2 Timothy 2:15
New King James Version
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Another version of this same verse says to

‘ Study to shew thyself approved unto God’.

The word ‘study’ is translated ‘spoudazo’ and it means to give diligence to something, to go beyond the mark. Doing the barest minimum would never be enough when it comes to how you study the word of God. There is a standard that God approves.

This same verse talks about “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The Greek word for this phrase means ‘to make a straight cut’ or ‘expound correctly’ the word of truth. It shows us that there is a correct way to go about expounding the scriptures, which denotes that there is a wrong way to do it. To meet God’s standard of approval when it concerns the study of the word, you must take care to do so diligently.

In order to study the Word diligently, we must employ the right tools to aid our understanding and interpretation of the Word. Can you imagine a farmer going to work with a stethoscope or a scalpel? Just like with every other activity, there are proper tools to utilise, bible study and interpretation is no exception.

The most important tool for aiding our understanding and interpretation of the Word of God, is having a good Bible teacher.

Philippians 4:9
New King James Version
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Apostle Paul is writing and admonishing the church in Philippi. He tells them to do the things that they learned and received and saw him do. This shows that there is training that should happen to the believer in the local church.

Ephesians 4:11-13
New King James Version
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

It is not just enough to receive salvation, God requires every believer to grow in his knowledge of Him and God’s strategy to to help you grow in his knowledge is Men. The gifts Christ gave to the church are to ensure that you are equipped that you may stand as a perfect man. You need a good bible teacher. Many times having a good bible teacher solves a good part of the problems that you might face in bible interpretation.

The Bible describes Apollos as being “fervent in Spirit,”(Acts 18:25) yet we see that his knowledge was only limited to the baptism of John which he spoke about boldly in the synagogue until Aquila and Priscilla approached him and “explained to him the way of God more accurately.” While it is true that we all have the Holy Spirit and we can study the word for ourselves, the Church remains God’s plan for the growth of the believer.

A Bible Lexicon is another valuable resource for Bible study. Bible lexicons define and interpret words from the original New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew. It is critical to trace the terms used in the Bible’s original manuscripts so that we can deduce suitable contexts and observe the emphasis placed on specific phrases as originally recorded. Some texts may not be fully emphasised using the English language as they were originally written.

Another useful tool for hands-on Bible study is Bible commentary. They offer context and interpretations of certain texts based on analysis by knowledgeable Bible historians and academics. However, because some interpretations may be well-meaning but doctrinally incorrect, we cannot always rely on Bible commentaries. We must first have a firm grasp of fundamental ideas and biblical truths in order to use Bible commentaries to discern what is true and what is not.

Using writing materials for your Bible study is also crucial. Develop the practice of writing down verses as you search the scriptures so that you can reflect on and commit them to memory. Additionally, jot down the guidelines and teachings you take away from the Word. This is an essential component of a successful Bible study.

Lastly, we need to use the appropriate resources if we want to study the Bible successfully. Fortunately, we can access resources like commentaries and the Bible Lexicon on our mobile devices. Make an effort to apply these resources to your regular Bible study.

Prayer Point
Father, help me to be diligent in studying your Word every day. I give attention to your word and meditate on it and I am better for it.