Bible Study Habit

I chose option one for this forum because I myself have had to learn how to make Bible study a habit. I have been a Christian since 2001, but Bible study has been a concept that I had not fully grasped until just a few years ago. When I started attending a new church back in 2016, they placed a huge infuses on really diving into God’s Word on a consistence basis and not rely solely on church for your dose of the Bible for the week. When addressing new Christians, I would start by explaining to them that Bible study is not something that someone masters right away, but with consistency and motivation, they can begin to have a productive and in-depth Bible study. I would give them three key points in regard to how translations, commentaries,

As Christians, we tend to only use one or two translations of the Bible, I know for me it has been the translation that I grew up with. The main problem with using only one translation of the Bible is that the reader cannot see verses in other contexts and word usage. Translations add a certain spice, if you will, to Bible study because even though all the passages in the Bible are of the same framework, the wording in different translations can be different and can add a better understanding of the passage just by using a different word (Cartwright & Hulshof, p. 62). Using different translations of the Bible gives Christians the ability to compare passages and verses with other translations of the same passage or verse (Cartwright & Hulshof, p. 62). An example of how using different translations can add to Bible study comes in John. John 3:18 says, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18, NASB). Another translation of John 3:18 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18, ESV). Besides explaining how different translations help with Bible study, I would also explain to the new Christians the importance

65). I use my “Notebook” Bible to write what I believe a passage or verse of Scripture means to me, and what God has taught me through my readings. I like to look back on my notes every now and then, to see what God showed me then and what new things, if any, He has showed me now. One verse of Scripture that I love comes from Matthew 13, “Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted” (Matthew 13:11, NASB). This verse to me reminds us how special and important we as Christians, both new and old, are to