In our 11-Step process to study a given passage, we have considered the first two steps. Here, we present step three:
STEP THREE – Become thoroughly acquainted with your chosen passage. Read your paragraph over and over and over again. Use different translations and in different languages if possible. Compare “literal” translations (NKJV, ESV, NASV) with “dynamic” translations (NIV).
As you read the text and get very familiar with it…
- Consider any hard-to-understand phrases.
- Some differences in translations are only variations in English synonyms. Other differences can reflect a substantial difference in an approach to the text.
- Consider parallel passages from the other accounts. What is repeated? What is different? Is the context of the text different?
- Are there references or allusions to the Old Testament that you need to explore?
Last week, I used 1 Thessalonians 1 as an example. Let’s stay in that text.
In working through this text, we come across three people: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. What do we know about them? Do we want to study more about them? We can easily access biblestudytools.com or any other computerized (or printed) concordance and find all the verses that mention these three men. If we want to know more, we can access Bible dictionaries or encyclopedias from the same site.
We’re looking at hard to understand phrases or words we don’t know, important theological words that show up in the text, words that would demand a more thorough study.
For example, in verse 3, we have three phrases that we would need to meditate on if we wanted to fully understand this passage: work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. One word there is not used in common speech – “steadfastness.” That’s a word that we might have to do a little more study on. As far as phrases goes, what does “work of faith” mean? What does “labor of love” mean? How about “steadfastness of hope”?
I encourage you to have a handful of different translations at your desk where you feed on God’s word. Here, I draw your attention to the NIV: “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Knowing that the NIV does not translate word for word and comparing it to the NASV and the NKJV, I know that the NIV translators added the words “produced,” “prompted,” and “endurance inspired.” They also used a different preposition, “by” instead of “of.” Here, it doesn’t necessarily make a big difference but we don’t need to be limited by how the NIV translators interpret the phrases: “work of faith,” or “labor of love,” or “steadfastness of hope.”
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In verse 4, there are two words that jump out at me in the context of biblical theology: “beloved,” and “choice.” The idea of “choice” is related to the biblical terms election and predestination. Those are some deep concepts I could get involved in. Again, Smith’s Bible Dictionary and the ISBE could provide some interesting help. We’ll talk about doing word studies in Step Six. Right now, we’re just making notes about words and phrases that we might need to do further studies on.
In verse 5, we have three key words: “gospel,” “power,” and “Holy Spirit.” Those are words that we’ll need to understand. Now, in our personal study, we won’t do a word study on each of these; only on words that we desire to study further.
In the third paragraph, we have some key words, beginning in verse 6: “tribulation” and “joy.” In verses 7 and 8, we are introduced to two regions in Europe: Macedonia and Achaia. Where are they? What do I know about them? What was life like for them? I can go to my Smith’s Dictionary or the ISBE and read the articles about them. If I want to understand 1 Thessalonians, then I want to understand the circumstances of Paul’s audience. That was Step One.
There are just a few more words we notice in verses 9 & 10. For example, “you turned to God from idols.” What does that tell us about the audience? They are Gentiles, at least primarily Gentiles. An interesting expression that should arrest our attention is the last phrase in verse 10: “who rescues us from the wrath to come.” What are the implications of that statement? What further meditation do I need to make about that?
We have covered three steps, so far, in our “How to Study the Bible” series:
STEP ONE – Understand the historical context of the passage.
STEP TWO – Decide on the limits of your chosen passage.
STEP THREE – Become thoroughly acquainted with your chosen passage.
Next week, STEP FOUR – Analyze sentence structure and the flow of the passage.
–Paul Holland
