Most believers in Yeshua today have either never truly learned how to properly handle the Scriptures, or they fail to apply what they know—either consistently, or at all. So whether you’re listening to a sermon, having a Bible study, or discussing the Scriptures with a friend or online, here are five simple strategies that will help you stand up for the truth of God’s word and answer any unbiblical beliefs you might hear from your fellow believers. Read more
Pride and stubbornness may drive division between believers in Messiah, but the root of our disagreement is often nothing more than just bad, inconsistent Bible interpretation. Too many of us impose our own ideas and frames of reference on the Bible, rather than letting the Scriptures speak for themselves. Sadly, there are are an abundance of commonly used methods of interpreting the Bible that are guaranteed to yield an incorrect understanding. Here are just six of them. Read more
As unique individuals, we each see the Bible through the lens of our own experiences and dispositions. So, for example, if we’re prone to be more cerebral and academic in our thinking, then we might tend to force our understanding of the Bible to fit within the confines of our own intellect and reasoning. On the other hand, if we’re inclined to be more spiritual in our perspective, we might tend to set our understanding of the Bible free from any constraints of rational thought. Yet neither extreme produces an accurate view of the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible’s very own patterns and principles teach us that in order to correctly understand Scripture, we need both our minds and our spirits. Read more
The shema proclaims in Deuteronomy 6:4 that “Adonai… our God… is one.” Yeshua teaches us in Mark 3:25 that “if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot be made to stand.” And Paul declares in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “every Scripture is God-breathed.” So if God is one—undivided—and the Bible is the written word of God, then why do we think that there can be more than one legitimate interpretation of the Bible? Why do we believe we have the permission to disagree with one another about what the Scriptures say? Read more
Anyone who’s ever read the Bible knows that while the word of God holds the answers to the deepest, most profound questions of our lives, it can also leave us asking more questions. But as we continue to seek the truth and to know every answer that can be known, there’s one question that anyone who truly wants to understand the Bible must avoid asking. It’s a question whose answer is not only antithetical to the truth, but often a challenge to the authority of God Himself. It’s a question that isn’t satisfied with what the Bible says, so it reaches beyond the word of God to deduce an answer for itself. Read more
Should we take the Bible literally? Well, that depends on what “literally” literally means. Do we mean that God—who is our rock—is literally an actual rock? Or that Yeshua—who is the door—is literally an actual door? Or by “literally” do we mean we believe that God literally created the universe in six days, that Moses literally received the stone tablets from God, and that Yeshua literally died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, actually saving us from death, and providing a real way to live with Him forever? Read more
In the world of Bible study, there are several types of great tools, such as Concordances and Lexicons, to help us successfully navigate the teachings of the Bible. Beyond these, many people also rely on secondary, extra-biblical sources for their study, knowledge and understanding—and for good reason. There is an inordinate amount of Bible-related information that is simply not contained or well-developed in the Bible. But the problem is that, when it comes to understanding Scripture itself, many will mistakenly turn to secondary sources first, rather than to God’s word. Secondary sources make it extremely easy to find answers to biblical questions… perhaps, too easy. Read more
The Bible—the written word of God—is perfect and true. But sometimes, it’s not exactly easy to understand. So when we come across a word or concept that doesn’t quite make sense, or it seems contradictory or inconsistent, we might need some help figuring it out. And the very first place we should look to help us understand anything we read in the Bible is… Read more
There is only one way to get the biblically correct answer to every single Bible question: we must first ask ourselves, “What do the Scriptures say?” But the problem with the Bible—if you can call it a problem—is that the information we’re looking for is often spread out and sprinkled in various places, which doesn’t exactly make it easy to find. So when we need help navigating the Scriptures in order to readily and thoroughly search what they say, then it’s time for us to turn to Bible study tools.
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Sometimes we don’t particularly like what the Scriptures say, or, for some reason, we think there must be more to it—that it can’t be as simple and straightforward as it appears. So instead of just asking the question “What do the Scriptures say,” we start asking ourselves, “Is that really what that Scripture says?” or, “Is that all that that Scripture says?” and our search for the truth becomes an exercise in misinformation.
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