Part 4 The Principle of Investigation

The famous evangelist, Billy Sunday once described reading the Bible as an experience similar to traveling. Basically there are two ways to take a biblical journey. Either through the experience of another: such as your Pastor or Sunday School teacher or by personally learning to interpret the Bible for yourself. The most beneficial and unforgettable way to study the Bible is on your own. Yet, even by doing this you will need to seek the help of others who will help lead you through trouble areas and keep you from getting lost or stuck on a dead-end path, while pointing out important details that you might have overlooked. Books serve as these invaluable guides through the Word of God.

As vitally important as it is to make your own initial observation of a particular passage, it is also necessary to investigate what other people have discovered about the portion of Scripture you are studying. The reason for this is because most ordinary church members do not have all of the necessary background to adequately interpret the Bible. Even students of the Bible and preachers lack background in certain areas. Because of this, often times help in the form of study aids is necessary to get us through the difficult passages within the Bible.