Bible Study According to Caldwell

[Hidden In Him]

My process is, briefly, as follows:

Pray.

At this time DO NOT open a commentary.

Read the entire book from which the passage you want to explore comes. Do not negate context. Pray. Read the passage again. Pray again.

John, I like how this process starts, a LOT. Praying first for the Holy Spirit to teach you is paramount. And do not open a commentary at all unless He leads you to.

But now, if you could take a bit of constructive criticism (take it or leave it, of course, and more power to you either way. I am all for people studying the scriptures in whatever method seems right to them), everything that follows these three lines should remain depend upon whether the Holy Spirit leads you to do any of it or not, yes? I mean, why start off being led by the Spirit only to finish in the flesh? I pray for revelation on a passage, and if He doesn't give me anything on it right away nor lead me to go to any source material either, I will simply set it aside, do something else, pray about it some more when it comes back to mind, and then continue to wait on the Lord UNTIL He gives me revelation on it or tells me to go to some specific source.

By waiting on Him, what usually happens is the Spirit will suddenly give me direct insight into what is being said in a passage. Then is when I start going to work on it. Frankly, it's usually only after I have come to a very solid interpretation on a passage that I will then go to commentaries and see what others have been teaching on it.

I admire your meticulousness. Just make sure you stay dependent upon the Holy Spirit's leading through the whole process.

Blessings in Christ!
HiH : )

 

[Nancy]

John, I like how this process starts, a LOT. Praying first for the Holy Spirit to teach you is paramount. And do not open a commentary at all unless He leads you to.

But now, if you could take a bit of constructive criticism (take it or leave it, of course, and more power to you either way. I am all for people studying the scriptures in whatever method seems right to them), everything that follows these three lines should remain depend upon whether the Holy Spirit leads you to do any of it or not, yes? I mean, why start off being led by the Spirit only to finish in the flesh? I pray for revelation on a passage, and if He doesn't give me anything on it right away nor lead me to go to any source material either, I will simply set it aside, do something else, pray about it some more when it comes back to mind, and then continue to wait on the Lord UNTIL He gives me revelation on it or tells me to go to some specific source.

By waiting on Him, what usually happens is the Spirit will suddenly give me direct insight into what is being said in a passage. Then is when I start going to work on it. Frankly, it's usually only after I have come to a very solid interpretation on a passage that I will then go to commentaries and see what others have been teaching on it.

I admire your meticulousness. Just make sure you stay dependent upon the Holy Spirit's leading through the whole process.

Blessings in Christ!
HiH : )

I'm going to do this from now on, find myself relying on commentaries all too often. Pray, read, wait on Him. Perfect!

 

[Enoch111]

Or Calvinism??

No. He was a former Calvinist, and now he is a former poster.

 

[Enoch111]

I'm going to do this from now on, find myself relying on commentaries all too often.

It's one thing to RELY on commentaries (not good). It's another thing to consult appropriate commentaries if necessary (some are inappropriate and misleading).

 

[Nancy]

It's one thing to RELY on commentaries (not good). It's another thing to consult appropriate commentaries if necessary (some are inappropriate and misleading).

Yes Enoch, I do find many conflicting ideas with the commentaries which in turn, just confuse me more. I will be pulling away from them for a bit. The Holy Spirit will teach me and bring me into all truth.
I'm getting there!!! ❤

 

[John Caldwell]

Yes Enoch, I do find many conflicting ideas with the commentaries which in turn, just confuse me more. I will be pulling away from them for a bit. The Holy Spirit will teach me and bring me into all truth.
I'm getting there!!! ❤

A good commentary will offer several views and the reasoning behind each. Most (good ones) also offer the authors view along with the strengths and weaknesses of the author's position.

A bad commentary will tell you what to believe and why.

I recommend looking at several good commentaries after you have prayerfully studied and developed your own ideas.

One rule of thumb, however, is if your belief is unique then you can be pretty sure it is wrong.

 

[Marymog]

Learning and studying diligently is what we should be doing anyhow as He promises to reward those who do.

No Christian should be unteachable.

Jim Jones, Fred Phelps and David Koresh studied diligently. I wonder if they got the reward He promised?

Mary

 

[Hidden In Him]

I'm going to do this from now on, find myself relying on commentaries all too often. Pray, read, wait on Him. Perfect!

You Go, girl! : )

P.S. I didn't know you studied on a commentary-reading level, Nancy. That's good to hear!

 

[Hidden In Him]

A good commentary will offer several views and the reasoning behind each. Most (good ones) also offer the authors view along with the strengths and weaknesses of the author's position.

A bad commentary will tell you what to believe and why.

Yeah. Word Biblical usually gives a good overview of the competing interpretations, but sometimes I appreciate a flat statement on what they believe. I can get a little irritated fishing through a bunch of long-windedness looking for a direct answer, LoL. Especially when it turns out to be one sentence long, and very indecisive at best : )

One rule of thumb, however, is if your belief is unique then you can be pretty sure it is wrong.

Oh, contrare : ) To each his own, but I have seen commentators admit a number of times that none of the competing interpretations is completely satisfying to them, so they will end up going with the one that appears to have the least flaws. That tells you that the correct one may actually be "none of the above," LoL. (Ha Ha! Fun to talk about commentaries. Not something you see discussed on forums very often).

 

[Nancy]

You Go, girl! : )

P.S. I didn't know you studied on a commentary-reading level, Nancy. That's good to hear!

Ty HIH...I'm no where near as advanced as most on here but, I always move forward! Many of the commentaries I do not understand so, I do look up Greek and Hebrew translations when I come across hard to understand bible verses. He has grown my faith, and given me clarity about what real faith looks like and since then, it has been awesome, I have true PEACE, no longer worry or fret as I have experienced such answered prayer...just wanting His will over mine everyday And only recently have I truly experience His Joy! Never understood that in real time before...all I can say to that is WOW and THANK YOU LORD!!!

 

[Nancy]

Jim Jones, Fred Phelps and David Koresh studied diligently. I wonder if they got the reward He promised?

Mary

And, how do you know those men studied diligently? Does not scripture tell us to do so? No need for your sarcastic eyerolls Mary, do you have ANY love in you??

 

[Nancy]

A good commentary will offer several views and the reasoning behind each. Most (good ones) also offer the authors view along with the strengths and weaknesses of the author's position.

A bad commentary will tell you what to believe and why.

I recommend looking at several good commentaries after you have prayerfully studied and developed your own ideas.

One rule of thumb, however, is if your belief is unique then you can be pretty sure it is wrong.

Thank you for the reply John,
Who's commentary's would you suggest to be good? I usually read Matthew Henry's, Barnes, and sometimes the Pulpit ones.

 

[Marymog]

And, how do you know those men studied diligently? Does not scripture tell us to do so? No need for your sarcastic eyerolls Mary, do you have ANY love in you??

How do you know they didn't study diligently? They convinced many people they did.

Not sure what my legitimate question has to do with having any love in me. Maybe you can explain?

Your theory suggest no Christian should be unteachable and that any man that is learning and studying diligently He promises to reward us.

Are you saying they weren't Christians therefore they couldn't learn by their diligent studying?

Help me out here....

 

[John Caldwell]

Thank you for the reply John,
Who's commentary's would you suggest to be good? I usually read Matthew Henry's, Barnes, and sometimes the Pulpit ones.

I prefer commentaries that deal with a specific book (and not even an entire commentary set). What I do is look at the credentials of the author based on the book that he or she is presenting.

For example, I like Leon Morris' works on John. Although I do not hold N.T. Wright's view on the NPP (and am not Anglican), he is probably one of the most knowledgeable scholars when it comes to Paul. I like Gordon Fee's books on exegesis (Fee is Pentecostal, but I believe his work with the biblical languages above par).

This does not mean that I adopt the author's conclusions. But each of them seem able to present other views fairly objectionably (although we all favor our own view...of course).

 

[John Caldwell]

Oh, contrare : ) To each his own, but I have seen commentators admit a number of times that none of the competing interpretations is completely satisfying to them, so they will end up going with the one that appears to have the least flaws. That tells you that the correct one may actually be "none of the above," LoL. (Ha Ha! Fun to talk about commentaries. Not something you see discussed on forums very often).

I thought better of my statement when typing it. It's like an oyster....someone had to be the first guy to eat one while everyone else stood aside in befuddlement. So sometimes what we see now as common was at one time unique. We see this in Calvin's articulation of the atonement (he cracked that oyster a few centuries ago and now we have all kinds of bivalve mollusk connoisseurs).

 

[John Caldwell]

No. He was a former Calvinist, and now he is a former poster.

Who?

 

[reformed1689]

The reason I disagree is that I am not asking that one single verse state either doctrine. What I am asking (my personal standard) is that vital doctrines (I view this as one) be stated. I have never demanded it be stated in one verse (or even one passage).

That said, David, I am not imposing this standard on others. I hold several biblical theories that are not stated in Scripture. But I believe the doctrine of the atonement too important a doctrine (partly because other doctrines are built upon its foundation) to hold it as Scripture when it (what distinguishes Penal Substitution Theory from the other views) is not actually stated in Scripture (between Genesis and Revelation).

Ok, I would place the Trinity on the same level as the atonement in importance wouldn't you?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Ty HIH...I'm no where near as advanced as most on here but, I always move forward! Many of the commentaries I do not understand so, I do look up Greek and Hebrew translations when I come across hard to understand bible verses. He has grown my faith, and given me clarity about what real faith looks like and since then, it has been awesome, I have true PEACE, no longer worry or fret as I have experienced such answered prayer...just wanting His will over mine everyday And only recently have I truly experience His Joy! Never understood that in real time before...all I can say to that is WOW and THANK YOU LORD!!!

Joy in the Holy Spirit is a wonderful thing : ) I'm sure some people get irritated with all my LoLs and smilies all over the place, but I honestly enjoy myself most of the time when I'm posting. Some major more in peace, some in love. Joy is just one of my things : )

 

[amadeus]

One rule of thumb, however, is if your belief is unique then you can be pretty sure it is wrong.

Really? When Jesus was coming up so hard and deep that many of his followers were leaving, He was perfectly willing to stand there by himself. What does the scripture mean then when it says that we will be like him?

I am not saying you are definitely always wrong with this, but we should not be following the lead of the Holy Spirit according to a "rule of thumb"... Rather as His sheep we should be hearing His voice and obeying what we hear. Consider these verses:

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." John 6:66

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." I John 3:2

We are not Jesus, but in our walk toward Him, will we not to ourselves sometimes seem to be walking all alone? Be careful about setting rules as being absolute. Remember the case of Paul versus Hosea regarding being "unequally yoked" [II Cor 6:14 and Hosea 1:2] . They were both right, yet on the face of it they seem to walking in opposite directions. They were both men of God writing and working under the inspiration of God. What is wrong or what is right?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Thank you for the reply John,
Who's commentary's would you suggest to be good? I usually read Matthew Henry's, Barnes, and sometimes the Pulpit ones.

The Pulpit Commentary is pretty good, IMO. I've gotten some pretty good things out of it.