How to Study the Bible in Depth - Context is King

1. Know what you are reading.

A.The inspired word of God - what does inspired mean? Jewish  interpretation 

B. What is the Focus of the Bible.

C. The Bible is a Jewish book

D. Latter-day revelations and Apocryphal books

E. Translations.??? Transliterations- Figures of Speech Used in the Bible

G. Bible helps

F. How to find out what the original Hebrew or Greek actually says. --- You don't need a library.

2. Commentary - friend or foe?

A. Knowing the doctrinal slant. (internet) Eating the meat & spitting out the bones                                                    

B. The problem with relying on commentaries

C. Cultural commentary- Makes the Bible come alive.

3. Context is King.

A. There should be a law against quoting scripture without context - proving     

B.  Studying the occasion (background) of every Letter/Epistle/book

C.  There are no contradictions, just different contexts.

4. Bible Study Methods.

A. The Magic 8 Ball Approach- The Xanax Approach -The Pinball -The Telephone

Game Approach -- The Jack Sprat Approach (JEN WILKIN)

B.   Theology then application

C.   Topical – exegetical – mediational.

D.  strengths & weakness

Studying the occasion (background) of every book/letter of the Bible.

• "Whoever has been born of God does not sin." (New King James Version)
• Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning." (New Living

Translation)

• We know that no one who is born of God sins; (NASB)
• The Greek text actually says "does not sin."
• Context is King—1 John background (Gnosticism)

Gnosticism -

• Special knowledge from God
• Our physical bodies are sinful and will not be saved

1. Does not matter what the body does -sin

2. Jesus did not have a body, He was a Spirit

• Jesus was not the Son of God/Christ He was a Spirit
• This false doctrine caused their church to split
• John setting them straight with the truth also encouraging them

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the

Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. God Is Light

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an [a]Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the [b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is

not in him;5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that [d]it would be shown that they all are not of us.20 [e]But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and [f]because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the [g]Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to  deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just

as it has taught you, [i]you abide in Him.

5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or [b]knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil [c]has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is [d]born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is [e]born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: [f]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God