding contextual 
verses, NOT the -Spirit-. And this keeps us in line with what we will 
address under "correlation with other Scripture". Jesus had said that 
the Holy Spirit would not take glory and focus upon Himself, but would 
direct the Believers to Jesus Christ: "He will glorify Me [Jesus]". 
(Jn16:13-15) In this case "manifestation" refers to the -gifts- of 
-ministry-, wisdom, and everything this passage is addressing.

So then, what is the function of "the Spirit" in the sentence? A 
'conduit' for the ministry gifts. Our focus is not the Holy Spirit, but 
ministry; and our ministry is done "through" the Holy Spirit. Again, 
this agrees with Jn16:13-15, 1Jn2:27, and other places. And this was 
exemplified most dramatically in Acts ch2 where, prior to that date, 
Jesus told the disciples to "wait" for the Holy Spirit (Ac1:4,8); and 
then when the Holy Spirit was given, they -ministered- to the people, 
most notably in -preaching- the Gospel of Salvation, and 3000 people got 
saved.

Another example from Mt16:19 "..and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth 
shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall 
be loosed in heaven." (KJV)

Following sentence structure and word orders, when people have followed 
this for years, it is not surprising that there should be the false 
doctrines of Rome (this verse is preceeded by vs18 about Peter). And 
also, this lends credence to charismania and variations of the 
"earthly-kingdom" cults and ecumenism, that claim to "command God" 
regarding this and that.

But let's look at a little better punctuation and verb tenses with: 
"whatever you bind on earth will be, having been bound in Heaven, and 
whatever you loose on earth will be, having been loosed in Heaven."

What does a comma do? It gives a little 'pause' in the flow of words. 
The words coming before the comma represent a little mini-complete 
thought. Thus, what God's servants do on earth will occur. But on what 
basis? Notice the perfect-passive-participle..."having been bound". That 
indicates action that had already happened 'prior' to the words ahead of 
the comma, which those words following the comma modify (explain). 
Notice how a simple detail like a comma (omitted in the KJV), and 
correct verb tense totally reverses the order and direction of events.

According to the KJV, 1) man originates an action, and 2) Heaven 
responds. According to correct words,  1) man does things,  which 2) had 
already previously been decided in Heaven. And if we understand the 
other example we have just looked at regarding the Holy Spirit being a 
'conduit' for ministry, we see that 1) Heaven originates the action, 2) 
the Holy Spirit brings the message to the minister's heart, and 3) the 
minister (one who is serving God) implements what comes through the Holy 
Spirit -FROM- Heaven.

Another example we addressed earlier from "The Message" which says: 
"Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead" (1Jn3:14) where Scripture 
says, "He who does not love his brother remains in death." We already 
observed that the words, "as good as dead" suggests that the person is 
-actually- "alive", not (literally) "dead". Something else on sentence 
structure aside from the fact that TM leaves out "his brother", thus 
changing "love" into the universal nebulous "love-everybody" kind of 
luuuuv, from the "love of the brethren (fellow-believers)"(1Pt1:22) kind 
of love which Jesus commanded to the ones He calls, "My disciples" 
(Jn13:35); is the 'order' of things. TM would suggest that a person is 
already 'alive', but that the act of not loving would -make- the person 
"as good as dead". But notice God's Word, that the one who does not love 
a fellow-believer (brother) "-REMAINS- in death". We are not born as 
innocent angelic cherubs, but we STARTED OUT "..being dead in trespasses 
and sins" (Eph2:1) And so, if we claim to be Christians, but do not love 
the brethren, we show our claims to Faith to be false; such a person 
"REMAINS" in death, where he 'originated'. He was never saved.

This is why we said earlier in the series that it is sooo important to 
begin with a correct translation. Yes, a student needs to "rightly 
divide" the Word. But unfortunately many of the translators did not do 
so in compiling the works they did. And some works, like TM, are 
out-and-out deliberate adulterations of God's Word, into a tool of 
satan. One's study can be only as good as the text from which one is 
reading.

[Back to Topics]

CONTEXT:
~~~~~~~~

When I was younger there was this clever little hypothetical Bible 
reading scheme that was suggested, for how not-to-know God's will for 
one's life. It was told that this particular person, wanting to know the 
Lord's will, but not knowing 'where' to start looking, closed their 
eyes, opened their Bible wherever the pages opened, spun their finger 
around down to the pages and let their finger land wherever it might 
land. The verse said that Judas "went and hanged himself". (Mt27:5)  
Well, that certainly didn't seem like a very likely indicator of God's 
will. He wanted something with 'application', a 'command' for him to do; 
so he closed the Bible, closed his eyes, and started again, and this 
time: "go and do thou likewise" (Lk10:37)  Oh, this really CANNOT BE! He 
tries one more time, and: "What you do, do quickly". (Jn13:27)

We can chuckle at such a fable/parable. But sadly, there are many people 
for whom that is their -only- Bible study method. Certainly, there are 
times that one opens the Bible and God makes it "happen-to" open at the 
right place for the person's needs of that moment. But that is not a 
Bible study 'method'. In doing as this fabled person, one sees these 
passages in totally erroneous lights.

In the first passage, looking at its -context-, it is a historical 
account. When Judas sees that Jesus is truly taken and being crucified, 
he takes the silver back to the temple, throws it on the floor, and 
does, indeed, go hang himself. History. That which -Judas- did.

Second passage, if one reads the surrounding verses, one sees the 
parable Jesus told of the "good Samaritan". Somebody had come to Jesus, 
testing Him, and then attempting self-justification upon hearing Jesus' 
answer. So when Jesus finishes the parable, he asks the questioner as to 
'which' of the three people in the parable had been a "neighbor" to the 
one who had been robbed. The lawyer gives his answer, Jesus affirms his 
answer, and then gives application: You do the same.

The final passage? Well, Judas is scheduled to betray Jesus, and Jesus 
is telling -him- (Judas): Go, get on with it. Perhaps with the thoughts: 
It's time, let's get this over with. ?? To fit with His earlier 
expressed sentiments in Lk12:50? (correlative)

You see...the "context" of each of these passages. What are they 
-really- talking about?

However, there is also sometimes a -broader- context one might pursue. 
Earlier we started to 'outline' Jonah. We might have seen the immediate 
context of Jonah's being thrown overboard as being the storm, his 
refusal to repent, and him telling the sailors to throw him overboard. 
But what sorts of things might have contributed to Jonah rebelling in 
the first place?

Jonah was contemporary with Jeroboam II, about 50-70 years before the 
northern kingdom was taken captive to Assyria. Even though Jeroboam II 
was an evil king, God allowed him to recover some of their territories 
back from Damascus. (2Ki14:23-28) Jonah was God's prophet to Jeroboam 
II.

So now, God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh. Where was Nineveh? If you look 
up on a map, you see it right smack dab in the middle of the Assyrian 
empire...what will become the Babylonian empire, which another 100 years 
later will carry Judah away captive. Don't you suppose he knew the 
direction the political winds were blowing!

What Jonah was being asked to do was as if he had been like Billy Graham 
giving counsel to US presidents, and then also goes to N.Korea and 
counsels them. Today, there seems to be nothing wrong with collaboration 
with the enemy, as left-leaning congressmen and media were shown having 
access to Saddam prior to the war, denouncing US intentions before the 
war, and Islamic 'pastors' are allowed to carry on treasonous 
interaction with Muslim POWs in Cuba, and we've had administrations that 
gave away our top secrets to the Chinese...and the list goes on. But 
back in those days, traitors and collaborators were executed... 
on-the-spot... no questions asked.

It was like it used to be in this country. During WW2 there was a hatred 
for the Japanese for their attacking Pearl Harbor, and their treatment 
of American POWs with starvation and death marches; they were derisively 
called "Japs" or "Nips" (you that are Japanese please understand that 
this is just merely historical fact, not my sentiments. In many ways, 
even though it's been so many years since I was there, in my heart, old 
Japan is more my "home" than America is, having been born and growing up 
as a child there. Even by 1960 when we came back to the US, I could not 
understand the hatred that still lingered, as people were still calling 
them "Japs". These were not the Japanese I knew and lived next to.) 
During the cold war Russians and others of the Soviet Union were called 
"Commies"...and in some circles, the anti-Vietnam war activists were 
called "pinkos". To the Samarian mind, what were Syrians called?  And if 
there was the mentality like what exists today in some so-called 
"christian" circles, Christianity and Patriotism go hand-in-hand. To 
some minds, if a person sees the truth regarding the nature of 
government, and speaks their mind, they would be labeled as heathen 
non-christians by some of these. And their hatred for America's enemies 
is (in their minds) a "holy" hatred; because, after all, this is a 
"Christian nation"! America's enemies are God's enemies, -because- they 
are America's enemies...therefore they are -our- enemies, too, and... 
"to hell with them all!"  (Again: -their- mentality, not mine)

As we see how God pins Jonah's arm up against his back and forces him to 
go, he goes unwillingly, and preaches "doom and gloom", and then in ch4, 
goes off to sit...waiting for God's judgment...Onward christian 
soldiers! "Go get'em God!" And when God doesn't zap them from existence, 
Jonah pouts!

So, you see how "context" can be investigated within a small circle, 
just within the given passage. But depending on the subject matter, the 
context might also extend part-way around the globe. And in Jonah's 
case, while we see his rebellion against God, does the context bring it 
a little closer to home, such that some of us cannot be -quite- so 
smugly 'hoity-toity' in looking down our noses at Jonah; because he did 
what many of (collective) us would do in the same situation.

Another example: Charismatic Signs? Mark 16:17-18 out-of-context

[Back to Topics]

CORRELATION WITH OTHER SCRIPTURE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This topic we have used so many times in conjunction with several of the 
other topics, that it's almost unnecessary to address it; except, that 
it is one of the important things to keep in mind; particularly when 
doing 'topical' studies. What does God's Word say about....?  What is 
the "whole counsel of God"? (Ac20:27)  What does the "whole" of 
Scripture teach about....?  We need to have read -all- the Scriptures, 
and then, when addressing the topic, we need to reference 'all' the 
Scriptures.

When we correlated the vision concept of 'repetition' in Revelation 
(trumpets/bowls) to Pharaoh's two dreams (cows/grain), not taking 
Revelation just by itself, we can understand from Joseph's explanation 
that it was a matter of -emphasis-. God gave a double-dream to pharaoh 
for emphasis; John saw 'double'...it was also for emphasis; not a 
"timeline". That particular correlation spanned from Revelation clear 
back to the beginning at Genesis.

The book of Hebrews is correlative, harking back to the O.T. and its 
system of animal sacrifies. Hebrews ties together the O.T. and the 
Gospels, correlating, explaining how Jesus' death on the cross was the 
fulfillment of those O.T. sacrifices.

In Acts ch2 Peter quotes from Joel, as does Paul: "For everyone, whoever 
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom10:13)

There is also another common error dealing with 'time' that we might 
never notice, except that Jesus pointed it out to His hearers; that 
is when a single passage seems to be talking about 'one' event, but in
actuality a single sentence contains several events, sometimes 
separated by thousands of years.

The example Jesus expounded was Isaiah 61:2. The ancient Jewish scholars
would scratch their heads trying to figure out how Messiah could all at
one time proclaim the "acceptable year of Jehovah" and also "the day of
vengeance" and also to "comfort all who mourn". These three things are
all contained in one sentence, and can be read in one breath. And yet,
when Jesus proclaimed that -He- was fulfilling that passage, He only read 
through the "acceptable year of the Lord" and then "closed the book"
(Lk4:19-20) He clarified by saying, "TODAY this Scripture is fulfilled..."
What? -ALL- of that Isaiah passage? No. Just the part He read. They 
didn't understand it then, but we do now: the day of "vengeance" is yet
future. That sentence in Isaiah speaks of at least two events separated 
by 2000 years. And then, the "comforting" of the mourners....does that 
not define what happens in the Millennium.

Thus, by correlating this example regarding Jesus, we can also see a 
passage like 1Th4:14-18 and realize, if we are studying the subject in
context and correlation with other Scriptures, that the Rapture is not
at the Second Coming, as some erroneously teach, "post-tribulationally".
Around the time this study is being prepared, a person sent a treatise
debunking the so-called "pre-trib" doctrine of the rapture. One of his
proof-texts of support was 1Th4:14, speaking of those Jesus "brings" with
Him, correlating with Zec14:5 where God comes "with" the "saints". This
is a clever little "stumbling block" God has placed, for those who refuse
to believe all the other contextual/correlative Scriptures that proclaim
that the Church does-not-belong on the earth during the time of Wrath.
Just as 2Ti4:1 speaks of Jesus' "appearing" and His "kingdom", and 2Th2:1 
speaks of "His coming" and "our gathering to Him"; His appearing to gather
the Church to Himself, and His coming when He sets up His kingdom; 
1Th4:14-18 also speaks of His coming as He "brings" the dead-in-Christ,
and also of the dead-in-Christ being gathered up -to- Himself, along with
the (raptured) "alive" Believers. Now...does not logic (the reasoning of
our minds) tell us that if He is "bringing" the saints who had been dead,
that He first needs to resurrect them?  Thus, the Rapture of the living
saints, "at the same time" with those being resurrected, has to happen 
'before' His Second Coming at the end of the 70th week, at which time He
then sets up His kingdom.

We can easily understand this truth in 1Th4:14-18 by correlating the 
prophetic "time" concept to the explanation that Jesus Himself gave as
it relates to Isaiah 61:2.

Otherwise, I think we'll leave this subject of "correlation" here; 
trusting in the other examples throughout this series to speak for
themselves.

[Back to Topics]

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL BACKGROUND:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We've already mentioned the political historical climate of Jonah's day.

Another example we might look at, is when Sarah dies, and Abraham is 
seeking to buy a plot of land for burial. (Genesis ch23)  The passage 
spends many verses for something that, to our western minds, might seem 
like a lot of useless jibber-jabber and double-talk. We tend to be of 
the mentality to go to somebody, look them straight in the face and: Can 
I buy that plot of land from you? Oh, sure. How much? XXX-dollars. OK, 
here you go (is a check OK?).

Having grown up in Japan I understand what is going on. It is a 
difference between eastern and western cultures. In Japan, in polite 
society, it would NEVER happen that a person would come to another with 
a gift, and the recipient would just boldly reach out and take it. There 
is a little social "dance" that must take place: Please take this gift. 
Oh, no, I really couldn't. Oh, please, you must. Oh, but, no I am not 
worthy. But, really, I insist. Well, OK, if you insist, thank you, your 
most gracious honorableness. (somewhat paraphrasing the sorts of 
sentiments that would be expressed) And this would be accompanied by 
much bowing back and forth.  (I don't know if it is still this way in 
Japan. Things have changed so much there, and become westernized. But 
this was the 'old' Japan I grew up in.)

Thus, Abraham asks for the plot of land: Will you please ask Ephron for 
me. (Even though Ephron is sitting right there; Ephron is younger, so 
Abraham addresses the elders.) So Ephron replies: Oh, it's yours... 
"take" it. It's my 'gift' to you. And notice the bowing, "and Abraham 
bowed himself..." if you want to give it, listen to me, let me pay the 
full price. And after more back-and-forth, Abraham counts out the money, 
and the land is deeded. 

That passage shows the -typical- manner in which people in eastern 
cultures would behave towards each other. Yes, it might have recorded 
Abraham's acquiring of land for burial; but it is also showing us an 
authentic 'eastern' interaction.

Scripture is full of 'cultural' depictions. These are things a person 
keeps in mind when studying. Our 'western' mind is not the "only way" to 
do things, even though we often think it is, as we try to change 
everybody else to our way; and westerners often make fools of themselves 
when visiting other cultures. God took Israel from out of those 
"eastern" lands, and dealt with them according to their "eastern" minds.

And so, when Elisha tells Gehazi: "If you meet anyone; do not greet 
him..." (2Ki4:29)  he is telling Gehazi to ignore the usual cultural 
practice of stopping to converse with people he might encounter along 
the route. Eastern conversations were usually never "short". They take 
up 'time', as they talk and bow back and forth, and the woman's little 
boy had died...Gehazi 'needed' to get there -fast-. 

When the Levite stays four extra days, eating and drinking with his 
father-in-law, where the father has detained him...that, too, was an 
"eastern" scenario of hospitality. (Judg ch19)  

So, you see why Elisha tells Gehazi not to dilly-dally on his way to the 
dead boy.

[Back to Topics]

OVERALL STUDY OF A BOOK:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This section is just a set of personal 'suggestions'; but I think it 
follows general guidlines a person might expect to consider reasonable, 
that also make good 'sense'. It also follows guidlines that are taught 
in speech-making, when a person is speaking to an audience, to teach 
them. 1) Introduce what you plan to talk about. 2) Talk about it. 3) 
Review what you just talked about.  Like the back-woods hillbilly said: 
Tell 'em whatcha gonna tell 'em. Tell it to 'em. And then tell 'em 
whatcha just done told 'em.  Ahhh yes..."repetition".

If you are coming to a brand new book that you are not familiar with, 
and you've decided to do a -serious- study of it, here's a proposed 
outline:

1) Read through the entire book, straight through, non-stop
2) Do a rough outline of the book
3) Go through chapter-by-chapter, or according to your outline
4) Do individual word-studies along the way as appropriate
Finally: with all the detailed studies you've just done
5) Read through the entire book again

If you've done all these things with "diligence" (2Ti2:15), you should 
have a pretty thorough knowledge of the book.

[Back to Topics]

WHO/WHAT/WHEN/WHERE/WHY/HOW?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Perhaps this topic should have been addressed earlier? If so...where? 
This is another of those things that gets smushed together in 
conjunction with all the other 'methods'.

The words of this heading comprise the basic objective of good 
journalistic practice. It used to be the foundation for good journalism. 
Today, it seems, the media's basic intent is not to 'report' the news, 
but to 'create' and to help the higher powers steer societies in the 
directions they want them to be. Today's journalists seems most occupied 
with "how did that make you feel?" and "emotions"...as they use their 
words to promote their ulterior agendas.

But study of the Scriptures is an 'investigative' and 'interrogative' 
process. Who is being talked about? Who did the actions? What did they 
do? How did they do it? How did others respond? And what did they do in 
response? When did it take place? Where? Why did the person do/say what 
they did? Why did the respondents respond as they did?

Typically, if these basic questions are asked, and their answers 
discovered, a person has likely learned what there is to learn.

[Back to Topics]

INHERENT DANGERS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course, for several of these methods given, there are also potential 
pitfalls, some of which have already been alluded to; and Caution signs 
that need to be raised and observed.

As was already suggested by its disclaimers, the "Topical" study is 
likely the most hazzardous; particularly for the new (baby) Christian. 
It is sooo easy to have an idea in one's head, and go looking for 
Scriptures to 'support' that idea. As the proliferation of false cults 
proves, a person can teach almost any doctrine imaginable, and find 
alleged "support" for it from the Scriptures.

Just one example: People see cute little babies and tiny children. They 
ignore the psalmist's observation that "Behold, I was brought forth in 
iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Ps51:5) That 
"foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child" (Pr22:15)  They have 
allowed psychology to so cloud their understanding, that they don't see 
the "tantrums" babies engage in, even during the early days and months. 
They don't like the bath, or the diaper changing process...so they make 
a fuss and throw a tantrum. It is assumed that babies are little 
"innocent" -cherubs-. They are 'angelic'. There is an entire modern 
philosophy that teaches the little child's "goodness" (even though they 
see the evidence to the contrary), almost to the point of -worship- of 
children. Modern culture has moved to the position the Nagano 
Olympics proclaimed a few years ago, "When Children Rule the World".

Is there Scriptural 'support' for this philosophy. Well, of course there 
is, don't be ridiculous! (Remember 70s TV sitcom's Balki from "Perfect 
Strangers"?)  It says in the Bible... 

"And a little child shall lead them" (Is11:6)  

See? They're right!

Well... NOT SO FAST, there bubba!  They have quoted Is11:6 
OUT-OF-CONTEXT!  That passage teaches NOTHING-OF-THE-SORT!

Remember how we are supposed to "quickly" go and "hang" ourselves, just 
like Judas did? This is another one of those deals.

If you look up the passage, and then ask a couple of the previous 5-W 
questions: -WHAT- is the little child leading?  And -WHEN- is it 
referring to?

WHAT?  Wolf, lamb, leopard, kid, calf, young lion, fatling, cow, bear, 
lion, adder, viper.  All these animals that now are predator and prey, 
and many dangerous to people, will all be in harmony with each other.

WHEN?  "And a Branch shall go out from the trunk of Jesse, and a Shoot 
shall grow out of his roots." (vs1)  And the passage speaks of Christ's 
rule during the coming kingdom age.

We know that God does not lie. (Nu23:19)  Thus, we also know that 
Scripture does not contradict itself; since contradiction, by 
definition, is a form of lying. So, even though we found a verse that 
'seems' to support the child-leadership doctrine, closer scrutiny shows 
it to be mismatched. That Scripture says something else. The teaching 
in question, is a false doctrine.

Next: the danger of 'outlines' is that a person works too hard to make 
the passage 'fit' the outline, instead of seeing WHAT IT SAYS...and if 
necessary, make the outline NOT follow proper rules. That's why it was 
stated to "forget" the rules of 'proper' outlining. Outline WHAT's THERE

Another form of outlining (arranging things in order) is 'acrostics'. 
There, again, some become so captivated by the concept of fulfilling the 
acrostic, that truth becomes 'deformed'.

Again, from personal experience: There was one professor in Bible school 
who was -heavily- into clever neat-looking outlines and acrostics. For a 
term project we were to create an entire file system on a certain 
subject, and 'begin' collecting clippings to file in those folders. Of 
course, being of an 'analytical' mindset as I am, I was able to come up 
with a nice 'looking' outline which pleased the professor, and I got an 
"A" for the project. However, this filing system, that was supposed to 
have formed the basis for a life-long tool in Christian education and 
counseling never got used. In fact, years later when I was sorting 
through things, most of those clippings were tossed in the garbage, the 
folders' labels blanked out and recycled for other uses. That clever 
outline that got me an "A" was totally -useless- for my 'real' life. I 
learned more God's Truth, and that outline, spawned by a course in 
"Christian Education", had no correlation to the Scriptures. And yet, so 
much of what we see in churches today is based on college/seminary 
courses in "education". Churches function based on the world's 
psychology and education methods, around which the Scriptures are 
"twisted" (2Pt3:16) to fit man's theories.  Thus, is it any wonder that 
we don't see God's Word there anymore! 

Also: A lot of people teaching study methods will suggest coming up with 
applicational questions to ask one's self, such as: What does this mean 
to my heart? What can I learn to apply to my life? How will my life 
change, now that I have learned these things?

Let me make a bold suggestion here: that such ritual questions are for 
the unsaved. Those pretending to be christians. Those who are merely 
'acting' the 'part' of the christian. Why do I make such a statement? 

For the answer, please continue to the closing section...

[Back to Topics]

HOLY SPIRIT: our TEACHER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We closed the previous section by suggesting that "application" 
questions in Bible study is not for Believers

Why do I suggest such a thing? Because for the Holy Spirit indwelt 
Believer, the Scriptures were "propelled along by the Holy Spirit" 
(2Pt1:21), and God's Word "does not return void" without accomplishing 
what God intends. (Is55:11)  Thus, I would suggest that ritual words of 
"application" are not necessary, because for the True Believer, when a 
person is immersed in God's Word, the Word -speaks- to the heart. It is 
"in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it." (De30:14)  The 
'doing' (Jac1:22-23) is related to the Believer's "works" -manifesting- 
that True Faith which resides in the heart, showing the faith "by/from" 
the works. (Jac2:18)  It is the Believer's 'nature' to do what he learns 
from God's Word. If he doesn't, it's proof that he is not a True 
Believer. (1Jn2:4)

Thus, forget those 'application' questions. How do you know but what, if 
you limit yourself to those questions, that you will MISS OUT on what 
the Holy Spirit 'really' wants for your life. He speaks to us down at 
the level of "soul and spirit". (Heb4:12)  So, just "be diligent...[in] 
rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2Ti2:15), and allow the Holy Spirit 
to make application in your life as He knows best. Don't "quench"  the 
Spirit (1Th5:19) by placing such limits on your study and God's Word. 
Study 'methods' should never intrude upon the Holy Spirit. (Maybe that 
sentence should be re-read a couple more times?)

Having said that, do not be confused with worship and being 
"spirit-filled" and going into a demonic trances. Charismania has thrown 
all logic (the mind) to the winds. Where Paul exhorts that worship, 
prayer and exhortation function "with the mind" (1Cor14:14-15); eastern 
mysticism's charismania purposely "empties" the mind. That is the whole 
function of their so-called "worship"; to empty the mind, to allow 
themselves to be "spirit-filled". When the whole process is contrary to 
God's clear Word, such spirits are -demons-; and their manifestations 
testify to the "fruit" (Mt7) of those spirits. These are those 
"doctrines of demons" Paul spoke of for the "latter times". (1Ti4:1) We 
are -NOW- 'in' those "latter times"!

Remember, it says that Paul "...REASONED with them from the Scriptures" 
(Ac17:2)  -Reasoning- is not the activity of an empty mind!  'Ever 
wonder why charismatics talk in circles and often seem confused? That's 
because they purposely turn 'off' their minds.

But, just because Yoga, TM and charismania teach false doctrines 
regarding spiritual things, does not negate God's TRUE HOLY SPIRIT. All 
those things are done to detract from what is True, just as everything 
else is designed to draw attention away from the Most High, by the one 
clamoring to be "like the Most High". (Is14:14)  

(See? Satan has no chance of being God. The most he can hope for is to 
be an 'allegory'. To be "like" God. Allegories are not the real thing!)

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would "... guide you into all Truth; 
for He will not speak things originating from Himself, but whatever He 
hears He will speak; and He will make known to you things to come. He 
will glorify Me, for He will receive from what is Mine and make it known 
to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that 
He will receive from what is Mine and make it known to you." 
(Jn16:13-15)

This series on Bible study -methods- might be a set of some useful 
'tools'; but never replace the Holy Spirit with them. These tools are 
tools for the 'mind'. But the Holy Spirit deals with our spirits. Jesus 
said about the Holy Spirit: "The Spirit breathes where He wishes, and 
you hear His voice, but do not know where He comes from and where He 
goes. So is everyone who is born from the Spirit." (Jn3:8)  There is 
much the Holy Spirit does in our lives which we do not understand.

Yes, consider these studies as Paul said to Timothy, "Consider what I 
say, and the Lord will give you understanding in all things." (2Ti2:7)

Because...

"...the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and 
you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as the same anointing 
teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and 
just as it has taught you, you will remain in Him." (1Jn2:27)

Amen!

[Back to Topics]

REVIEWING the REPEATABLES:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Read 'all' the Scriptures (1Ti4:13) Feed on them Jer15:16)

-- Only ONE -TRUE- INTERPRETATION of any given passage of Scripture
    (God is "One" -- the Scriptures are "one" with God)

-- What did God mean? What did God -say-.

-- Only times Scripture NOT literal, when the TEXT ITSELF SAYS SO.

-- Not all of Scripture is intended to be understood by all people.
    (e.g. unbelievers with hard hearts)

-- Study 'methods' should never intrude upon the Holy Spirit.
    (Study methods are merely 'tools' of logic for the "sound mind".)

-- Holy Spirit is the Teacher. (Jn16:3, 1Jn2:27)